Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-01-19
SPEAKING
OF HATS


paid much attention to it and the
head itself was the main thing. THAI
time has gone-gone forever, fear.
"Nowadays-weIl, no one mas time
nowadays to stop to consider anything
because if one does not have to rush
to catch a train one has to hurry to
escape being late for dinner party
or to keep ones appointment at the
dressmaker's. Still, if person were
laid up with a broken leg, say, or
something calming of that sort and
really dwelt upon the subject it read
lily could be realized that hats have
become a far different matter
81 know a tiny hat store that is
about as big as a minute" went on the
peevish girl. "It looks entirely harm
less and subdued. 1t is exclusive, GER
tainly. Nobody wants to buy hat
anywhere but at an exclusive place.
While on an exploring trip recently l
found my way into this little hat shop.
l had a defiant expression in my eye
because 1 had resolved that if the
usual languid and gorgeous person in
black foated up and asked the usual
$40 or $50 for a head covering worth
almost SO should icily refuse to be
robbed and walk out Still, wanted
to see what there was in the shop.
81 saw before me a small, three-cor-
nered hat of black velvet, utterly I'M
adorned save for a bunch of feathery
aigrettes on one side. l glanced in
qHiringly at the gorgeous person who
was surveying me as though at last
she was gazing upon the murderer Of
her beloved grandmother.
"That?' echoed the gorgeous per-
son. That little chapeau is-let me
sect is $115' She brushed a speck
of dust from her shoulder as she fin
ished.
"'But why?' asked her when the
room had stopped whirling around. ]
had not meant to betray surprise at
anything in the hat shop, but human
flesh and blood could not stand this
sledge-hammer blow.
'"The gorgeous person regarded me
with extreme dislike. Those are
aigrettes on it, she murmured, indif-
ferently.
"'Oh, yes-aigrettes,' repeated. To
be sure. But excuse me-do you mean
to say there are women in the world
who actually hand over $100 or so for
thing that hasn't any more to show
for it than that?'
'Then while the gorgeous person
showed signs of apoplexy 1 made my
escape. On the street l watched the
hats. If 1 saw a particularly plain, un-
noticeable one l knew it had cost
enough to support a family for a
month. All the faces beneath the hats
were harassed and tense as the own.
ers flew along. The owners either
were on their way to buy more hats or
had just escaped from the clutches of
gorgeous persons in hat shops.
"You know" explained the peevish
girl, you are always buying hats now
adays because one for best and one
for every day simply will not do at all.
Neither ever is just the thing for the
gown you want to wear and you end
by buying hat when you buy dress
goods just as much as you order the
hooks and eyes and trimmings.
"As for plumes-all the ostriches on
earth must be going around these
days in a terrificaily decolIete state,
for there are enough feathers at large
in Chicago alone at the present mo-
ment to clothe decently all the os-
triches that were ever created. To
see them in their full and impudent
o1Oru cf0n intX INV fo aofo
after the theater.
"'No, I'm not i'll or anything l said
to my escort the other night, but l
haven't time to eat. I'm counting.
Why, willow plumes, of course.
There's gray one back of you yard
long that never cost a cent under SIS.
And look at that white hat with three
plumes-I suppose there is a girl con-
cealed under it somewhere-and over
there see those heliotrope ones. That
heliotrope hat certainly set back faith
er's bank account $3.50 at least. And
there are bushels of black feathers
$50 apiece Why, can't see anything
but sea of willow plumes! It isn't
a cafe-it's just a forest of hats with
people lost in the shadows underneath
paying checks for food they haven't
time to eat because every living girl
is looking to see if anyone has a will
low plume handsomer than hers!'
1.-THE reason the milliners ask and
get about 500 per cent on their invest
ment is perfectly plain" declared the
pevish girl. ct is all the fault of FEM
mime creatures like one | saw in a
store not long ago. While wandering
around in the millinery department
this woman pounced with a little cry
of Joy upon hat in a case. She put
it on and positively cooed with rap
ture.
"Why, she told the attending clerk,
IF had looked for a week l never
could have found anything so pre-
cisely what I wanted. It's exactly
what I had in mind! 1t just finishes
off my suit. Look how well they go
+ooo4bor IIOu much ic if2,'