The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1913-07-17
- THE -
Melting
Of Molly
By
MARIA THOMPSON
DAVIESS
Copyright, 1912, by the Bobbs-
Merrill Company

l spent tnree Gays at tne great hleln
store, only going to the hotel to sleep
and most of the time | forgot to eat.
Nine. Rene must have been Nine.
Courtier's twin sister in youth. and
Nine Telliers in the hat department
was the triplet to them both. When
women have genius it breaks out all
over them like measles and they never
recover from it, those women had tho
continent kind. But l know that old
Rene really liked me, for when blush
ed and asked her if they had a good
beauty doctor in the store she held up
her hands and shuddered.
Never madame, never pour vous.
Ravissante, charmante-it is to fool
Nevair! Jamais, jamais de la vier' |
had to calm her down, and she kissed
my hand when we parted.
/ thought Klein was going to do the
same thing or worse when | signed
the check which would be good for
house and lot and motorcar for him.
but he didn't. Only he got even with
me by saying, And | am delighted
that the trousseau is perfectly salts
factory 10 you, Mrs. carter.
That was an awful shock and | hope
i didn't show it as | murmured. Per
fectly, thank you"
The word "trousseau" can be spoken
in a womans presence for many years
with no effect, but it is an awful shock
when she first really hears it. l felt
funny all afternoon as | packed those
trunks for the o'clock train.
Yes the word "trousseau' ought to
have a definite surname after it al
ways and that's why my loyalty drag
ged poor Mr.. Carter out into the light
of my conscience. The thinking of
him had a strange effect on me. had
laid out the dream in dark gray blue
rajah, tailored almost beyond endur
ance, to wear home on the train and
had thrown the old black taffeta bag
across the chair to give to the hotel
maid, but the decision of the session
between conscience and loyalty made
me pack the precious blue wonder and
put on once more the black rags of re-
membrance in a kind of panic of re-
spect.
l would lots rather have bought poor
Mr.. Carter the monument ! have been
planning for months to keep up conver-
sation with Aunt Adeline than wear
that dress again. l felt conscience re-
prove me once more with loyalty look
ing on in disapproval as l buttoned the
old thing up for the last time, because
] really ought to have stayed over a
day to buy that monument. but, to tell
the truth, l wanted to see Billy so des
perately that his "sleep place above
my heart hurt as if it might have
prickly heat break out at any minute.
So l hurried and stuffed the gray
blue darling in the top tray, Tapped
old black taffeta around my waist and
belted it in with a black belt off a new
green linen l had made for morning
walks down to the drug store on the
public square, I suppose. That is about
the only morning dissipation in Hills
boro that can think Of, and it all de-
pends on whom you meet how much Of
a dissipation it is.
The next thing that happens after
you have done noble deed is, you
either regard it as a reward of virtue
or as a punishment for having been
foolish. l felt both ways when Judge
Wade came down the car aisle, looking
so much grander than any other man
in sight that / don't see how they
stanG him ever. At that minute the
noble black taffeta deed felt foolish,
but at the next minute / thanked my
lucky stars for it.
1t is nice to watch for a person to
catch sight Of you if you feel sure how
he is going to take it, and somehow
in this case l felt sure. I was not dis
appointed, for his smile broke his face
up into a joy laugh. OFF came his hat
instantly so l could catch a glimpse of
the fascinating frost over his temples,
and with a positive sigh of rapture he
subsided into the seat beside me.
turned with an echo smile all over me.
when suddenly his face became grave
and considerate, and he looked at me
as all the men in Hillsboro have been
doing ever since poor Mr. Carter's
funeral.
Mrs. Carter" he said very kindly,
in voice that pitched me out of the
car window and left me a mile be-
hind on the track, all by myself, Il
wish l had known of your sad errand
to town so | could have offered you
some assistance in your selection. You
know we have just had our lot in the
cemetery finally arranged, and found
the dealers in memorial stones very
confusing in their ideas and designs
Mrs. Henderson just told my mother
OF your absence from home last night
and l could only come down to the city
for the day on important business or
would have arranged to see you
hope you found something that salts
fed you"
What's woman going to say when
she has a ombstone thrown in her
face like that? | didn't say anything.
but what | thought about Aunt Ade-
line filed in dreadful pause.