The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-02-09
BY HORsLEY BROS. & FTGUERs. -

But papa would not allow her tc
finish the sentence. "A deep, mahOg.
any-colored flush mounted on his
forehead, and / saw his brows meet
darkly.
"If Octavia Wishes" he said, 81
can very easily draw a check upon
the bank for her expenses"
Mamma breathed quick and short
Jeanette opened wide her homes
blue..eyes. 8
1T would be delightful !" said Mis-!
Cornelia Bydexter, to whom one o.
two hundred dollars was no mors
than they would be to the lilies ofth
field, "who toll not, neither do they
spin." And poor mamma, who knew
very well that the hundred and fifty
dollars at the bank were imperatively
needed for the already overdue rent
skillfully engineered the conversation
away from the rocks and shoals which
pretended the shipwreck of our do
mestic peace.
ayes, indeed" said Miss Bydexter
unconsciously following .mamma's
lead, and plunging- into the great
"servicen channel. T"I've been very
badly treated; but servants are a
thankless race. Louisa has Left me,
the ungrateful thing! Forty dollars
a month I was paying her, too"
| "That is great sum to pay" said
mamma; and L knew the pang with
which she was thinking that this was
exactly the sum in which we were
| indebted to DIR. MOrtimOre. Not a
large amount in itself, to be sure, but
enough to make US shrink from en-
countering him. Had not gone a
quarter of a mile out of my way, only
yesterday, to avoid the necessity 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
poor? l think not. - -.
"Well," said Miss Bydexter, play
ing with the handle of her diamond
studded eye.glass, 'she wasn't exact
ly a servant, you know, Mrs. Had
leigh; more of a companion. She
read to me, and did my hair sweetly,
and kept all my laces in such charm
ing order. 1 shall never, never be
able to replace Louisa. l offered her
fifty dollars to stay with me, for 1
didn't know how on earth / was go
ing to manage without her-just as I
was going to New York, too. But
she had a pack of silly nonsense into
her head about some young French
man or other that she wanted to
marry. Marry, indeed! Such people
haven't any business to marry, and l
am sure Louisa will live to repent
it.n Es Ets .t z-s
Thus Miss Cornelia Bydexter rat
tied on, quite certain that the trivial
ties of her daily life must possess
deep interest for her auditors, for no
one had ever ventured to tell the
millionaire's daughter that she was a
fool. / heard her without hearing,
although 1 was listening all the time
the plan which had flashed into my
head seemed so ridieulously visionary
and yet SO simple. And when she
rose to take her leave rose too, trem-
bling slightly and clasping my hands
nervously together. .-.. .-..
Papa" 1 began, Ill have been
thinking about it, and if you and
mamma do not object"
"Well ?" Papa looked a little sur
prised; perhaps because it was so sell
dom that / ventured in his presence
to express an opinion of my own. II
should so much like to 60 to New
York with Cornelia!"
"You dear little thing!" said Miss
Bydexter, smiling, and pattilg my
hand with her mother-of-pearl han
died fan; ''you will be exactly like a
fairy princess"
Where the similarity existed no.
body knew, nor did Miss BydeXter
take the trouble to explain. She was
accustomed to have people take her
meaning for granted.
Mamma looked at me in a bewilder-
ed way, a soft reproach shining out of
her eyes. I could read her face as it
were an open book. Before papa she
dared not say out the truth: I'VE
want the money for our rent! Oh,
how can Octavia be so strangely for
getful of our household needs ?"
every well,n assented papa, in his
grand Lord Chesterfield style. "Jean.
nette, bring me my desk. And fill
that musty old standish with fresh
ink. Do you bear, child.n ..a-
And while Jeanette, who knew
that ink in our house was among
things that were, fluttered into the
corner bakery to borrow little out Of
the gray stone bottle that always
stood on Mrs. Bailey's cash desk, papa
went on, talking lOftily, of the pro-
bable pleasures that l should enjoy in
the great metropolis Of the Western
world.
II am told that the coming season
promises to be particularly brilliant
in New York" said papa, graciously; I;
"and I only wish ladies''-with
stately bow toward Miss Bydexter.
which would have done no discredit
to Department Turveydrop''-''that
was young enough to be your escort.
Jeannette, you have been long time
bringing that ink; butnobody hurries
themselves to perform my behests
nowadays" .ass
"Papa," pleaded poor Jeanette,
turning red and white, II went as
quick as could"
Papa did not notice her words, but
with shaking hand, and many an
unnecessary flourish, he drew the
check for the last hundred and fifty
dollars we had In the world until the
next dividend day, six months of,
should re-enfOrce the fountain of
Pactolus. And all to deceive Miss
Bydexter, who wasn't deceived in
the least.
Here my daughter" he said, fold
ing it deliberately and handing it to
me, while mamma looked on in
breathless dismay, and Jeannette's
eyes grew bigger and bluer than ever.
1 followed Miss Bydexter down to
the door, and the wheels Of the big
chocolate-colored Bydexter carriage
were thunderlng off over the uneven
pavement, when mamma came down
also, looking pale and perturbed.
"Octavia, my daughter" she began,
show could you"
Hush, mammal" Iput my hands,
with little hysterical laugh, over
the soft, maternal lips. -.... ..
Here is papa's check; do you sup