Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1904-10-29
BY KEITH GORDON

til" display in the windows %! Berg *
GO. with kindling eyes There realty
was no excuse for her TO linGcr at ti.at
everybody knows. are hdhrrt'ShcrS.
and Miss Van Orien was fathcr!csS,
br0thcrleSS and unmarried.
"Talk about womcn'S cl0thCS.' ran
her thoughts as she reluctantly pre-
pared to move onward. "Why. there
isn't a window in town that compares
with this for charm. Dresses ugh.
RuillcS, tucks, plaits, French knots and
fussincss, But thiS-itS Il poem. Just
imag gine some big creature in that pink
bathrobe Or
With silent laugh, She caught her
lip between her teeth and moved down
the street toward the dry goods shops.
But the windows appeared cheap, over
loaded and tawdry. Rcrg'S store, with
its display of masculine attire whose
severity sometimes vcrgcd just near
enough to SoftncSS and beauty to be
fascinating, kept rising before her eyes,
and almost automatically she retraced
her steps in that direction.
Hy the time she X%ain reached Berg
IL Co.'S she had an idea that made her
gi-gle, though her eyes were bright
and her checks Went piuk. Some girls,
she reflected. boarded china and silver,
others linen and still others Old ma
hogany against the day when time
and chance" should bring the man
whom they all confidently expected.
She would depart from such main
Travelled ways and do something equal
" practical. though more unusual.
She entered the store rather timidly,
but the sight of a portly doWager at
one of the counters rcaSSurcd her, and
she was soon examining bathrobes
with an ease and assurance that might
have been acquired by years of shop
ping for masculine relatives.
What size" asked the clerk when.
after much hesitation between Il pink
and Il blue one, she had finally decided
on the former.
At the quest ion she stared ut him in
blank amlZcmcnt. THAT is. how tail
is he?' he went on, Judging from her
look that she failed TO understand.
Then she recovered herself.
"Six feet" she answered. with il non
chalant. .you-Should-have !lcnthat-for
granted air. And then, remembering
her preference in the matter, she add
ed, And broad-very broad ShOul-
dercd, you know in Il manner 50 de-
lbCratc and composed that without
further question the clerk made out
the check for Mrs" T.. Van Orden
and Solicitousiy begged her to look ut
their spring shirlings and the newest
craVatS.
Il don't think he needs anything in
that line just now she remarked,
with we'll assumed doubtfulncsS, as
she languidly viewed the stock.
do they-wOuld my husband have
to be measured for these shirtS:' she
demanded. The clerk nodded.
"But we'll send Il man up any time,
he explained, with Il polite desire to be
accommodating. The lady shook her
head.
"You see, that wouldn't do. He isn't
here-yet. But couldn't | give you his
collar measure and couldn't you just
make them proportionately
The clerk thought they might,
though they couldn't guarantee the fit
under those circumstances, and when
his customer announced airily that that
wouldn't make any difference he looked
tritle mystiticd.
Eloise meanwhile emerged into the
street aglow with the cagerness Of a
rather bored young woman who has
found Il new and interesting Occupa-
ton. Her grandmother Castles carved
chest would be the very place to keep
the things, and fortunately it stood in
her room and had good strong lock.
No one but the man, whoever and
wherever he WAS. should ever know
about this cScapade of hers. She won
dered. after all, if men really Wore
bathrobes like that-pink, all Softest
WOOL lined with thin silk and shock
ingly expensive. Then she absolutely
chuckled aloud. What if the man
should happen to have red hair: In
this world you never know who carries
the key to your heart until he arrives
on the scene some fine day and
Her mcdtatiOns were cut short 10y
the Salutation of IL man who WAS pass
ing and whose glance carried some
thing that arrested her attention. II
was something indcscribablc. elusive
quick. keen lighting up of his face
at the sight df her. as instantly vanish
ing in the calm, passive glance of Il
well bred acquaintance. But she had
seen it-that strange, telltale look
and her heart beat more quickly be
cause of it.
She had met him but twice-once al
dinner ut Mrs. I.orimer's and after
ward at the Bancker cotillon-bUt ht
was the cousin of her dearest friend
and she had heard more or less about
phillip" for years.
When at last the little flutter of the
meeting had subsidized she remarked t
herself demurcly Il certain coincidence
namely, that Philip Hamilton was
six feet tall, very broad shOuldered
and that black hair and gray eyes gC
well with pale pink.
EefOre her departure from town TO
the summer Eloise's carved chest con
tained many treasures of masculin
wearing apparel. Among other thing
six shirts-it had taken her forenoon
to select them, and it had almost beer
her undoing-had Joined the pink bath
robe.