Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-19

at table piled with waiting hats.
Between them swung an unshaded
light. After year Christy was be-
ginning to realize that her eyes We're
not very strong. She had to bend
lower and lower over her work and
that hunched her shoulders and mar
rowed her chest. She did not always
feel well. Caroline was a great chat
terbox. She found it difficult to keep
silence. even though unnecessary con-
versation was forbidden in the work
room. Sometimes she had to pay a
hne for breaking rule.
The naughty head milliner left the
room and needles piled faster than
ever. Her assistant. who had charge
OF the workrooms, looked relieved and
the girls recovered from their spasm
Of awe.
Christy went on sewing in her black
silk Innings. When the Innings were
sewed in she drew them up with a
narrow. black satin ribbon, tied in a
bow exactly at the back of the hat 1t
was not always easy to know among
these new styles where the back of a
hat was located Sometimes Caroline
had to show her. Caroline was very
bright about these things. and yet she
had not worked one-half SO long as
Christy had.
Caroline was big and solid looking.
She lived at home and had her money
for herself. She had a very good time
even though She worked. 1t was her
intention to marry just as soon as
she could.
Christy was slight. fair and delicate.
She had great lot of bright, lovely
hair that was always tumbling over
into her wide. ear-sighted eyes. Most
people never saw more of Christy
than her hair. Underneath it her
little pale, pointed face escaped notice.
She had come from the country.
Her parents had been Office workers
until their health failed. then they had
tried farming. But open air had not
cured their ailment and they died,
live upon She crept back to the city
to cousin she had. So she came to be
at Macartneys. The cousin took most
of her wages. There was no hope
that Christy would earn much more
II she lived. Sometimes she felt that
she would not live. She was so tired,
SO sad, SO homesick for the country.
Nights she dreamed that she went
back, but she only awoke to another
day at Macartney's. She was twenty
her. She had neither money nor
strength for play. Twice a day she
walked the same way, which led from
the tenement to the store. She ate a
poor lunch out of pasteboard box.
She slept at night in room with her
cousins two oldest children. 1t was a
small room, ventilated by an airsha #.
Usually she woke as tired as when she
fell asleep.
She hated hats. 1t is no wonder.
She hated the dye smells. the cheap.
bright coiors. the very shapes. Once
the sight OF pretty hat had thrilled
her. She had burned to earn and pos
sess 1t. Now they all looked alike to
her. Her cousin scolded her because
she could give no definite description
OF the latest style. At night the cousin
made her trim over the family head
gear. and as there was quite a numer-
Gus family. several Of her evenings
1t was spring. too-the time Of ro-
nance and young dreams. Caroline
had hers She whispered to Christy
about II. He was a plumber. Some
times when Caroline was talking about
her plumber Christy thought of a GER
tain clerk she had seen upstairs. He
was at the cotton dress goods counter,
where she had once bought some ma
terial for shirt waist. He was dark,
with carmine touches in his cheeks and
a frank. smile. She had asked Caroline
about him. but Caroline knew no more
than that his name was John Wilcox
and that he came from out of town.
Caroline had tried to tease Christy
about him. SO Christy had said no
more. Occasionally Christy saw him
and he always smiled at her However
whenever she thought of the country
she thought of him. too There seemed
to be some subtle association between
the country and him. 1t was curious
surely
IT used to think" Caroline unused in
whisper as she threaded her needle
again. that I'd like to be head milli-
ner myself some time. But, gee, Ed
dies put all that out of my mind
Whyn't you get yourself a beau, Chris
tyr
Christy shook her head again and
her hair hid her blush.
Its easy as not" confided Caroline
with enc eye on Miss Humphrey. SAY
what do you think? / read about a
girl that wrote her name on an orange
wrapper and got a husband by 1t.
wrote my name on a slip Of paper
and put In a hat lining, and / got q
letter from a missionary female out In
Ohio that bought the hat. 1t evidently
wasn't the kind they put pink roses
on. Gee! She read me the riot act, ali
right. That was when / lived over a,
Jordan's. ] got the letter home in my
bureau drawer. I'll let you see it some
time-m'm?" This with innocently lift.
ed brows to Miss Humphrey. who hac
Happened along"
Il said stop talking" Miss Humphrey
irritated and hurried. was sharp. "StoI
talking! ] shan't fine you again. Caro-
lima. Next time I shall send you to the
desk 10 get your time"
She passed on. Caroline gigGled. I'll