The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-11-27
In Chase of a Red Hat.

CODQAeSIS W omen D0reu lln-
Hinkley was dawdllng down the
street one day when 4 young lady /
under a red hat came out OF a store /
and passed him. hurrying to her cab /
His hat was knocked OF and his cane /
went Gathering. and If she said any /
thing in the way Of apology he didn't /
catch the words. This was a new ex-
perience for Hinkley. 1t aroused his
sleeping interest.
As the clubman sauntered down /
TO Twenty-third street and headed for /
Sixth avenue, intent on showing his /
form to the ladies of the shopping dis /
trict, he came across the girl in the /
red hat again. She was entering a
dry goods store. Huxley entered after |
her. She went to the parasol counter. /
and he followed. Aside from the red
hat. which was a very gorgeous affair. /
the wearer was a handsome young
woman of about twenty-three. She
knew that Hinkley was following her
Had she seemed to know it. however.
he would have turned away. The
young woman did not seem to know
at all sorts and kinds of parasols she
walked on his feet or elbowed him
out of the way. Sometimes she looked
past him. and sometimes over his head,
but never at him. When she had
bought a red parasol to match the red
hat she took it and walked out.
Mr.. Hinkley was no longer bored
He was getting a move on. Life had
come back to him with q rush. He
followed the red hat out and saw it
get into a cab. He took another cab
and followed on and landed at the
Grand Central depot. He followed to
the ticket window and heard the young
woman ask for a ticket to a certain
Long Island village. He was at her
elbow, but he was ignored. There
was plenty of room for her to turn to
the right, but she turned to the left
and walked on his feet again and pass
ed through the gates and took her
train. Mr.. Hinkley always carried a
case Of good cigars with him. He had
a soft and gentle voice. Passing a ci-
gar into the window and speaking
with a pur, he inquired of the ticket
man if he happened to know the young
lady.
Judge Durso's daughter and lives
at Blankville," was the reply, accom-
panied by a wink.
BE shouldn't have winked. Mr.. Hink-
ley wasn't running after the female,
but only following a clew to assist him
to throw off the shackle of ennui.
That evening at the club certain mem
bers were astonished to see that Hink-
| ley was sitting up and taking notice Of
| things In a way that he had not done
| for months. Some figured it out that
| his aunt was dead at last and others
| that he had got a sure thing on the
races, but he gave up no information.
At 10 o'clock the next morning he was
/ on his way to Blankville. During the
! night be had decided that his Water
| loo had arrived. He found himself in
/ love. He had passed a thousand wom-
en- by without a f1utter of the heart,
only to be caught by girl wearing
red hat 1t was her hat and her total
| Indifference to him. 1t was the hat
and the way she had walked on his
feet 1t was the hat and the way she
had looked past him and elbowed him.
His summer suit had been ignored.
| His faultess form had gone for moth
ing. His ego had been Inundated. In
stead OF bringing a thirst for revenge.
these things had brought love and a
spirit of forgiveness.
Mr.. Hinkley had no difficulty in find
ing Judge Durso's residence. It was a
manor house situated a mile from the
village. The villagers who directed
him would have liked to ask all about
him and his hopes and aims and ambi-
tons, but he did not give them time.
Just what he was going to do when he
reached the manor house he didn't
know, but he was a firm believer in
the old saying that providence takes
care Of asses and drunkards. He
might make inquiries of some sort.
He might leave his card. He would
make himself known in some way. He
entered the grounds with all sorts of
plans running through his mind, but
the whole boiling Of them was soon
put to fight. A watchdog came tear
ing down to the gate to meet him and
seized him and rolled him on the
grass. Then the gardener came tearing
after the dog and rescued the man and
stood him up against the fence and
called him a tramp and threatened
him. Then the old judge came dowr
with stately step and put Mr.. Hinkley
through q severe cross examination
and at the end called him a prevari
Gator and talked about the grand jury
and indictments. He was finally per
rnitted TO limp away in ignominy. but
he was only forty rods from the house
when girl IN a red hat came tearing
along in an auto. He started to raise
his hat and get out OF the road at the
same time. but got mixed up. and the
auto struck him and hurled him into
the nearest fence corner. The sir
never looked back
Mr.. Hinkley had no bones broken