Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1906-11-01

arrangement while l wait?''
Certainly. Miss Hilda. am very
sorry 1t did not give satisfaction"
"Oh. there isn't much the matter!"
md the young girl proceeded to In.
ions she desired.
IF you will sit down few minutes,
Miss Hilda, will take the hat to the
workroom and put 1t right"
Miss Hilda, however, could not sit
still for long. She moved about the
showroom, examining the goods with
critical eye and, while thus engaged,
the curtains which shut of this de.
partment from the shop opened and a
lady and gentleman entered.
The former was tall and dignified,
albeit young and beautiful.
| Bestowing the merest glance upon
Hilda. she said, in somewhat naughty
| tones:
"Will you please show me some
| sailor hats?"
Certainly, madam. White or
black?"
| on, or course-white!"
| 1t was easy to select a goodly mum.
Der from the pile on the table, and
| Hilda handed one after another, try
Ing to make some apropos remark re-
specting each.
But sudden confusion over
whelmed her on discovering that the
mans eyes were fixed upon her face.
Gould he be anyone she ought to
know? Surely she had never seen him
| before. II so, what must he think?
Luckily at that moment the milliner
returned, and Hilda made a sign to
her to attend to her new customer
while she herself slipped into the
background, feeling rather hot and un-
comfortable.
When the two had departed, she
| said
They took me for one of your as.
| sistants, so l."
Obi" the tone was quite shocked,
out Hilda laughed gayly.
Meanwhile the other lady and her
brother were riding home in a smart
| little dogcart
You know, Theo, there is nothing
Tor you but rich marriage" he was
saying. Where should l be now If
| | had not married well?"
Exactly sol"
! An irritated expression came into
his eyes. 1T is so different for a
woman, though" he said. "And more
over, you were safely married before
the crash came"
Yes, thank goodness! But don't
understand the other part of your re-
mark"
why, a man ought to be able to
fend for himself, without wanting his
wife to keep him. No, / can't do it,"
| Cant do what?"
Make mercenary marriage"
Why dear boy, only this morning
you said that you had never been in
love-that one woman was the same
as another to you, and that you did
not care whom yon married so long
as she was passable to look att"
Yes, but | am not going to marry;
| intend to have just one little fling for
| the next few months while my cash
lasts, and then go-oh-to the Klon-
dixie, the Philippines-anywhere."
"Theo! Are you mad?"
"No-just recovering my senses and
my selfrespect."
Everyone says that Miss Eversley
| is very pretty, and she is fabulously
rich"
"Oh, hang Miss Eversley" And
mentally, he continued: But that lit
tie milliner! What glorious eyes she
has, and what exquisite coloring, and
what mouth! The idea of such
divinity having to earn her living In
place like that
AT all events, you will see her next
week, and then you can Judge for
yourself"
"See-whom?"
why, Miss Eversley, of course.
Were we not speaking of herr"
She would have been hugely dis
! turbed could she have watched Theo-
dore during the ensuing days. He
haunted the little market town Of
| Norton until he felt that he knew
every pane OF glass in every one Of
the windows, and before the Diapers
he planted himself for a full hour at
a time every morning, reading the va
rious tickets, examining the goods,
and now and then venturing boldly in
side to buy pair Of gloves or a neck
tie, until the proprietor began to re-
gard him as an amiable lunatic.
! And to think she Is shop grill"
1 hn said asHpr faro har uoiaa hnr
accent are all perfect! OF course her
dress must be-they have to dress
well to keep up tho honor of the es.
Enlistment. Oh, hang 1t all! Why
| is fate so unkind? / know Cissie will
] be wild II she gets a glimmeP of the
| state of affairs, but-either tina. girl
shall be my wife or ! will remain a
| bachelor"
On reaching Mrs. Bertram's house,
one morning he found that lady in a
great state of excitement.
81 have seen her!" were her first
words.
"And who Is her?
Miss Eversley. She is a lovely lit
tie thing, Theo, and-she is fancy free,
for her own mother said So"
ITO you! On first acquaintance
mo indeed | happened to over
hear a rema . she was making to an
| old friend OF hers went to return
their cali today and though | only
| had two minutes of the girls com.
pany, l am convinced she would sat
isfy even you"