The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-01-24
THE
sORREL WIG
BY ELIZABETH WEED

Dear old motherly 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
was because she was lonely, her son
being a sailor and away from her
nearly all the time, and that l was
very good to stay with her and all
that. 1t was no use to combat her as
to this, and l saw that to remind her
continually of my obligation distressed
her, so 1 let her have her say in the
matter. She was funny little body,
full of crotchets, and one must humor
them.
Shortly before Mrs. Cruikshank took
me in her son Albert sailed on voy-
age, to be gone three years. l was
seventeen then, just the age to be
thinking Of a lover, and his photo
graph hanging in the parlor caught my
fancy. 1t represented a boy of eight
cen in sailor costume, his collar rolling
away from his neck, his hair tumbled
and a frank, fearless face. The old
lady never tired Of talking to me about
him and one day said to me:
"If you'll be a good girl and stay
with me till he comes back, perhaps
I'll give him to you-if you want him."
l smiled at this way of putting 1t and
told her that any girl who wouldn't
want such fine looking fellow as that
wouldn't deserve to have a husband
at all.
When the time came round for Bert
to be coming home he wrote his moth
er that he had been promoted to be
first mate and he hoped it wouldn't be
long before he would have a ship of
his own. His mother read me this part
of the letter with every appearance
that she considered me interested in
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 1 was at
tackled by a fever which nearly car
ried me off. If l was obliged to Mrs.
Cruikshank before the obligation was
now increased a hundredfold, for she
hung over me as If 1 had been her
wv IL Jut Olliy OuC dI IhuI'
Alas! When the fever left me it
took my hair with it, leaving me as
bald as a billiard ball. True, my hair
began to grow again and just before
Albert's arrival was about half an
inch long all over my head. ] could
see that this troubled Mrs CruikshanB
immensely, for my hair was my most
attractive feature, and without it I al
least considered myself very homely
girl. She declared that 1 was more
attractive than ever, but since my loss
troubled me it must be hidden TIL the
hair grew again to it's wonted length
would wear wig.
| Mrs. Cruikshank 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 1T Is sorrel. l told the gooC
lady that it was beautiful, which com
forted her greatly, for she said it hat
! been offered to her for half price ant
she feared the reduction was owing tt
its color. / assured her that it match
ed my complexion exactly.
By the time Bert arrived l was ul
and about. Every now and then
would catch sight of myself in a mir
shocked, at my appearance. My pallo
was heightened by my wig, and tn,
appearance was like an old woman
who had been trying to make hersel
look young. But l refrained from say
ing derogatory word to the mothe1
Of the boy whom I was to attract. In
deed, I pretended to be very mucl
pleased with myself.
The result was what might hav
been expected. Mrs. Cruikshank ha,
mentioned me in her letters to her son
commencing me for beauty, and hat
unfortunately spoken Of my "tresses
as my chief physical attraction. Whel
he met me he was so astonished at tn
color of my head covering that his eye
were glued to it in a fixed stare. Thel
he shook hands with me, but ther
was no warmth in his grip. 1t wa
plain to both his mother and me tha
he had met with a great disappoint
ment.
After remaining at home a few day
submitting to his mothers caresses h
made an excuse to get away to tn
city, saying that he must go on bust
ness for the ship. l could see that hi
mother was greatly disappointed at tn
i'll success Of her plan for keeping hin
at home by offering me as an attrac
ton. He said he would be away
month, and on his return would sal
again. His mother resigned herself t
what she could not help, and we wer
left alone.
One night when we had gone to be-
there came a rap at the front door
Getting out of bed donned a dressin
gown and without putting on my wi
went downstairs with a lighted candl
to see what was wanted. Opening tn
door there stood Bert.
AS at our first meeting his gaze wa
fixed upon nv hair, but now nv owl