The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1920-03-17
FIFTY-EIcHT
FIFTY
By r. RAY BAKER
~ "SS~SSSSsSSSSSSSS SS|SSSSSSSS$sa
S0h 1870. ~ AcClurs Newspaper syndicate. !

At uiu NOT look ike good Invest
ment that Hilda Caruthers had made.
No. Hilda had not taken a fiier In
copper, oil or motors. She had simply
bought dress.
Clothes being a necessity, the pur-
chase Of dress when one Is needed
IL an investment. But Hllda 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 a good investment
was that she wanted II 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 rs 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 MS 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 a position as Ste
nographer in a brokers' office.
Three years later came the surpris-
ing news from Anne:
'I'm going to marry millionaire r.
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 the ground, and plans were upset
for 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 1t 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. It
had been raining hard. but had cleared
of. and the sun was shining brightly.
Two blocks from the church she
stopped at a corner to let 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 a cor
ner 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 of
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 young
man driving the coupe. and she re-
called that he had smiled at her as
he drenched her with mud.
For q 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 q
different reason. She would IKE to
present him with a slice of her mind
Fretting and Tuning. Hilda wendell
her way homeward. while the wedding
guests crowded the church, and the
bride-to-be. with the assistance OF a
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
the telephone In Anne's room sum
moned her. and when she turned from
the instrument she displayed excite
ment.
"Get mother" she ordered the maid
"Gwendolin has had nervous col
lapse and can't act as bridesmaid
Anybody would think she was goini
to be married, instead Of her cousin
I was afraid she'd do something like
that, she's so high-strung. Mother In
sisted on having her. though. Nov
maybe she'll consent to Hilda Caruth
ers, II it's possible to get word to Hid,
| this late, and II she'll consent to play
| ing second fiddle"
So Mrs. Moorehouse fluttered ont
| the scene. and when she had beef
made acquainted with the situation
she fiuttered to the young man VIII
was about to become her son-in-law
The latter's brother, who was to &C