The Huttig news., 1911-04-15
THE BEST SHE
 COULD DO

1Oung MrS. Allison extracted nVt hatpins and removed an enormous straw hat from her carefully built-up coiffure. She laid the hat beside her OH 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 tragic gesture, If any one had told me week ago that within seven short days I should be the undoubted possessor of a. head covering of those impossible dimensions I should have recommended that his friends consult reliable alienist in his behalfi'
 The timid young matron in mauve broadcloth giggled by way of showing her sympathy My husband thinks they're perfectly shocking" she con fded. Does yours?"
 Really said young Mrs Allison. coldly T haven't consulted him. My own opinion of it has been almost more than my naturally angelic dispo sition could bear"
 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. Allison's scornful expression.
 The ideal" exclaimed the owner of the hat disgustedly. You don't suppose for moment that I bought this incredible horror because I want ed it, do you?"
 Then why" began again the timid young matron 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. q tried on everything from cherry trincned coal scuttle to flow CT decked parachute, and finally bought this in self-defense. because l wanted to go to a tea yesterday aft ernoon and every one seemed to think a beaver to4ue 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. All lison, with. rising indignation, why will people persist in having teas at the exact season when your winter clothes are draggled and horrid and you haven't had time to evolve new spring attire?"
 When you've put off entertaining all winter, said the tiIpid young ma. tron in mauve broa1c1p 1pth, there's nothing else to do. is tAere? Nobody will go to formal teas in hot weather. 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 sigh. Anyway, I didn't have time to have a 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 sli1ing 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 it 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?"
 Nc said young Mrs. Allison. with 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 bargain!"
 The girl with the new spring gown made a 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. I think not" said young Mrs Allison with an involuntary smile, but you see it was copied from an $S5 Parisian model and the woman for whom it was made refused to take