Norwich bulletin., 1914-01-29
A FOOLISH GIRL

''Did you know it?" Have you seen 1t Isn't it great? 2" "They say the town VIII Jump flshtl ahead now Miss Cynthia Basset, the old maid, had opened a millinery store m the village of Hinkly with the $SVV leIt her by the will of an uncle There were two dry goods stores, grocery. a drug store and wheat elevator at the depot, ana Wnile the TOO inhabitants boasted of the enter prise of their town, all relt tnat tners was something lacking. Hlnkly hao no millinery store. The nearest one was over at Brownsville, twelve miles away. . | But the long-felt want had been filled at last and there was rusn 10 the new millinery store to pat MISS Basset on the back. my house and lot than l was yester- day," exclaimed Deacon Snyder, as he stood at the door and peered Tn; ana half an hour later real estate was on the boom from the red schoolhouse to the white bridge. Miss Basset had to have an assistant and she had engaged Minnie Long, the belle of the village. She was not only the belle, but she had natural knack of hat-trimming. She could take a bow, 8 rooster feather ana a buckle of some sort, and out of an old haf create such a dream of a head piece that the minister would stop Ill his sermon to gaze at it and wonder if it wasn't his duty to warn her against Satan's wiles. He could prove that jaunty hats had led more women into the downward path than any oth- CT one. influence. Miss Minnie had been engaged to Roscoe Dayton for three months be- fore the great millinery event. lie was a young man and had just started out as a builder. They were to pc nlaTrieo at the end of three more months HinkIy was only a quiet village ana wei if was seldom, without it's stranger most of them being agents TOT one thing or another A good -iooklng man, 1 who claimed to represent lamp mousse 1 in the city, but who was just then taking a brief vacation, was one or those at the grand opening of the mil linery emporium. He was there to smile over the enterprise or the thing. That was his first sight or i Minnie Long, and he made VOW With ] in a minute.
 Roscoe Dayton was not plug or l a young man. He was ambitious and l a hustler but he wasn't up to oaLe | with young man from the clty: NO one, not even Minnie, expected him to | be. He didn't have the clothes, the | cane the two watch chains, the smile, | the bow nor the glib tongue. He had | had no rival thus far, and there had been no jealously on either side | MT. Claude Barrie, as the lamp l agent agent gave his name, tarried ID | the millinery store long ten minutes | and when he had departed a woman 1 voiced the opinion of a dozen others when she whispered:
 If that young fellow stays in town
 week there's going to be trouble TOT
 somebody"
 within an hour. A busy body met Roscoe Dayton on the street and called
 out to him:
 You'd better have your eyes peeled
 young manE
 I'm always looking" was the laugh
 ing reply.
 You know that lamp house agent from the city?"
 Saw him on the street yesterday Hes a charner, ain't he?" 1 Maybe"
 He was charming Minnie Lone
 down at the millinery store. Say, they
 are sure stuck on each otheri"
 "Nonsensei"
 Minnie. too would have laughed a
 the idea, but week later Roscoe fei
 it his duty to say to her: T hear tha
 young Barrie Is a caller at youl
 house.
 .FWhy, yes, he has called" was th'
 reply.
 very rapidly?''
 "So you are jealous, eh ?"
 T don't like him. He is a stranger
 to us all. He may be what he claims
 to be, but no one knows. Is it g. fir
 tation, or what?"
 Can't I even look at another mar
 across the street because am engaged
 to you?"
 You can't have a irritation with {
 stranger without the whole villag,
 talking about it." The whole village had better tall
 about some one else. MT. Barrie hal
 not only told me all about himself, bu
 given me the highest TSferences." But why has hep Because he has. That's all I hay,
 to say about it."
 A day or two later the young maI
 disappeared and did not return fo five days. The lover was told tha
 Minnie received a supposedl. 1 from him-every day and also tha
 she had mailed a reply. It was afte
 the young man had returned and pal, an evening call that MT Dayton sough | an interview
 Tt is gossiped that you intend t
 break the engagement with me. Is i i true or only gossip?" T have made up my mind to on , thing sure" was the reply of the xfr T was born and reared here I hay
 never been Is miles from the village.
 have never seen the real world hay . been clodhopper all my days. And you have made up your min 1 to-?"
 TO go to the city and see thing
 and be somebody"
 Its this lamp-house fellow that ha