The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1913-09-25
|SHE LIKED GAY PLUMAGE
BY JULIA MAXWELL.

would attract attention. That was
why she objected to Essie's wearing
brand-new bonnet with the dazzling
yellow feather.
I'D rather you wouldn't wear that
hat, Essie," said Aunt Linda Mallow.
1T looks fast"
Essie bit her lip in disappointment,
put away the gorgeous thing of SHIN
mering yellow and donned plain
black-an-blue straw which her aunt
had selected for her on her last visit
to the city year before.
That looks more like you, my dear.
Young girls are apt to be misunder-
stood when the wear conspicuous
hats"
But, Auntie, do love bright things.
Other girls wear them, and nice girls,
too, I'm sure"
Aunt Linda was not disposed to
argue the question. Besides, the elec-
trfc was waiting for them at the curb.
The last few days Of her New York
visit Essie spent with a girl friend
And when she passed through the gate
at the Grand Central station bound for
the train that was to take her to her
home in an upstate town, she was
wearing the hat with the inviting yel-
low feather For Aunt Linda was not
| along, and her chum, who came to the
station with her, adored the hat
Essie was a gregarious young wom-
an. In the small town where she lived
it was habit for people to be neigh
borly. So when the middle-aged man
in the parlor car seat across the aisle
offered her magazine, she accepted it
with smile and nod of the yellow
feather. When she entered the dining
car for luncheon and the dining car
conductor placed her opposite the
same man, she was not displeased He
was well-groomed, interesting look
ing man. And Essie liked men. When
the stranger suggested that she order
lunch for both Of them, Essie didn't
mind. Luncheon for one was always
deadly stupid. OF course, she realized
that Aunt Linda would be Mortified at
such proceeding, but Aunt Linda was
old-fashioned. 1t was common talk in
the family that Linda was entirely too
diffident, too reserved. She was not
nearly so popular as her sisters, who
were Of more sociable mien. However
never breath of scandal had attached
to Linda's name, and there were some
of the family that-well, that's quite
another matter.
Essie enjoyed the luncheon, and
though she endeavored in the usual
way to pay the check, her protesta
tions were quickly swept away. AS
the man piloted her back to her chair
in the parlor car, she was conscious Of
a certain guilty feeling, but she put il
from her. How could a girl be expect
ed to do anything else? She was only
human, and she liked to talk to peo
pie. She couldn't play any kind of g
game by herself. There are many
young girls like Essie.
1t was only twenty minutes unit
Essies home town would be reached
She was rather sorry. She was having
such good time.
"I'd like to see you again." said the
man. meaningly.
"Oh, thank you," laughed the girl
I've enjoyed meeting you"
But you don't live far from Buffalo
and haven't you some friends there
that you could tell your parents yor
were going to visit-while you really
came down to spend a few days will
:. me? / know nice little place where
we could go and be undisturbed
: Here's my card. That's my Office ad
dress. Write me when you can ge
away"
Essie was dumfounded. AL tn
color had gone out OF her face. Sh,
felt sick to the very depths of her
She simply couldn't speak. The carr
dropped from her nerveless fingers.
But the stranger did not understand
His eyes glittered strangely, while tn,
mark of the beast was In every line o
his face. You're a great little kiddo,
he said, "and there isn't anything
wouldn't do for you. Do you think yor
could come down to see me in a fey
. days?"
The girl found voice, but still it wa
not her own voice. 1t was the voice o
|
ideal and illusion knocked from unde
her.
"Oh, oh, you horrible thing, you
I-I-you've made a mistake. Oh,
hate you, hate you! l never want t
; see you again, never!"
When calm came, Essie was in he
own room at home-alone. She wa
r glad she was alone. All the joy ha
gone out of her vacation. She felt VI
clean, tainted, as If she had bee
walking through bogs of mud an
! slime.
And, sobbing, the girl wondered, ar
! all men like that, or, was it the yelloy
! feather? 1t had not yet occurred t
: her that young girls who accept ff
vors of strange men on trains are YER
apt to be misunderstood and-insultet
That was one thing that Aunt Lind
had forgotten to tell her.
TESTING the upper Air