Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-04-18
BErsEY's BONNET.

BErsEY's BONNET.
well, Uncle Abel. now you are off for
home. suppose; trading 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 plain country farmer in suit of
home-spun gray.
"Wa'al, not quite yet, John. want to
get Betsey bonnet-a real nice one-just
as good as Yorker might want. Cause
Betsey's worked awful hard this spring
Times are good, too. So I guess we'll see
if yny Betsey shan't look as good as any
body. S'pose you don't want to 60 along
with me, do you ?"
Let me see-four o'clock-yes. I'll 20
Uncle Abel. I'll look at the pretty girls,
though; you won't mind that. Come
on"
So they walked up the street. the fash
ionable attire of the young lawyer con.
trasting strongly with the antiquated cut
of the farmers garments. which at home
were won't to lie in solemn 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
trife too fair for manly beauty, with its
blond moustache and setting off close
brown curls, to the bronzed and beardless
one. with the few locks. spare and gray,
beneath the well brushed hat; but the
blue eyes we're the same in both and like
those that were closed 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 to be seen with the plain coun-
tryman: in spite of his perfumed hair and
well-gloved hand, his heart was true as
steel to the good friends of his boyhood,
and the inquiring glances of his compan-
ions gave him no annoyance whatever.
They reached Madame Rczette's at last.
and John lounged in the doorway and
straightway engaged in the laudable en-
ployment of finding out the prettiest face
of the girls in attendance. Josie Molliet.
radiant with smiles, and think little
artificial bloom, came forward with the
most bewitching glances to wait upon the
farmer who brought so attractive person
with him and fancying that she would
show her superior quality by 80 doing,
made up her mind to quiz Uncle Abel
numerically. Poor old man /! He was
never so 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 ribbons,
would have told him at once what to get ;
and her little gray eyey would not have
confused him In the least.
But here was fine lady, with great
circumference of black silk trailing out
along the carpet, a waist no bigger than
wasp, a head on which the 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 at 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 fashioned poor things for my
wife,"
Having sal this, Uncle Abel felt that
he had stated the case clearly and should
have no trouble.
Miss Josie sailed about and returned
with white chip gypsy, trimmed with
blue, shirred green satin with rose on
1t, and gray straw trimmed with scarlet
peoples.
'Now that will be just what you want.
I am sure; only twenty-five dollars, too ;
so cheap and so becoming"
Uncle Abel confessed afterwards that
he felt quite sconfounded at the great
price, but he did not mean to let that
Frenchifed girl know it, so he only said,
ooh, that's the style, Ell ? 1t amt bit
like Betsey's old one, though"
"Oh, no, sir the fashion has chan ged
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 merrily, but
she could not interpret the look in his eyes,
so taking it for granted that it was an ex.
preston of admiration, she pursued the
same strain.
"Just fresh from Paris; am sure your
wife would like that. Shall try it on for
you -
"Wa'al. yes, can tell better how it
looks then. Now it looks like 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 ?''
"Wa'al, it's kind O. purity but It's
awful queer, amt it John 20
| John thus appealed to, could only ans-
wer that he knew nothing IN the world
about wemen's bonnets," and took up his
reverie, whatever it was, just where it was
broken off. But looking idly in the long
mirror opposite, he saw Josie making signs
to another girl, and no saw that they were
amusing themselves vastly at the perplex
| ity of their customer. He saw. too, that
pale. quiet girl. with smooth brown hair
looked up from her work Indignantly, aud
he rather saw than heard her say, For
shame" 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 Uncle
Abel-who was looking so admiringly al
the fabrics incomprehensible to him, his
old heart only full of the thought how he
should make his present worthy of the
patient soul for whom it was intended.