The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-07-28

4 number and let the druggist give me .
new bottle2' Yes, why? That's what
I. wonder. I s'posn twas some wild mo-
tlon of saving three cents. #
:, "Well, halfway downtown who
should come walking Into the car but
4 Charlie Taicott. 1t never. occurred to
me TO wonder what he was doing there
A In banking hours. I Just give, him MY
sweetest bow, moved along little and
7 picked up my big bottle from the sea:
asa sign he should SIT; beside me, and
tried to be extra cordlal5.o make up for
lost time. " I;
I'VE talked about the weather first. I
said: Ted thinks we're going to have
more warm weather yet, He gave me
a queer sort OF. a look and answered:
I; Well, I guess Ted's right, OF course
4 he knew brother Ted, same time he
knew me, SO asked IL he ever saw Ted
downtown. To my nmazement he be-
gan to blush and stammer, and a sud
den suspicion clutched me. You are
Mr.. Talcott, aren't your asked, and
then the handsome scamp lifted GhIs
hat and answered: No, I haven't the
honor, but should like to be- Imag-
Inc! 4 v 81 Ia las.s.
II managed to explain. very coldly
that having failed tosrecognizee an old
friend lately; and having declared that
I,should know him next time we met
was simply making q violent. effort to
keep my promise. Then turned the
back of my shoulder to him with what
would have been grand majesty, only
that horrible bottle slipped of my lap
and he picked It up! Ugh! And that
isn't all! l dropped 1t twice more be-
fore I left the cur. and he picked lt:up
both times. 1t was possessed Of an, evil
spirit, Itell you.5 !. /, "a,
After that tine DAY bumped along.
shopping, etc. until / had Just time to
get home and dress for dinner. and 1
came sailing down the aisle of one of
the stores with several small parcels in
my arms Suddenly there was q thump
on the floor and ladies began to start
back and pull away their skirts. It
was that demon bottle again. I'd just
paid dollar for liquid tonic. Oh, you'd
never imagine the contents. Of a half
pint bottle could cover SO much floor! It
spread and ,spread-a horrible aromatic,
dark brown pond. The floorwulker
came hurrying and demanded of the
clerks whose fault this was. They
pointed fingers at me, and there I,
stood! Dldn't;I have to get the old
bottle fished out and find the number
and go and have the prescription filled
again? Yes. you would, too. If 1t had
been for your mother!
So was later than ever getting home
and just flew into,my gray SILK and
slapped on that white lace vest affair
attached to the standing collar that
laps In the back. That collars too
large around, and always have to
turn under one end and fix it with great
care in the back. generally fuss with
It about ten minutes and fasten It with
those little diamond stickplns of mine,
80 that don't care who sits behind me
In church; but just as l began to ar
range it I was called to the telephone,
80 snatched up q common black pin
and thrust it In anywhere to keep the
thing from failing of while answered,
The message was from Mrs. Blair, who
had vacancy in a box party, and
begged my pardon for asking me so
late. And she said: "Now, don't dress
w, dear! I'm not going to, one bit"
While she was talking our dinner was
announced, and I forgot that collarand
just went down. Oh, dear! Oh, dear!"'
Hazel dropped into chair and bowed
her head until her hair fell over her
| face.
You didn't 80 to the opera with your
collar like that?" demanded stern
voice from the couch.
A woe begonc face came through the
tressas, and the brush began to work
again.
Didn't L? Didn't sit in. the front
of that box, with three men behind
me? And Mrs. Blair In an exquisite
gown that looked like opals and dia-
monds rolled out thin and made into
dress goods. Bernice, just learn thls:
When your hostess tells you not to
dress up You put on your best! That's
what she means. And Just as the cur
tain went up / thought of that collar:
Agony! Tight shoes nre snowhere!, a
well. came home. locked my bed
room door, turned on NIL the light, went
straight to my dresser. took u hand
mirror and squared about to know the
worst. At first couldn't look. I,stood
there. glass In hand, with my eyes
screwed tight shut. for full minute.
Then opened them. Oh, poor. poor.
me!
Honestly. there was more suffering
packed into one look at that collar than
-Bernlce. Bcrnice, you hcartless--
You needn't choke yourself with that
pillow another bit! Isee you! You are
laughing"
FTNaNCE AND TRADE