The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-02
EVENING STORY
Polly's Easter Bonnet.
BY HILDA morris.

Polly Osborne stood before the win
dow of Gorton's millinery store, con-
sumed by an unutterable' longing for
one of the gay-colored hats with which
1T was adorned. 1t was really an I'M
utterable longing, because it seemed
as tho the possession of one OF
those hats was necessary to help her
acquire the possession of something
else, something else she could not live
without If Matthew could see her
wearing one of those, looking fresh
and bright and charming, instead of
dingy as she did in her old black felt,
She turned away from the display
with little sigh. Under the brim of
the old black hat her young face
looked tired and discouraged, it SEEM
ed to cast shadows about her blue eyes
not becoming shadows, but wistful
ones which were far too old for her.
She was thinking about Matthew
Only an hour or so before she had
seen him passing her window with
Mary Curtis, the bankers daughter.
Mary Curtis was as fresh and charm
ing as Polly felt herself to be dingy.
She had worn a spring hat of rose
colored straw, and a smart new suit
Matthew had looked as tho he adj
mired Mary very much.
"Oh dear" sighed Polly. as she
climbed her own front steps. Il want
that hat-the blue one-but there are
so many other things to do with the
money! 1t doesn't seem right when
ought to be buying wool to knit with,
and thrift stamps, and Red Cross sub
scriptions, and that Food Conservation
uniform! 1 suppose 1 can do over my
last years sailor
The last years sailor, however,
proved to be discouraging. Polly did
her best by it, but even after that it
bore an undeniably last-year look.
However, she should have to wear it.
She, with several of her friends from
the domestic science school, had just
been asked to help with a food con-
servation display in one of the depart
ment stores. That meant that she
should have to buy the uniform of
blue dress, white cap and apron,
thereby spending the price of the blue
hat for which she yearned. However.
she told herself heroically that it was
nothing to wear an old sailor hat for
her country, when other people were
doing so much more,
Matthew did not come to see her
that evening, as Polly had hoped he
might, indeed she thought she saw his
tall khaki-clad figure passing the
house in the direction of Mary Cur
tis's. OF course he had a right to go
where he chose.
During the busy week that followed
Polly had little time to think about
the blue hat. Only at night or morn
ing, when she wore the old sailor to
her longing for a becoming bonnet.
Her days were too full of anything but
thoughts of corn products the uses of
fat. and various substitutes for wheat.
All day women crowded about her
counter listening to the demonstrations
she gave, all day she handed out
recipes and explained the meanings of
| her various exhibits At night she was
so tired that she only wanted to go to
| bed when she reached home If Mat
E H. rI,4 ia
| too sleepy and stupid to entertain him.
But Matthew did not come. The under
| current of Polly's thoughts. as she
talked all day, was dimly concerned
with wonder as to whether he had had
| to go away to camp, and why he went
without letting her know, and whether
| she should ever hear from him and
whether Mary Curtis knew where he
was. She -old herself that really it
did not matter, she should not care if
| he didn't care enough about her to
| even let her know.
| And then one day. as she talked to
group of interested housewives.
| Polly looked up to see Matthew
standing at the edge of the crowd. his
brown face lighted with a smile, half
| interested. half quizzical Polly felt
her face flush, but she kept on talk
aware of the fact that Mary Curtis
stood beside him, smiling amusedly
under the brim of her second new
spring hat. Worst of all, it was the
very blue hat for which Polly herself
! had yearned Bitterly conscious of
her blush, Polly nodded to them, ac-
cepting Mary's scarcely perceptible
bow in return She saw Mary press
Matthew's arm, and her words:
Come on, Matthew, we'll be late
for the first act if we don't hurry"
Polly shed furtive tears under the
shade of the last years sailor that
night IS she hurried home. 1t was all
over. of course 1t didn't matter, now,
whether she ever had a new bat or
not. Even if she had the money to
buy a new hat she shouldn't do it now.
Who on earth cared what she wore?
| PolIy's eyes swollen with tears
when she fell asleep. opened wide in
spite of themselves at sight of the
warm sunshine. the fresh green of the
trees. the next morning. And when
she went down to breakfast they
opened wider still. A huge box from
| the florists lay across her plate at
the table.
err. Il can't imagine who sent it&
| Neither could Polly, until she
opened it to find a great sheaf of
roses with a note from Matthew lying
/ across it. Her lips quivered as she
read it. He wanted to take her driv-
ing that afternoon: what nao nap
pened? Why should he want to take
her? However, Polly sang about the
house that morning, and even the oil
| sailor seemed to take on some glori-
fed Easter air, just from sheer joy of
the day. Polly did wish she had an
| other hat to wear when she went out
/ with Matthew, but then it did not
rea lily matter
| When Matthew came that afternoon
| in his big car he found radiant Polly
| waiting for him. She was so radiant
that there seemed to be some new,
added quality in her charm There
was something new and little strange
about Matthew, too. After they had
struck into a quiet road where other
cars were few he slowed down sud-
denly and began to speak. slowly, as