Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-19
TIE DAILY NOVELETTE,
The Rejuuenation of Hattie
nv LOUISE HEARN

.r,a stones coming for me at D." said
ooInplacently smoothing the ruf-
s..V ~. of her crisp organdie frock
nefu usr % sister, Ruth, rocking lasily IN a
chair on the piazza glanced & az her n,sr,sr wr'sr
w.astto,Lwe're waton going out as far as the
Rs.,croft Tea House, but we'll be back
~ supper. Where are you goingY
aI, that isn't the limit !" was jules
reclamation. Here comes Cousin Hat
uey ueyou would never have guessed that
A.. woman coming up the walk was re-
,m ,a,od 20 the w!nsome Morton girls. AL
tsonsb II was hot sunday afternoon,
shs wore a heavy. dark skirt, with
volumtnous pleats, but the ,. decade me,,1s'o aSo
,aion,s that II clothes were saved long
snnuah their second cycle Of modish-
rsss would come in due time.
"youd think she'd melt in that high
recked blue waist--and where does she
aet her hats?" .groaned Julie, as the
s"oh, please don't, Julie. dear" re-
,,on.tratod Ruth. Ever II she is deaf,
sbe might understand what you're say
Ing. ,,,,. ,., Ma, -aoor for n
mod many years, ana this affliction.
Combined with her other eccentricities,
| tod made her a not-too- welcome visitor
among her relatives I; was impossible
for her to hear anything, ana her rrlehos
bsd long since given up shouting In her
| ear and resorted to pencil and paper.
puth was the only one VINO seemed able
IN carry on an Intelligent conversation
with Hattie without the aid Of the paper
and pencil. She had practioed correct lip
nnnven,ent until her. cousin could under
stand her quite well.
After Hattie had been seated In a
| comfortable chair on the piazza, Ruth
explained that her mother and father
had gone calling for the afternoon and
would not return until supper time:
Meanwhile, Julie went into the house
for her hat and coat.
T"Pm going to walk down to the gate
and meet Ted there sfe announced
from the hallway, as she pinned on her
nat ~ wouldn't want Mrs. stone 70
sse our fair cousin for the world, Ted
saId his mother and sisters might be
along. I'd die of modification !"
Ruth, turning her head, protested.
"you ought to be ashamed of yourself.
Julie Morton! But go aiong, y you
Hattie with us for ride. She looks so
V So it presently happened tina Cousin
Hattie found herself being helped into
Jack Cpnnnsham's roadster by yopiv sGSa1i be1d
twoc omfortably. But a young man
must acauiesce with polite smile when
his fancee invites an unprepossessing
cousin to 60 for a r1de.
Cousin Hattie admitted afterwsrd ,s
that she had the time of her life that
afternoon. Her knowledge Of motor We
hicles had heretofore been limited to
certain kind that is useful but not orna-
mental. and that Is apt to De pyI pulnpy;
Jacks clever handling Of the car with
admiration, and asked all kinds OF in
terested questions. Ruth acted as inter-
prefer and reayed Jacks answers TO
her cousin.
At the attractive tearoom where they
stopped for refreshments. Cousin Hattie
enjoyed herself unfeignedly. II she felt
any qualms because Of the inappropri-
steness of her attire, she disguised hes
her covertly watching the light-colored,
summery dresses CT the other women.
On the way home, II Hattie had not
1 been deaf. she would have overheard
/ jack whisper in Ruth's ear:
The little bungalow will be finished
m Just month from today. Ruthie
| dear And in another two weeks we
could have It all furnished and ready
| to be occupied by two happy newlyweds.
| In that time. dear?"
Ruth blushed and murmured softly:
But, Jack ITd love to, you know:
but I'm making most OF my things. ana
Il takes so long--and,' her voice traiied
away for sheer happiness
JACK bCCtptcu 'HcT toi 'ohsci'N'
but feminine listener might have been
able to interpolate between Ruth's words
. and know that she was longing Tor
more elaborate trousseau, but could not
afford 1t. And II the listener had been
a relative, she would have known that
jules selfish demands for fashionable
summer wardrobe had been SO insistent
I that Ruth did not like to ask for ad-
dtional clothes, as the Morton finances
Tsat ninpt a. s',nnerb Cousin Hattie
sprung her big surprise, Julie had just
| teasingly asked her sister how she en-
| ioyed the auto ride of the afternoon.
Cousin Hattie put down her fork delib-
trately and answered. while the others
| stared In blank amazement.
I'VE had a most enjoyable time,
Julie" she said IT'S the first time
I've had a pleasure ride like that, and 1t
isn't going to be the last. I'm thinking
OF buying a roadster of my own, and
t. No, I'm not too deaf to run an auto.
the Lord be praised! That operation
I had performed last year was entirely
successful but thought it would be an
interesting experiment to find out just
what people thought and felt about me:
Perhaps It was a mean thing to do. but
II has been illuminating, to say the least,
And I'm not as poor Es you AL nave
thought Father left me we'll provided
for" She paused to look around her,
then smiled at Ruth, and went on.
But first of all. I'm going to carry
Ruth off to New York with me. II she'll
come, and we're going to buy the pret-
test trousseau in the city. Then she's
going to help me pick out, we'll, not ex-
hctly trousseau. but I'll get almost as
much pleasure from 1t. You folks won't
know me when / come back !"
And they didn't! At the Cunningham
Morton wedding, celebrated six weeks
| from that day, Ted stones mother
whispered confidentially.
How distinguished looking your