The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-09-18
|sHE LIKED GAY PLUMAGE|
BY JULIA MAXWELL.

NOW 1OTk aunt, WHOM SIG WAS WISH
ing, did not approve of anything thai
| would attract attention. That wal
why she objected to Essie's wearing {
brand-new bonnet with the dazzling
yellow feather.
I'D rather you wouldn't wear tina,
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 q plair
black-an-bne 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, I 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'
trio was waiting for them at the curb.
The last few days Of her New York
visit Essie spent with q 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 a habit for people to be neigh
borly. So when the middle-aged man
in the parlor car seat across the aisle
offered her a magazine, she accepted it
with a 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 a 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 G proceeding, but Aunt Linda was
oldsfashioned. It was common talk tn
the family that Linda was entirely too
diftident, too reserved. She was not
nearly so popular as her sisters, who
were of more sociable mien. However,
never a 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 endeapoped' in the usual
way to pay the check, her protesta-
lions 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 it
from her. How could 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 a
game by herself There are many
young girls like Essie.
1t was emily twenty minutes until
ESTES home town would be reached.
She was rather sorry. She was having
such a good time.
"1'd like to see you again." said the
man. meaningly.
"Oh, thank you," laughed the girl
1--WE enjoyed meeting you"
But you don't live far from Buffalo,
and haven't you some friends there
that you could tell your parents you
were going to visit-while you really
came down to spend a few days with
me? l 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 get
Essie was dumfounded. All the
color had gone out of her face. She
felt sick to the very depths of her.
She simply couldn't speak. The card
dropped from her nerveless fingers.
But the stranger did not understand.
His eyes glittered strangely, while the
mark Of the beast was in every line of
his face. You're great little kiddo,"
he said, land there isn't anything
wouldn't do for you. Do you think you
could come down to see me in few
days."
The girl found voice, but still it was
not her own voice. 1t was the voice Of
a girl who has suddenly had every
ideal and illusion knocked from under
her.
ooh. oh, you horrible thing, you!
I-I-you've made mistake. Oh.
hate you, hate you! l never want to
see you again, never!"
When calm came, Essie was in her
own room at home-alone. She was
glad she was alone. All the Joy had
gone out of her vacation. She felt un-
clean, tainted, as il she had been
walking through boys Of mud and
slime. IS
And, sobbing, the girl wondered, are
all men like that, or was it the yellow
feather? 1t had not yet occurred to
her that young girls who accept IA
vors of strange men on trains are very
apt to be misunderstood and-insulted.
That was one thing that Aunt Linda