The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1913-10-23

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n line mist was slaEting down and
had tretted the window pane until
there was nothing visible but duh gray
shadows OF the world that few mo.
notonously by. With sudden remem.
brance, she opened the suitcase and
took out the folded black hat. shook
1t Into shape. and put Il on. II was
mannish, OF course. but girls often
wore such hats.
AS she surveyed herself In tho long
mirror OF her door, the slow color stole
into her cheeks. Yet the costume was
not unbecoming. nor unusual. She
looked like a simple school girl. or a
young business woman going to her
days work.
But she looked at the fashionable
proportions OF the other hat with some
thing like alarm. How could she pro.
tect it? She did not for n moment
think OF abandoning IL, for 1t was her
earnest desire to return II at once.
unframed. to It's kind purioiner.
She summoned the noweboy and Dur-
chased three thick newspapers. From
these, with the aid OF few pins. she
made large package OF the hat. She
decided TO go bareheaded, and put, 1.-The
white kid gloves in the suitcase. bat
she took OF her beautiful rings and
hid them safely inside her dress.
She sacrificed one OF her precious
quarters to get rid of the attentive por.
ter, and started off with a brisk stem
down the long platform to the station
She followed a group Of people into q
car, which presently brought her into
the neighborhood OF the large stores
as she had hoped it would. II was
with relief that she recognized the
name on one Of the stores as being of
worldwide reputation.
Well for her that she was an experi.
enced shopper. She went straight to
the millinery department and arranged
10 nave the hat boxed and sent to the
address Durham had given her.
1t had cost less to express the hat
than she had feared. yet her stock OF
money was woefully small Some kind
or dress she must have, and a wra2
that she might be disguised, but what
could she buy and yet have something
left for food? Lifting her eyes, she
saw q sign over table-"Linene
Skirts, 10 cents and S1.0O."
Here was ray OF hope. She turned
eagerly to examine them. Piles OF
somber skirts, blue and black and tan
They were stout and coarse and scant
and not of the latest cut, but what mat
tered it? She decided on a seventy
five cent black one.
Growing wise with experience she
discovered that she could get a black
sateen shirtwaist for fifty cents. Rub
Ders and cotton umbrella took an
other dollar and half. She must save
at least dollar to send back the suit
case by express
A bargain-table OF odds and ends OF
woollen Jackets. golf vests, and Old
fashioned blouse sweaters. selling off
at dollar apiece. solved the prob
lem OF wrap. She selected a dark
blouse, of an ugly, purply blue. hut
thlck and warm. Then with her IRE
( cious packages she asked q pleasant
raced sGleswoman If there were any
place near where she could slip on n
walking skirt she had just bought to
save her ether skirt from the muddy
streets. She was ushered into a little
AttinGroom near by.
Rapidly she slipped Off her fine. silk.
Ilned cloth garments, and put on tho
stlh sateen waist and the coarse
black skirt. Then she surveyed her.
sell, and was not i'll pleased. There
was "a striking lack OF collar and bolt
one sought out black necktie and
pinned 1t about her waist. and then
with protesting frown. she delhi.
erateiy, tore Il strip from the edge nj
enc or the fine hem-stitched handker.
chieis' and FOLDED it in about her neck
IN turnover collar The result vns
quite startling and unfamiliar The
gown the hair, the hat, and the neat
collar gave her the look of a voung
hufseglrl or upper servant. On tho
"hole' the diBguise could not have
oeen better. She added the blue wool.
zen Diouse, and felt certain that even
Her most intimate friends would not
recognize her. She folded the rain.
coat and placed It smoothly in the
suitcase, then with dismay remern.
Derod that she had nothing In which
10 put her own cloth dress. save the
lew Inadequate paper wrappings TINT
nad come about her simple purchases
She FOLDED the dress smoothly and laid
II IN the suitcase, under the raincoat
She sat down at writlng.desk in
the waiting room, and wrote az am
SAFE, and thank you" Then sbe
paused an instant, and with nervous
haste wrote Mary" underneath. She
opened the suitcase and pinned the na.
per TO the lapel Of the evening coat
Just three dollars and slYty-seyen cents
she had left in her pocketbook after
paying the expressage on the suitoese
~ her frst waking, in the early grav
hours OF the morning, she had looked
her predicament calmly In the face
She mad gone carefully over her ovn
accomplishments. Her musical attain.
Inents, which would naturally have
oeen the first thought. were out of the
question. Her skill az a musician was
so great. and so we'll known by her
enemy, that she would probably he
traced BY # at once. The same argu.
ments were true II she were 10 m.
tempt 20 take q position as teacher mr.
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