The herald., 1911-11-23
THE HAT
DID 1T"
By JANE PINCKNEY BENNETT
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

I'm an easy chair. rested his head back
on the cushion. his elbows on the
arms. and. holding the ring in his
hands before his eyes. examined it
critically. She cast n glance at him
and uttered an exclamation of anger
at his indifference.
Il must change that" he said to
himself. though aloud. Cant use this
one again l must get another"
IF you are saying all that for my
benefit" she said. you are having
your trouble for nothing"
81 must apologize for having given
you n stone with flaw in it. l was
deceived"
Il don't see that it makes any differ
ence now"
But the ring can't be used again"
USED again, What do you mean?"
"Why, | have promised Sue that if
you ever got huffy and returned 1t she
should have it."
Sue is my sister.
"She said that. did she?''
ooh. yes: she predicted this"
"Oh. she did"
YES"
"And you're going TO give her the
ring?"
"Oh. no; not this one. I'll get her a
perfect stone. This is worthless"
81 have not noticed any blemish in
It. Let me take it a moment"
mo: it was given you as a token, a
seal TO a contract. That contract is
broken by fits return. You have no
more interest in it than you have in a
glass marble"
81 may have some curiosity. mayn't
To-
"All you like"
''Then let me see the ring. I wish
TO know if the man | have been en-
gagged TO had the effrontery, the mean
ness, to palm off on me a stone with
q flaw in it,
what has been in the case Of a
broken engagement concerns no one.
1t belongs TO dead past By your
returning the ring you annulled your
interest in my past and my future. 1t
doesn't make any difference to you
whether there Is flaw in it or not"
Perhaps you will condescend to tell
me what you propose to do in the
case"
"Of the ringT
"Yes."
II shall take 1t back to the man Of
whom bought it and ask him for an
other. a perfect stone; that l shall
have set according to Sues taste and
| give it to her."
This was very mean OF him. She
remembered the day he had given her
the ring; how beautiful the rainbow
colors that sparkled from it; her thrill
of Joy at possessing 1t not only for it
self, but for what it represented.
"Since gave it to you," he went on
brutaly, I've taken in a hundred dol
lars i don't know what to do with.
I'll add that to the price and get a
handsomer stone"
do you still care enough about me
to grant me one favorY
81 will grant you any favor you ask"
''Then don't give the ring to Sue"
"Why not?"
81 always liked Sue. / know sis
ters-in-law don't often agree, but be-
lieve Sue and would. This changes
all that"
We'll, supposing / don't give it to
her, who would you prefer should
have itT'
There was no answer to this.
81 don't see why you should feel en-
nifty to Sue for merely predicting that
you would get huffy. You have got
huffy, haven't you"
"And what girl wouldn't get hufry
at being treated so brutally?"
"How brutallyT'
"Well, for one thing, Of course, you
know, didn't you say l looked horrid
in that new hat had taken so much
pains to hunt up and have trimmed?"
81 said the hat was horrid. What
else%
She thought a moment, then said,
81 don't exactly remember the next
thing you said, but it was worse than
| the first"
"Do you remember the next thing
you said?"
"why, no, but I'm sure it wasn't
very bad"
"Not especially so. 1t was simply
that I was bereft Of the slightest gen.
tlemanly instinct"
There was nothing in that"
Nothing whatever-a mere pat of
a velvet paw"
There was silence for few minutes,
when she said, 'Tve made up my mind
as to the person would like to have
| the ring"
"Well?"
81 think I would like it myself"
"what, with a flaw in itr'
'Don't be silly; there's no flaw In it.
"How do you known
Because / looked for one when you
gave it to me. Do you suppose girl
Is given an engagement ring without
making a careful inspection Of iti'
81 was not aware Of that"
1t was his turn to be astonished.
"And / don't believe Sue said what
you said she did. either"
| ITO be truthful, she didn't"
\ -L~, 1T -1Af