The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-10-17

OF the meadows, tne music, ana OIL
liant spectacle of superb equipages
passing in file, or pausing in groups
in the piazza true open-air draw
ing-room. IL this procession of We.
hicles our trio, in a modest street
cab, crossed the dashing steeds OF
the Countess, and the lady, attired
in crimson and yellow lace-flounces,
assuredly gave Barbara a sombre
glance in passing. Barbara was
Haunting in the lovely pink and blue
head gear, while the Countess, with
rage in her soul, was condemned to
reception bonnet of the past winter
season. Could swift suspicion have
winged that sharp scrutiny on the
part of the noble lady? No; he did
not even recognize the tenant of the
third floor of her plazzo. How
much wilder the conjecture, then,
that Barbara Williams, most raspec-
table of chaperon, was wearing her
hat on that spring Sunday Such
was the astounding truth. The
maid of the third floor, Assunta, had
waylaid the boy bringing the hat OF
the Countess, while the bearer OF
Barbara's straw had left his box on
the ground-foor, as no other address
save the house lad been impressed
on his youthful mind.
Monday morning, Pietro, the
groom, hastened to Madame Mile
fieures, and spread CONSERVATION
| through that establishment by pre-
senting Barbara's poke bonnet.
Madame refused to receive the OBJ
iect, and returned with Pietro to the
palace, scolding the boy cG route.
Was it q charming production
quite worthy of Madame Millefleur's
talents, the color pink and blue ?'
inquired the Count, cigar in mouth,
Turkish fez on his head, a velvet
morning coat on his back. and the
unlimited idleness of a noble gentle
man always at his disposal.
Yes, yes, signore, assented the
poor milliner, eagerly.
Then / think, one of the foreign
ladies of the apartment above stairs
wore it out yesterday, said the
Count with a mocking smile. A
very pretty woman
NV hatr shrieked the Countess,
and stamped her foot on the ground.
That comes of renting the palace.
We must have patience, observed
the Count, using a favorite formula
of his nation, and flecking the ashes
from his cigar. Indeed the rent of
the apartments above-stairs was very
carefully consigned to his own aris-
tocratic pocket.
You should insert in your con-
tract that my hats are to be first worn
by the lodgere," stormed the lady,
continuing TO pat the gravel with her
foot, as she was seated in the garden,
with little crowd of menials crowd
ed around her headed by the crest
fallen milliner.
Madame Millefieurs, escorted by
Pietro and the errand boy, wended
their way up stairs. Assunta opened
the door.
/ gave her the box on Saturday
night, proclaimed the errand boy.
Four pairs of Italian eyes scanned
each other, ready to impute the
worst possible motives with the best
graces in the world. Concealment
was no longer possible.
In the meanwhile Barbara had
sought the street of the Porta Rosa
to gently reproach her milliner for
the perfdy of retrimming the Paris
hat.
Madame is satisfied p inquired
the polite forewoman.
The hat is very pretty, but | did
not order you to put on black and
white lace and satin
All the young women with bang
ed hair gathered about Barbara and
stared at her.
Madame's hat was untrimmed,
remarked the forewoman at length,
with benevolent tolerance of foreign
tongues
Ofcourse it was assented Bar
bara, a trifie testify, and then re-
Tented. Well, what do you charge,
after all p
Three francs, said the forewoman,
simply.
Three francs y repeated Barbara,
with sudden horror.
oh, if I promised the alterations
for two and half
Two francs and a halfr echoed
Barbara wildly.
The Youngest girl, sewing in the
darkest nook of the shop, dropped
her task and came forward to inspect
this customer as an object worthy
an ardent curiosity. Was she mad?
Was she only odd, like all tores-
teri p
The hat | received was beautiful
" trimmed faltered Barbara. Il
have kept and worn it. Does it be-
long to somebody else?'
Sanctissima Maria = calculated the
forewoman.
Sanctissima Maria cried all the
girls In chorus.
The milliner promised to question
the errand hoy, and have the miss
ing article at once produced. Barba-
ra returned home just in time to
confront Maoame Millefleurs and
realize in the modiste's cold polite.
ness the doubly awful truth that
she had worn the spring hat of the
Countess, and the noble lady was
aware of the fact. The Poppletons
burst into irrepressible laughter
when the door closed.
The Bargello may be re.opened
for you. Perhaps you will be ar
rested and cast into a dungeon gig
gled Pet.
It is as good as play cried !
Marion. Do you recall Goldini's
fondness for reproducing houses in
sections on the stage? Our palace,
thus set to comedy, would show
Miss Barbara Williams on the third |
floor arrayed like Solomon in all his |
glory for church, while the Countess
waited below for her new spring
honpet'