The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-02-15
MISS PATTY'S WIG.

0AAo0 = 80 = - ~ ~
"Real fax-gold," said Lottie Pen
fold, with such FURNISH on it."
..Pshaw!" said Mildred Moore, az
remember when 1t was iron-gray. Why,
Mrs. Follen is fifty If she is q day. Do
you suppose it is the real color of her
hairP"
Ibid you think il was dyedp" said
Lottie eagerly. ''Oh, l wonder If l
could make my hair shine like thatp"
II suppose you could" said Mildred
drily, If you were willing to pay some
fashionable hairdresser q guinea for an
application. and five shillings for every
touching up"
II have got little money in the saw
ings bank" said Lottie, meditatively,
''and my hair is such common, dow
dy sort Of brown"
They were sitting side by side in the
window, stitching busily away at the
great Miss Goldiland's wedding trous-
seau, and Miss Patty Plimpton, the
forewoman, had just come in with a
bundle of paper patterns in her hand.
''Girls" she said, "don't be fools"
Lottie looked up and colored.
Mildred laughed good humoredly.
1--WE are endeavoring to be no more
so than usual, Miss Plimpton, said
she.
Miss Patty sat down on packing
box. and took about a dozen different
sized pins out of her mouth. There
was no one in the 'trying-on" room,
and she mad planned out all the days
work to her satisfaction, so that there
was q brief interval of leisure to talk.
She was gaunt, skinny, little wo-
man. with swapping, pale blue eyes, .
rusty-brown wig. and complexion all
traversed with tiny, thread-like wrin-
kles.
II amt much to look at, but I'm a
tearer to work" she was in q habit of
saying, and not without truth, for Mad
anne Eudoree de Ia Vighne's great mill
linery establishment certainly could
not have prospered so exceedingly If
Miss Patty Plimpton's keen eye and
business head were not at the helm.
Madame Eudoree sat smiling in the
counting room. welcoming the custom
srs, in q trained silk gown, and very
excellent imitation of diamonds in her
ears. ~
Miss Patty superintendent the five and
twenty hands, kept the accounts, criti-
oised the work, and pervaded the whole
place like busy little shadow.
Eyes, you may look amazed ~ said
Mis- Patty; "but never should have
been here if 1t hadR't been for my
hair" rs tt tft tlt
But" cried Lottie, innocently, 'you
haven't got any hair"
Miss Patty put up her hand to make
sure that her wig was put on straight
Mot now" she said, 'but / had
once-real hazel-nut brown, thick and
soft. That was when lived on the
farm down in Norfolk. Gracious! it
seems as If these brick walls and stone
pavements would drive me frantic when
| think of the barn at home and the
river that flowed ut the foot of the pas
ture lot. Well, 1t was slightly place,
II it hadn't been mortgaged up to its
full value. Father wasn't good man.
can see now how it all was
and we had to manage most every way
TO make both ends meet Most of the
other girls in the neighborhood had
beaux, and wanted one, too. You
may laugh, but was only three and
twenty then, and all of us think of a
homo of our own when we are young.
| went to all the picnics and harvest
homes and merrymakings of all sorts,
but it WASH no use--none OF the young
men ever wanted to 60 home with me;
and finally began to ask myself what
on earth was the matter"
you amt good looking enough"
said Hepsy, our old servant.
well, p'r'aps Amt" says i. But
! don't know how to better myself =,
s'How do other folks. do ftp" says
Hepsy. Get some rose powder and
liquid pearl, and dye your hair the sly
lish color. Everyone is doing it,"
"Oh. Hepsy," says /, wouldn't that
be wrongP"
isn't it right to look as well as you
camp" says she. ..And there Is fash
ion in looks as we'll as in other things.
can get the rose and the pearl for
yot9" says she; .'and know a very
nice young French barber In Lynn, as
Is in the hair coloring business"
We'll, says /, hesitating like. '.But
don't tell father, whatever you do" !.
NO" says Hepsy, says she 81
won't"
$50 we waited till market day, when
we made sure father would be gone.