The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1907-08-02
AUNT AMELIA AND
The RED HAT

When Uncle Nat died he left the
girls nothing. Although they were
his nieces neither of them was men,
toned in his will Their mother was
also ignored, and all the fortune went
10 an unmarried sister.
This was not quite so bad as 1t
looked. 1t was Understood that she
would leave the estate to the family
on her death. So the girls ought to
have realized that it was the part OF
wisdom TO be polite to Aunt Amelia.
The niece who was Aunt Amelia
namesake was so furious over the
matter that she refused to wear
mourning after the funeral, except
when she called on Aunt Amelia.
Then she put on black that had al
ready done service in honoring sew
eral elderly and rather remote rela-
tives
Il can't see why in the world |
should go to the expense of buying
new black" Amelia observed, when
he didn't leave me a cent.
"Then | had already bought my
spring clothes. If / had got my
share of the fortune-the share
thought was coming to mel could
have afforded new mourning But
not now"
So amelia chung to colored clothes
and was somber only when she paid
her duty calls on her aunt. One day
she had dressed for a motor trip in
the park and wanted to look her best.
This summer her idea of best was the
geranium hat with its red plumes.
She put that hat on and started to
walk around to her friends house,
where the car was TO meet them. She
went sauntering along, buttoning her
gloves and feeling that she really was
looking well. Red was her color, and
the black and white striped gown con-
trasted we'll with tho haf
Suddenly she lifted her eyes. There
was Aunt Amelia approaching. 1t
seemed certain that she was going
to see Amelia in her gaudy finery.
The sight of that geranium-colored
hat might affect Amelias fortunes
seriously
Before Aunt Amelia was half
foot nearer her red-hatted niece
turned about and was facing in the
opposite direction.
Il must get this red hat of" was
the thought that possessed the niece
as she fled. Il must get upstairs and
get rid of ii before she sees"
woe oil ,,,,DripU
safety lay in walking straight ahead
and not stopping at the home at all
never occurred to her. Her plan had
been to run up to her hoom and she
thought only of that
She reached the steps and skipped
confidently up. She reached down for
her night key, but it was missing
Hopeless of escape now, she rang the
bell
"The servants must be asleep" she
thought as she pushed the button
again. My! There are Aunt Amelias
footsteps"
Fearing to look behind her. she
sidestepped in response 10 a sudden
inspiration and got behind one Of the
storm doors. 1t was close fit and
she held her breath as she made her
self as fiat as possible against the
wall
She heard the rustic of Aunt
Amelias stiff crepe as she walked
up the steps. The astonished servant,
as she opened the door, saw the aunt
when she was still three steps from
the top, although the lady had al
ready rung twice.
The servant was not analytical,
however, and admitted Aunt Amelia
without question. The prisoner be-
hind the door wondered if her
breathing had been heard. She
slipped down the steps as soon as
the door closed and darted down the
street to keep her appointment. SO
she was not able to hear her aunt
saying:
Il thought | saw Amelia on the
street a few minutes ago. But | was
mistaken, for that girl had on a red
hat. 1t could not have been Amelia"
"Of course not" said the loyal sis
ter to whom this observation was
made. 1T cosld never have been
Amelia in a red hat