The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1874-08-01
"Well why uot2 Think what a gold

en- stream of pactolus ten dollars would
be in our empty coffersl Ask yourself
how on earth you or l could earn ten
dollars any other way. And after all,
a Swiss muslin dress is pretty poetcal
sort of fabric to wash and iron; and in
to the bargain, poor Mrs. Barker keeps
her customers"
"oh, Nanny! have you come to
that?"
"Now you look and talk just like
dear old grandmammal Don't be a
goose, Minnie! just you invent some
story about my being promenading in
the park, or taking lessons in wax
flower making, to delude her credulous
soul, while 1 60 up stairs and coin
money"
'But l may help you?"
"By-and-by, perhaps, if my wrists
get tired. Not now; some one must
stay with grandmamma.
n \
"It is very strange" said Miss Geor-
giette Appleton, "that my dresses have
not come homel Positively, 1 shall
have nothing to wear to-nightl'
She was lounging before the sea coal
fire, in blue silk negligee, trimmed
with swans-down, and little French
tangle of blue ribbons and lace pinned
among her yellow tresses, with pearl
headed javelin, while novel lay in her
lap.
"What an awful fate!" observed her
brother carelessly. "Where's the ame-
thyst silk?"
ooh, 1 wore that to their last recep-
tion?''
"And the pink crape?"
81 look like an owl in pink. I was a
goose ever to buy that silk"
"The Nile green silk with the white
flounces?"
"Sarah Howard has one, just shade
lighter, that she'll be sure to wear; and
I believe the spiteful thing got it on
purpose to kill mine. No, must have
the Swiss muslin, with knots of blue
corn-fowers, and Roman sash figured
with gold. And you'll go around to the
laundress, and hurry her up little,
won't you, George?-thats duck of a
brother!-and you know perfectly well
you've been yawning your jaws off the
last three-quarters of an hour"
"Where is it?"
"Only in Mendenhall Street-just a
pleasant walk. And do give Mrs. Bark
er scolding. and ask her if she don't
know better than to keep her custom
ers waitlng-although, of course, 1
know you'll do nothing of the sort. Men
have no moral courage. There's the
address on a card. It'll be such a relief
to my mindl"
Major George Appleton was an army
officer, home on furlough, and rather
at loss to know what to do with so
much extra time. Rich, which was an
other source of perplexity-handsome,
which wasn't so puzzlingl
And so he sauntered along, his hands
in his pockets and a cigar balanced be-
tween his lips, unconsiously advancing
to meet his fate ''"
Rap! rapl rap! The Major played
tattoo with his knuckles on the door.
"Dear me, what noisel" said a
voice inside. "Come in!''--a little loud
er.
The Major walked in, to confront,
not wrinkled old hag of "a washerwom-
an, in halo of soap and steam, but a
beautiful young lady dark and brilliant
as an Arabian dream, with jetty curls
pinned back in silken cascade at the
back of her head, and pair of futing
scissors in her hand.
Major appleton started back, all his
wits momentarily deserting him. 1t Is
a curious fact thatthe more embarrassed
one party in tete-a-tete becomes, the
greater is the composure of the other.
Anna Brighton should have colored
and suffered, at being caught thus, but
she didn't. ....
"What's your business, Sir?" she ask
ed, with the greatest calmness.
"It's-it's about my sisters gown
Miss Appleton's you knowl"
"Ahl" said Anna. 81 hope to have
it ready very soon. If you'll wait ten
minutes you may carry it home"
And she took second pair of fluting
scissors from the stove, testing it heat
by holding it dangerously near her vel
vet cheek.
Major Appleton, not being posted in
etiquette and general decorum, saw no
harm in carrying home basket of new
ly.laundred clothes. So he sat down