South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-06-13
Betsey's Bonnet.

well, Uncle Abel, now you are OF
for home, l suppose; trading all done,
crops all bargained for chr and John
Dare lifted his hat and pushed back
his thick hair az he stood on the hotel
steps talking to plain country far.
mer in suit Of home-spun gray.
'Wa'al, not quite yet, John. Iwant
to get Betsey . bonnet-a real nice
one-just rs good as Yorker might
want. Cause Betsey's worked awful
hard this spring. Times are good,
too. So I guess we'll see if my Bet
sey shan't loox as good as anybody.
S'pose you don't want to go along
with me, do your
Let me see-four o'clock-yes, I'll
60 Uncle Abel. I'll look at the pref.
ty girls, though; you won't mind
that.s Come on
So they walked up the street, the
fashionable attire of the young law
yer contrasting strongly with the an.
tiquated, cut Of the farmers garments,
which at home were wont to lie in sol J.
emn state in the spare room all the
week, only to be worn on Sunday
with becoming carefulness. There
was little likeness in the face-a trifie
too fair for manly beauty, with it's
blonde moustache and setting off close
brown curls. to the bronze aud beard
less one, with the few locks, spare
and gray, beneath the we'll brushed
hat; and the blue eyes were the same
in both and like those that were clos.
ed forever under the sod in the apple
orchard on Uncle Abel's farm, where
his dead sister was laid when John
was tiny child. 1t troubled John not
whit 10 be seen with plain country.
man; liz spite Of his perfumed hair
and we'll gloved hand, his heart was
true as steel to the good friends of
has boyhood, and the inquiring CLAN
ces OF his companions gave him no
annoyance whatever.
They reached Madame Rozett's at
last, and John lounged in the door
way and straightway engaged in the
laudible employment Of finding out
the pretticst face of the girls in
attendance. Josie Molliet, radiant
with smiles, and l think little arti-
fetal bloom, came forward with the
most bewitching glances to wait up
on the farmer who brought so attrac.
tive person with him; and faucying
that she would show her superior
quality by so doing, made up her
mind to quiz Uncle Abel unmerciful-
ly. Poor man! lie was ne YER go
miserable in all his life. In Hope
town he would have made no trouble
whatever. Miss Crabtree, in her
plain dress and cap with lavender rib
bons, would have told him Mt once
what to get; and little gray eyes
would not have confused him in the
least.
But here was fine lady, with great
circumference of black silk trailing
ont along the carpet, waist no beg
ger than q wasp, head on which tue
hair seemed struggling in crimps and
curls to get away from the shining
bands strapped tightly around it, and
pair OF bright black eyes looking
straight Mt him, while the damsel held
up one style after the other, or tried
them on coquetishly, but derived no
help from him.
Now, young woman, show me
some OF your bonnets; real nice ones.
None OF your old fashion ed poor thin 90
for my wife,
Having said this, Uncle Abel felt
that he had stated the case clearly ard
should have no trouble.
Miss Josie sailed about and return.
Ell wife a white chip gypsy, trimmed
with blue, shirred green satin with
q rose on it, and gray straw trim.
med with scarlet peoples.
Now that will be Just what you
want, l am sure; only twenty-five dol
lars, too; 30 cheap and so becoming
Uncle Abel confessed afterwards
that he felt quite COMPOUNDED at the
great price, but he did not mean to
let that Frenchi6ed girl know it 80 he
only said, ooh, that's the style, Oh? 1t
amt a bit like Betsey's old one,
though
ooh, no, sir; the fashion has chang.
ed entirely. Now this gypsy is the
newest thing out,and your wife would
set the fashion, don't doubt
She looked up at John Dare merri-
ly, but she could not interpret the
look in his ey es, so taking i: for grant
ed that it was All expression of admi-
ration, she pursued the same strain.
Just fresh from Paris; | am sure
your wife would like that. Shall try
it on for your
'Wa'al, yes, l can tell better how it
looks then. Now it looks like a dish. >
There it goes on 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?'
WAL, it's kind o. purity; but it's
awful queer; amt it, Johnr
Iohn fhua anpaalad a. oo,,IJ -.