The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-11-21
TIE
SORREL WIG
By ELIZABETH WEED
By EZABETH WEED

Dear old rnotherIy Mrs Cruikshank
was all heart. She took me into her
house at the time Of my mothers
death and cared for me. She said it
vas because she was lonely, her son
!peing a sailor and away from her
nearly all the time. and that I was
very GOOD to stay with her and all
TINT. 1t was no use to combat her as
TO this. and I saw that to remind her
continually of my Obligation distressed
her: so / let her have her say in the
matter She was a funny little body
full Of crotchets, and one must hunor
them.
Shortly before Mra. CruiIzshank took
me in her son Albert sailed on a voy-
age, to be gone three years. was
seventeen then. just the ago to be
thinking Of a lover. and his photo
graph hanging IN the parior caught my
fancy. It represented boy OF eight
cen in sailor costume, his collar rolling
away from his neck, his hair tuCnbled
and a frank. fearless face The old
lady never tired OF talking TO me about
him and one day said to me:
ar you,H be a good girl and stay
with me till he comes back, perhaps
/ II &1GGe uAfIh 10 kOu"AA !O0 "eAAAS 1880
smiled at this way Of putting it and
told her that any girl who wouldn't.
want such 81 enc looking Yellow as that
wouldn't deserve to have q husband
at ALL
When the time came round Cor Bert
/. to- be coming home hewrote his moth
er that he had been promoted to be
first mate and he hoped it wouldn't he
long before he would have ship OF
his own. His mother read me this part
Of the letter with every appearance
that she considered me interested III
1t on my own account. and didn't dis
turb her in her opinion.
As bad luck would have it. several
months before Bert's return was at
lacked by a fever which nearly car
ried me off. II / was obliged to Mrs
Cruikshank before the obligation was
now increased a hundredfold, for she
hung over me as II I had been her
own daughter and the only one at that
Alas, When the fever left me 1t
took my hair with it, leaving me as
bald us a billiard ball. True, my hair
began to grow again and just before
AIbert's arrival was about half an
inch long All over my head could
see that this troubled AIRS. Cg'ilikshank
immensely. for my hair was my most
attractive feature. and without it at
least considered myself very homeIy
girl She declared that was more
attractive than ever, but since my loss
troubled me it must be hidden till the
hair grew again to its wonted length
would wear a wig
Mrs. CruikshauIS went to the city
one day TO procure the article and
came home with one whose color was
UNIQUE. The nearest word by which
TO describe Il is sorre1. told the good
lady that IL was beautiful, which COM
forted her greatly. for she said it had
been offered TO her for half price and
she feared tic reduction was owing TO
its color. assured her that IT match
ed n= complexion exactly.
by the time Bert arrived was up
and about. Every now and then
would catch sight Of myself IN 4 mir
ror and would be astOnished. even
shocked ut my appearance. Ny paiior
was heightened by my wig and the
appearance was like an old woman
who had been trying to make herseIT
look young. But refrained from say
ing a deroGa tory word to the mother
OF the boy whom I was 10 attract. In
deed, 1 pretended to be very much
pleased with myself
The result was what might have
been expected Mrs. CruIkshank had
mentioned me in her letters to her son.
commenting me for beauty, and had
tIuCortuuat ely spoken. Of my -'tresses
as my chief physical attraction. When
he met nc he was 50 astonished at the
color Of MY bead covering that his eyes
were glued TO it in a fixed stare Then
he shook hands with me. but there
was no warmth in his grip. Il was
plain to both his mother aud me thaI
he had met with 4 great disappoiDt-
ncut
After remaining ut home few days
submitting 10 his mothers careSSeS he
made an excuse TO get away TO the
city, saying that he must 80 on bust
ness for the ship. I could see that his
mother was greatly disa ppointed ut the
Ill success % her plan for keeping him
at home By Offering me as an attrac-
ton. He ssid he would be away
month, and on his return would sail
again. His mother resi- gned herself 10
what she could not help, and we were
left alone
One night when we had gone 10 bed
there came a rap at the front door,
Getting out of bed donned dressing
gown and without putting on my wig
went downstairs with lighted candle
10 see what was wanted. Opening the
dooC there stood Bert.
As at-our frst meeting his gaze was
Sxed Epon my hair, but now my own
hair, and instead Of Disappointment
saw admiration Ny hair is naturally
49, rnh =. ..-ns my long nIlnm.l 10