, 1907-01-30
THE GIRL AT III
MILLINEk'S
BY ISABEL HOWARD
Copyright, by Joseph b. Bowlss.)


II don't quite like this hat you
trimmed for me. Can you alter the
arrangement while l waltz"
"Certstsly, Miss Hilda. l am very
.orry 1t did not give satisfaction"
"Oh, there isn't much the matter!"
and the young girl proceeded to In
struct the milliner as to the altera-
lions she desired.
IF You will sit down a few minutes,
Miss Hilda, l will take the hat to the
workroom and put it right"
Miss Hilda, however, could not sit
still for long. She mSved 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 digniied,
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?"
Oh, of course-white!"
1t was easy to select a goodly num-
Der from the pile on the table, and
Hilda handed one after another, try
ing to make some apropos remark re-
specting each.
But a sudden confusion over
whelmed her on discovering that the
mans eyes were fixed upon her face.
Could he be anyone she ought to
know? Surely she had never seen him
before. If 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 I'm.
comfortable.
When the two had departed, she
said:
"They took me for one of your as.
sistants, SO L"
obi" the tone vas quite shocked,
but Hilda laughed gayly.
Meanwhile the other lady and her
brother were riding home in a smart
little dogcart.
You know, Theo. there is nothing
for you but a rich marriage" she was
saying. Where should l be now II
l had not married well?"
Exactly SOL"
An irritated expression came into
his eyes. ut is SO different for a
woman, though" he said. And more.
over, you were safely married before
the crash came"
Eyes, thank goodness! But l 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, l can't do it,
Cant do what?"
Make a m%ercenary marriage"
why, lear boy, only this morning
you said that you had never been in
love-that one woman was the same
as another to you, and hat you did
not care whom you married so long
as she was passable to look att"
Yes, but I am not going to marry
l intend to have Just one little fling fol
the next few months while my cast
lasts, n then go-oh-to the Klon
dixie, the Philippines-anywhere."
"Theo! Are you mad?"
"No-just recovering my senses ant
my s~elf-respect."
Everyone says that Miss Eversley
is very pretty, and she is ~fabulously
rich"
"Oh, hang Miss Eversleyi" And
mentally, he continued: But that lit
tie milliner! What glorious eyes she
has, and what exquisite coloring, ant
what a mouth! The idea of such 6
divinity having to earn her living IL
a place like that"
AT all events, you will see her mex
week, and then you can judge fol
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 draper's
he planted himself for a full hour at
a time every morning, reading the va