The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-09-25
cIIAPrFR XVIII.

The health of Mrs. Hastings declined
so rapidly, that it was considered best
to hurry up the approaching nuptials OF
her daughter May and Mr.. Robert
Green.
How I should love to be near nv
mother on Mays wedding day." said
Alice TO Annie.
"Well, why don't you go?''
81 have no invitation, being only a
milliner,' you know. II I could only
feel that my mother could bear the ioy
and grief and modification that would
necessarily follow the discovery, I'd 90
TO her to-day and reveal my IDENTIFY
I'D risk it," said Annie, with a decided
toss Of her queenly head.
My more than sister, you know not
the thralldom in which a fashionable
woman exists. OF course, if 1 should
reveal myself, the Portsmouth world
would know all about it; my name
would figure in the papers; May would
feel that her prospects were clouded; the
younger girls would be ashamed of me
and no! no! l can't risk it until you and
l get rich enough to retire from busi-
ness"
"Do you think that time will ever
come?''
II don't know why it shouldn't. We
already have two thousand apiece in the
bank"
81 know, DEAR but that is a pitiful
sum, compared to income of fifteen or
twenty thousand a month, which your
father regularly adds to his already over
flowing Golfers"
81 think you're in an exceptionally
6luc mood to-day, my darling,r was the
only comment Of Alice.
Customers began to throng the store,
and soon the partners were outwardly
oblivious to all else, except the hurry
and worry Of accommodating old ladies
and young, ugly ladies and beautiful,
rich ladies and poor, ladies with business
airs and easily suited, and ladies whose
time hung heavily upon their hands at
home, and who, therefore, expended as
much as possible Of that belonging to
other folks, in the selection of attire
that might possibly create new fancies
in their fashion-spoiled brains, and new
envies in their folly-worshiping neigh
bors.
Annie had worked till sick and nervous
over an order from an imperious Gus
toner, whose worst dilemma arose from
the fact that she had no idea of her own
wants and yet refused to obey the advice
or profit by the suggestions of one COM
petent to teach her.
Ever Jealous to please, the weary
'aOdiste hard toiled till brain and body
were well nigh overcome, in obeying
this and that and the other suggestion,
as to modes of trimming and selection
Of colors; and at last, when the glitter
ing array Of fuss and feathers was COM
pleted, and the customer arrayed her
self in it, she stepped before the mirror,
and, giving a dissatisfied glance, pulled
the gauzy fabric from the top of her
frizzes with a jerk, and refused it al
together.
every well" said Annie with a falter-
ing smile; "but you have ordered the
destruction Of twenty dollars worth of
material, to say nothing Of occupying
my time for almost half a day to the ex-
clusion ofprofitable employment"
"Ioua here for this purpose, ma'am,
and you needn't expect to sell goods un-
less you please your customers. Good
day" and the man-protected woman
who chad all the rights she wanted"
sailed majestiealiy out into the street
with an air Of offended dignity.
Annie conquered her Indignation with
a strong effort of her will, and pressing
one hand upon her throbbing temples,
attempted with the other to wait upon
the next customer, neatly attired mat
70 with half-dozen little girls. The
husband and father, a tall, handsome.
imperious appearing man, stood look
ing on eomplaeently while the milliner
displayed an attractive array of misses
hats.
"Here," said Annie, "are a fresh lot OF
hats, made of woven fibers of the COM
mon buckeye tree. They are very cheap
only seventy-fve cents-but not very
durable The dew or sun or rain will
soon deface them, yet they are in con-
siderable demand forcountry wear. "And
here" bringing forward another assOrt-
ment, is fresh importation of Neapoli-
tan goods. These are very durable-can
be done up for next year-and are only
three dollars each"
''Let 'em have the six bit hats.u said
the father, authoritatively; "they're
good as any while they last.n
80 are steel-mounted harness. re-
piled the eldest daughter, a snriohtlv
girl Of thirteen; "but you thought they
weren't good enough for your horses
and so you bought q silver-moupted
set"
The mother gave her daughters a
meaning look which Annie saw, although
the father, from his position, standing
behind his wife, failed to meet it.
Instantly every little daughters face
was wreathed in smiles, and each ex-