The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-12-22
BUYING THE HIT
Wichita Woman's Description
of a Sale in New York City.
ROOM OF MANY MIRRORS
And the Woman Who Took
Jack Along to Help.
Room OF MANY MIRRORS


It was about o'clock. The woman got
feady ard went down IN the parlor TO
Sait,for Jack. When the minute-hand of
the tall clock IN the hall pointed to five
minutes Of she gave little cry OF
patience.
These men. these menr' she CALCULATED.
The landlady had been watching her all
the time from the back room.
Why don't you 20 without him." she
hslzed.
I'm going to buy a hat" explained the
woman. He must help me select it. He
Las excellent taste, Jack has. Besides
rnless he likes my winter hat, life viii be
hardly worth living. he complains so"
All I've got To say, remarked the land
lady is that you're training him wrong
l. begin with. ii you let him know how
much You think Of his opinion now, what
VIII it be after YOU are married.
1t was five minutes after now The
foorben rang ana Jack stood outside.
She ran TO admit him.
why are you so late?" she asked, and
before ne could think up plausible story.
she added: Hurry up; 1 want TO see the
hats by daylight. once I bought a blue
hat by electric light and when I got home
and saw by daylight 1t was green.
She had put on her prettest clothes.
Jack. therefore. looking down at her.
thinking how charming It was of ner not
q buy her winter nat without consulting
Jim. felt prouder and CHESTER than for
many II dav. He said to himself that he
would justify her confidence in his taste.
iy selecting her a hat which would make
Ter look prcttier than she did II that
were possible.
Eventually they arrived at milIiTer's
shop. Here ne heard one Of the gius say
g. the woman:
Did YOU want to trim your hat your
sclf2"
The woman answered Indignantly; Not
that anybody knows OF. Money couidn
iay me to go ont on the street in a hat
that ] had trimmed myself"
Then he saw the girl throw up her chin
ond say scornfully: You'll find the trim
med hats on the second floor Elevator
- your right.
He found himself. thereupon, lneel1ly
following in the wake of the woman's
family rustling skirts to the elevator. en-
tering it. going up a space. stopping with
q jerk and emerging finally upon a large,
long room, glimmering with electric lights
where gorgeously trimmed hats of slant
proportions stood on man-high pedestals.
or nodded. fower-hlled, behind shining
glass cases, a case to hat
The woman without a moment OF hest
taton passed pedestal after pedestal. and
crossed this room and stopped IN front of
n case containing large black velvet
hat This hat was covered with small
d
teTsperse6 here and there with leaves. Ii
suggested springtime and apple blossoms;
was very beautiful thing, indeed, in the
way OF a hat.
a girl had traied softly in her footsteps
across the noiseless velvet Of the carpet
DO You wish TO be waited upon?" she
asked with a smile.
Yes" ans wered tie woman. Il like
this hat right here" and before Jack had
time to count ten with percision the girl
had unfastened the door TO the case. taken
cut the hat and was gracefully preceding
the woman TO a little private room where
she could try it on.
Jack merely took a seat outside in a
little chair set against the wall, endeavor-
ing to appear unconscious amid the cross
IRE of sly ana laughing glances mingled
with whispers from the surrounding shop
girls. wondering why shop-girls persisted
in looking upon q man out shopping with
a woman as something extraordinary
81 the way eff a freak. but wondering
most of all why the woman had gore to
the trouble If bringing him along. TO en-
dure fortunes of ignominy outside while
she ciosetcd herself in the little room and
selected her own hat
He bad begun 10 wish that he had stay
al at home when IKE woman advanced
Il the door of The little private room and
reckoning TO him. said
Come here Jack" in much the same
manner as II he had whistled and said.
Here, Fido. Here
He sot up. however. and went 20 her
Le private room was a glittorinC circle
OF minors framed in white. Ia Tho center
~ these mirrors on little white chair sat
the woman. tie took a similar chair be-
side her and looked at the many relec- /
tons az her In the mirrors round about.
ON her head was the black velvet hat
with the pink rosebuds. The contour was
excellent. lie had TO Acknowledge that.
Tile velvet pressed fetchingly down ON
the back of her head. the rosebuds dang
Ing over The rim half shaded hec ewes.
more rosebuds dangling over.
Ike looked critically OK her side face. AZ
her three quarter face. AT the fun on her
liir. I'll Thtterins SET forth like 50 rany
) rtVars Franco in white ara touched ar
With cnatming nish lights by the fash Of
lie elcctrics
The woman turned her head this way
r"d taat. looking urst at near reelection