The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-08-04
THE N STORY
HATS.
Copyright, 1913. by W. werner.)

Copyright, 1913. by W. Werner.)
She hated ever yribbon, every feath-
er. every flower and. incidentally, the
foolish. vain or greedy women who
came seeking them. Hats-hats-
mats. A lifeful OF hats, and nothing
else. What did it all amount to? And
how was she eel to go on with it
until she was politely but firmly asked
10 step out Of her place in order that
somebody younger and prettier might
step into it?
This feeling Of utter repugnance
had. of course. seized her unexpect-
eddy. respite certain premonitory
symptoms. She had risen with a
headache n a disregard for her
customary rolls and fruit and coffee.
Her mirror had been particularly un-
gracious even in the grayish light Of
a rainy morning. Certain incipient
nent over night. The hair at her
temples was Enthusiastically whitening.
Her eye looked DUH. spotless. There
had been rouge and French pencils
on her tailet table. Hitherto she had
stunned the rouge and pencil. This
morning the for using them
seemed to have arrived. but all her
inner delicacy revolted alike at need
and She had put them away
from her like an evil temptation and
gone forth In her natural colors.
though they were faded, to meet the
feeling and the cause thereof.
The cause was. of course, a woman
old oma who was, however.
trying to trick the world and, Incl
dentally. herself. into thinking other
wise. She was as painted as a pic
ture or a chorus girl and had lost
much of her dignity by adopting head
gear a generation too young for her.
Hat after nat was tried upon her, but
ton Molly had seized the most alb
surd Of all and crammed IT down over
the empty, dyed old pate. II was a
gorgeous, ta~m-o'-shanter shape, en-
circled with vivid roses. with pendant
ribbons-a hat made for piquant. rosy
youth and a travesty above the tired.
daubed face OF the old would-be young.
But she had seized upon it eagerly and
had paid for it and ordered it sent to
her address.
"1f I had told her the truth 1 would
merely have lost a customer. without
in any way convincing her" Molly
thought. II didn't actually lie with
my lips. yet I lied by my actions when
I let her buy that hat without telling
that 1t was a mockery and a farce
upon her. I'm sick of such lies. I'm
sick of thinking n thing and doing
another. I'm sick unto death Of SELL
ing roses and pink ribbons to women
who ought long ago to have relinquish-
ed such folly to their granddaughters.
I'm sick of the whole subject of hats,
of this store. Of myself. and Of every
thing the world holds for me. And I
wish I could die and be free Of 1t
ALL"
A sob filled her throat and she sank
heavily down upon one of the chairs
that stood outside the row Of cur
tanned recesses where she presided.
and counters, where a few customers
who had hraved the rain were buying.
Molly shut her eyes tight and leaned
her head on her hand. Her soul and
her courage crumpled up like paper
within her. She felt old. fimsy, in
c%alculably worthless. "Life's SO I'M
true. so v%alueless," she moaned in
wardly.
Miss Marlin"
The voice was that Of Grace. M
of the young girls, who fetched and
carried for her. Molly opened her
eyes. Right before her stood a girl
who looked like a. rose just off the
bush. She was smiling and ONE
thing in that smile released Molly's
lips in response. She stood up.
"Well?" Molly said.
The girl advanced a little. ST want
a hat" she said, ti1nidly. "a rather
nice kind of hat. I think I want a
plain black hat"
Just step inside"
Molly drew aside a curtain and the
girl entered into one o fthe tiny com