Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1903-10-29
THE INADVERTFNCF
OF MISS PERKINS.


friends curiosity. Finally Miss Clem-
ans said:
THE most surprising thing that ever
happened? You must be going to get
married.
Now, see here, girls exclaimed
Miss Perkins from behind the counter.
that's the way young ladies' talk. I
believe, III the comic papers, but it isn't
the kind of wit that is considered good
form in good society: so Rose. if you
have any news to tell. let us have it,
and. Blanche. stop your cnafting-"
The girls Qaughed, and Miss Elwell
said:
Miss Perkins curiosity is getting
aroused. so 1 won't keep you in sus-
pense. Mabel's engagement is broken!'
"What!' cried both her listeners at
once. Mabel Richey:''
'Um-umph.' said Miss Elwell, nod
ding her head in affirmation.
"Oh. you're Joking" said Miss Clem-
ans. ''she and Harry were just devoted
to each other. Why. nothing could
ever come between them. Mabel told
m, So
but something did. just the same"
replied the bearer of the news, land
that something was Miss Marguerite
Daisy De Jones, of New York.
Miss Clemans exclaimed. "Well,
never!'' and Miss Perkins groaned.
ITO think" finally said the elder
lady. that Harry Martin has no more
sense than that's What the young men
CT this day and generation are coming
to I'm sure 1 can't tell Hero that
bold-faced creature with her blonde
hair
Its blondined. 1 know put in Miss
Clemans.
-':And her pink checks" continued
Miss Perkins. comes to town with
nobody to introduce her but the hotel
keeper. and sets half the men in town
crazy, and they do say that some of
her worshipers are not single men
either and Miss Perkins set down
the sprinkling can so hard that the
noise attracted the attention of people
i'll the street. 1T does beat all; Harry
Martin was such a nice fellow, toov'
said Miss Perkins: and then suddenly
she asked. "When did it happen:'
"Oh. it's been going on for Il long
time. guess said Miss Elwell. finger
ing some flowers on the counter, "but
the break came night before last. Ma
bels brother Dick told my brother Tom
yesterday. and Toms been coaxing me
to lend him my wheel, so lie came
straight home last night and told me-
It was raining too bad for me to get
i.oilt then. SO I had TO keep it to myself
all night. I guess from what Dick
said they must have had an awful
time. It seems that Miss Marguerite
Daisy De Jones is going to give sup
per al the hotel tonight to lot OF
young fellows. and Mabel heard that
Harry was going, and of course that
made trouble. They just had it in the
parlor and she gave him back his ring
and he left in a great huff. Dick says
that Harry never intended going at
all, that he wasn't even invited, but
when Mabel began to suspect him he
! got angry and said he'd so if he want
| ed to. Isn't it awful?''
'Well. I don't believe he was going
said Miss Perkins, ''and somebody
ought to patch it up between them"
Il don't think anybody will replied
Miss Elwell: 'they're both as proud
as Lucifer and as stubborn aS-I don't
| know what. Tom says he bets Harry
| Well, feel sorry for them. but don t
| know what we're going to do about
/ it, Say, Miss Perkins. what is that
plant over in the corner? l never saw
anything like it before
| Miss Perkins told her the name Of
the plant. and then commercial trav-
eier, who wanted to sell Miss Perkins
some glass that she didn't need for her
| greenhouse came in. and while Miss
Perkins was explaining why she didn't
want and couldn't use a thousand
panes of glass, even if it was the
! clearest ever cast, the young ladies
slipped away.
| All morning Miss Perkins. who usual
ly did not give much heed to the gossip
that went on in her little room, thought
of the lovers quarrel she had heard
| lllSCloSCu DUH VI luC yOuuS pCOpAC
were general favorites in town, and
| their marriage had been deemed all
eminently suitable one; it was shame
! thought Miss Perkins, that a frivolous
stranger with yellow hair should have
the power of working so much mis-
chief.
II do hope" said Miss Perkins te
herself, "that those girls won't chatte.
about it all over town. I ought te
have warned them about talking toe
mucll-not that it would have done
any good. but it might have eased my
| conscience little"
AS she spoke a carriage drove up tt
the door, and Harry Martin spran2
to the pavement and came in.
"Good morning, Miss Perkins," he
said In his brisk, whole-souled manner
"Scme roses this morninS9 All. those