The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1874-01-21

to church on Sundays till evening ser.
vice because her shawl was shabby.
Lottie slid her hand into the pocket
where lay her little purse, but drew il
back again, telling herself that she
could not possibly go to visit Charities
friends meanly dressed and when thc
youngest child climbed on her knee and
frankly asked what she was going to
bring him for Christmas present, he
was set down again and SO sharply told
not to tease that Mrs. Wardc's mild
eyes were raised in surprise.
81 beg porden, mother" said her
daughter, coloring under the reproof
the look conveyed. 81 am afraid am
rather stupid this evening. What were
you saying about Robert? he is elected
pupil teacher at his school. OF course
re isl knew he would be he has
worked so Lard for it, dear, good boy p
and she ran across the room to kiss the
studious lad, who warmly returned her
| caresses.
"Then you're glad of it, Lottie? So
am I, only think mothers bothered q
bit about the books 1 shall want"
viii they cost much?" asked his
sister.
"Well, dear, it seems much to pre-
sons of our limited income" Mrs.
Warde replied. "And he must have
new suit of clothes. But hope to
manage it without running into debt, if
you can help me little"
Y E2lyttie did not speak, and her mother
thoughtfully added, "The girls will
have to do without the new hats I
promised them and baby's pelisse must
last another winter; and"
But here her daughter stopped her by
pettishly saying, ooh, mother pray
don't tell us of any more wants they
seem endless. How miserable it is to
be so poor; how sick of contrivances
and makeshifts you must be. I know
I am. And somehow the children al
ways seem to need;most when.one has
least to spare"
"I did not know you were in that
predicament, dear, Or would not have
spoken so plainly" Mrs. Warde re-
piled "but don't let it worry you, ="
she added, with the cheerful air that
covered q multitude of anxious
thought; eve shall manage very we'll l
dare say"
Lottie went away with her money
still in her pocket, but with a load at
her heart-half shame, half selfish i'll
humor-which was not lessened by
standing at the MERGERS window for
another half-hour before she went back
to Sir Johns. While her gaze was
fixed on the silk, her Jebellious spirit
was murmuring at the difficulty of her
position. It was so hard that she
should always be hampered with the
home-cares. Other young people could
spend their salaries on themselves,
while her purse had such constant calls
upon it that there was nothing left for
herself. And mother was not thought
full for her ; she never seemed to re-
member that girl of her age would
naturally wish to be smart, especially
when she visited persons in better cir
cumstances than herself.
Miss Dayton wanted some trifie
brought from her room that evening,
and Lottie had executed her commission
and was retreating, when the voice of
Sir John, who was reading the evening
paper, arrested her. "Dear me how
sad these cases are; one never knows
who to trust. Listen to this. Letitia :
''The confidential clerk of Simpson
Brothers abscounded last night. His
employers had had their suspicious
aroused by some circumstance or other,
and limited an intention Of looking into
his accounts. AS soon as he learned
this he made business in the country
pretence for his flight, and it is sup
pesed that he is on his way to America, ,"
To Lottie's strained ears every
word of this was horribly au-
dible, and the next minute she
was running down stairs, putting on her
hat and shawl as she went.
eff am asked for, she gasped to the
wondering housekeeper, "say that l
am in-that I have gone to my mothe:, s.;
but don't stop me-don't question me,
or / shall die"
But it was to the home of Austin
Crawley, fellow-clerk of Charles she
first took her way. She would not give
up all hope till she had seen him, and
heard his lips coAfrm the dreadful tale;
and as she went along she tried to COM
fort herself in repeating, "It cannot
be Charlie Morrison defaulter, fu-
gitive from justice-it is impossible!" I"
Mrs. Crawley herself answered Lot
ties knock, and her smiling, cheerful
face made the girl feel her own misery
grow sharper.
"No, Austin had not returned from
the city yet" che said. "Would not
Lottie come in and wait for him? She
was quite alone, for Mr.. Crawley had
been at smithsons' all day, taking the
place (she believed) of Charlie Mori-
son, whose absence seemed to have put
the firm very much out of their way.
There was nothing amiss, was there?"
she added, as she took a closer survey
Of the visitors face.
But her question remained unan-
swered, for Lottie was already hurrying
away. The last faint hope that the re-
port was dreadful mistake had per-
ished before Mrs. Crawley's placid ut
terances. Austin, the gay and careless,
whose snrendthrift habits had often dis