Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-06-28
HELEN'S HAT.

HElIEN > Hal.
Helen and I had bet of hat the other
day, and she won At that time thought
from looking at them that the price of la
dies hats could not run to more than
shillings, but this is complete mistake.
The cost Of ladies' hats varies according
to what is not on them-that is to say,
half sovereign extra Is charged for tax
ing out the feather and guinea extra for
taking out what a man would call hat
and leaving only one bow and ribbon. As
almost nothing is the fashion now, hats
are unusually dear this season.
To pay for lady's hat, however, is,
after all, small matter. The difficulty
is to 60 into shop in cold blood and buy
one. That is what had to do, according
to the conditions of the bet, and was al
lowed to take no one with me. Helen said
that If could not pick out hat that
would suit her it was plain that l did not
really love her, and she coldly stared
when asked permission to take another
man with me, not to help to purchase,
but to stand by while I said sternly to the
salesman, II want lady's hat.
There Is milliner's store next to my
tobacconist's, and thought could slip
into 1t as If by mistake. just as was
about to do so, however, the tobacconist
came to his door, and SO had to buy a
box of cabonas instead. was very angry
with the man and have given him up ever
since then.
My original intention had been to go
into milliner s shop and bride them to
tell me which was their best hat for a
pretty girl with brown hair, dancing eyes,
20 inches around the waist, but Ravens
croft, who pretended to know about hats
though it is quite clear that he thinks
the bigger they are the dearer-said that
would not be safe. His advice was that
should do a round of milliners' windows
ON wet days, SO that my umbrella might
hide me. Woodhouse, however, who has
two sisters and hearkens to them, said
this would DO foolish, as they only exhib-
tied variety of hats in the second rate
shops. He urged me to walk boldly into
a shop and insist on their giving me a
hat. Another friend, Hooper, said: "The
hat itself is of but little consequence. The
great point is that it should be dear She
will forgive you for buying an unbecom-
ing hat, but never for buying cheap one. ;"
Then Trotter, who thinks himself clever,
said, "How can you buy her hat when
you don t know her size?" This philoso-
pher Is 80 years old and has not discovered
yet that ladies' hats are worked with
pins.
Several days passed and I had all but
bought the hat many times. 1t was
strange and interesting to me to reflect, at
say O clock, that If had entered the shop
at 4:3O the whole thing would be over
now. Once did 60 into milliner's shop
in Regent street, but left 1t without hay
ing bought the hat. This was because my
courage failed me, and instead Of asking
for hat requested the boy who opened
the door to direct me to Piccadilly circus.
If he had been boy of average smartness,
he would have read between the lines and
insisted on my taking chair I hurried
into side street after this escape and pres
emily came to.
The place to buy ladies' hats, warranted
dear, IL Bond street, but in no thorough
fare in London are there SO many inqulsi-
tive people, Bond street can never expect
to do great trade SO long as the jewellers
and fish sellers, and even the sandwich
board mon, stare impertinently at wayfar-
ers. Twas simply driven from milliner's
door by fish seller, who kept looking aft
er me as If he thought Twas afraid to face
him. Then there Is dressmaker's win,
dow, in which woman in black stoOd all
day looking for me. soon discovered that
she knew was honestly DESTROYS of buying
lady's hat, but she would not let me. 1t
was impossible to 60 into hat shop with
that woman ready to triumph over me. A
grocer's boy, too, passed me twice within
ten minutes lingering about III a most
impertinently suspicious manner, which
shop and complained to his master. There
was curious look in the latter's eye, and
could not help feeling that he knew I
wanted to buy lady's hat With another
person, dressed like a gentleman, had
quito scene. ! was just going into shop
to buy the hat when he looked flxedly at
me. This confused me and turned me
from my purpose, but half an hour after
ward I was back at the shop door. Again
he passed, with look that told me plain
" that was discovered. lost my tenn
per, and gripping my umbrella demanded
to know what he meant. He replied with
affected surprise, but saw through him,
and said that would stand there until a
policeman came to my aid. He answered
that as he wished to consult my conven-
fence entirely he would not go away. So
he put his back to one window and put
mine to another, and there we stood glar-
ing at each other until o'clock, when q
mist came on, In which ] walked softly
away.
When was mile from the shop, saw
that the mist was my opportunity for buy
ing the hat, and at once hailed q hanson.
got out at the top Of New Bond street,
however, as it struck me that there was a
look of enlightenment in the cabby's face.
To blind him walked little way down
Oxford street and then turned back. Soon
Twas at the shop Inow knew SO well from
the outside, and though my throat felt
dry determined to buy that hat. ! wait
ed until two ladies had left--I had seen
them through the window--and then en-
tered, with my teeth set. II want 10.
dy's hat" said, and had face on me
that showed was resolved to stand no
laughing. The milliner had a twinkle in
her eye, but my flerceness put it out and
saw her hand shake as she brought some
hats. ! bought the dearest one, gave the
address to which 1t was to be sent and
then retreated, keeping my eyes OH her
to the last moment. That woman was
afraid Of me-nearly as much as was Of
her.
Helen says 1t will dol. M. Barrie in
Woman at Home.
How to Stop Hat.
.'Iwas much impressed. " says Mr.. Cos
lington, 'by something that saw In the
street this morning, the manner in which
man stopped his hat which was blowing