Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1911-02-23
Her Too Kind
Friend

bring it to your"
Il got 1t in quite a different way
from either of those you suggest"
said the owner of the scarf
1T is perfect beauty" declared the
appreciative friend.
81 only wish,' said Elsie, sadly,
that it wasn't so elegant. There is
story that goes with the scarf
you know | had been saving my
money for ages for a Er opean trip
and the last of Septem' the mana
ger of our office gave de an eight
weeks leave of absence. Well, | gay
ly left Chicago one chilly evening.
You have no idea, Bess, how often I've
regretted that evening wasn't warm.
If it had been l should have been
saved a world of worry and expense.
My one wealthy friend. Mrs Bar
clay, was among those who came to
the station to see me off. She wore
beautiful fur scarf. 1t was so pretty
and becoming that admired it open
ly. To my great surprise, she removed
it from her own neck and threw it
around mine.
You must take 1t, Elsie,' she said.
Tt will be just the thing on the ship
"Of course, l protested, but she in
sisted that l would need 1t. She sim
ply wouldn't allow me to decline 1t,
and I could only accept her kindness
gratefully.
"By the time arrived in New York
there was a decided change in the
weather. The morning / went down
to the steamer 1t was so warm that
couldn't even wear my serge travel
ing coat. In my excitement over the
new scenes about me / went to the
ship very early and had the fun OF
watching the other passengers come
aboard. 1t wasn't until a delicate old
woman, wrapped in furs, came up the
gang-plank that thought of the sable
scarf. Then l realized with sicken-
room in the hotel!
81 rushed to the first man | saw who
had brass buttons and asked how long
1t would be before we should sail.
He said we'd go in about an hour.
few down the gang-plank and called
wildly to a taxi chauffeur who was
Just leaving after bringing a party to
the boat. l told him that If he would
take me to the hotel and back in
three-quarters of an hour I'd give him
two dollars In addition to the regular
fare. He whirled me away and, to my
great relief, l recovered the scarf
I'VE got back to the ship in less
than 45 minutes-and then we didn't
sail until night!
Think of all the money l had vast
ed on that unnecessary cab! But that
was just the beginning of a long series
of mishaps with that Inflated scarf
Il wore it on top of bus in London
and portly man, forcing his way by
me to take his seat, brushed it off my
shoulders and 1t fell to the pavement
l stopped the bus and, descending
hastily to the street, caught my skirt
and tore the braid off and tripped my
self in 1t as l started to run back half
block to get the scarf. A big Lon
don bobby helped me TO my feet and
picked up the fur. Then he sternly
told me to be more careful, meanwhile
staring at me quite suspiciously
Things like that were always hap
pening to me throughout the trip.
Every recollection | have of my tray
els is fraught with some trying ex-
perience with that scarf But the
grand finale was on the voyage
home
"One frightfully windy day the scarf
was blown off my steamer chair,
where | had left it while taking my
morning walk. The last | saw of IL
the horrid thing was sliding down the
steep incline of the deck under the
rail into the ocean!"
Couldn't you catch it?"
Il tried to. frnntlcally, but the sea
was so rough that | couldn't run
There was DO one near TO rescue the
fur so 1t was lost at sea.
The first thing | did after | got
home was to borrow money to buy an
other scarf for Mrs Barclay. | don't
mind telling you that in consequence
shall be financially embarrassed for
some time.
Il got sable scarf as near like the
other as possible. paying a slightly
reduced price with the condition that
the purchase was not 20 be returned
or exchanged under any cireum-
stances Then I went 20 see Mrs.
Barclay.
AS started "a give her the scarf
she said; Why. Elsie. my dear child.
that scarf is yours. not mine. Didn't
you understand that I meant you 20
keep Il as gift from me?"
Really, Bess. II was hard for me
% look properly grateful In fact. II
was all ! could do to keep from say.
ing. bitterly: Why didn't you tell
me SO In the first place."
II don't wonder that sou were an,
Ery" said the symrsthetic friend