The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-09-24
AUNT AMELIA AND
The RED HAT

When Uncle Nat dled ne leIJ INT
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
to 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's
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
q 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 l had already bought my
opAil6 klOliito. IL nelu SUI my
share of the fortune-the share l
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 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 well with the hat.
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 Amelia's fortunes
seriously.
Before Aunt Amelia was half a
foot nearer her red-hatted niece
turned about. and was facing in the
opposite direction.
Il must get this red hat off," was
the thought that possessed the niece
as she fed. 81 must get upstairs and
get rid of it before she Sees"
She was almost running now. That
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 Amelia's
footsteps"
Fearing to look behind her, she
sidestepped in response to a sudden
inspiration and got behind one of the
storm doors. 1t was a 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
AmeIia's 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:
i thought | saw Amelia on the
street a few minutes ago. But l was
mistaken, for that girl had on red
hat. 1t could not have been Amelia. /"
"Of course not" said the loyal sis
ter to whom this observation was
made. 1T could never have been
Amelia in red hat"