The Cairo bulletin., 1908-02-12
THE r1ILLINER'S ART
by Ada Bracken.

Then what is the matter?" de-
manded the young man.
i've discovered" she answered,
that when is comes to talents mine
must lie in the direction Of digging
bitches. Anything that requires a
more artistic feeling appears be-
yond me. II wouldn't be SO bad II
l could suffer alone, but all my best
friends at present have opinions of
me that cause them to mediate vio-
lence against me. III you don't be-
lieve 1t just ask them.
You see, / thought Ii would be
nice to learn to trim hats. Being
man, Of course, hats don't mean
much to you. You can order over
the telephone another hat just like
your last one. pay SIS and it's all
over and you have time to devote to
other necessary affairs OF life. It's
different with us. A woman's hat is
really a vital question. If it tips an
inch too much on one side it is like
ly to break off her engagement and
ruin her life, while, on the other
hand. III 1t is just right perhaps a
millionaire win fall in love with
her. Now, no girl ever fell In love
with a man because he wore be-
coming haiti"
I'm glad of that" said the young
man. Because / look lots better
without one at all. Do you think"
So" hurriedly interrupted the
young woman. Il went to millinery
school. They told me that | could
pay s12 and take twenty lessons. l
asked what would happen after |
took the lessons but can see now
that they evaded the question. There
was sort of inference floating in
the air to the effect that when the
twenty lessons were over l could put
even q Paris milliner out OF bust
ness. They didn't exactly say this
In so many words, but | gathered
that after had graduated would
be able, with q handful of scraps
from the ragbag. some picture wire.
a spool of basting thread and darn
ing needle, TO evolve something that
a fashionable shop would unbIush-
ingly ask you $50 for and you would
humbly feel was cheap at the price.
II was SO joyous at the prospect
that | went around bemoaning my
idiocy at not having taken the course
years ago. figured that | was out
ess~ hnf iah 4
might as well have had If only | had
had brains enough 70 take tue twen-
~ lessons
We'll. / told all my friends about 1t
and offered TO make hats for them
because | wanted TO share my good
luck with my friends. The girls
we're delighted Each of them thou
Eht up two or three hats she would
like. So when | started for the mill
iinery school | carried the load of a
patient pack horse. Ii policeman
had met me he would have arrested
me on suspicion. for | was simply
sprouting ostrich plumes and roses
and straw.
/ never worked SO hard before in my
life. All the things that one can do
to simple, inoffensiye hat are really
But | could have stood
the hard work ii the girls had not
acted so ungrateful. / am sure the
big leghorn with the rose wreath
and long plume which | trimmed for
Ethel was just like the picture she
showed me, bat she never said
word when | took it out of the box.
Afterward overheard her saying
that she had never dreamed l was
so spiteful she said she would just
as soon wear a barrel on her head
looped up with cabbages.
Grace said that she was much
Obliged for the trouble | had taken
with her white lace hat, although she
supposed that letting me trim II
was really favor on her part, be-
cause evidently | needed the prac-
tice. She added that she believed
still needed practice. and, of course.
as she couldn't wear the thing she
knew | wouldn't expect her to pay
for the violets she had asked me to
get TO put on IT, She said because
| was an old friend she would not
ask me to reimburse her for the
lace and other stuff. / sent her
check Immediately.
IL couldn't much blame Belle.
When she put on her hat she took
one look and then burst into tears.
She said that only a mortal enemy
could have taken pleasure in trans
forming her into the living image OF
the woman who used TO come around
selling horseradish when she lived
IN a small town. The woman had a
brimiess straw hat which she wore
winter and summer and somehow
when I gazed at Belle in the creation
| had got up / could Just see the
woman. Belle has a sen
sitive nature and she won't make
up with me again. And there we're
half a dozen others who were al
most as bad"
But" said the young man. how
did your own hats turn out? Weren't
they all right?"
The young woman looked stin
ladder and shook her head. ''YoE
see" she explained by the time