Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1901-06-07


e. didn't know enough to take on
his hatv'
AS the elevator sedately moved up
ward, bearing Miss Hallowell to the
eighth floor, these words were spilled
from II directly into the sun.burned
ears OF John Peck, OF the sixth floor.
He realized that II was his hat which
had not been taken or" and that
through the medium OF this hat he had
Incurred the displeasure and scorn Of
Miss 1Iallowell.
lie Inserted a key In the keyhole Of
Apartment 6O3, entered, and strobe
nosily through the inner hall until hc
reached his room. He was angry and
hurt. Nothing so cruel as w0man's
tongue, and nothing that leaves IL man
so defcnceless.
John removed the offending hat. and
examined 1t critically - even approx
ingly. 1t was sombrerO. The
chances were that no hat I'm that whole
great city could equal 1t In iinencss OF
texture and In genuine worth. "Out
West" from where John Peck recent.
1y had come land where at this mo.
ment he heartily wished he were), the
quality of hat Is of supreme impor-
lance. A hat is actually an integral
part, not merely an adjunct. of
wardrobe. 1t Is carefully selected.
jealousy cherished and proudly worn
as Il thing of art.
hn no io - 1, L..
boots and of his hat than he Is OF his
pony.
49,. Howevnr.-GesIete the evident fact
that this was hat to be esteemed
among all rival hats, John admitted
to himself that he ought not to have
kept 1t on his head while he was In the
elevator with woman. 1t dawncd
upon him that there Is distinction
between private and public elevators. |
He had committed an error against |
society. Take Il man who has been ON |
the range for seven or eight years, and |
In that period scarcely has seen a
woman, and transplant him 10 n city, |
and although mt heart he Is gentle
man he Is likely at first to scratch the |
polish of metropolitan civilization.
Thus to obllge q woman, whether |
pretty or ugly. John Peck might brave |
a norther. but he might meet her the |
next day In an elevator and forget to |
doff his hat.
Miss Hallowell had learned only the
latter portion OF this hypothesis. and |
now up on the eighth floor she was |
graphically recounting to her friends
her truly narrowing experience. Miss
Hallowell. maiden lady. was large |
and angular and sevcre. but she had
Il little mind. easily disturbed.
IL just glared at him all the way"
she rccited. with proper emphasis.
yet don't believe he even thought of
his hiatt / never heard of such n per-
Torrance! He looked like n cowboy.
and the little fellow In the elevator
says that he rooms on the sixth, In the
Morris apartments. | shouldn't think
the Morrises would take u ledger like
thnt.'
Hes a relative OF Mr. Norris" ex-
planned one friend. land | understand
Ht lTOn hTlIOHu. Anyway, ne
come to the city To stay awhile. and of
course Mr.. Morris felt Obliged to give
him room until he found permanent
quarters"
well, he isn't gentleman" as
serted Miss lIallowell, conclusiyely.
For Miss lIallowcll was quite sure
that she knew II gentleman when she
saw him.
While on the top floor OF the build.
ing Miss llallowell had been vigorous
1y narrating and cOndemning; while
two floors below John Peck had been
sitting on his bed wrathfully brooding
over criticism by effete society; while,
later. Miss Hallowell had descended
10 her own apartments at 6lT on the
same floor with those OF the msbe-
having Morris family. far down In the
basement fire had been born. and
from moment to moment il had been
growing.
Brought forth in stealth In stealth
1t sought to live until its stature was
assured. At 5 o'clock that night II
had been only tiny flicker of flame
which the breath OF babe might have
overcome AT 0 o'clock two buckets Of