Yorkshire Tales. Third Series | Page 6

sich a lot o' young lasses fussin abaat an
attendin to em, wol Sammywell wor fairly flammergasted amang it.
One nice young woman browt him a cheer to sit on, but he darn't ventur
'on it, for it lukt as if it wor made o' black sealin wax, but Hepsabah
flopt daan on it as if shoo'd been used to sittin o' sich articles all her life.
Sammywell whispered to her to be as sharp as shoo could, an stood
watchin what wor gooin on. Then th' young woman coom agean wi her
armful o' what lukt to be flaars an feathers an ribbins all jumbled in a
lump, but which proved to be what they called hats, an as shoo put furst
one an then another on to Hepsabah, he wor fairly surprised to discover
what a bonny lukkin woman his dowter wor; an when shoo axt him
which he liked best, he could nobbut say, "onny on em! suit thisen,
lass!" an th' young woman smiled at him an sed, "It's nice when a
gentleman likes to see his wife well dressed," an Sammywell blushed
an sed "Hem! hem!" but didn't undeceive her. After tryin on abaat a
scoor, nooan seemin to exactly suit Hepsabah, th' young woman browt
another, an Sammywell's e'en fairly sparkled. "By th' heart!" he sed,
"but that's what aw call a Bobby Dazzler!" an it wor plain to be seen at
Hepsabah thowt soa too. "Aw should like it," shoo sed, "but awm
feeared it'll cost a lot."
"Tha's nowt to do wi that. It's me at's to pay for it!" soa in a few minnits
it wor packt in a box, an handed to her, an Sammywell tell'd her to tak

it an get aghtside an wait for him an he'd bi wi her as sooin as he'd
sattled for it. Hepsabah's face wor all smiles, tho' ther wor just a glisten
o' tears in her een as shoo went away.
"An nah, young woman," sed Sammywell, as he held his purse in his
hand, "ha mich do yo want?"
Shoo handed him th' bill, but he seemed as if he couldn't mak it aght,
soa he put on his spectacles. "This is a mistak, Miss," he sed, "aw've
nobbut agreed to pay for one."
"That's quite right, sir," shoo sed, "One hat,--twenty two and six."
"Twenty two fiddlesticks!"
"No, sir, twenty two shillings and six pence. That's not much for a
gentleman to pay for his wife's hat."
"But shoo isn't mi wife! Shoo's nobbut mi dowter!"
"No one would think you had a daughter so old;--you must have
married very young," sed th' young woman smilin at him in a way at
made him feel funny all ovver.
He sed noa moor but handed her two soverins; shoo gave him his
change, an he made th' best ov his way into th' street where Hepsabah
wor waitin for him; then he lained his back agean a lamp-pooast as if
he wor too waik to stand.
"Do yo feel sick, father?" sed Hepsabah.
"Eeah, aw think aw've getten a bit ov a sickener."
"It wor varry warm i' that shop."
"Eeah,--its th' hottest shop aw've ivver been in."
"Yo see, yo arn't used to buyin hats."

"Noa, an awm net likely to get used to it. Aw hooap thar't suited."
"O, father,--its a beauty! If aw can nobbut get my chap to buy me a
costume to match it!"
"Tha'll nivver do that, Hepsabah, becoss he connot. If he'd to buy thee a
costoom, as tha calls it, to match that, an pay for it at th' same rate as
aw've paid for that hat, it ud cost him aboon a thaasand paand! What
does to think it's cost me?"
"Aw can't guess."
"Twenty two shillin an sixpence! That's true whether tha believes it or
net."
"Is that all! Why its as cheap as muck."
"Well, mak th' best on it, for tha'll get noa moor muck at th' same price
aght o' me. But promise me at tha'll nivver tell thi mother! If shoo'd to
get to know shoo wodn't be able to sleep for a wick. It's a scandlus
shame, an aw've been swindled! Why, tha owt to ha getten a hat as big
as a umbrella for that price."
"Well, if yo hadn't wanted me to have it yo shouldn't ha sed soa."
"Aw did want thi to have it, but it's price aw connot get ovver. Why it
weighs nowt hardly. Its cost aboon five shillin an aance. Thee goa in an
show it to thi mother an aw'll goa an get summat to steady mi narves."
Sammywell tried to keep his spirits up wi puttin some spirits daan, but
he couldn't manage it, an it wor wi fear