The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-12-04
TIFFIN TRIBUNE.
Lame Hetty.

Lame Hetty.
/ am the foreman N large hOsier' s
establishment in New York. am
forty years old, and / never was par
ticulzrly handsome to look at. don't
suppose my manners are especially
fascinating either, for the girls most
ly called me, as / am given to under
stand, "Old Crusty," and "Bear." Z"
Not that mean TO be cross, but some
people haven't the agreeable ways of
others.
have sat behind the tall desk in
Tape & Buttonbell's nineteen years.
I've seen a good many phases of life
within that time, but the most curious
of all happened to myself personally
and this is precisely what L am going
to tell you about.
II wouldn't have had it happen for
five dollars" said Dennison.
Dennison had charge of the out
door department and lie came in, on
that wet, drizzly February evening,
to stand by the cheerful fire in my
room. we had not lighted the gas
yet the press and hurry of the work
was over for the day, and it was very
quiet and pleasant in the red shine of
the fire. 1 was sitting OH my tall
stool, biting the feather end of my
quill zen, and thinking-thinking OF
scarce know what.
"What has happened now ?" said /.
ats Lame Hetty," replied Denni-
son. "Fwo rolls OF work missing and
Hetty declares she brought EN- here"
laid down the goose-quih. Lame.
Hetty had been IN my thoughts, some
how, all that rainy twilight, Just as
people and things will take possession
of your brain st times, and you can't
help yourself.
A soft-eyed, low voiced girl, who
walked with cruIch, and always
wore delicate grays and dove colors.
l knew her from the thrOng because
OF the "tap, tap" of her crutch, and
used to speak TO her when l saw her
standing in the long line of girls who
waited on Saturday night, to deliver
their work and receive their pay.
t'Ten dollars worth of Shirts" said
DenBison-"order shirts, too, and that
makes it worse. Pm sorry for the
girl she has pretty face OF her own
and always liked her; but OF course
it's necessary to stand by rules. Lose
her deposit, and no more work."
''But suppose she pays for the mis-
sing work ?"
ut is not likely she'll do that" said
Dennison. 'frhis sort of girl seldom
has ten dollars saved up"
81 don't believe it's her fault, |
insisted 1.
''Sheis responsible, isn't she ?"
"Yes, but"
Just then Mr.. Buttonbell came in |
with great order in his hand, for a |
New Orleans house. I-looked at 1t. |
"We shall have a tight pull of it,
sir, to execute this, "saId 1, obviously. |
But it must be executed" said ne.
ItPut on all your hands. Turn on a /
'ull head of steam. It won't do to let
Peck q Patterson go to any other
slace."
And he BUSTED away.
Every unfortunate" said Dennison.
Lame Hetty was one OF our best
lands.n
Hetty Dorrance came the next
as usual, to receive work
and she had ten dollar bank-note i'll
ler hand.
"Some kind friend has sent me this
% pay for the last rolls of work, sir"
I2id she to me.
"You're in luck, Hetty," said I,
over a long list of figures,
md trying not to blush under the ear
lest gaze of her soft brown eyes.
"And Pm much-Oh, so much
obliged to him, whoever he is" she
.dded in q low tone. "But l can't
lse it unless-unless you think I am
"Of course do said 1, looking up,
It the quiver of her voice. 81 don't
relieve you would take a pin, Hetty.
I've known you for four years, and i
,elieve you are a good girl. It's an
awkward mistake somewhere but
here's not many mistakes my girl,
)ut what Heaven clears up in its own
rood time. Now take your place in
inc there is no time to be lost this
So the matter was settled /; but a
loud rested on Lame Hetty, some
low. Those who had been fast friends
before avoided her now the cosrser-
minded whispered and giggled when
he "tap, tap" of her crutch sounded
IN the floor.
"Oh, Mr.. Harvey" said poor Het
y, one day, when Jenny Warren, the
1roudest and prettiest of our work
iris, had declined to respond to her
modest bow, "It's very hard to bear"
"Wait, Hetty only wait" said 1,
"But it is breaking my heart" said
he. "They all think L am a thief"
"I don't, Hetty."
tI know that, sir. I should drown
myself, if at least one person in the
world didn't believe was innocent"
The winter wore itself away. The
Jusy season was succeeded by one Of
dullness and among
he names struck off the list was Hst-
y D0rrance.
"Once a thief, always thief" said
Id Jones, the cutter. "rd just as
oon that girl shouldn't work for u.s."
az would stake my honor abe is no
hief, Mr.. JONES'" said I, hotly.
"Well," retorted the old man, eau
iously, "It's necessary to curtail the
ist little, and it may as well be Het-
y as any one"
But Hetty Dorrance never came to
earn her doom. Day after day went
y, and the familiar tap of her ,
rutch sounded no more on the floor.
grew uneasy.
tPerhaps she is ill--alone--in wantr'
thought.
And the more / pondered ON the
natter the more uneasy l felt.
''Perhaps she is dead !" ,
And with that last, overwhelming
bought came the fun revelation of
ny own heart
/ had grown to love,,Hetty Dorrsnce.
Well, why not? / could afford a
rife as well SIS most men. Hetty was
My q work-girl, and lame also
ut she had face like one of heav-
MS angels, and heart as white SIS
lily. OF that felt certain. Iloved {
should not marry her?
So sat down and wrote her little
ote, saying simply that loved her,
nd asking her If she could consent to {
ecome my wife-and concluded by J
aging that would call on the NOR !
ow 10 receive her answer.
Just as I had sent my letter of,
here came knock at the door.
"Mr. Haverly are you alone? Can !
speak TO you for one momentm
SIS that you, Helena Arden? Why I
thought you were married and gone {
) California ~ cried. -t-t IT .i
"I am married-to a spendthrift and I
villain ~ said she, with q little, I
oarse laugh; "and am going to Cal 9
iornia tomorrow: but l want to say I
word to you first. 1 want to pay /
ou for something"
"For what?p
THAT roll of work which pc 1ple &C. G
used Hetty Dorrance, the lame girl, Z
{ taking.n $40 -lf - 5-a {
Helena, did you take thst?" q
"Yes, she cried recklessIy," 1 took
!. 1 wanted money sorely then: the 1