The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-10-12


curly brown bang was exceedingly becom-
ing.
s'There'll be nothing like it in Hutchin-
Vile" she said to herself, with thrill of
pride, and her fingers meanwhile tiuttered
like humming birds among the trimmings,
touching hero flower and there loop
She was going to Hutchinville the next
week, for the first time since her marriage,
to spend few days with her mother, and
the bonnet had been selected from Nine. LIE
Grande's latest importations with view to
dazzling her rural friends.
Il only hope nothing will happen to it be-
fore get there" was her thought, as sne
turned at last from the mirror.
She even denied herself the pleasure OF
wearing it to church the next day, tearing
shower, for the skies were lowering. 10
face her city acquaintances for one more
Sunday in the bonnet that she had already
worn a whole season required far less
strength of mind than to take her seat In
the little Hutchinville church conscious that
her bonnet, robbed of its pristine freshness,
was being pounced upon by every eye in
the congregation; but she could not resist
putting it on to let Jack see how he
liked it.
'It's pretty well up in the world" said
Jack, viewing it critically, with his hands
behind him; shut that seems to be the
fashion in head gear nowadays. And
really, on your head, my dear, it looks re-
markably we'll"
Mrs. Prindle preened for moment be-
fore the glass She was almost tempted to
wear it, after all, but warning plash on
the window kept her from yielding.
81 won't risk it," she said; and pdtting
the bonnet back IN its nest, she stood on
tiptoe and pushed the bandbox in place on
the upper shelf of the wardrobe.
Hutchinvile was q nights journey by
boat, and, the next day proving stormy,
Mrs. Prindle in terror of sea-sickness, decid
ed to defer her trip; but with the waning of
the afternoon the wind suddenly shifted, the
clouds parted and tho sun burst forth like q
monarch newly crowned. If it was going
to be o fair mig hit it would be too bad to dis
appoint her mother, who she knew would
be looking for her the next morning, and,
ordering a carriage at the last moment, she
hastily gathered up her baggage and de-
parted.
She was methodical little woman, and
even for the short time that she was to oc-
cupy her state-room she wanted ia place
for every thing and every thing in its
place." but on boarding the boat she met
an invalid friend who detained her for half
an hour or more in the ladies' cabin, and be-
fore she could arrange her belongings in
her state-rnom the capricious wind had
vcered again. She stood for a moment at
the window trying to persuade herself that
there was no cause for uneasiness, but the
rain was already driving against the deck,
and the increasing roughness soon COM
1ol b0y rs fox rnfu in hnf. hor
To all those on board who were predis-
posed to sea-sickness it was night of woe,
and when the next morning Mrs. Prindle
took the stage for Hutchinville, the little
village being about three miles inland, she
was too exhausted to give thought to her
baggage, even the precious bonnet had for
the moment drlfted out of mind, and it was
not until she alghted at her mothers door
that the discovery was made that the band
box was missing.
With hasty greetings aud equally hasty
directions as to where to find the box, her
brother Tom was dispatched on horseback
to the boat, and in disturbed state of tenn
per and nerves Mrs. Prindle seated herself
at the breakfast-table.
81 wouldn't worry about it, Phebe," said
her mother; 'it'll be all right if you left
it in your state-room."
But Tom shortly came galloping back
with the information that the state-room
had been searched in vain; not a box of any
KIND was to be found.
''Then that maid must have taken it,"
Mrs. Prindle declared. "She had to go
rummaging among my things last night for
my bottle Of salts, and dare say the band
box took her eye"
"More likely it slipped overheard when
they were bringing your traps ashore,'' re-