The Monticellonian., 1916-05-04
THE RASPBERRY
By OLIVE kENNSET.

1iillSHcu.
 Maud had always been content to wear hats that came from Mrs Grin dies, but since she had brought home two hats from Madam Roses in New York she hadn't any use for Crindle style
 Isn't that the most impossible hat you ever saw" she said one day when she was passing Mrs Crindles with that big good-hearted brother of hers. who was now in the graduating class at TruXdale. captain of the football team and one of the most popular men in college.
 It looks just like a raspberry sun dae and it is quite as insipid and ab- surd That was one of the signs of Maud Tuttle's finishing process.
 Tt is rather punk hat, 1 should say" agreed Blair, secretly a little pleased with his sisters evidence of taste
 Blalr was more attentive to Maud little tirade than she had expected.
 You ought to know, suppose" agreed Blair. Now, I'll tell you why l am interested. You know our senior play. Of course, no one is supposed to know what 1t is about, but have got to get your help. For some req. son, l am in charge of the costumes. l have got to see that the fellows get the right sort of thing to wear for their parts. Now, one of the charae- ters is young gawk of country girl, and her part calls for just the kind of thing that you seem to think that raspberry-sundae hat stands for. was thinking maybe I'd get you to trim up something for me, but l guess you couldn't do any better than that hat
 Oh Blair. it would be the hit of the show"
 Maud agreed to buy the hat for her brother
 Caste lines were but loosely drawn in Truxdale. The minister's daughter had felt no hestancy in marrying the son of the grocer on the corner the young doctor felt it an honor to know the daughter of old Dobbs. who drove the station wagon.
 So Clarice Higgins came in for her share of the college fun-little bright eyed, slender Clarice. who had been known to every sweet-toothed boy in college as the dispenser of his favorite brand of soda water or sundae.
 But Clarice had cherished ambition. There was not enough scope for her  imagination in the task of soda dlspen- ser. So when an apprentice was need. ed at Grindle's millinery shop she left the fountain on a days notice. Blair Futile could but feel a satisfaction in knowing that hereafter those bright eyes of hers would shine only for naughty Mrs. Crindle and her other as, sistants or the occasional woman shop. pers who came in to try on the new millinery.
 T am so perfectly happy tonight" Clarice told Blair when he called at her boarding house to take her to the movies, that single source of evening diversion in Truxdale. The most won- derful thing has happened My hat my very own hat-that l worked on so hard has been sold. l didn't see the young lady that bought it, but the girl who waited on her said she looked like a fashion plate, with a hat that must have come from New York. Isn't that wonderful?"
 Blair had more than once before tried to get his courage up to tell the high-spirited little girl that she was part of his own plans for happiness and that in the career he was about to start after his graduation from col. lege he needed her encouragement more than anything
 But, Clarice, 1 don't want you to be independent. l don't want you to go on this way"
 Clarice was too full of the enthu siasm of achievement to be stilled
 q do wish you had seen it before 1t was sold, that hat of mine. The silk was just the color of the rasp- berry sirup we used at the fountain"
 Suddenly Blair realized that this masterpiece of Clarice's was none other than the property hat he had at present slowed away in his own room. What Maud had said to him about it came back with vividness. What if Clarice knew? What if she ever found out that this hat on which she had spent so much thought and care, and on which she had banked such hopes of future success, was bought only because it was caricature? Blair tried to think of scheme whereby her feelings might be saved
 Do you know, Clarice. my own sis ter, the one who has been away to boarding school, bought that hat She noticed it the first thing. I must get you two girls to meet each other some time. I know you will be great friends. I believe Maud is going away visiting this summer sometimes. and she wanted that raspberry hat to go with one of her new dresses. You ought to have heard what she said about it. 1 guess it is most too pretty to wear around here in Truxdale But Clarice, you don't want to go on with that millinery business idea of yours. You know what l am driving at Two or three of the seniors are going to be married right after college closes. Commencement is next week, and then the senior play will come the for that-Tm the eostumer and there is quite bit to debut, tell me, Clarice. will you marry me the very