The Huttig news., 1910-12-24
THE BEST SHE
 COULD DO

StrdW nat rom ner careIully Dullt-up coiffure. She laid the hat beside her on the sofa and regarded it with a look such as the proverbial hen might have bestowed upon her mysterious ducklings.
 The other members of the sewing circle gazed silently at the spectacle
 If, said young Mrs. Allison, with a tragic gesture, eff any one had told me a week ago that within seven short days I should be the undoubted possessor of head covering of those impossible dimensions I should have recommended that his friends consult a reliable alienist in his behalf"
 The timid young matron in mauve broadcloth giggled by way of showing her sympathy. My husband thinks they're perfectly shocking" she con fided. Does yours?"
 Really said young Mrs Allison, coldly. "1 haven't consulted him. My own opinion of it has been almost more than my naturally angelic dispo- sition could bear"
 s'But, dear" said the timid young matron in mauve broadcloth, why, if you don't like 1t, did you"
 She broke off in confusion in the face of young Mrs. Allisons scornful expression.
 The ideal" exclaimed the owner of the hat disgustedly. You don't suppose for moment that l bought this incredible horror because I want ed it. do you?"
 Then why" began again the timfd young matrou in mauve, her puzzled look becoming more and more appealing.
 Well" said young Mrs. Allison, q went to every hat shop in this large and cosmopolitan city and found noth- ing, absolutely nothing. smaller than that tea table," She indicated the ineffensive piece of furniture sar- castically with one of her five hat pins. "I tried on everything from a cherry trinaned coal scuttle to a flow. CT decked parachute. and finally bought this in self-defense, because l wanted to go to tea yesterday aft ernoon and every one seemed to think beaver togue was wholly out of the question at this time of year"
 "Of course it is," said the girl with the new spring gown, positively.
 Then" demanded young Mrs. AL lison. with rising indignation, why will people persist in having teas at the exact season when your winter clothes are dragg,ed and horrid and you haven't had time to evolve new spring attire?''
 When you've put off entertaining all winter" said the timid young ma tron in mauve broadcloth, there's nothing else to do, is there? Nobody and you've naturally got to give them some time. They're a sort of duty, you know"
 T suppose they are,' agreed young Mrs. Allison, with a sigh. Anyway, I didn't have time to have head GOV ering made, and this one was the re- suit of a choice of evils It's so heavy that it gives me constant sensation oe sliding backward, and to avoid that alarming tendency I have to hold my head down and my chin out and look upward out of the corners of my eyes like cat stealing the family beef steak. And I bought 1t from wom- al who was hypocrite," she added, peevishly.
 "Oh!" said the timid young matron in mauve broadcloth, adding innocent. ly, Did she tell you it was becom- ing?"
 No" said young Mrs Allison, with a still deeper sigh, nothing as bad as that! She had had a moral bringing up. I think. and probably went into the millinery business when she was young and irresponsible. She merely told me that this hat was a bargain"
 The girl with the new spring gown made critical inspection of the ex- panse of chip and trimmings in ques- tion. q don't see why it should be a bargain" she remarked, finally. "Is it off color, or something?"
 'Oh, l think not" said young Mrs. Allison with an involuntary smile, but you see it was copied from an SS5 Parisian model, and the woman for whom it was made refused to take it because she declared it was too small."