, 1886-08-11
THE BILL TN THE LINING.

her nose. All ner Ire sne mas Dttu hccus-
toned to buying not only her hats, but the
rest OF her wardrobe, to suit that partic-
ular feature.
II Was not a bad nose; In fact, 1t had
started out in life as a very amiable, In
early conceived the idea hat it was much
too prominent. AS a girl she had been
mortified and humilia,ed by 1t. AS she
grew older she accepted 1t deiantly, and
at last, having Thought so much about 1t,
she was actually proud OF 1t In q scornful
way.
All this had its effect upon the nose.
and TO- it habitually wore an agreeable
I-am-monarch-of-a l-Lsurvey" sort of an
expression.
Miss Van Antwerp's fac was not q
lovely one. 1t was too much like her
character for that; both were strong. reso-
Lutte, hard.
The only thing she had ever loved was
her nephew. Fred. She had brought him
up from a baby. His little fat hand had
patted that defiant nose without a symp-
tom OF fear, and the whole strength OF
this lonely old woman's heart had gone
out to him as he grew from childhood to
manhood.
OF course, she meant to leave him all
her money; whom should she leave 1t to
but Fredi She had looked forward to his
marrying n bringing his wife home,
and to an old & made bright by Fred's
children. But this was just where the
trouble came In. She wanted him to
marry Margaret Steuben; she had picked
her out especially.
Margaret was n nice girl, of a good
old family, with plenty OF money.
"And besides,' said Miss Van Antwerp, as
she summed her up to Fred, one night,
"her nose is a little like mine"
Fred laughed at this. and Miss Van
Antwerp fastened to modify it.
mot much like mine," she said; "only
they won't look badly together"
But in spite Of all this, and all her
other excellet reasons, Fred o~bstinately
refused to marry Margaret Steuben.
Miss Van Antwerp was very angry with
him, more angry than she had ever been
with Fred; but it was as nothing to her
anger when she found that he was en-
gagged to, and actually going to marry
Nellie Martin. "a miserable little snub-
nosed nobody"
After she had said that Fred rose. He
looked very tail and white.
very well, Aunt Susan" he said; 1--WE
will not discuss the matter. / can not
have Miss Martin insulted even by
you. You have been very kind to me;
but unless you can think differently about
this we had better go our separate ways
now"
"Fredln cried the old woman, in a fury,
a shall never think differently about this;
and / will never forgive you II you marry
that - girl"
TIT dash would have been filed with
adjectives, but something in Fred's face
restrained her.
She had never meant it, poor old
woman. She would have forgiven Fred
anything. Was he not her dead sisters
child, and the only human be-
ing that she really lovedS But
Fred had taken her at her word, and
had gone away.
1t was over n year ago that all this hap
pened, and Miss Van Antwerp's nose had
grown more and more b%elligerent, and she
was harder n harder to suit in the mat
ter OF onnets and hats. Sne was trying
to find one that pleased her when my
story opened. She had tried on seventeen,
and the obliging but much-fatigued sales
man heard ner say, with delight, of the
eighteenth: II like that; it suits my
nose"
She turned round and round in 'front.' of
the long mirror, holding up a hand glass
and surveying herself.
ayes" she said, decidedly; II like that
hat. You can send Ii up"
Scarcely had 1t left the store when q
young woman, plainly dressed, hurried in,
II walked rapidly to the millinery de-
partment. Going directly to the fore
woman she said:
"Oh, Miss Allen. can you let me see that
brown bonnet that l trimmed for you yes
terday. | want IL only for a moment"
ave nave just sent 1t home, | am sorry
to say. Old Miss Van Antwerp bought
it."
"Old Miss Van Antwerp echoed the
younger m "Oh / am so sorryl' she
added, her lips trembling.
"Did you want it for anything especially"
inquired tho forcwoman, kindly.
81 am afraid know 1t sounds perfectly
ridiculous. but I'm afraid there's a $50 bill
in the crown. You see," she added hur-
riedly, "my husband threw 1t down in my
lap just rs l was gathering the crown
lining. / knew l must finish the hat, so |
worked on, and when / wa through 1
couldn't find the money anywhere. 1t
seems perfectly absurd to think IL may be
inside OF that crown lining, and | don't be-
lieve 1t Is; but I've hunted everywhere
else, and l thought l would like to look,
for | need the money very much"
~ would go to Miss Antwerp II | were
you and tell her all about It," said the
you see we can hardly do
anything, it not being our money"
Go to Miss Antwerp, to Fred's amt, and
tell her they were SO poor that she, his
wife, was trimming hats for a living, and
thought she had accidentally lost all her
money in the crown Of this particular bon
nett 1t would be an interesting tale, GER
tainly. Nellie laughed Historically TO her
self as she thought of it.
oh, why, of all the people In the world,
need Fred's aunt have bought that hat,
and why had she been SO careless as to
lose that money! She needed 1t sol Fred
had come home sick the day he gave her
the bill, n 1t was all the money she
would have for some time. She hadn't
told Fred yet OF this last ridiculous piece
Of il-luck.
Il might go to the house and see II she's
in" thought Nellie; "and II she's out, l
could say there was some mistake about
the hat, and ask to see IL, | could find out
in a second whether my bill was there"
Slowly, and with heavy heart, she
walked TO Miss Van Antwerp's house, to
Fred's Old home; but there her heart
failed her, and she was about to retrace
her steps, when suddenly the door opened,
and who should come out but old Miss
Susan herself, and wearing that very iden-
teal hat.
Nellie watched IL as II fascinated by 1t.
Miss Van Antwerp did not see her and
walked down the avenue. while Nellie
followed. her eyes fixed upon the hat,
which she felt she must not let go out OF
her sight
-Oh. II a wind would only blow II orr
she sighed ~If shed only run against a
sign or somethingi"
But nothing OF the kind happened. Miss
Van Antwerp walked on at Il dignifed pace
and presently entered u large dry goods
store
Malt. lr..tf.I...r~ f.ff..--