The Tomahawk., 1920-03-18
FIFTY-EIGHT
FIFTY
BY r. RAY BAKER

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
| (9. 1920. ny Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
1t did not look like a good invest
ment that Hilda Caruthers had made.
No, Hilda had not taken a flier in
copper, oil or motors. She had simply
bought dress.
| Clothes being necessity, the pur-
chase Of dress when one Is needed
Is an investment. But Hilda was fairly
well supplied with wearing apparel
that was pretty enough, but suited
only to everyday wear.
The reason the dress in question
| did not look like good investment
was that she wanted it for one special
occasion, and it cost $3.50 of the $50
| she had in the bank.
| It seemed like downright foolishness
| but she just had to go to Anne's we'd
ding, and as Anne's wedding was to
| be an event Of stellar social impor-
lance common clothes would be out
Of place.
Anne was the best girl friend Hilda
ever had. They had been chums in
school and had been together so much
they were taken for sisters, and even
began to feel that way themselves.
In their senior year at high school
the two girls became separated when
Anne's parents moved with her to a
| nearby city. However, the two girls
| corresponded regularly and were as
| good friends as ever, spending most
of their vacation periods together.
Hilda was graduated from high
school, took business course and be-
came bookkeeper in department
store. Anne took position as Ste
nographer in a brokers' office.
Three years later came the surpris-
ing news from Anne:
"Im going to marry a millionaire -
It seemed that Anne's employer fell
in love with her and she with him, and
there could be only one natural result.
In the midst Of preparations for the
wedding the Moorehouse home burned
to he ground, and plans were upset
for a short time.
Then Anne got the idea she would
like to be married in the little church
she used to attend in her old home
town; so the two families most con-
cerned motored thither.
It was to be an elaborate function,
and consequently when Hilda received
an invitation she knew it behoOved her
to adorn herself suitably for the &C.
casion.
The wedding was set for eleven
o'clock in the morning, and at nine
Hilda set out afoot for the church. 1t
had been raining hard, but had cleared
off, and the sun was shining brightly.
Two blocks from the church she
stopped at a corner to let a big coupe
roll past. The machine was closer to
her than she had calculated as she
stood on the walk, and the rear wheel
churned up a sea Of mud and hurled
tidal wave at Hilda.
AS the auto vanished round cor
ner a block away the girl stood and
with her fists rubbed wet dirt out Of
her eyes and looked down at her dress
to see that it was ruined.
Hilda realized that as far as her
presence was concerned the wedding
might have been on Mars. She simply
could not attend in that mud-bespat-
tered costume. There was only one
thing to do-retrace her steps, take off
the $3.50 worth Of ruined goods and
spend the day in misery in her room.
As she walked dolefully toward her
home, trying vainly to brush the cling
ing mud from her, feeling Of rage
gradually rose within her. She re-
membered how she had seen a young
man driving the coupe, and she re-
called that he had smiled at her as
he drenched her with mud.
For a moment the smiling face had
attracted her and she had wished that
she might know the young man. Now
she had the same longing, but for
different reason. She would like to
present him with slice of her mind.
Fretting and Tuning, Hilda wended
her way homeward, while the wedding
| CHESTS crowded the church, and the
bride-to-be, with the assistance OF
maid, got into her gown in her room
at the hotel, and the groom-to-be sat
| in his room with his father and smoked
black cigars to steady his nerves.
In the midst Of these preparations
tho telephone in Anne's room sum-
moned her, and when she turned from
tho instrument she displayed excite
| ment. :.
"Get mother" she ordered the maid.
.Gwendolin has had nervous col
| ,onse and can't act as bridesmaid.
| ANYBODY would think she was going
+o he married, instead Of her cousin.
T was afraid she'd do something like
that. she's so high-strung. Mother In
sisted on having her, though. Now
maybe she'll consent to Hilda caruth'
ers. if it's possible to get word to Hilda
this late, and If she'll consent to play
ing second fiddle" l.s,.=
So Mrs. Moorehouse f1uttered onto
the scene, and when she had been
made acquainted with the situation