The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-03-23
'Cwas Not Der
Caster Dat

BY BELLE TRlMBle MATTS0N.
tcopyright. 1910. by American Press Asso-
c~iation.1
N~H, mamma, you're not going
to wear that hat, are your
~ Mildred had tragedy in her
voice.
II am"
"What! Mother, dear" cried Dorothy,
running In for glove thread, that aw-
full haiti"
Exactly"
ION Easter Monday" they chimed.
whose hat is thisT'
"Oh, it's not mine," said Mildred.
'I'll not dispute ownership"
Don't you want granny to see
your lovely new Easter hat with the
flowers and the plumesT' coaxed Dor
othy.
Il don't care to spoil the plumes, and
It looks like rain. There's a dripping
fog now"
Il think it'll clear" said Mildred
hopefully as she pinned on a big
plumy hat Of her own-gray-blue, like
her eyes.
II can't see why you girls care so
much about this hat today. In the
first place, it's an all right hat; in the
next place, 1t will be howlingly stylish
for grammy's metropolis; in the third
place, we shall see no one we
know except granny. whose affection
IL not dependent on hats; in the
fourth place." she added after a ST.
lent moment spent In adjusting her
veil, 'I'm going to wear it, so you
may as well ave your splutters."
In the ferryboat they found a seat
for her, but had to stand themselves.
q" can't see," murmured Mildred,
'why mother will wear that beast of
q hat"
"She looks precisely like the head
Of the biological department." respond
ed Dorothy under cover of mournful
sounds from the fog bell.
"Something's got to happen to it."
returned Mildred with spirit. But to-
day! You can't think, Dot, how per-
fectly elegant he Is. I think elegant
Is a rather cheap word, but 1 can't
think Of a single other one that will
describe him. Oh, yes, l can, too
thoroughbred, that's what he u.s."
WELL, of all elegant, thoroughbred
ways to meet a girls mother!"
"He just couldn't get away from his
aunt a day sooner-you know the
whole party up there was for him
and he said he just couldn't wait a
day longer, so at last l told him we
were going away, but If happened to
see him in the station I'd present him.
And now she has on that hatw
"Humph" said Dorothy. YOU'D bet
ter spend a little time thinking what
sort of an impression he'll make on the
little mother"
1--WE been lying awake nights over
that, eve fear" responded Mildred.
The boat thumped up into the slip,
and they Joined their mother in the
push to the front.
They found themselves q few min
utes early, and as they stood waiting
for the gates to open a tall young man
rushed by to Mildred and seized her
hand enthusiastically.
mamma. this is Mr.. Frank Shipley.
Mrs. Mason's nephew, you know. l
think spoke of him after her house
party"
The mind Of Mildred's mother quick
~ reviewed all her daughter had said
anent this most eligible nephew of her
W old friend.
II think you did," she said as she
gave him her hand. "Are you going
to the country, too, for the Easter hol-
idays?"
I'm running down to Salem-a bit
Of business"
"Oh, you're taking our train, them"
"Am |? How jolly"
The gates opened then, and he DOS
sessed himself Of Il wrap and an UNI.
brella she was carrying. helped them
all on, located her. found a seat for
the girls and then dropped down be.
side Mrs. Bronson a few seats behind
her daughters. And If he watched
e, every turn Of Mil.
~<ESEx1lN dred's brown head
~&.%\ 1t did not prevent
NN34X devoted attention
kNNSsTHNsM to her mother. He
NWSk4asMI| Kept up a lively
S&J8SdHl chatter until the
H<uf&NsN train had left
fkEErM Woodbury.. She led