The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-07-08
THE FACTORY GIRL.

It was nine o'clock in the morning
when the stage coach which connects the
little village Of b, on the KennebeC
River, with tho railway terminus some
twenty-five miles below, drew up before
the door OF the publio.house, where Har'
vey Middleton stood waiting.
Every seat was full except one on the
elevated perch of the driver, and thithei
Middleton clambered with some difficulty
and wrapped himself well as he could
from the cold. lie was just recovering
from rather severe illness, which had
detained him fortnight in that out.of-thC
way place. AS he mounted to his place
his ears were greeted by woman's laugl
"A hearty, ringing laugh, too loud to bC
exactly lady.like, hut with pleasant
fOund in 1t for all that. At least he might
have thought so in more amiablo mo
ment; now, however, he turned, little
dsgusted at the boisterous outbreak, and
while settling himself in the fur robes
took rapid survey Of his fellOw.trayelers
The occupant of one seat was young
woman of certainly striking appearance
She seemed about twenty-four or five
had tall snowy figure and handsome
ig Every handsome, Middleton admit
Il to himself, after several surveys. A
brilliant complexion, IN abundance OF
blrck hair in shining, satiny bands-ii
was before the advent of "frizzles"-clear,
strong gray eyes, well-cut nose, and a
handsome though somewhat large mouth
filed with dazzling white teeth. Plainly
it was that mouth from which had issued
the ringing, boisterous laugh which had
so offended Middleton's fastidiousness.
Her attire was remarkable. She wore q
handsome blue silk dress, n velvet cloak
richly fringed and braided, light silk hat
with feathers, and lace collar fastened
with snowy broach. Gold bracelets on
ler wrists and lemon colored kid gloves,
completed costume which, though Ger.
tainly becoming, could hardly be called
appropriate for stage-coacE ride in q
muddy spring day. Middleton's taste in.
stantly pronouncedi 1t and its wearer hope.
lessly vulgar. She talked constantly, not
only with the youth ut her side, who
seemed to belong to her in some way, but
with all the other passengers. Her voice
was pleasant one, though its tones, like
her laugh, were so loud rs to jar disagreea'
bly, on NIiddleton'S ear. Ordinarily 1t
would not have occurred to him to be
thus annoyed; indeed, his sense of humor
might have been pleased by the young
wonans shrewd and often witty COM
ments on the incidents Of their ride; but
to-day he was i'll and nervous, and her
loud tone, her unpublished and occasionally
ungrammatical speech and vulgarly showy
dress displeased and disgusted him. lie
boreit as long as he could, and then his
impatience broke out. Not loud enough,
however, to be audible to the object OF 1t,
1t was to his companion, the driver, that
lie exclaimed. "Confound that woman's
tongue! Is there no end to its Internal
clatterln
The driver looked ut our friend with q
surprised and half offended glance; but in
moment he answered, in atone rather
patronizing and tolerant, as though the
person he addressed could really not be
supposed to know any better.
hWell, stranger, | guess you feel kind
O. out o. sorts this morning. You don't
look well, l snum. Been sick, amt YEP
@Yes.n ..t
"Well, it beats all how most any thing
will kind o hector fellow when he don't
feel just right. Now, for my part, I'd
rather hear Lymp Tucker laugh than to
hear preachin': there's something heart
enin' In It; would cheer feller up II he
was as blue as Moxey Mountain"
al beg your pardon" said Middleton
al did not know she was q friend o.
yours; and meant no harm anyway.
"Oh, well, there's no otfense. Lynn
ain't anything to me in particular; but
she'sa girl l always like 70 have behind
my horses"
I" What did you call hern
"Lymp TucEer-Short for Olympia
Deacon Ben fuckers daughter; Oldest o.
SIX"
"Are they all like hertz
II there was any hidden sneer in hi.
words the driver did not pereeiveit. "Noi
much, twas his emphatic reply. "There'rC
spindlin' set. She's as strong as q
threshin' machine, and as smart as clair
lightnin'.r
"Indeedi What can she dor
"well. | should like to have you men
ton anything she can't do"
Anldleton's good.breeding constrained
himto express an interest in the driver
theme which, perhaps, he did not wholly
feel. The latter went on contidentially'
Their seat being higher than the Others,
the loud rattle Of the wheels kept theii
words within bounds.
" You see, Sir, Deacon Tucker he hahn
never been q strong man, and was always
rather behindhAnd with his farmin'. Their
they've had sight Of sickness. Two o.
the girls died Of consumption, and Mis-
Tucker she fell down stairs and hurt th(
spine of her back, so she has scarcely
done n days work since. One year tht
deacon's crops failed, and the next he llai
bad luck with his cattle dying; and so
what with sickness and all, he'd had Il
mortgage his farm, and II had only three
year more to run, and everybody reckonet
he'd have to lose II. Then Lymp she
said that never should be, for she shoult
earn the money to pay off the mortgage
She was eighteen then, and had done al
the work Of home pretty near since sht
could run alone. She went out spinning
a .-n,,sb - nav hAN fapl