The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-06-21

II WIDOW daWley'sf WHO iI6lenuS 10 /
hove seen better days" I
"But that is not my fault, nor hers.n
sFThey think it is, and besides -"
But Miss Merrill was not destined to |
hear the the "besides" for the changing |
door-bell sounded at that moment, and
there was a general scattering among |
the weary, overwrought young Great
ures.
''How pale they all arep' she said,
invOluntarily, as she watched them lie
past her.
"Palew echoed a wistful faced young
widow, whose dark, earnest eyes ap-
peared to grow larger and brighter day
by day,-"they are toiling themselves
into their graves at starvation prices"
"But Mr.. Althorpe, who owns the
factory, is said to be a generous-hearted
man, is he not ?''
"Mr. Althorpe? Yes, perhaps so, but
he asserts that he pays the same prices
as other factory proprietors."
"And that is too little"
"Too little to begin with. How would
Mr.. AlthOrpe like that young wife oi
his for they tell me he has recently
married. to work all day long for the
pittance he pays these hundred and fifty
girls ?D
Emily WINGED little.
81 suppose he does not look at matters
in that light"
sBut that isn't the worst of it,n per-
sisted Mrs. BlOdgett. "The small wages
our girls receive are lessened by the ex-
tortionate demands levied by that harpy,
Mr.. Parsons-a regular system of black
mail. OH I think such mean vipers
should not be allowed to liver
She spoke with emphasis, and turn
ing at the same moment, started to OBJ
serve the small, sly eyes of the foreman
| fixed upon her. UnObserved he had
caught the tenor of every word she
spoke.
''Very much obliged for your good
opinion, ma'am," he said, nodding his
head and COMPRISING his lips into an
evil smile. 81 am very sorry we snail
have no work for you after next Satur-
day night, Mrs. Blodgett."
| The poor young widow grew pale, ior
upon her weekly wages depended the
| subsistence Of an aged mother ana Two
! little ones. Emily Merrill involunta-
riIv advanced a step or two, her small
| hands clenched and her eyes glittering.
Then, recollecting herself, she walked
away. Mr.. Parsons, however, followed
her, the grace and beauty of her figure
had taken his eye, and he was not disin-
clined for a filtration with "the new
hand"
"When she resumed her place after
the noon hours, Emily found herself
eyed more askance than ever, and her
next neighbor, Louisa Jane Parsons, a
sister Of the fascinating foreman, whis-
pered to the young lady opposite an au-
dible comment on "that designing thing
who really expected to catch brother
James,"
Poor Emily! But the worst Of her
trials were yet to come. As she hurried
down the long room, the next day, she
slipped on piece of orange peel, and
fell, spraining her ankle!
All the girls stood aloof, regarding heI
as their natural enemy, and only kind
hearted Mrs. Blodgett hurried TO hel
assistance.
"Are you much hurt ." she asked
sympathizingly.
mo, only my foot. fear it j,
sprained."
"Shall 1 90 for DIR. Wexford ."
"If YOU will be so kind"
Mrs. Blodgett hurried away, and En-
lily Merrill, seated on low chair by tn
: window, could not but hear the whis
pered remarks of the other "hands," a
they pretended to be absorbed over thei
work.
"Served her right" said Clara Jones
'Hope she'll have to leave the fac
tory" chimed in Betsey Hyde.
"Its all make-believe to get m
! brother James TO let her off her work,
added Miss Parsons.
"Well, | always said that pride wOul,
have a fall" declared Helen Jennings
Emily turned herself round with diff
ficulty, and looked with gentle, re
proachful eyes at her enemies.
"Young ladies'" she said in low
tremulous tone, ''if you knew why
But the half-uttered sentence wa
broken off by the opening of door, anC
the entrance of tall, stylish gentleman
whom they all knew as Mr.. Althorpe
the proprietor of the factory.
"Emilyr' he exclaimed, turning pal'
as his eye fell upon her face, ''are yoU
hurt ?n
"Oh! Charlesr-and Emily Althorp'
swooned upon her husbands shoulder
But she had won her guerdoni ant
that same evening the girls Learned
through Mrs. Blodgett that their EN-
ployer's noble young wife had taken he
place among them TO win from her hus
band an increase of their wages, the bet
ter consideration of their comforts, and
best of all, the prompt dismissal of Mr.
James Parsons.
'Now hope it will do you good T.
. learn this, after the shabby way il
which you have treated her." said tn
> little widow rather maliciously.
E The girls were silent,-words wer
powerless to express their shame an
modification.
But brighter day had dawned upo
the factory hands,-and Emily Althorp
! never forgot the week she had spent a
a working-girl.