The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-07-16


misery slowly creeping upon her. They
knew her at the mills. The overseer
himself knew. her, greeted her with rough
familiarity when the demanded work
almost as ifshe had right to expect
/ it. ~
What" said he. "Back again! Go
ing to try work for while,are you? Well
suppose we shall have to give you
place. There, go along and behave
yourself" And then he turned to the
owners eldest son, who stood by, and
spoke to him half apologetlcally, "She's
a rough enough customer he said "but
she can do work that few Of them are up
| to,and ifshe was steady we should be glad
enough to keep her at good wages. She
has worked here, off and on, ever since
she was girl, and handsome girl she
was, too--too handsome for her own good
as it turned out. !" a#
The woman was not in Phillis Denham's
room, and in the crowd that passed out of
the iron gates at the ringing of the sgreat
bell at meal times, it CHANGED that for
several days each was hidden from the
other. But at the end Of the week, in
going alone down the stairs one evening
Phillis found herself face to face with
the new conner. The woman started
back, with something like an oath upon
her lips, a flush, half anger, half shame,
REDEEMED her cheeks. Phillis whitened
perceptably, and drew back also,
straig htening her fine, slight form, and
holding aside the folds of her dress with
an unconscious gesture which spoke
words.
"1hee-Janet Ayres?" she said.
The woman laughed-a laugh whose
ergry, scornful sound had get an under
tone of miserable humiliation.
+ "Aye," she answered, "its me, Janet
Ayres! Has tia cwt to say agen it? II
tina bas,say it, an be done WI is-though
dunnot see how tina can help thysen agen
my bein' here
| Nor T. said Phillis and she looked
down at the creature with a sud ]en
sharp indrawing of her breath, a wild
light leaping into her cold eyes for one
instant, then dying out. wilt thou
me pass p she said in a curious, low
voice. 4 do not wish to harm thee
Janet Ayres drew back quickly, and
almost unconsciously glanced over her
shoulder at the great depth of steps below
them. Hahn her For that instant the
1pure, self-rigteous woman had actually
locked as if her last words might have
held desperate double meaning. And
it would have been easy enough TO harm
her, with that flight Of stairs below. A
touch would have done it almost. And
} less deeply wronged woman had reveng-
ed themselves In such ways before. But
stEe light had died out of Phillis
Denham's eyes, and she passed down the
st3ircases without another word.
She was even unusual pale and silent
the next day. The woman who worke d
near her noticed, indeed one of them re-
membered afterward, that she only spoke
once during all the hours of labor, and
his once was on hearing the name of
Janet Ayres from the lips of the woman at
the loom next to her own.
'Th' mesters ha'no rect to TAX such
oike nowts,' said the speaker, roughly
IF it were ma for tn cholld, poor little
wench--' H3 3trHH efH ~
Phll!is looked up with slight start !.
'Fiiend,'taid she, do understand thee
to say the woman has chld?' b
Aye was the answer. AS pretty a
little lass as any honester woman Nigh:
wish for-th'Lord help it! Three year
ovid, or theerabout. TIL parish owt to
TAX it to save it fro goin' its mother
gate
But though the matter dropped for the
time beirg,this was not the end af it. or
!. her way home that evening Phill;s met
1 | Il ffH H
{ with little adventure. One Of the
luxuries she allowed herself was abouque,
of common flowers, and she was passing
: down a narrow street, with handful
! of roses and sweet peas just purchased
when small hand, thrust through fencs
4 plucked at her gown, and the SOUND of I
n child,a uoinn - -------l ------L---