Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-04-01

exactly that price. But what kind
would you like?.'
The professor tried to remember the
kind Of hat his wife used to wear be
fore she had settled down to the hum
drum of life and had T. turn the same
old bonnet over ard over again so as to
save expense. As nearly as he could re-
member, the one she had worn when
they were lovers had pink ribbons and
cOrntiowcrs in it and plume.
Il would like one he said, with
a couple Of nice pink bows and some
blue flowers and a feather in it. if they
make that kind now
"Oh, we have every kind" said the
saleswoman. "Step this way, please "
The professor followed her to a de-
partlncnt where all kinds of hats were
displayed on wax heads and blocks, and
she named the price of each. They were
the kind affected by shopgirls who de-
vote their earnings to such vanities and
We're much more snowy than the ones
he remembered his wife as wearing,
but he reflected that the fashions had
probably changed since then.
At last he settled on a hat that had
two large snowy plumes and a wealth
Of ribbons and flowers of every descrip-
tion.
What did you say the price Of this
one is?"
Fourteen dollars and thirty
cents, said the saleswoman.
~ 90
pocket, bat if you will trust me will
send the other penny.
"Oh, that will be near enough" she
said, with laugh. "Will you take it
with you, or will we send itr"
Il would like to have you send it up
to the back door this afternoon, as
want to smuggle it into the house.
The professor was so happy when he
got home that he could not keep the
secret to himself so he called his daugh-
ter mysteriously into the study and told
her about it. She was a quiet little
spinster who, in the untroubled atmos-
phere Of that happy home, had grown to
woman's stature with a child's heart.
So when her father told what he had
done she laughed and cried and kissed
him with an affection that made him
feel an unqUiet consciousness that per
haps he had been losing something by
associating so much with his books and
so little with his family. Then she
watched at the back door until the box
came, and when it did she stole noise
lessly to her fathers study and they
opened it together
'Thcre! What do you think of that,
Helen|' exclaimed the professor, hold
ing the gaudy hat in the sunlight that
poured through the window.
The poor girl gasped III astonishment
and could say nothing. Though she was
unsophisticated in many ways she had
true Woman's taste in matters Of
dress and saw at once that her dear,
faded, little mother could never wear
this terrible ''creation. But her father
was so happy over it that she couldn't
tell him what was the matter.
81 tried to got one like the ones she
used to WeGr before we We're married
| am afraid this is a little brighter
but she has worn quiet ones so long be-
cause she couldn't afford pretty ones
that this Will make up for what she
has missed. And the professor CON
tinued to turn the hat around in the
light SO aS to bring out its culors. Then
he went ON, half thinking aloud
Dear me- am afraid | have been
selfish in giving no thought to any
thing but my work when | might just
as well as not have written an occasion
al magazine article to make extra
money for things like this instead of
letting her-and you, too, Helen-al-
ways be scrimping and saving
, just then his daughters silence
struck him, and the professor looked
at her quickly. She tried to smile but
there We're tears in her eyes for she
understood the whole difficulty. To her
studious father the flight of time had
no meaning and her mother had never
grown older to him than she was when
they We're first married He still
thought her young enough to wear
bright colurs. ana it was Il sweet thing
to think of, though at this particular
moment II was embarrassing When
the professor noticed the tears in his
daughter : eyes, he was startled, and
then what he supposed was the truth
suddenly flashed ON him. Helen had no
Easter hat and was longing for one 1t
was struggle but he made resolu-
tion at once, She should have the hat
Mother was 50 used to doing things for