The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-25
THE ROSE-COLERED HAT


wearing borrowed plumes.
"Oh, I'm afraid you're too pretty In
It." he parted. 1T seems as If the old
one fits in more with me. and tho
things / can do for you. Justine
She looked at him in wonder.
Why / should think you'd like ia
have me look nice she said.
Il do" he said.
AS they sped along, the fresh
breeze brought rain with it. and sud-
denly Justine uttered little cry ot
terror. oh" she said. lit is raining.
and IN afraid my hat will be ruined.
We must so inside, Archie"
But they could not go inside. for ID
happened that the theatre crowds had
filled the omnibus, and there was no
room for them. To get of meant to-
stand in the street. and in either in
stance the hat would suffer. But
Justine made Archie stop the bus. and
they descended. Then she stood under
the archway or one OF the big apart%
n eut houses
'You1l have to get a cab for me-"
she said 4 IA aw1ully sorry, hut
can't spoil this hat"
She saw his look OF dlsapprovals
and suddenly she burst out with her
confession ''oh, ii isn't my hat.
+
tonight at the store. and il anything
happens to it / don't know what III
do.
She saw Arehfe's face brighten and
his good smile shine out y on silly
little Justine" he said. did you bor-
row that hat on my account"
y es' she said, Il wanted to look
pretty when | went with YOU.
And l have been feeling all the
evening" he told her, that / mustn't
tell you how much / cared for you:
mustn't ask you To marry me, because
B l felt that | could never give you tho
pretty things yt4 craved- knew
/ the hat must have cost a lot OF money.
/ and | felt that you wanted such
things and / had no right to ask you
70 bee the wife Of poor man.
oh" Justine gasped. Il never
thought OF that, Archie. And l don't
really mind being poor II you don't
mind seeing me shabby"
!, In the dim arohway he caught her
in his arms You darling, he said.
I'D love you if you never wore a
| hat"
He went to the corner and teie-
phoned for a cab. You mustn't get
into trouble" he said. and you
mustn't spoil the hat,
IS spite az her raptures Justine's
| conscience troubled her
thing. Archie she said. Madame
would never forgive me II she knew
II believe She would Archie told
| her. And any how / believe you'l
feel better II YOU go and tell her, and
II she fires you Wen get married on
the spot, and then / can take care OF
YOU for the rest of your life, JUS
tine.
! 1t was such q temnestuous wooing
that it almost took JnStines breath
away.
but ! haven't anything to he mar
y ried In" she said.
Wear that white dress you had IN.
the summer" Archie said. the ~
you wore the first night | took you
out ] fell in love with you then. and
have been in love ever since"
The next morning Justine went on
mysterious errand to madame's
inner sanctum. She came out with
her eyes sparkling.
4 LUCILLE she said 70 her dearest
\ friend, madame Is "A darling. Do
; wearing the hat"
; WHY. you never daredl" Lucille. ak
claimed.
; II did" Justine said. "and I told
) her why. I told her that ] wanted to
( please Archie, and that | saw her
: there. and that then I realized what
an awful thing I had done, and she
seemed positively human. She lis
tened and asked me about Archie, and
, and then what do you think hap-
} pened Lucile?"
II don't know" said Lucille breath-
i lessly.
'sshe is going to give me the hat
for a wedding present"