National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-10-25
PATTY'S PLOT.


Loves me better than the whole world,
does he f'' SAID Patty Peronel, shaking
her brown tendrilly rings OF hair over
faded rosebud aud a knot of crumpled
ribbon. Oh | dare say but YOU see,
gravely addressing space, "lye heard that
sort OF thing before. Love must be an
awful epidemic nowadays. And all the
worlds a lottery and |, Tor one, don't
want to draw a blank. o dear, dear /.
how wish could really see into mans
heart How wish | bad any means OF
ascertaining whether Ralph Penrhyn really
cares for me. or whether he has heard
of Uncle Hutchnson's ten thousand
dollars. o dear me !, and Patty sighed a
sigh deep enough to stir all the ed CHINA
mon roses that were nodding their turhan-
cd crests at tie easement.
And then she jumped up, and went
about her business.
Which Glanced to be girl hunting just
then. Fcr Mrs. Maurice pero el, Patty's
cousin, was chroniCallv il the sudS. 50 to
speak, on the domestic service question,
aud our Patty knew the inside of every
Intelligence Office in town.
/" Its a cook this time, is it, Bessie 7
said she.
"A cook said Bessie. O. o, Patty,
Patty dont get married and go to house
keeping. 1t takes all tie romance out ol
one
81 don't know but what you are right"
Patty as>ented rohectively. And away
she went to the Intelligence office.
II H.. g.. v1,l, On this hot July day,
with the miscellaneous assemblage OF
forlorn teminity who are always seeking
situations, and like the lover in the
Mistletoe Boleh,' "iud them not.
Patty looked round obviously. She was
something Of physiognomlst, and she did
not exactly like the looks of the raw
material wherewith she was surrounded.
81 bad better hide my time little, y
she thought, and down she nestled into the
corner of prodigious sofa, to wait iwith
what patience she might.
" As she seated herself, the shrill piping
voice OF an old lady beyond made silence
vocal.
You won't do for me-" she said. " No
tollowers-that's my rule My kitchen
ant place for all the loafn' icllers in town
to smoke IN. Ask every body in Darling
vile, if YOU want to know what kind Of
a housekeeper Rachel Pcnrhyn is. Every
body in Darlingylle knows me. No fol
lowers, no ribbons, and no hoop skirts.
81 guess then, ma'am, You won't do for
me-" said the Mlesian damsel, with an
indignant toss of her Jockey hated head ;
"I don't 90 nowheres | cant have my
young man come and see me Of "a Saturday
night"
Patty Peronel listened with mischicy-
ously sparkling eyes and cherry checks.
This, tJen. was the eccentric Aunt Ractel,
of whom Ralph had often told her-'he
grim old spinster who kept house, all by
herself, in the quaint village of Daring
Vile. where the ems lined the streets IKE
creen-kirtled sentinels, and everybody
went to bed at hall-past nine O'Clock.
Very sudden resolves will sometimes
rush through our brains, lightning express
fashion, in a short space sf time, and
almost before the shril tones of Miss
Rachel, falsetto voice had ceased to
vibrate on the air, Patty Peronel stood
dipping odd l;tle courtesies before her.
/" II you please ma am, would SUI e
Miss Rachel elared through her moon
shaped spectacle glasses at the trim figure
robel in sober gray.
d" on cnlld !! quoth sne. my,
you're such chit OF thing ~
{" am nineteen, ma am
"What can you do ~
GA little of everything, ma'am," Patty
answered demurely.
/" What's your name Z"
Martha. ma'am, please"
Apparently the cross-examination that
followed was satisfactory to Miss Rachel
Penrhyn, for she finally told Patty she
might" come and try at seven dollars
month.
81 may 90 home for my clothes, ma'a
said PATTY. with dropping eyelids and
hands folded.
"Yes bat be sure you meet me at the
railroad station at four precisely"
Patty promised, and ran home to Mrs
Pclonel. -,
"Where's my girl o. demanded tn
matron. .,
81 haven't got any. Pm girl myself
Ressie-at seven dollars month, and
no followers -,
"What under the sun do you mean p
And Patty explained.
"Don't scold, Bessie-now don that
a darling. I'm Caliph Aaroun Alrasch'e
in disguise, that's all. 1t will be such fun
Where's my gingham dress, and the little
linen collars and the big bio aprons 70
nv bubble would burst altogether II
shouldn't meet Aunt Rachel at the station
at four o'clock precisely"
What a change it was, from the swarm
ing city streets, radiating scintillatlons o
heat from every cnrb-stone, to the oil
Penrhyn house, where the century oil
efms formed green canopy of shade, an
the clove-pinks and old fashioned blue
bells blossomed along the borders. An
Martha" the new maid, settled into tn
grooves at orce. as il she had lived all he
life under Aunt Rachel's roof-tree.
81 believe l a,n going to like this" sal
Aunt Rachel. But then, OF course,
new broom sweeps clean and I'm mos
afraid to believe in any one, since ketura
Smith experienced religion and then ru
away with my silver sugar-basin ]"