The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-05
A SHORT STORY
 FOR AN IDLE MOMENT
oarolIne's Hat.

From tho Chicago Daily News.
 When Caroline brought home her picture hat, Rii foemy with chiffon and white plumes, Gertrude and 'Claudine were speeches. for several seconds with ad- miration. When they again found their voices 1t was to declare that 1t was hat to die for.
 I'm almost afraid to have such vaiu- able thing in the fiat" Gertrude said, T know any porch-climber would scorn our solid plated silver and our pressed glass ware, but know he could never resist the way that plums sweeps under the brim and that dear buckle tucked in that nest Of chiffon. Try 1t on, Caroline"
 Caroline smoothed her brown pompa- dour and then set the creation atop of it.. You look lovely" her two friends said In breath. Tt makes your color beauti- full and your nose looks quite Grecian."
 It seemed to be a remarkable hat, for when Gertrude tried in on she found 1t suited her blonde style equally well. Then Claude tipped 1t at a ralSish angle over her black eyes and discovered that it was vastly becoming to her. ''Its the most versatile hat ever saw" she cried Any or us could wear lt.
 An Idea struck claudle with such vio- lence that she dropped the hat. Picking it up remorsefuliy, she said: See here, Caroline, why can't Gertrude and I rent this hat on state occasions? You've put a lot of your capital into 1t and If you could rent 1t few times you would have fair interest on your money" Carolne laughed, "I wouldn't know | what to charge"
 You might charge us 25 cents a time, - | Gertrude said
 Let's have a graduated scaie," Claudia exclaimed. "25 cents for an ordinary wearing of less than six hours, and 30 cents if it's worn outside the city limits 75 cents will be charged if the wearer is caught out in the rain without um- brella; S1 will be charged if while wear ing 1t we secure new position, and this last in a burst of lnspiration--"s will be charged if while wearing the hat We should become engaged and married. No money refunded in any case.'' Caroline agreed that this scale of prices was fair. Since then her friends have rented the hat st frequent intervals. The
 first time that Gertrude wore 1t she went to visit a friend on the Northside. When she returned she was very animated and said that she had met there a most de- lightful man who used to know her broth CT Bob in Indiana. The first time that Claudia wore 1t she left 1t on a chair over night, and sat on 1t the next morn | ing while dressing.
 Caroline would not allow her to pay 1 any damage for this accident, for she de- clared that fiat hats were the mode and | that she thought hers had received a new touch through claudia's avoirdupois.
 T really sat on it very lightly" Claudia l said ruefully. but ld pc glad to pay dam ages. You really ought to take out accl- dent insurance on the hat if you let me wear It."
 The delightful man who had known Ger trude's brother in Indiana called a num- Der of times. As the months passed Ger l trude rented the hat very often, for she was constantly going out with this very kind friend of her brothers. Caroline was so enriched by this rent money that her conscience picked her. You could have bought nice hat, Gertrude" she said one Sunday afternoon, with the money you paid to me already"
 Gertrude was standing by the window waiting for the kind young man who was coming to take her sleighing Well, you see, Walter Mir. Hardy = has spoken about how the hat becomes me so often that I would rather just keep on rent l ing it."
 It was growing dark In the fiat parlor and Claudia and Caroline were huddled over the radiator when she returned. She came in smiling. She removed the hat and took bill from her purse. Here" she said to Caroline, lis the hat and the rent | for this afternoon"
 But that's a f1ve-dollar bill" Caroline | began, stupidly.
 l Don't you remember the graduated scale?" Gertrude asked, demurely "The l rent this afternoon Is five dollars