The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1917-08-18
sy JANE OSBORN.


known TO customers as Mile. Clarice In
spite Of her marriage TO The Younger
member Of the firm Of Tomson Broth
ers-had repeated her Interrogation for
the third time that Tom Tomson, her
brother-ln-law, looked up from his desk
and grunted negative.
And Just then the other Mr.. Tom
Son-Bob Tomson, Clara's husband
came into his brothers Office where his
wife was Whiting to go to luncheon
with him, and before she had time to
put her question TO Bim he had made
that question unnecessary.
"Say, where did you get the girl with
the cherry hatY" he laughed, and then
slipping INTO the slang current among
the girls who worked in the millinery
workrooms Of which his wife stu
chose 10 be In charge, he added
Some hat, that Did the kid make 1t
herself?"
"You don't suppose she could have
bought 1t. do you? guess there was a
fire sale on cherries at the five and ten
cent store out in Podunk just before
she made her way to the city. You
wouldn't have to be told that she came
from The country. But I'm not going
TO let the girls tease her. She seems
| like a nice sort and It's her FIRST job"
The elder Mr.. Tomson saw the girl
little Margaret Daw, the young ap-
PRENTICE just as she stood at her lock-
er, and before she had taken of her
much-discussed headgear he had
chance to look ana TO smile. Clara and
his younger brother found considerable
time to cnst bantering remarks about
"MIss Cherry Hat" as they called her.
Tom vas too much preoceupied to join
nen.
To Tom Tomson hats were what
tons Of coal are to big mine operators,
or ''best sellers to the publisher. or
magnetic stars to theatrical managers,
He could no more have designed a hat
than he could have designed a Yacht
no more than The mine operator could
have mined coal or the theatrical man
ager could have taken a leading role.
But Ire knew, or thought he knew, good
hats when he saw them. There was
look of understanding among the girls
IN the workrooms when he had Miss
Cherry Hat transferred from the
workrooms TO his own Office.
It was one day n few weeks after
Margaret DawAAaaystarted work at
Tomson's tiat the younger member Of
the company came TO his brother in a
serious mood and began to talk about
the girl
II don't want tobutt into your pri-
vate affairs, he said but il you real
" want to be seen with that little
country girl, can't you induce her to
wear regular hat? Haven't you ever
spoken to her about that cherry
thing?"
mo- answered Tom, II haven't and
perhaps the reason ] haven't Is because
we have had too many other things to
talk about. Miss Daw Is an extremely
charming and capable young woman"
''Oh, that's the way the wind blows,
is it?" returned the brother "Well,
she does seem nice enough girl. But,
honestly. Tom couldn't you do some
thing about her hat?'
"She knows her business" interrupt
ed Tom. ~rhat Miss Daw has got some
ideas that are going to make things
hum.
You don't mean that she knows any
thing about hatsl A girl that would
wear that-it's wonder you don't
want her to take Clara's place in the
workrooms."
"No, I don't think that VIII be neces-
sary. She can stay here IN the Office
with me and simply hand her idea on
to Ciara for execution.
II was an hour later when Clara
had returned from luncheon and she
and her husband and Margaret Daw
were closeted with Tom Johnson n his
private office.
well now we are here, what ss the
tho younger Tomson began
THAT Miss Daw has consented to
marry me, for one thing beamed Tom.
II guess It is no surprise that I wanted
her to-and now ] am going to get
her to tell us who made that cherry
hat. She has never told me. have
only guessed"
Margaret reached to her desk where
the much-nnllgned piece Of millinery 4
was lying Holding It cnressinsly in her
hand she turned It over ami there re-
vealed the name HAT made Bob and
Clara start back with surprise. II was
the nnme OF the greatest Of Partisan
NOW | viii tell you my little story"
explained. IT came hese with
Il purpose. have studied costume de-
signing for several years IN this c6un-
try and abr0ad. few months ago
joined forces with q group Of students
and designers. who were Of the opinion
that the American manufacturer and
The American public cling to parls-de-
signed hats and garments merely for
the name. wanted to iind out II we
were right. managed to get that
cherry hat and few Others through /
Paris IN spite OF the war. SO, you see.
I have not proved my theory. But 1t
doesn't really natter"
No Tom said. taking up the thread
Of the explanation because she isn't