Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 August 1884 — HATTIE'S LESSON. [ARTICLE]

HATTIE'S LESSON.

BY SARA B. ROSE.

“Oh, girls, there is the loveliest fellow coming here to board; he has the killingest eyes, and the darlingest mustache; he is awfully rich, and one of the sweetest lawyers in Chicago besides, so we’ll have some material that is worth our while to practice on now, ” cried Hattie Linton, as she came bounding into her boarding house parlor with a satisfied sparkle in her big gray eyes. “Is that so?” exclaimed Belle Linton, opening her blonde eyelids a little wider than usual. “I am glad of it. Marshfield Corners is fearfully dull this •■summer. But what brings Adonis to this out-of-the-way place?” “Squire Graham’s big lawsuit!” said

Hattie, breathlessly. “And ho is the handsomest man I think that I ever saw, wnd I have had an introduction to him, too,” with a triumphant nod. • “But where did you meet him? And what’s his name?” inquired matter-of-iact Jessie Albright. “His name is Mr. Eiglime, and I met him at the station this morning. I went down with papa, you know, and he came in on the train. Papa had met him somewhere before, and he asked papa for a good boarding place, and papa directed him here, and he introduced him to me, too.” “I believe Hattie Linton has an understanding with her. father to make her acquainted with every masculine he meets,” said Martha Mason, with a little sneering laugh. “And I believe the two will never cease until some poor fell"W falls a victim.” “I’ll acquit Mr. Linton of any such foul intent,” said Belle, a little spitefully. “He is as down on Hattie’s onesided love affairs as he can possibly be.” Belle was Hattie’s cousin, and therefore thought herself posted. “One-sided!” cried Hattie, in indignant scorn. “Just wait until you see Mr. Eighme, and then judge whether lie admires me or not.” “At this stage,” cried Martha, “I’d wager a half million, Hat Linton, that you brought that stranger in your pony carriage from the station." “I did for a fact,” replied Hattie, enjoying the girls’ evident jealousy. “I was not going to leave the poor fellow to walk seven miles afoot this warm morning.” “Let him walk it in the stage, then,” said Belle. “It was not at all proper of you, cousin. ” “Who cares for proper?” laughed Hattie. “I am just going for that handsome lawyer, and you, girls, can’t get near me, so try it, if you dare.” “Hattie is pretty sure. She must have fascinated him somehow,” said J essie. “I have riveted him with my eye, so, girls’ he is my property, and hands off, if you please.” So saying, Hattie ran up stairs to her mother’s room to remove her hat and driving gloves. Hattie Linton was a light-hearted, igay young girl of the period, who made .flirtation the first aim of her youthful existence. She was an only daughter, and had been petted far more than was good for her, and as her father had Business in the city during the week and her mother was an invalid, she did just about as she pleased and sometimes what she pleased, would have shocked one not acquainted with Hattie Linton.

She was very pretty and had managed to work up the girls where she i boarded, including her cousin Belle, to a fever heat of jealousy, and now she kept continually goading them with exaggerated versions of her conquests, until more than one of them secretly bated her. The array of pretty toilets that evening told Hattie she was not the only i knight who would enter the lists, but her dainty pink costume held its own against the fascinations of Belle’s pale blue, Martha’s white, and Jessie’s black tissue with gleams of firetcolored ribbon among her black laces. Hattie gave them a little nod as she entered, as much as to say, “I defy you,” and then after introducing the j young ladies began an entirely original I conversation with Mr. Eighme. This gentleman was not at all abashed by his flattering reception, and deliberately scanned each of the four young ladies with those killing black eyes, but Kve to Hattie the victory by offering r his arm when tea was announced, and seating himself by her at table. The old ladies at Mrs. Thompson’s boarding house opened their eyes very wide when Hattie went out upon the street with the stranger that evening, leaving the other girls to their own devioee. "Did you ever ?” cried Mrs. Mason, in a shocked tone. "I would teach Hattie Linton something if she was my girL” “She means nothing,” said Mrs. Thompson, who was not a gossiping landlady, but she gave Hattie a hint of what had been said, only, however, to make the willful girl more bent on plaguing them than ever, and she exerted all her powers to fascinate the handsome lawyer, who, in return, made flattering speeches, and eyes pathetic enough to impress a heart of polished utocl#

Hattie related with a great deal of “poetic license” all of these compliments end idle flattery to the jealous girls, who in turn talked it' over with their equally jealous mothers, until there was a quiet undercurrent going the rounds ready to break out any auspicious moment into a fulsome tide of scandal.

Hattie was greatly elated at the jealous looks cast upon her, and fully believed that she would have at least “an offer” to tell of before Mr. Eighme left them, but some wav he did not come to the point; but on the last evening he said to Hattie. “Shall you be glad to see me when I come down again, Miss Hattie? Hattie’s heart gave a great jump as she thought, “he is in earnest,” and then said, demureiv: “Very glad, but I thought your business was over?” “And did you think I should forget the charming acquaintances I have made here because my business was finished?” Hattie blushed and was silent; and he, knowing exactly what was in her mind, strove to make the parting as pleasant as possible, without saying anything definite, went on: “Would you drive down to the station for me on Saturday afternoon if I were to come out on that day?” “I usually drive out Sa urdays. I had as soon call for you as not. ” “Many thanks my charming little charioteer,” sa d he, smiling, and then he bade her a pleasant adieu, leaving Hattie with an odd little feeling in her heart. “Not much to tell of,” she mused. “But I can tell it in such a way that the girls will think it is a great d#ai more than it is, and I think he will come to the point by and by. But I don’t care much whether he does or not. I like Fred Norwood twice better.” Poor Fred, whom she had treated so shamefully, and who had ever been so kind to her and always ready to shield her in any scrape she might* get into. But here the door was burst open and the whole group of girls assailed her. “I’ll wager my new gros grain silk that he never popped at all,” cried Martha Mason, gleefully. “Ah! would you? However, I shall not tell all my private affairs, Miss.” “Of course not, but if you were engaged to him you would publish it in the daily to-morrow.” “You’ll never see him again,” said Belle, laughing. “W on’t I?" cried Hattie, in a rage, “he is coming down next Saturday.” “I don’t believe it unless he has business, ” said Martha. ‘'Yes, dear,” said Hattie, inwardly raging, but outwardly pleasant, “he has business, but it is with me.” “Well, if you have met your fate I am glad of it,” said Jessie. “For now the rest of us will get a chance at Fred Norwood. He is coming back soon—did you know it, Hat ?” “Of course I did. Don’t Fred and I correspond ?” asked Hattie, with great superiority. “There she goes again,” said Jessie, laughing. “One can’t speak of a young man but Hat is right after him. I shall send word to Mr. Legality.” This was a name the girls had applied to Mr. Eighme on the sly. In fact, Hattie had been the first one who had dubbed him thus. “What care I?” said Hattie, carelessly. “True love will never notice trifles.” “I wonder how many times Hattie has been engaged,” said Belle, slyly. “\\ hen I first came here it was Charlie Craig, then it was Billy Sanders, and then it was Fred Norwood, and now it is Mr. Albert Eighme, Esq., attorney and counselor at law, from Chicago, all of whom she stoutly affirms are her own true lovers still. What are you going to do with them all, Hat?” “Oh, I shall get rid of the poor fellows someway," said she, with unbearable vanity. “I don’t think there will be anything serious about it, at least I hope not. ” “I don’t think there will either,” said Martha Mason, with unploasant emphasis. “It does sound so silly to me; I don’t believe one of them would have you any way you could fix it, Hat Linton.” So saying the three slighted ones burst into sarcastic laughter and ran out of the room. Hattie laughed a little to herself. “The girls are awful mad” she thought and she resolved to make as much out of her flirtations as possible. During the next week Mrs. Mason and Martha visited Chicago, and when they returned they were in the possession of a little secret which they kept carefully to themselves, only they were more than usually kind to Hattie Linton.

Mr. Linton, who had been at home that week, had heard something from Belle about Hattie’s flirtation with the Chicago lawyer, and when his daughter, principally for the effect it would have on the girls, came into the sitting room and said, “I want the pony and carriage to go down to the depot for my fellow, papa,” he frowned savagely, and said: “The pony is in use, Harriet.” “You can get me some other rig, then, can’t you ? I’ve promised, and I am going.” “If ‘your fellow’ wishes to come here, he can get here without your help,” said Mr. Linton, with decision. Mrs. Mason and Martha looked at each other with a sly smile, and Hattie, furiously angry, left the room, closing the door with a violent slam behind her. “I will havei a horse at the livery, ” she said, a half hour later, to the ladies, when her father had gone up stairs. “You may take my horse and carriage if you wish to go for your lover,” said Mrs. Mason, questioningly. “But I would not go after him if I was not engaged to him. ” “I shall marry the man I am going after,” said Hattie, unthinkingly, in her rage. Mrs. Mason turned to the others, after Hattie had left them, saying: “Ladies, I do hot know what to think of that girl. Albert Eighme is a married man; my sister lives near him in Chicago. Hattie Linton cannot be very much if she knows it, but it is

possible he has deceived her, and she thinks him single.” “Perhaps she did not go after him,” said Mrs. Thompson, aghast. ■ “Oh, she did,” said Martha. “She has l>een talking about him all the week.” “She ia always joking, yon know,” said Mrs. Thompson, | No one said anything, but behind the j landlady’s back the tongues wagged j like wildfire, and poor Hattie’s good name was being handled with all the venom which lies underneath the ! toDgues of jealous women, j Meanwhile Hattie’s driving was like unto the driving of Jehu, and she arrived at the depot just as the tram came but where was the expected lover ? He had not come. Quickly it dawned upon Hattie’s mind that he had used this means to get rid of her without her suspecting it, and an awful shame mingled with her rage as she thought what these awful women would sav.

As the awful truth surged through her brain, she saw Fred Norwood running toward the little basket phaeton. “Miss Hattie, are you alone? I would awfully like a ride into Chisholm; the stage is not here.” “I shall be glad of your company,” she said, scarcely knowing her own voice. Fred chatted along pleasantly without her understanding a word he said, until he remarked: “My brother-in-law, Albert Eighme, told me all the news from Chisholm. He said he met you.” “Your brother-in-law,” gasped she. “Yes, didn’t he tell you, he married my sister Nettie.” Hattie had been terribly excited during this little experience, and she burst into tears, and Fred, who dearly loved the willful child who sat by his side, soon had the whole story from her lips. “I never can go back to that place in the world,” she said at last. “The girls will laugh about it, forever.” “Hattie,” said Fred, gravely, “did you love him ?” “No,” said Hattie, laughing, “I just did it to make the girls jealous.” “Hattie,” said Fred, again in a moment, “you know I love you. Could you ever possibly become my wife, loving me as a wife should her husband?” “Yes, Fred,l could,” said Hattie drying her eyes. “Then,darling,” said lie, delightedly, “just tell them we have been engaged for six months, and I’ll fix the rest. There was great disappointment among the ladies that evening, when, after he had spoken to Mr. Linton, Fred announced their engagement, and, on the very first opportunity, Mrs. Mason said: “You did not know of Hattie’s flirtation with Lawyer Eighme, a married man, a week ago, did you, Fred?” “No!” said he. “W ho did you say?” “The lawyer from Chicago, Albert Eighme.” “W’liat a joke,” said he, laughing in her face. “Albert Eiglime is my broth-er-in-law. They were selling you, Mrs. Mason. ” The look upon her face was laughable to behold. But it was a lesson to Hattie Linton, for Belle told her how,narrow had been her escape, and she never flirted nor exaggerated again.