The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1864-08-31
Selctt aelistcllaug.
A HOUSKEEPER WANTED.
By GRACE GARDNER.


! VTTANTED--A housckeeper, No one but an
! w elderly person, competent and of the highest
responsibility, need apply Call between tho hours
/ of three and four, Thursday, April Q, at No. -,
Michigan Avenue.
Kate Franklin read this in the paper
which lay on tho counter in tho little gro
Gerry, while waiting to have an ounce or two
of tea done up, and roll Of bakers bread,
She repeated the number of the house
over to herself, as she received the change
from the grocer
She prepared the tea, after she returned
to the little bare attic and ate her ocanty
meal mechanically. She forgot how unsat-
isfed her appetite still was, in her busy
thought.
! Yes, she must descend to menial service.
Why not this? 1t would be better than
lower grade. Yether soul and pride shranb
from it.
stranger in a strange place, success
lively she had tried to find situation as
teacher, copyist in store sewing. She
had failed in the first three, and was starry
ing on the last.
She would apply for that place, but she
would need references. Only one person
she knew, in the whole great city, of sufi-
cient inhuonce-Mrs Davenport, the rich,
naughty step-sister, who hal i'll treated
her gentle mother while she had lived, and
had hated Kate herself with double hatred
since the FIRST and only one she had ever
loved had turned from her brilliant beauty,
to offer heart and hand to her young and
dislil6ed step-sister, only to be rejected in
his turn. The beautiful inperious beauty
had, soon after, married an old man for his
wealth; but she had not forgotten her ha-
tired for Kate, and disowned all connection
with the now orphaned and penniless girl.
| Perhaps, though, Kate thought she would
| permit her 10 refer to her, because glad to
have her descend to menial employment.
Kate felt competent for the situation, or
during her mothers long illness, and her
fathers absence, she had entire charge of
their large family and splendid house.
But "an elderly woman" For Kate
Frankliu was not an elderly woman, being
only twenty; but she remembered with a
sort Of pleasure, that in private theatrioals,
in happier days, she had initiated the voice
and assumed the character of an old woman
with great success. She knew how to stain
the skin to give it an old and wrinkled ap-
pearance, and she had, in the bottom of a
box, some false gray hair and muslin cap,
worn on one of these occasions. She did
not need to look SO very old-only to pre-
sent a mature and matronly appearance.
Mr.. Edward Dayton waited at homo after
his dinner to see the respondents TO his
advertisement. He was handsome man,
not yet thirty, with gay, frank, good ma :
tured countenance.
Now for dozen or two of good old
danes, all competent, all respectable, and
each confident she would give satisfaction. "
He lighted cigar.
shall shock the dear old souls, but l
shall take the liberty to smoke in my own
house, in the parlor or any where please;
they may as well know what to expect"
lie leaned back in nouchalant way, his
feet on another chair.
"Thero ought to be, suppose, Mrs.
Dayton to manage these housekeeper mat
ters. Well, there's time enough"
Two applicants were seen, and dismissed
in Mr.. Dayton's gentlemanly way.
"Would let them know if he decided to
engage them."
A third was ushered in. Mr.. Dayton in.
stinctiyely laid aside his cigar, and placed
a chair for his visitor.
The lady-likeness and propriety Of her
manners pleased him at once. "Fallen .or-
tunes, he commented to himself
She answered his questions readily, but
in few words.
"a silent woman--a good thing" was
his inwagdremark,
81 Thank you will suit me, Mrs., what
did understand your name?"
Franklin"
Mrs. Franklin, you will be required ia
go out of town, about seven miles, to my
country house-Oak Groye--in the town Of
EmbTy, on the great Central Railroad
The salary lpropose to pay is six hundred
per annum. Do my terms suit ?"
Suitt Six hundred to tie half starving
person before him seemed fudia's wealth.
She answered quietly that they suited,
Then it is all settled. BY the way,
suppose you have references, though al
that is a mere matter of form.'"
The name of Davenport was given.
Davenport! Robert Davenport know
them. All right, then. II convenient, yol
will please 50 tomorrow, Mrs. Franklin. o.
: the next day. shall not come down iii