Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-04-14

There. II goes tins way, ana Josie
pitched the little thing over her rosy
face, tied the little strings in a big
bowknot and swept down the length OF
the room. Don't you like it?'
'Wa'al, it's kind o purity, but list
awful queer; amt it John?
John could only answer that he
knew nothin' in the world about wO-
mems bonnets, and took up his rever-
lie, whatever it was, just where it was
broken of. But looking idly in the
long mirror opposite, he saw Josie
making signs to another girl, an he
soon found that they were amusing
themselves vastly at the perplexity OF
their customer. He saw, too that a
pale, quiet girl, with smooth brown
hair, looking up from her work indig-
nantly, and he rather saw than heard
her say, For shame! and grow Grim
son as she spoke.
His own face flushed little as he
became aware that Uncle Abel was
being made the butt of their jokes
good Uncle Abel who was looking at
the fabrics incomprehensible to him,
his heart only full of the thought how
he should make his present worthy Of
the patient soul for whom it was in
tended.
Then John was greatly perplexed,
for as he said truly, he knew nothing
about all the mysterious and bewild-
ering arrangement of dress that he saw
every day.
Still he knew that Aunt Betsey's
spare locks, thinly spriukled with gray
were not dressed in modern style, and
he could not see wher reabouts on that
dear old head any of those gipsies or
fanchons would rest, He remembered
that long ago Aunt Betsey was wont
to twist her hair with the same energy
that distinguished all her movements,
and that this operation resulted in a
hard knot at the back of her head like
door handle, which certainly would
not harmonic with those capless head
dresses.
Just as his brow was overcast with
this thought, the pale girl came near
Uncle Abel, blushing as she did so in
defiance of the other girls, holding in
her hand a plain leghorn bonnet,
trimmed with violet ribbons.
She wore a mourning dress, and the
| x,lo.,> l,,ooob NJ bo, tbroat holJ 1only
of gray hair.
Il think this might suit you sir, she
said. If your wife doesn't dress her
hair in these fashions, these bonnets
would not do. This is rich and PLAIN,
and covers the back Of the head and
neck.
'Wa'al now, tell me, for l have got
so bothered with these things. want
to get bonnet for Betsey, and | mean
to. Now jest tell me if you would like
your mother to wear one like this? Oh,
l beg your pardon, ma'am; didn't
see. liam sorry !
The young girl brushed off tear
quickly as she said
4 have no mother now; but if you
will trust me, sir, | think this will
suit
She had stood hitherto just out of
the range of John Dare's vision, and
had not seen him at all. Something
in the sound of her voice attracted him,
and when Uncle Abel called, Here,
John Dare : he stepped hastily toward
them.
The girl thrust the bonnet into IN
Gle A5el's hands, and would have been
out Of sight if her dress had not
caught on one of the branching stands.
'Amy!' and John Dare, with hot
flush on his face, caught her hand.
Amy Egbert, have | found you at
last !?
The girls face grew white and red
by turns, and the words she spoke
came so low and broken that only John
could catch their meaning.
Uncle Abel pushed his spectacles up
on his forehead, still holding the hat in
his hand, looking open-mouthed from
one to the other.
Il guess you must have knowed this
young woman afore ? he said; but
John was too iusy with questions, Amy
was trembling and flushing as she tried
to speak calmly, and SO his question
was answered. Pretty Josie was di-
vlding her attention between q new
customer and the scene beside her, and
between anger and modification she
looked in no need of help rouge as she
tossed her head and muttered various
uncourteous remarks in regard to that
Amy Egbert and her beau
Uncle Abel held the hat while
longer, quite patiently. but at length
despaired of the interview being end
ed, so he coughed and then said
I'll take this bunnit. Twenty dol
lars is a good deal Betsey's worth it
amt she John 2
John needn't have started so, or said |
very which wasn't sensible answer
at all but Uncle Abel laughed little
to himself, and said softly, oh, boys
will be boys !! and he was obliged to
tell Miss Egbert the direction over
twice.
Outside the door John turned to
leave his uncle, and looked at him as
shy as a girl as he said Its all right,
I