Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1873-07-01
The Factory Girl.

see III pictures. "A background Oh
superb bold mountain, all clothed
in blue-green cedars, with torrent
laundering down a deep gorge, and
falling into pillows of foam river
rejecting the azure of the sky and
a knot of houses, with church
spire at one end, and thicket of
factory chimneys at the other, whose
black smoke wrote ever-changing
hieroglyphics against the brilliancy
of the sky. This was Dapplevale.
And in the rosy runset of this bios
SONY June day, the girls were all
pouring out of the broad doorway
while Gerard Blake, the foreman,
sat behind his desk, a pen behind
his ear, and his small beady black
eyes drawn back, as it were, in the
shelter of precipice of shaggy
eyebrows.
One by one the girls stopped and
received their pay for the weeks
work, for this was Saturday night.
One by one they fled out, with
fretful, discontented faces, until the
last one paused in front of the high
rallied desk.
She was slight and tall, with large
velvety blue eyes, complexion as
delicately grained and transparent
as rose-colored wax, and an abund-
ance of glossy hair of so dark
brown that the casual observer
would have pronounced it black ;
and there was something in the way
the blue ribbon at her throat was
tied, and the manner in which the
simple details of her dress were ar
ranged, that bespoke her of foreign
birth.
"Well, Mademosele Annette"
said Mr.. Blake, jocosely nodding,
"And how do you like factory
life |" .fa-
at is not disagreeable," she an
swered, slight accent clinging to
her tones, like fragrance to flower,
as she extended her hand for the
money the foreman was counting
out.
"You have given me but four
dollars" she said. at was to be
eight by the contract"
Br. Blake shrugged his shoulders
disagreeably.
"Humph y grunted he; "you
amt much accustomed to our way
of doing things, are you, Mademo-
selle! Eight-of course; but we
deduct two for o fee"
"a fee For what :" Mademo-
selle Annette demanded, with flush
ed cheeks and sparkling eyes.
"For getting you the situation,
Mademoselle, to be sure," said Mr..
Blake, in a superior sort of way, as
if he rather pitied her lack of in
formation. "Such places don't
grow on every bush. And folks
naturally expect to pay something
for the privilege"
I did not y flashed out Annette
Duvelle.
"Oh-well--all right. Because
you know, you amt obliged to stay
unless you choose. There is plenty
of girls would be glad of the chance
of getting into the Dapplevale Cal
leo Works"
"Do you mean" hesitated An
nette, "that il | do not pay you this
money"
"You can't expect to stay in the
works." said Mr.. Blake, easily
hitching up his collar. "Yes ; that's
about the plain English of it, Made
moselle."
"But the other two dollarsl 7"
"Oh," said Mr.. Blake, "that's a
per centage the girls all pay"
"But what is it for e
Mr.. Blake laughed.
"Well, it kind o helps my salary
along. OF course you know the
girls all expect to pay something
every week for keeping their situ-
ations in place where there's so
many anxious to get in. You may
consider yourself very fortunate,
Mademoselle Annette, to secure so
desirable post"
All this Mr.. Blake uttered, in
slow, deliberate way, through his
nose. Annette Duvelle looked
scornfully at him.
"And Mr.. Elderslie 7"
"Oh, Mr.. Eldcrslie," repeated