Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-11-25


MaTigold's cOmpOsure at the same momeut.
lies, what should you say If he we're to come
back?' said Pinkie.
Oh dear me-" cried poor little Miss Mari
gold, throwing up her hands with such start as
to shake several OF her nts-shells down upon the
carpet 4" / should be 50 embarrassed shouldn't
b. ow chat TO do The idea of having man
about! Oh, dear met"
"Well, don't know said Miss Pinkham,
elf you had not any one else. To be sure,
should not think of such a thing myself; but
then II you had no one to speak to, week in and
week out"
ooh, shouldn't think of such thing nv
self, said Pinkie; "but then if you had no one
." Oh, dear me, said Misc Marigold again, :.
should be so embarrassed" But then, as old
me mOries began to steal back, the tender light
came into her ewes again, aud she held her sti
letto thoughtfully pointed into vacancy.
-" He used TO cali me Marigold-Goldi-
Mary" she said softly, sand I"-with a little
iaugh-'.used to call him Jack alta pinch"
because his name was Jack Pynchon, and be-
cause IL teased him. / am sorry now that ever
did, but it was amusing!'
And then, as il flashed upon her that she was
talklng great deal about herself, she chan ged
the subject. with air that did not admit OF re-
curing to il; the tight-waisted calico took away
Their plates; they all took their knitting-work,
and another hour passed very happily until
Miss MaIigoId declared she positively INST
go home. She was ashamed eff herself that she
had stayed so long
Dear friends, , she said, as by return to the
detOTmed, ''you can't imagine what a pleasure
D.. this has been 10 me. 50 unexpected, and such
social entertainment And besides, L have
really had such an appetite! Everything so de-
helOus, Why, what do you think | was going
to have at home? A poor little stew, with an
oGlpn! And now that will all be ready for to
nv row. But 1t is only specimen OF the way
my wants are always met, so wonderful" and a
radiant smile, that irra,iiated itself again by
bringing the superb teeth into view, made the
little bit OF face that could be out from the
But when she had slipped round the project
ing corner of the shop, and INTO her own little
bacl-room again, she could not tell why the
words OF Pinkham Sisters would press in upon
her mind SO persstently.
g a little soltary?n
Almost an echo about the room. What did
make il seem so? And there seemed SO little
furniture, and the color of the carpet seemed
very dim, and the top of the looking glass had
sharp look for want of peacock feathers.
'' It's only the sudden change" said Miss
MarigOld cheerily, sit will all come right in 2
few minutes; and do believe that second bud
has tipped out little since morning"
She sat down in low red cushioned rocking
chair, on the sitting room side OF the seam. The
twilight was falling, and she felt quiet after the
unusual excitement of the day. More words of
Pinkham Sisters began TO press back. and the
soft look began TO gather in Miss Marigolds
eyes once more. How close they were drawing
again, those days so long gone by! just as they
had Zone in the morning, only With such a
strange tenderness added in their touch. Miss
upon her chair as if she felt a caress. And so,
as the twilight deepened, the present h0ar still
more grew dim, and, as IL the years between
now and then were blotted ont, Miss MarigoId
seemed TO herself girl again. How soft aud
delicate her cheek was; how rounded every out
line Of her form; how long, and soft. and golden
her hair, and how lightly she breathed as some
one bent over her and whispered many things
"Jack! Jack-at-a Pinch!" she said and
stretched out her hands into the dim light Then
starting NJ. she shook the red cushiOn into shape
again with little spat.
.'Why, this will never do!' she exclaimed
'do get light, Miss Marigold, and find out the
longitude OF Zanzibar! So unintelligent!''
But just as she was taking the match in her
hand, there came another knock at the shop
door. and Miss Marigold was startled again.
A second time!' she said. SO unusual on
suck day."
Nevertheless, seeing there was still a little
glow of sunset on that side of the way, she ven
tured to step TO the door and open it.
Not the tight-waisted calico this time, but
tall stranger, his face much concealed between
his hat and a handsome curling beard of iron
al beg your pardon, ;" he said, as he raised the
hat slightly. Z" don't know that you attend 10
sales day; don't know that L ought to ask
you"
:" Oh, yes, SIR" said Miss Margold, with her
own smile, "if there is anything really req uired;,
and between that moment and taking her place
behind the counter, she had arranged in her
own mind the whole account of how he had
come to town with his wife for Thanksgiving
and how they either lived where they could not
make purchases, or how some accident had be-
fallen her hat since she came in.
The stranger hesitated a moment; but Miss
MarigOld was accustomed to see men do that,
when they forgot the name of the article they
were sent for.
Handsome eyes," thought Miss Marigold,
every" but what a strange thrill they gave her,
and how steadily they gazed into her own!
'What is that in the Window he said. L" Rib
bon? That is what want"
eyes. SIR said Miss Marigold; "did she send
a sampler" and she reached her hand half over
the counter to receive it.
"No," said the stranger; " I'll take ii all''
Then, seeing a startled look on her face, and
rejecting that she might not like SO sudden "a
dminution OF her stock, he added, "Never
mind. Give me any one of the pieces. And
what are these? Feathers?''
Miss Marigold silently placed the box on the
counter. Her little vision OF the happy Thanks
giving party had vanished.
g Oh, dear!" she said to herself, "I'm afraid
he is going to a masquerade"
"Pll take these" said the stranger, ''and
-" He looked about for some further pur-
chsses, and seeing nothing but rows of boxes.
whose contents were past his divining he
turned his eyes towards the bonnets upon the
frames, and added quietly, One of these"
The masquerade became a nullity in Miss
MarigOld's mind, and the fearful thought OF es-
cape from the lunatic ASYLUM was just ready to
take its place, when the hat was suddenly lifted
from over the eyes, the hands stretched toward
her, and the very tones she had Just been listen
ing to in the red cushioned chair cried, gently
and lowly, " Marigold? GOldi-Mary!"
What Miss Marigold felt or did then, she
never knew; only in an instant he had pushed
away the boxes, sprang across the counter, and
lifted her over to the little chintZ-covered sofa
in the back room. Then she did not know any
thing for a little while, and when she opened
her eyes the handsome face was bending over
her. She reached out a hand and touched it.
" Jack? Jack-at-a- Pinch!' and a smile such
as Pinkham Sisters had never seen spread over
her own.
That evening they were astonshed in their
turn by knock at their door, and when they
Miss Marigoldeome in, leaning on a tall,
strong arm, they experienced a shock that dis
placed Miss Pinkham's plum-colOred bow 50 far
as 10 reveal an edge of the thin spot, and Pin
kie for the first time in her life, was startled off
her relative breadth in the carpet.
"Dear friends" said Miss MarigOld, 90 could
not help coming to tell you. / kRei0 you would
like to hear that Jack was not lost after all; it
was only i; and how he has found me again, and
my cup runnethl over, as it always has. SO won
deTful the way am always led! So many mer-
cies! And was ever anything 50 fortunate, J." she
whispered in Pinkham's ear, ''as the way was
preserved from eating that onion to-day!''-
Scritaer's Monthly.
QUEEN ELIzABETH.-In Paul Heintzner's
Travels 1898, is the following description:
'She was said to be fifty-five years old. Her face
was rather long, white, and somewhat wrinkled;
eyes small, black, and gracious; her nose some
hat harl Inns sad. bar faaf n