Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1872-05-11


"Forty dollars a MONTH" Mammals
faded eyes frightened. "But Corne-
LA Bydexter's maid" And her
countenance fell again. | could not
but smile.
ut will be no such terrible mat
ter, af er all, mamma. On the con-
trary, it will be lun. Cornelia is as
good-natured as she Can be, and you
know very well l am an adept in
hairdresslng, and lace mending, and
frill-Auting, thanks to the best of
mammas, who knows everything,
and has taught her daughters the
same?'
"But what would your papa say"
gasped mamma, hardly, as yet, real
ilizing the conditions l felt myself
grow pale.
"Papa! But he must never know.
We will keep your counsel, mamma;
you and / and Jeanette. All that
need to be told is that / am going to
New York with Cornelia Bydexter,
and that is true enough"
And mamma took me lovingly in
to her arms.
"Octavia, loughtwo ask to..this sacri-
fee from pou?"
"Nobody asks it, mamma; it is my
free-will offering. And oh, mamma,
could not look Dr.s sMortimore in
the face when l remember that his
bill has lain unpaid for six months!"
He looked up from lis books in some
And mamma, also remembered in
this sternest and most incontroyerti-
Gle of facts, had no more to say. d
ut seems SO strangs!' said Miss
. BydeXtor.
"The idea of your being my maid,
you dear little aristocratic-lookiug
thing! And you used to write all
my compositions for me at school,
too! Dear dearl Only to think of
it. Take care, Octayia, that bunch
LOT curles comes in first under the
trad, you know, AM how came
you ever to think Of it?
'Nonscnse?' | cried briskly.
The long and the short of it is that
I want money and you do not-so
don't let's say'any more about it,
Papa talked vain glorously of
'Fmy daughter in New York; Poor
Iapa. He had 50 little let TO be
vain gloriously about. Mamma re-
mained wisely silent, and lennette,
who was addicted to hero-worship,
firmly believed that her elder sister
was the noblest girl in the world.
While Dr.. Mortimore-at least, SO
| aiterward hearl-contracted his
brows, aud thought that people who
colud afford to send their daugter to
pass Winter at the Grand Hotel,
might attleast pay his moderate bill.
The month of March was wearing
itself away, and April sunshine was
pencilng the sky with golden threads
intrwoyen with crystal lines of rain,
when one day | astonished DR.. Nor
timoro by walking into his office.
surprise.
Miss HadleighI l supposed you
were in New York.
81 have returned with Mis- Bydex-
ter Next week we so on to Wash
ington."
Dr.. Mortimore made no SPOKEN
answer, but there was peculiar, in
scrutable expression in his eyes.
Was he thinking ofmamma and jean
nette on the tread mill of patient
poverty at home? Was he fancying
it Il modem edition of Cinderella
and the proud sisters? Involunta-
rally spoke with rising color and
tremulous voice;
"You are entirely mistalien DR..
Mortimore; but it's my province to
explain"
81 said nothing"
"But you looked n good deal.
please to interpret my looks,
he said, with an amused face.
My checks burned, and I bit my
lips with an undignifed anger. l
laid down a pile Of crisp, rustlln8
bank notes on the desk beside him.
"Be so kind as to receipt your bill,
sir"
He obeyedi in silence, and l walked
away, rs he afterward told nae, with
the air of an eighteon-year-old Slml-
ramis." And
The rest of Ms is in bold mas
cuiine handwriting, as different from
Octayia Hadleigh's delicate up and
down strokes as it is possible to i'm
aqiuo.
And, Octayia, to the contrary, not
withstanding, | slall take the liberty
Of finishing this confession ofter my
own fashion.
| called that evening on Miss By
dexter. The fair Cornelia WIS jubl-
liant.
81 mover ha apleasanter season,
she dcclared' 81 haven't be Il en-
noyel once. DC ayia is such charm
ing company"
"Sho is with you at present.
"Ob, yes. Sho's my maid, you
know"
"0ctavia Hadlcigh.-your msid?'
l must have Looked my astonish-
meat, for | saw it reflected in Miss
Bgdextor's face.
"NVhy, 10 be sure. Didn't YOU
know it?" And Miss Bydexter, who
was no adherent to the theory that
"silence is golden" poured cut the
whole story.
"Ot course wouldn't tell every
one" she said, rather guiltily, al
Remembering some hiCherto forgot
ten charge Of secrecy. "But l know
YOU would appreciate it--and she il
50 sweet, and they are so poor!'
"Is she at home?" I rsked.
"No; she has gone around to hel
Co4bor's Rut T ovDect her bncl