The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-10

from his pony. she wants her Easter bon
net
We're each of US going to take her one.
and let her have her choice of the bunch,v
interrupted Snap Davis.
Well, then, you'll do no such thing!"
bristled the madam. you'll not rob a lone
wsdder of her goods. an carry 'em off the
LORD knows where, for anybody to see"
No, oh. nor exclaimed Frosty. Wen
buy the hornets all right" and he jingIed
encouragingly the coins in his well-filled
pockets.
AT the Magic sound. who so complaisant
as the madame-who so voluble and helpful
in suggestions. so excellent in counsel
Walk right in, gintlemen." she cried.
taking reef in the somewhat inadequate
shawl, and making all secure with mon
ster hat pin Let me show you the best in
the shop-which isn't good enough yet for
Miss Eula, God bless herr
The ponies were left standing and the six
booted and spurred seekers of Eastern bon
nets trooped into the small room They
looked about at the laden shelves and glass
cases trifie sheepishly. Yet they had not
mixed, in generous measure, Keg Harper's
''pfzen" with the almost equally effective
contents of their TASKS for nothing Even
dawn, their quest continued to present itself
to them as reasonable attention to offer
young lady. And then there was the
madame to urge them forward. She was
just now showing magnificent picture hat
OF scarlet chiffon to Pref, with voluble en-
comiums upon its beauty and appropriate
ness.
Blues my favorite COLOR commented
Pref, with tipsy gravity and this don't
show any blue about it,
Blue, is it?' cried the Madame. "Oi've
the jewel of blue parrit that Oh can just
tuck in t give it tn taste"
She searched, brought out long-tailed
fowl of an acrid indigo, nestled it down
among the peoples bells of shaken flame,'
secured it with a pin or two, and turned
triumphantly to Pref. "'Tis Oh hev seen
the guv'nor gin'raps loidy in Dublin, agoin'
to hoigh mass of an Easter marnin', and
she wore the very mate of thot on her
head she declared
Pref paid for it solmenly and saw it
boxed. He would have made a quiet sneak
for his pony; but Frosty was guarding the
door.
Bush Thompson had chosen tiny flower
bonnet, with long voluminous tule ties. He
looked somewhat disconsolately at Pret's
iAOiO iiHpOSlHS There uOnI
seem to be enough of mine" he complained
''Wait!' with sudden inspiration. Hold
on for madame was selling a yellow Tam
O'Shanter with mass of violets upon it,
to Snap Davis; SAY, I've got an idea. L
want about peck measure of these
things indicating the loose artificial flow
ers and plumes upon the counter
Madame was bewildered at the novel
Of h1lf To ho
sion. She gravely measured out what APP
peared to be the correct amount in round
bonnet box, set price which she felt safe
in reducing if demand were made, and
passed them over.
Now about steen yards of that thin
stuff" ordered Bush, indicating some veil
ings upon the shelf, land a paper of pins,
too. Say, Frosty, you let me out and stand
guard. I won't stampede. I'll leave my
bonnet here-you can keep it,
Frosty opened the door gingerly, and let
him through with his latest purchases, and
the buying went weightily on. A green,
white and purple garden hat was sold
to Billy Clark, who insisted upon having
several long pink plumes added to it before
it was brought to the standard of his fas-
tidious taste. A large white hat had to be
trimmed extempore" with an assortment
of variegated and gorgeous poultry before
Frosty could be suited, and when the crowd
turned to the doorway and the ponies, there
was q concerted howl of dismay.
Armed with his peck of millinery and
quarter mile of yelling, Bush had trimmed
and caparsoned his pony till it resembled
the steeds of Aurora or Spring in modern
French fresco.
His fingers, trained by long practice upon
his own garments, had used the pins and
wires skillfully.
A pair of glowing cerise mercury wings
garnished the ponys knowing ears, a gar
land of roses encircled his eve neck, puffs
of vaporous tulle fell over his shoulders like
monster sleeves. and were looped back to-
ward the saddle and bound about with
lunches of posies and shining ornaments
His tail was shrouded in misty white, and
a. rope of flowers ran from it to the high
cantle.
The pony regarded his unusual attire
with cynical indifference, born Of many
and strange adventures; but the bandbox
laden crowd went wild.
They cast their burdens upon the ground,
and turned with joyous whoops to secure
a similar outfit each for himself.
1t was vain for Bush to shout that it
was Iate-that they must mount and ride
if they were to get to the Quarter Circle
by o'clock. 1t was weakness for him to
attempt to claim that they were infringing
upon his original idea in thus decorating
their steeds.
Bolts of diaphanous stuffs of every known
tint, bushels of flowers and buckles and
feathers were brought out; Madame was
encouraged to assist, and when Bush set
his detected face toward the Quarter Cir
Gle and Miss Eula, he rode in the center
of an equine rainbow which shamed the
glories of the springtide plain, and paled
the fires of sunrise.
They rode hard, and as men and ponies
warmed to their work, the great square or
round bonnet box which each man carried
became an intolerable nuisance.
Bush finally, in desperation, attached his
sombrero to his saddle ties, cast away his
encumbering box, and, perching the toque
it had contained upon his head, tied the
filmy white strings firmly beneath his chin
I'm going to get this bonnet to the Quar-
ter Circle G, and get it there in good
shape" he announced defiantly to Pret
who snickered at the sight of his tanned
and weather-beaten face in its vernal franz