Grand Forks daily herald., 1914-09-08
The Evening Story
MRS. GRoL's CASE.

Copyright, 1914, by W. Werner.)
Ihe Elite Hat shop people always
quit work when Mrs. Grolly, wife Of
H. A. Grolly. the corporation lawyer,
and herself a fairly we'll known legal
authority, came in. She was interest
when her heavy, rather masculine
face had first become familiar to the
ealesgirls and trimmers, and some
how not so amusing.
Its terrible said Elsie, a slim,
pretty girl who positively felt 'weepy''
when ribbons and blowers didn't
match. Her faee-and her hats!"
Silly old thingl'' snapped Marie,
who was less charitable. Does she
eyer, eyer look u the glass? Her com.
She's the color Of coffee!"
Last time it was green hat" gig
gled Nell, as she looked up from a
swirl OF pink charmeuse and pinker
roses that could make a plain girl
pretty. "A grass green hat! And she
| looked like a toad!"
Then giggling and comments died
away. Mrs. Grolly had come into
the salesroom and was taking off her
OLD green hat to try on new ones Mrs.
ed the Elite, sent back warning
sh -sh!" as she went quickly forward,
for Mrs. Grolly was good customer
and paid well for the impossible hats
that she bought.
"l'll bet" whispered Ellen, the
small apprentice, ''that she takes that
orange and brown
NO. she won't take that" declar-
ed Elsie. "She surely wouldn't"
She didn't. she took a cerise thing
circled with rose foliage that topped
her square, dark colored, middle aged
face like a gaudy tulip over an ink
| bottle. She smiled from under it at
the girls and Mrs. Grady and paid
without demur on extravagant price.
The rose foliage was imported and
the cerise simmer was expensive
| gauze. Elsie had concocted it on
rainy afternoon when the dreariness
No one ever thought that it would
sell. Mrs. Grady had laughed re-
provingly: Now, Elsie Jones, you
rip that up and quit wasting time
over foolishness." And Elsie had
promised, also laughing, to rip 1t up.
Wen, we might have KNOWN" gig
gled Ellen'as Mrs. Grolly walked out.
For the twentieth time the girls
wondered why a woman so clever in
other respectable won four or her
cases out of hve-should be so ridicu
lous when it came to hats! Her taste
didn't run riot in the other items Of
her wardrobe. And for the twentieth
tune they wondered why her husband
didn't object. He was big, hand
some man, with clever gray eyes. He
must be ashamed Of her. Why, her
girls were ashamed for him and for
her. -
A few days later she brought the
hat back for repairs. Elsie had not
sewed the foliage on securely and two
sprays ripped. While it was being re-
paired Mrs. Grolly picked up smaller
hat Of dull blue straw and black vel
vet loops--a trim, pretty hat. She
put it on Elsie was surprised at the
transformation. In the gaudier hats
Mrs. Grolly was actually ugly. In
this she was handsome. 1t softened
her too heavy features, lightened her
too dark coloring, and gave her q
smart air.
Please buy it, begged Elsie. Let
us take this back, and wear that in
stead. If you knew Elsie spoke
feelingly. She had the makings of an
artist and unnecessary ugliness hurt
her
Mrs. Grolly fingered it heeitatingly.
Elsie looked angrily at Mrs. Gradys,
the woman foolish,2 y But finally Mrs.
Grolly was persuads4 to exchange the
cerise gaudiness for the more tasteful
hat However, she did so reluctantly,
lingering them both for some min
utes. during which Elsie and Mrs
Grady exchanged angry looks.
Ye'es," she said. II know the blue
is better. Til take. it,
Wont her husband be surprised
the girls giggled when Mrs. Grolly left,
to see her without that awful blaze
| Of color?'
The very next Monday Mrs. Golly,
accompanied by her we'll dressed hus-
band, walked into the shop and reex-
changed the blue hat for the cerise