Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-11-14


aud ends you have, or the cheap goods you can
afford to buy? And that there is such being
as lady in taste and feeling without money r
but tonight, tonight insisted Jennie half
gleeful, half anxious. "What can do for to-
night Our old gray dress is too shabby be-
aides, when you wore it last, you creased the
'front.'"
''There is the old Victoria lawn. 1t is little
short"
"Aud my shoes /" interrupted Jennie, putting
ont foot on which the stocking was plainly wis.,
ible. 80, SIs why not give it up Hire a
room at once in some tenement house, and stand
in the door with the others-those women whom
you see arms akimbo and hair twisted up in a
hard knott Resign ourselves, and tell cur
friends that concerts, and eourtships and other
decencies of civilized life are not for-our i'll
come "
'Ihere is the old black silk basque" contin-
ned Harriet, as II she had heard nothing "The
ELK gaa never good but it Will not show 40
much ia the evening. You can take out the
sleeves and wear it as a sleeveless basque And
that three dollars that we saved
ave you saved for your shoes y inteipola-
ted Jennie.
Harriet put that aside with wave of the
hand.
az saw ladies' boots on Eighth ayenue--don't |
scream Standardization boot6-for two dol |
lars. Dreadful, know, but not 30 dreadful as
to show ones stockings. You must put your
best foot foremost or rather keep 1t out OF sight,
and pray that there be no wind. And you can
get lavender gloves to match the ribbon on your |
hat with the remaining dollar. "
~ will kee that said Jennie, doggedly, " to |
buy the ears and shout, and make myself the |
pig complete, that should be il 1 listened to
you-you, who have had no shoes in six months, |
and who limp on all the down-hill sides OF the
street because of those dreadful heels you, who
90 nowhere you, who staid ut home from the
paTsonage reception you give me that three
dollars that you have pinched oil ffom your
bread-and-bitter Never Ill stay at home
with you throwing her arms about her sisters
neck
I" Cannot you understand retorted Harriet,
" that this is speculation, and the purest self
| iBhness p Then she pushed her away, not un-
| gently though "Now listen. Since l must
speak out, that three dollars mean to invest in
| Messeps stock, with an eve to future profit.
| You are not woman of business. am l see
| SO clearly that | want words to express 1t,
that the income on which two starye viii support
one in luxury, when | am left alone"
| Jennie grew scarlet.
| ''As for that, it in all nonsense. | wonder you
talk 50. But if--say any thing did happen-o
Harriet you know very well where 80, you
| would go, too.
| "And there would be 4 clause in tho marriage
CEREMONY said Harriet !smillng slightly. II
cake this woman and her sister to be my wife.
| My poor little Jennie, my poor child, take your
| money and buy your boots. Indeed you must.
| II you don't go, will, and have them fitted on
| my own foot, little tight aud then shall lose
| my mornings sewing.
SO adiured, Jennie went. But Remorse kept
fast by her, aud Disgust half choked her.
"It is like numbering your neigh6or for two
of such meanness for yelyeteen boots and dol
lar gloves !" Nothing pleased her, She looked
at her Victoria lawn and its scant plaltlngs with
u sheer. ~ should wear placard, - 3D.
cheap on my back she observed. 'That il
what such suits are selling for" The old silk
waist was intolerable. She vowed she would
prefer a shilling calico, could she afford to buy
one. Tie wind was rislng-indeed, 1t was
sullen, cloudy afternoon.
~ shall look like hon on wet day. she told
, her sister, drawing on her right hand glove.
Just then the bell rang, and at the same instant
the glove split entirely across the back. She
glanced at herself in the glass Cher eyes were
red and the sunshine out OF her faoe), and turn
ed to her sister with an indescribable look.
''You have invested your three dollars badly,
my dear"
: Mr.. Messeps was waiting for her in the little
dark, horse-hair furnished parlor gloves and
: trousers cream color, coat and necktle perfect,
collar and studs. II anything was wanted to
complete the poor girls DEPRESSION 1t was the
J air OF fashion and prosperity that seemed actu.
ally to radiate from his handsome ana ehtlshed
self. All in moment she felt herself half starv-
; ed, az she truly was. pinched, woe-worn, awk'
l ward, Inappropriate; and advanced toward him
rather with the air of convicted felon, than
of the high spirited and cOquettsh girl she really
! was. MIR. Messeps glanced at her clouded face,
/ then at her Dress and started-at least to the
girls faucy-and subtitle, chilling re-
serve at once seemed to form itself between
them. He was daunted by her manner. She wa
az happy and comfortable as girl could feel il
! a high wind, with short skirts aud dreadful vel
! veteen boots, and one bare hand that will &c
y red and swollen resting conspcuousy on q gen
tleman's arm, and miserable consclousneHs tina
she Is every way at her worst. AS they nearel
I the corner they met Matilda Mason. She amileI
b knowingly at MIR. Messeps, took in Jennie, il
one long, woman's look, till her eyes reached tn
- ground aud started theatlicaly. MIR. Mesaep
Q | inafanttv lnokp1 down. At that moment tin
sullen wind, tearing up the avenue IN cloud
y dust, caught them, seized on Jennie's ligh
r skirts, wrapped them tightly about her ankles
. and held them there.
= Mr.. Messeps saw, the whole world saw, tn
velveteen boots
a 1t is hardly reasonable 10 suppose that, froI
o that moment, as Jennie told her sister, Mr. Mes
seps turned the conversation to velveteen boot
SO and declared that Curtius jumped into the gul
for no other reason than that he was caught in
pair of them or that Horatus refused to com
> Off the bridge, and preferred to fight the Who'll
u of Lars Porsena's army for the came reason
CT Nor is it credible that Thomas band played n
. overture on the same subject, az she furthe
u more insisted but that the unlucky incideI
n disturbed the whole evening, aud altogethe
" startled Mr.. Messeps out OF the declaration o
, which Mr. Messeps had determined, is only to
IN true He certainly liked Miss Mlfugua bette
's than any girl he knew But then Mr. Messep
o. lad been used to speak OF her US young LAD
OF of independent income. Now did young ladit
~ of Independent incomes wear VelVeteen boots
4 And, ii there was such income, on what d
~ she live? Mr.. Messeps felt much like ma
% suddenly arrested on the brink Of yawnin
pc chasm.
to And now one might have thought that fat
n had accomplished her worst; but IL that were az
o. fate had not consulted Matilda Mason. For
rn now occurred to that young lady to propose
with much artleesness of manner surpris
ne call-snrpfisers, MIR. Messeps, Miss Moblet, Mi
IL Mason, and Miss Sellnqups; surprises, Il
BIZ Misses Millfugus. II You are an evil-mind'
person, very possibly you divine her motiv
aH, For me, am innocence itself, and can not s.
as why this most unfortunate idea should have ID
re- them, not into tho little horse-hair parlor, b.
1t straight up the stairs. Motionng for silence
IN a little back room door she knocked. vol
Inn cried, "Come in y Miss Mason at that flu
80. wide the door, pushing Messeps ahead, wi
e. made a a step forward and recoiled, The unca
ls peted floor, the poor little bed, the few char
sx- were heaped with piles of what is called sho
M work. Miss Harriet ct was her night-that
m the night on which she always seen, attir
lst in the gray dress) stood amazed in the center
m the floor. Before the sewing machine in cali
pa sack aud SKIRT with sleeves rolled to tho elbo
Nv sat Jennie, in the middle Of long seam. At d
the silence that followed the opening of the dot
So- she looked up Mr.. Measeps recoiling, h
IN sisters struck" face, Matlda's malicious ey
md the embarrassment Of the other girls, compl
as hended it ON the instant, aud came forward.
ms tYes, she said, I" it is true We live in Il
ev- room. We are only allowed the use OF the ri
The lor by our landlady, who desires it should