Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-09-18
lWon-olcohoEc
lSorsqporiM
The
Buttercup Hat
by Bertha Porter.

| department house and the I've and
ter cent store. Always IN her ain
dow vas 2 single hat. standing
braYeIy cur against the black velvet
curtains. The hat was always sell
worth looking at And all day long
Yvelte sat behind the curtains and
made other hats. also good 10 look
upon. and equally enticing to Dur-
! chase.
Being alone IN the world and OF
an imaginative mind. she made up
little stories about the people Who
passed so regularly.
Yyette's pet and particular story
was about the man and the girl he
vas tall and broad, and walked with
a purpose. She was tall. too. and
fair. with fluffy light hair and brown
eyes. They went BY together nearly
every day. 4 little later the girl
went back alone
Yyette imagined them going TO
theatres together in the evening.
walking home in the starlight,
slo giy-then she sighed a little.
Wien she went to the theatre-very
"a. ly--it was only to dread all
III. evening the lonely ride home in
the car, the scurried run down the
Sic street, the breathIess fitting OF
the key IN the lock and the weary
dropping into the hall seat TO real
ize that she was at last inside and
away from the terrors OF the night.
I A. -.
wondered II she should know when
they were married.
This spring day she saw them
pass. She caught her breath with
pleasure at the cool, green dress.
the long green gloves; then she gave
little sound of dismay. For, In
place OF the hat which should have
completed the picture, on the yell
low hair was very thunder-clOud
Of black, blottiBg out all the sug-
gegtions Of growing green things
which the dress implied.
The little miIIiner watched them
pass.
Then In a moment the pink chiffon
was tossed aside and her fingers
were busy with shining green straw
The next morning Yyette sat idle
behind the curtains. watching the
! passcrs. In her mind was an limo
cent plot and she was biding her
time for the first move IN the game.
At last, reflected in the mirrors az
the side Of the window she saw. him
coming Disappointed, she
hesitated a moment-then, her
checks pink with resolution, she
leaned forward between the black
curtains and put the hat on the stand.
As he passed, he turned his eyes
casually toward the window. He saw
dark-eyed, dark-haired little wO-
man in black carefully balancing
into place a green hat trimmed with
buttercups. His eyes met hers and
be looked away quickly.
During the dinner hour she saw
him walking back and forth in front
Of the window. looking attentiveIy
and thoughtfulIy at the hat.
Soon after 5, an embarrassed young
man entered the shop.
THAT hat in the window have
friend--is It all right-how much
I'll take it." he ended desperately.
Yvette smiled as she took the hat
from the stand.
Il, too, know the lady" she con-
hded, land / did make the hat for
her. I am glad you recognized it."
A few days afterward the man and
the girl went by the window. Yvette
saw with a thrill of pride that the
green straw was the proper color
and the creamy buttercups blended
peacefully with the light and fluffy
hair.
When the girl came back she en-
tered the shop. Yvette's smile an
swered hers before she spoke.
Il came" she said, ito thank you
for making this pretty hat for me-
was so pleased when my brother
brought it home. And it was ali
the nicer to think that you had really
made It on purpose for me"
But Yyette did not hear her last
words.
Your brother?" she gasped.
why. thought he vas your fance-
Then she bIushed- You viii par
don the liberty. know; but / have
so few friends.
The girl smiled.
II am engaged" she said, but
he is my brother. We, too are much
alone. Where do you Iye2 Nay
/ come and see your"
Yvette found that going to ths
theatre with three jolly young people
and walking home in the starlight
was all that she had imagined, and
more.
And one day It came TO pass tha
the people going to and from theil
work missed something from the lit
the window. There was nc hat there
Then the black curtains disappeared
and a worn and ragged-edged zigI
conveyed the information TO the pub
uc-"This store for rent"
The little miIIiner was speeding Of
her wedding journey, wearing. IN
der protest, a most inappropriate
headgear.
1T viii be perfectly ridiculous
Jim," she had declared; 1T is no
suitable for travelling at all"
And Jet there she sat IN the par
Tor car, and above II the rack re