The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-10-17
ALL ABOUT A BONNET.
With the Aid of a Small Dog 1t
Made a Circus and a Match.

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let 'em have their own way"
"Oh, yes, l know" said Leona, clasp
ing her hands. "But that old Leghorn
hat, with the crown like a stove pipe
and the front like q washhsnds basini
Who could tolerate that? And every
body laughs when she ONE into
church"
"Let 'em laugh" ~shrewdly remarked
Myra. "I'd be willing folks should laugh
at me If I was worth thirty thousand
dollars and owned the Bliven mills into
the bargain"
Myra Manton was ''hired help at the
Bliven farm-a stout New Highlander of
fifty summers, with hair cut short, no
visible waist, and swapping black eyes.
Leona was old Mrs. Bliven's mecca
slim girl of 1s, with a bslsam pink COM
plexion, dreamy gray eyes, and teeth
white and eve as small pearls.
In the eyes Of James Bliven, the old
lady's son, Leona was fairest of all Gre
ated beings. Even Myra Manton allowed
"that she was sorter nice to look att" AS
for Mrs. Bliven herself, she expressed no
opinion whatever; Mrs. Bliven was not
a person who talked much.
s'She's com to make me a visit" said
Mrs. Bliven one day to Myra. 81 sup
pose, if she suits me. 1 shall ask her to
stay for good and all." RI
"If you don't, ] suppose Jim will"
said Myra, with a shrewd twinkle of her
eyes
"As it happens, I'm the mistress of
this house." said Mrs. Bliven. "Well,
we'l see how she suits"
And neither Myra the solid, nor Leona
the sylphlike, knew, as they sat on the
sunshiny doorstep, slicing great red
hearted peaches to dry for winter use,
that Mrs. Bliven, from the garnet win
dow above, where she was looking over
her balls of carpet rags, could distinctly
hear every word they uttered.
"Myra," said Leona, as shereplenished
her pan from the great bushel basket,
."I'm going to tell you something"
"Tell aheadf succinctly retorted Myra.
'I've got such an ideaw
"What is it?'
"Well, one of my schooImates at Han
owe hall had a grandmother. And her
grandmother had just such a Noah's ark
of a bonnet as Aunt Bliven."
"Humph" said Myra, peeling diligent-
ly away. % s.
Sand she and her sister took a pair of
big shears and shipped it up into little
bits and made the grandmother believe
that the rats did it."
f'Must have been o credulous old Greet
ur," observed Myra.
"Oh, no; but it vas really such a neat
job. Don't you think, Myra, we might
dispose of the old Leghorn hat in some
such way?"
"No. l don'ti'' said Myra, spearing a
peach on the end of her knife and begin
ming artistically to remove its pink velvet
jacket.
Leona sighed and went on with her
work. Myra Manton paused to call her
frolicsome little terrier off from a brood
of half grown turkey poults who were
foraging around the barn door.
81 do WISH" said she, CURLY, ''that
Cappen John jackson hadn't sent me
that plaguey beast to take care on till he
come back from that voyage to Fayal.
If he hurts any Of the fowls I expect
Mrs. Bliyenm murder me-"
"Myra," said Leona, 'are you really
engaged to Captain John Jacksony"
sect out" said Myra, with a sheepish
smile. 81 dunno whether / be or not"
The next day Leona came into her
aunt's room with a pretty black and
white straw bonnet, trimmed with q Jet
dagger and loops innumerable Of black
ribbon.
"Look, Aunt Bliyenl" said she.
"What's that?" said the old woman
turning her spectacle glasses full on the
girl.
''I've been trimming a bonnet for
you"
"You might have saved yourself the
trouble" sharply spoke the matron.
But don't you like it?" pleaded Leona,
who was beginning to tremble all over.
''It's very nice, l dare say. but Pm
very well suited already with what I've
got"
"But, Aunt Bliven"-
"'Tain't worth while to discuss the
matter" said Mrs. Bliven, dryly. 81 cal
CuldtC LII OAO CuOuSh W CLOOoo AOx NY
self what I'll wear and what / won'tl"
Leona shrank into herself like the
leaves Of a sensitive plant; she crept
back to her bedroom with the rejected
triumph Of home made millinery, and
had a good cry over it.
Presently she heard her aunt calling:
"Myral Myrar"
She a out.
sob, Aunt Bliven, / had forgotten to
tell you. Myra had o telegram from her
sister up ct Portland, and she had to run
to catch the 10 o'clock train. Her sisters
husband has had an accident, and /
promised her I'd explain it to you. She'll
be back as o as they possibly can
spare her. and I'm to do the homework
while she is gone"
Old Mrs. Bliven shifted discontentedly.
"Seems to me people are always havin'
accidents" said she. However, you
may go and pick some Lima beans and
sweet corr, and we'll have a dish of
good, old fashioned succotash. Myra is
a good cook, but she never could make
succotash. And in the afternoon we'll
have Toby harnessed up and drive over
to Widow Sally Smiths to tea"
The long shadows OF afternoon were
lying athwart the closely now grass
when old Toby was led to the door, and
Rlivan callad lnudlv Tn Taaona "a