The Delta independent., 1914-02-13
BARNABY LOST MATCH
PERSUASIVE STRANGER WENT
AWAY WITH NEW Nat,
And the Loser 10 Firmly convInesd
That the Aforesaid Stranger Had
No Real Regard for the
Strict Truth.

Barnaby bought new hat and paid
$3.50 for 1t. 1t was a black derby.
size 7M, and although 1t was not q
particularly fine hat, 1t was becoming,
and Barnaby expected to get good
deal Of wear out OF it
Two days later he lost 1t. The wind
blew it away just as the car on which
Barnaby was homeward bound passed
a downtown street. Barnaby was rid
ing on the rear platform. He jumped
off the car, and gave chase with sur
prising agility. The wind, however,
was brisker than he, and he ran half
a block, with the hat now out of sight
now in, before catching up with it.
Finally he came within reaching dis
tance and stopped to grab the rolling
derby, but before he could lay hands
on it another man ran up from the
opposite direction and caught it. The
other man also was bareheaded.
by Jove," he said. breathlessly, "if
that wasn't stiff chase"
TT certainly was" Barnaby assent.
ed. I'm much obliged to you for run
ming out and stopping the hat for me-"
The other man stepped back and
clapped the derby on his own head.
WELL" he said, 'if you haven't
got nerve. ! didn't stop it for you;
/ stopped 1t for myself. The hat is
mine"
Barnaby followed him up threaten.
ingly.
Now, see here" he growled, 81
am not in a mood for any fooling.
l want my hat"
But 1t isn't yours" the other man
persisted.
TT is mine" said Barnaby. 'It
blew off my head from one of those
cars"
The other man kept his temper ad-
nirably.
My dear sir" he said, Il am sorry
to contradict you. but / can prove
that it blew off my head just as I
came out of that building around the
corner"
Impossible" said Barnaby. ut is
mine. / paid $3.50 for it."
The cold wind that ruffled Barnaby's
uncovered hair did not tend to allay
his wrathful fever, and his reply made
up in vigor what it lacked in elegance.
The other man grew serious.
Say" he said II believe you really
do think this hat is yours. Unfortu-
nately, l am as firmly convinced that
it is mine, and since one of us has got
to give in and go home with his top
knot exposed to the elements, let's
match pennies to find out which II
shall be-"
They matched for 1t, to the infinite
satisfaction of several small boys. who
had been drawn thither by thu noisy
argument The other man won the
hat
II hate like the mischief to see you
hang around here bareheaded," he
said sympathetically, but your own
hat is surely somewhere In the neigh
borhood. Perhaps these boys can help
you find it."
Thanks" said Barnaby, you are
very kind. I suppose you are acting
on the level, but could have sworn
that hat belonged to me-"
A few minutes after the man had
gone on they found the other hat.
messenger boy picked 1t up in a door.
way, where it had been lodged by the
wind.
Barnaby took the battered headgear
and looked 1t over sorrowfully. 1t
was a very dilapidated hat. The
crown was dented and rusty with age,
the rim was bent, but the size was
7M.
II guess he lied to you, didn't he.
mister?" the boy chuckled.
'It looks that way" said Barnaby
But 1t is one way to get new
hat" the boy pursued.
1T certainly is" said Barnaby.