The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-04-15
EXPERIENCES
OF A MAN WHO BOUGHT
A WOMAN'S HAT

day, and she won. AT that time Thought
from looking at them that the price or Ia
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 ont 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 a lady's hat, however, is,
after all, q small matter. The difficulty
is to 20 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 II I could not pick out a hat that
would suit her it was plain that did not
really love her, and she coldly stared
when I asked permission to take another
man with me, not to help to purchase,
but to stand by while said sternly to the
salesman, II want lady's hat. -
There IS milliner's store next to my
6obacconist's, and thought I could slip
Into 1t as If by mistake. Just as l was
about to do so, however, the tobacconist
game to his door, and SO had to buy
box of oabonas instead. I was very angry
with the man and have given him up ever
since then.
Ny 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
tho 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 be foolish, as they only exhib-
tied a variety of hats In the second rate
shops. He urged me to walk boldly into
D shop and insist on their giving me a
hat Another friend, Hooper, said: 1.-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-
Ingh but never for buying cheap one. "
Then Trotter, who thinks himself clever,
said, "How can you buy her hat when
you don It know her sizep" 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
DOuRQG UD0 ndO many UlL16Ss IL was
strange and interesting to me to reflect at
say s O'Clock, that if had entered the shop
at 4:3O the whole thing would be over
now. Once I did go into a milliners shop
in Regent street, but left it without hav-
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 Piocadilly circus.
If he had been boy of average smartness,
he would have read between the lines and
insisted on my taking a chair. hurried
into side street after this escape and pres
emily came to.
The place to buy ladies' hats, warranted
dear, Is Bond street, but in no thorough
fare in London are there so many inquisi-
tive people. Bond street can never expect
to do great trade so long as the jewellers
and fish sellers, and even the sandwich
board men, stare impertinently at wayfar-
ers I was simply driven from q milliners
door by a fish seller, who kept looking aft
er me as If he thought was afraid to face
him. Then there is a dressmaker's win
dow, in which a woman in black stood all
day looking for me. soon discovered that
she knew was honestly DESTROYS of buying
Alady's hat but she would not let me. 1t
was impossible to go into hat shop with
puuU WOuudn ISduy W brIuIupu OF6r Iu6. "A
grocer's boy, too passed me twice within
ton minutes, lingering about in most
impertinently suspicious manner, which
SO inoensed me that followed him to his
shop and complained to his master. There
was q curious look in the latter eye, and
could not help feeling that he knew
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 f1xedly at
me. This confused me and turned me
from my purpose, but half an hour after
ward was back at the shop door. Again
he passed, with look that told me plain
ly that was discovered. I lost my tenn
per, and gripping my umbrella demanded
to know what he meant. He replied with
affected surprise, but I 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.
ienoe entirely he would not go away. Sc
he put his back to one window and put
nline to another, and there we stood glar
ing at each other until 4 O'Clock, when
mist came on, in which walked softly
away.
When was mile from the shop, saw
that the mist was my opportunity for buy
ing Une naG ana at once nailed nanSOm.
/ got out at the top Of New Bond street,
however, as it struck me that there was d
look of enlightenment in the cabby's face.
To blind him walked a little way down
Oxford street and then turned back. Soon
Twas ut the shop now knew SO well from
the outside, and though my throat felt
dry determined to buy that hat wait |
cd until two ladies had left had seen
them through the window-and then en-
tered, with my teeth set. II want la |
dy's hat" l said, and I had face Oh me |
that showed l was resolved to stand nc |
laughing. The milliner had a twinkle in |
her eye but my fierceness put it out, and |
/ saw her hand shake as she brought some
hats. bought the dearest one, gave the |
address to which it was to be sent and !
then retreated, keeping my eyes OIL her
to the last moment. That woman was
afraid of me-nearly as much as was OF
her.
Helen says it will dol. NJ. Barrie in
Woman at Home
How to Stop a Hat.
"Iwas much impressed" says Mr.. Cos.
lington, 'by something that saw in the
street this morning, the manner in which