Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-01-13
BETSEY'S BONNET.

'Wen, Uncle Abel, now you are off
for home, | suppose; all done, crops all
bargained for, eh?" and John Dare lifted
his hat and pushed back his thick hair
as he stood on the hotel steps talking to
a plain country farmer in Il suit of
homespun gray.
''Wa'al, no, not quite yet, John. |
want to get Betsey bunnit; 4 real nice
one; just as good as a Yorker
might want. Cause Betsey worked aw-
full hard this spring. Times are good,
too. So l guess We'll see if my Betsey
shan't look as good as anybody. S'pose
you don't want to go along with me, do
your
Let me see-4 o'clock-yes, III go,
Uncle Abel. I'll look at the pretty girls,
though; you won't mind that. Come
on"
SO they walked up the street, the
fashionable attire of the young man
contrasting strongly with the antiquat-
ed cut of the farmers garments, which
at home were wont to lie in solemn
state i'll the spare room all the week,
only to be worn on Sunday with becom-
ing carefulness. There was little like
ness in the face-a trifle too fair for
manly beauty, with its blonde NOUS
tache and setting of close brown curls
Ito the brOnzed and beardless one,
with few locks, spare and gray, beneath
the Well-brushed hat; but the blue eyes
were the same in both, and like those
that were closed forever under the sod
in the apple orchard on Uncle AbeFs
farm, where his dead sister was laid
when Johnny was a tiny child. 1t
troubled John not Il whit to be seen
with the Olain countryman in spite of
his perfumed hair and well-gloved
hand, his heart was as true as steel to
the good friend of his boyhood, and
the inquiring glance Of his companions
gave him no annoyance whatever.
They reached Madam Rozette's at
last, and John lounged in the doorway
and straightway engaged in the laud-
able employment of finding out the
prettiest face of the girls in attendance.
Jose Molliet, radiant with smiles, and |
think little artificial bloom, came for
ward with the most bewitching chances
to wait upon the farmer who brought
SO attractive Il person with him. and
fancying that she would show her su-
perior quality by so doing, made up
her mind to quiz Uncle Abel unmerci-
fully. Poor old man! He was never
so miserable in all his life In Hop
town he would have made no trouble
whatever. Miss Crabtree, in her plain
dress and cap with lavender ribbons,
would have told him at once what to
get; and her little gray eyes would not
have confused him in the least
But here was fine lady, with great
circumference of black silk trailing out
along the carpet, waist no bigger than
4 wasp, a head on which the hair SEEM
ed struggling in crimps and curls to get
away from the shining bands strapped
tightly around it, and a pair Of great
black eyes looking straight at him, while
the damsel held up one style after an
other, or tied them on coquettishly, but
derived no help from him.
''Now, young woman, show me some
of your best bunnits-real good ones.
None of your poor, old-fashioned things
for my wife"
Having said this, Uncle Able felt
that he had stated the case clearly and
should have no more trouble.
Miss Josie sailed about, and returned
with white chip gypsy, trimmed with
blue, a shirred green satin with a red
rose on 1t, and a gray straw trimmed
with scarlet peoples.
"Now, that will be just what you
want. [ am sure; only twenty-five
dollars, tOO-sO cheap and so becom-
ing"
Uncle Abel confessed afterwards that
| he felt quite COMPOUNDED at the price,
bat he did not mean to let that
Frenchitied girl know it, so he only
said, ooh, that's the style, eh? 1t
amt a bit like Betsey's old one,
though"
ooh, no, sir; the fashion has changed
entirely. Now the gypsy is the newest
thing out, and your wife would set the
fashion, don't doubt"
She looked up at John Dare mer-
rily, but could not interpret the look in
his eyes; so, taking it for granted that
it was an expression of admiration,
she pursued the same strain:
"Just fresh from Paris. l am sure
your wife would like that. Shall try
it on for your
wall, yes, can tell better how it
will look then. Now it looks just like
4 dish"
There, it goes this way" and Josie
pitched the little thing over her rosy
face, tied the strings in big bow knot,
and swept down the length of the
room. Don't you like it?'
"Wa'al, its kind O. purity, but its aw-
full queer; amt it, John?"
John thus appealed to, could only an
swer that he "knew nothing in the
world about women's bonnets," and
took up his reverie, whatever it was,
just where it was broken off, But look
ing idly in the long mirror opposite. he
saw Josie making signs to another
girl, and he soon found that they were
amusing themselves vastly at the per-
IpleXity of their customer He saw,
too, pale quiet girl, with. smooth
brown hair, look up from her work in
dignantly, and he rather saw than
heard her say, For shamep' and
grow crimson as she spoke.
His own face flushed little as he be-
came aware that Uncle Abel was being
made the butt of their jokes-good I'm
ele Abel, who was looking so adniring-
ly 1T the fabrics incomprehensible to
him, his old heart only full of the
thought how he should make his pres