The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-11-25

were imperative needed Tor the alFeaul
overdue rent skiliully engineered the
conversation away from the rocks and
shoals which portended the ship-wrecR
OF our domestic peace.
"Yes, said Miss BydeXteT, unconscious
ly following mammals lead, and plunging
into the great service channel, eve
been very badly treated; but servants are
a thankless race. Louise has lett me, the
ungrateful thing Forty dollars month
was paying her too"
THAT is a great sum to pay" said
mamma; and knew the pang with which
she was thinking that that was exactly
the same in which we were indebted Il
DR.. MOrtimOre. Not q large amount in
itself, to be sure, but enough to make us
shrink from encountering him. Had
not gone o good quarter OF mile out Of
my way, only Yesterday, to avoid the ne
Cessity OF passing his door Alas do
the rich ever dream of the thousand
barbed arrows Of modification which
daily and hourly pierce the souls OF the
pOorp | think not.
"Well," said Miss BydeXteT, playing
with the hahdlo of her diamond'studded
eye.glass, "she wasn't exactly servant,
you know, Mrs. Hadleigh; reof COM
pAniOn. She read to me, and did my hair
sweetly, and kept all my laccs in such
charming order. shall never, never be
able to place Louise. offered her fifty
dollars TO stay on with me, for | didn't
know how on earth | was going 10 man.
age without her-just as was going to
New York, too, But she had got pack
Of silly nonsense into her head about
some young FrenOhmap or othsIthRt she
wanted to marry, Marry, indeed Such
people haven't any busineSs to marry, and
| am sure Louise will live to repent II"
Thus Miss COrnelia Bydextar ratified
on, quite certain that the trivalilies OF her
daily life must possess deep interest for
her auditors, for no one had ever ventured
to tell the milliOnaires daughter that she
was fool. heard her without hearing,
although l was listening all the time
the plan which had flashed into my head
seemed so ridiCulously visionary and yet
so simple. And when she rose TO take
her leave | rose too, trembling slightly
and clasping my hands neryously to-
gelher.
"Papa," l began, III have been think
ing about 1t, and It you and mamma do
not object"
"Wclls" Papa looked q little surprised,
perhaps because II was so seldom that |
ventured in his presence to express an
opinion oil my own.
AL should 80 much like to go to
New York with COrnelial
"You dear little thing!" said Miss by.
dexter, smiling, and paLllng my hand with
with her thOr.oi.pearl.handled fan
"yOu will be exactly like fair princess"
Where the similarity existed nobody
knew, nor did Miss Bydexter take tho
trouble to explain. She was accustomed
to have people take her meaning for
granted.
Mamma looked at me In q bewildered
way, a soft reprOaCh shining out of her
eyes. could read her lace as II II were
an open book. Before papa she dared not
say out the truth ave want the money
for our rent Oh, how can 0ctavia be so
strangely lorgetlul of our household
needsS
"Very well" assented papa, in Ills grand
Lord Chesterfield style. "Jeannette, bring
me my desk. And Ill that musty old
standish with ink. Do you hear ChildY"
And while Jeanette, who knew that
ink in our house was among the things
that were, fnttered into the corner bakery
TO borrow u little out Of the gray stone
bottle that always stood on Mrs. Bailey's
cash desk, papa went on, talking loltlly of
the probable pleasures that l should enjoy
In the great metropolis OF the Western
world.
~ am told that the coming season prom
iscs to DO particularly brilliant In New
York" said papa, graciously land only
wish ladiCs'--Witll stately bow toward
Miss Bydexter, which would have done
no dlscredit to "DepOrtment Turveydrop"
-"that was young enough TO DO your
escort. Jeanette, you have been q long
time bringing that ink but nobody hur.
ries themselves to perform any behests
nowadays"
"Papa," pleaded poor Jeanette, turn.
ing red and white ~ went as quick rs ]
could"
Papa did notnoIce her words, but with
shaking hand, and many an unnecessary
flourish, he drew the check for the last
hundred and iilly dollars he had in the
world until the next dividend day, six
months OIL, should reinforce tho fountain
OF PactOlus. And oil to deceive Miss BY.
dexter, who wasn't deceived In the least.
"IIere, my daughter" lie said, folding II
deliberately and handing II to me, while
mamma looked on in breathless dlsmay,
and JeannettOs eyes grew bigger and
bluer than ever.
| followed Miss Bydextor down to the
door, and the wheels Of the big chocolate.
Colored Bydexter carriage were thunder.
Ing oil over the uneven pavement, when
mamma came down also, looking pale aud
perturbGd.
"Octavla, my daughter" she began,
how CouldyOu-"
"Ilush, mammal Iput my hands, with
a little hysterical laugh, over the soft ma.
lcrnal lips "lIer0 Is papa's check; do
you suppose would take tT
"But' persisted mamma, looking, II
possible, more bewildered than before,
~ thought you were intent on going to
New lOfkE
80 amw
"Then how"
"Mamma, l am to have forty dollars q
month. nm going as Cornelia's COM
panion. Pshaw why do | mince mat.
icrs' am going to be her maid, neither
more nor less"
"Forty dollars month" Mammals
faded eyes brighteled. "But-COrnelia
Bydexter'sm ailn And her countenAnce
fell again. could not but smile
at will be no such terrible matter, aGler
all, mamma. On the contrary, II will be
fun. Cornelia isas gOod.nAtured rs she
can be, and you know very well am IN
adept in Embarrassing and laCe.mendlng
and irlll nuting, thanks to the best Of
mammas, who knows everything, and has
taught her daughters the same"