The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-01-07
THE $40 BILL
It's Surprising Consequence In the
Life ef Allen Mesiins.
~, q. Rass in Cleveland fisia pssisfl

= usual lie had played a game II ehans
! and son little MONEY, Tits Nas soiti'
. thing h- dldnl care Ia do, lie heVs
PLAYED for high stake, and be pfrieir-
Ia l0sr, II Nonld make him feel nneon
Portable "a take other I.-opleis money!
! had quite enough II HE sNn,
! That aas the trouble, lie knew Il
liis fathers money had made him an Idle
and prohlsale and he Nas only twenty
seven,
lie had taken loa much wlns a, dinner
HE mind WAS a little ouhins.d, III
tongue was not a. nlinhle a. usual, III
haL lril HE companions idler like him
s.li, only with les money aud started Il
walk OF HI. lndislo.itlon, liis less wer,
steady enough and the cool evening ali
refreshed him,
lie wandered along aiml.ssly, and III,
ifiiic he had Won continued 10 h. an an
noyaner, lie would give il away That
Mas the thing To- do. There nas anly SO
III Il. lie locked around.
\ millln.f's shop window was rlose at
hand, Il was brilliantly lighted aud the
hats within GA their Nin l,el.slals weIr
displayed Ia the bet advantage. IN front
81 the window stood ph a slender,
young girl, pale aud rather shabbil,
dressed. and the gaze II this girl SEEMED
fixed on one particular hat Ia the glowing
window. She STARED a, thu. hat with her
head very much on one eide aud she
touched her nose 10 the pane ia her effort
the side window. ioo. Il va. very la
cinaiing hat,
The man near the curb watched this cN-
hlhiiion II beauty worship with an
amused smilc Then an idea came 10 him.
lie cruss', the wall, and entered the
store.
4 stout woman with smiling face
greeted him. lie noticed IN haHy way
that younger woman Wa standing near,
a young woman with whom the stout
woman had been in conversation.
Madam, he said, a. he lifted hls hat,
u wish 10 know the price Of the marvellous
chapeau on the left side Of the window"
he stout lady opened her eyes very
wide.
I'll Is $40. sir"
He drew hill from hi. vcs, pocket and
handed il 10 her.
THE hat Is mine. madam DO YOU no.
tice girl lingering outside with her nose
against the pane. She looks ~ ii she |
meant To devour the hat. and ! wan, 90 |
crafty her appetite" lie suddenly held |
up his hand. Understand me. madam.
he said with labored distinctness. II have
never seen this girl before; in all proba.
hility will never see her again. | am
giving her thi, hat because she wants il.
am investing a sawbuck in personal graf
Call il within Il you like call
i anything You please hut don't let the
yrl get away withou, the hat.
He smiled and nodded. and suddenly
seating himself on the divan near the door
there, ids tapping his foot with
ms cane
The stout woman looked at the Young
nan and at the bill in her hand Then
ler gaze wandered TO the younger woman,
md the younger woman nodded very
lightly.
The millner went to the door and asked
he girl 10 come in. The girl came. won.
cring and little reluctant. Il
My dear. SAID the mlliner. II have a
AT here would like to have you try on. I
The opened the inner door of the window i
uckly and brought forward the coveted I
at. Try il on.
The girls face flushed and she threw =
alf frightened glance around
1T is very becoming, said the milliner. J
, she settled the hat ON the girls dark {
air and adjusted the mirrors. do you a
Ike il = c
The girl drew her breath sharply. ;
1T is very beautiful" she said, with a h
tile catch in her voice, but II cant 4
ford il. il
All wait. aid the milliner with her u
mplng smile. This is the day before q
aster. YOU know. and a certain person Il
ho must remain unknown has put it in Il
V power to present some worthy girl
it'll hatan Easter gift, you know. T
i'll you take the hat with yon!' Al
The girls face wore a troubled express III
IN. She looked from the milliner TO the IA
Jung woman standing near, hi
1T j. quite true. SAID the young woman.
The hat Is yours m
And in moment the square white box al
ntaining the precious treasure was in II
e girls eager hand.
Does it come from YOU" she asked 4
e young woman.
No the latter replied.
i would like, said the girl slowly, ito
We the one who gave it know that it
likes me very happy. II couldn't at, wi
d hat this Easter--we have had sick q,
$ at home and this makes it seem so
lch more like a dream She cIutched
, box string tightly. Good night. she III
rriedly said, and went away as if fear SUI
she might be called back.
The young man slowly arose. biz
i like that, he said. Genuine feeling, ha
] do. You must let me thank you,
dam, for the admirable way in which del
explained the circumstances. ! am i
q never regarded Easter in Just this He
1t before" He turned to the ,young ella
nan. And | want to thank you, too, ligl
y-if you will pardon the presumption ow
Ilr words were timely and they carried int
ght. the
lie paused abruptly The young woman tina
regarding him intently with her clear lit
Y eyes And suddenly he remembered and
his tongue. was thick and his mind dor
muddled A dull red surged into his ="
eks. II
would be glad to know the young 4
nan said that your gift was backed :.
the right spirit he
ne was young Not much more than a Thu
Yet her voice was grave and earnest Cril
her tone impressive He realized that sent
was talking to him as she might have u
ed to little child. And he realized, a re
that she knew why his tongue was afte
born and his mind misty. ing:
don't know about that" he muir y
ed little obscurely. Il haven't shall
ght much along those lines. 1t isn't W
VS. necessary, is it, Lea,
he young woman waved the question sitti
2. his
you gave the hat to the girl be- Sh
e you felt sorry to think she couldn't "
tinery of that sort, and you wanted III,
ring little sunshine into her life, ~
was well and good. " a
shook his head men
m afraid that nothing of the kind "T
ened," he said Il guess | dropped "T
tenner merely for my own gratifca aft
brief
e glance from the clear gray eyes sow
ed to soften little. ing.
'ouldn't you like to learn to be help seem
4 better way" grace
ere was something very attractive IN ment