News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-04-20


noyed, "you know 1 never approved c
any of this. Mrs. Elliot shows littl
wisdom in inviting those men to he
house to be talked to, and don't thin
you need have consented to talk t
them. said nothing because it wa
none of my business, and I also though
you were deeply interested in the ques
ton. Now 1 find you are interested il
bonnets."
eyes," she answered, "I have
fever for bonnets And it has com
late in life. Consider, I am "a years olc
and l have never had complete 'cos
tune 7 I have been creature O
| shreds and tatters, and have worn las
years coat with next years hat. Nov
l am to have toilet A velvet dress
sir, and-a train and gloves with ter
buttons p
"And for what? To meet lot ot
lubberly men What will they care fol
your ten buttons ?"
Katherine laughed.
"The men are the excuse. Why 6
wedding party would do as well. But
perhaps my attack on vanity will not be
as short as it is violent"
81 hope So" he said, standing up and
holding out his hand. '.I thought you
were superior to all this"
'I am not" she replied gravely. 81
am a victim to it,
''You have my best wishes for looking
well. May also hope for the success
OF your appeal?"
katherine now looked at him with
real gravity. She feared her frivolity
had carried her too far, but he turned
and walked out of the room.
He looked perplexed as he hurried to
his Office. He did not ike this. He
had considered Miss Wright very SEN
sible girl and he had not objected to-
her liking for politics, nor had he cared
because she made speeches at ladies
meetings and semi-jubilee affairs. He
would not have liked all this in his wife
or sister, but katherine was neither.
He was nearly forty; he was bachelor,
distinguished and not poor, but he was
not marrying man.
Suddenly he stood still. ga fever for
bonnets I" he repeated. ''A fever for
bonnets! The next thing she will be
getting married What fool I was
OF course that is it,
Then he laughed. And then he won
dered who it was. It couldn't be one
of the Legislators
That evening he wrote her a letter:
MY DEAR Miss WRIGHT:-I saw the
very bonnet for you this afternoon. 1t
was gray and it was tied down, and
might be described as fuzzy or woolly.
think it very superior in style and
selor- to the ones won were -xve-rvi,,ey !
'ver. A very pretty girl had it on. OF |
course l couldn't ask her where she |
bought it. Truly yours,
GEORGE l.. ROBERTS.
When Katherine read this note she
was confounded. Her 'fever" was of
such very late date that she had had
short time for preparation. Even now
she had to go to her dressmaker's, she
had to buy lace and natural flowers.
The reception was at three o'clock it
was now after nine, and from half-pa
nine to half-past ten she had musi
lesson to give, and it was pouring rain.
She had more than o. half mind to
wear her old cashmere.
A gray beaver That was what the
Judge meant, and he was right. a gray
Oeaverl How stupid not to have known
It was the very thing.
But she had no time to spare. She
put on her hat, her waterproof, she
took her umbrella and she sped away
TO give her music lesson. What an
hour it wasl The selections from the |
Prophetic were longer than the opera
Itself. But even this came to an end |
and she ran home. It was now after |
eleven, and with the help of her land
lady she made hasty and provisional |
toilet. The velvet, with its train, was
TO be put on at the dressmaker's, and |
The bonnet changed for a beaver at |
Madame Fontaine's. 1t was after twelve |
before she left the house. She bought |
:he lace, but she went from florist to |
1orist before she found just her ideal |
white rose. 1t rained in torrents. The |
streets ran in water and mud was every |
where. She was hungry, she was nerv
1us. She went to restaurant to get |
,up of tea, but tho waiter was so long
coming to her she jumped up and ran
10 Madame Fontaine's.
What, change that hat p cried the
"that superb hat 1t is the
most charming one I had in the room.
Beavers are commonplace and to you |
lot becoming" She could not trim a
nat on SO short notice. She talked, she
Jaid it was absurd to think of change.
The time flew on. Katherine had no |
ime nor strength to discuss it, and she
hastily threw off her old hat and the |
nilliner put the new one on her, and |
without glance at the glass she was off
gain. Ice cream is not stimulating, |
1ut it is readily served, and on it Kath-
,rine lunched. 1t gave her pain in her
orehead, and she laughed to herself at |
he idea of anyone SO drenched with rain |
eating such cold, frozen stuff.
But at the dressmaker's all was ready. |
It took but a moment to sew in the lace,
and the skillful fingers of the dressmak-
or fastened up the dress, pinned up the
train, and then the clock struck three.
How far away Mrs. Elliot lived how
slowly the car splashed along If the
horses had only kept time with Rather
ines watch how they would have flown |
But when she entered Mrs. Elliot's
door how still, how apart from hurry it
was. There was a murmur of voices in
the parlor. There was the perfume of
flowers, the hushed step on soft carpets,
the gentle voice of a lady's maid. And
up in Mrs. Elliot's room Katherine at
length viewed her costume.
She was pleased. Her figure was tall
and slender, her dress fell in heavy lus-
trous folds her gloves, her handker-
chief, her flowers Well, it was the
possible Katherine Wright made real
She did not regret the gray beaver and
she had one moment of perfect unal-
loyed satisfaction in her own appear
anee. 1t seemed to her that her train
gave her new movement. If she had
been but seventeen she could not have
been more content.