The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-04-22
the bargain. poor Mrs. Barker keeps her


goose, Minnie, Just you invent some
story about my promenading in the park
or taking lessons in wax-howers making
to delude her credulous soul, while go
upstairs and coin money"
but 1 may help your"
"By and by, perhaps, if my wrists get
tired But now, someone must stay
with grandmamma-
at is very strange, said Miss Georgi
cite Appleton, that my dresses haven't
come home! Positively, l shall have
nothing 10 wear tonight"
She was lounging before the sea-coal
fire, in blue silk negiige trimmed with
swan down, and little French tangle Of
blue ribbons and lace pinned among her
yellow tresses with a pearl-headed jave-
lin. while novel lay in her lap.
"What an awful case!' observed the
brother, carelessly. Where's the anne
thyst silks"
"Oh, Iwore that TO their last reception.
"And the pink crape:n
81 look Ike an owl in pink was a
goose ever to buy that silk"
THE Nile green silk with white
fiounces:'
Sarah Howard has one just shade
lighter that she'll be sere to wear, and l
believe the spiteful thing got it on pur-
pose to kill mine. No, l must have the
Swiss muslin, with knots OF blue corn
flowers, and Roman sash figured with
gold. And you'll 60 around TO the laun-
dress and hurry her up a little, won't
you, Georges that's duck OF a brother
and you know perfectly well you've
been yswning your jaws of the last
three-guarters of an hour"
Where is it,"
only in Mendenhall street-iust
pleasant walk. And give Mrs. Barker
scolding, and ak her if she don't know
better than TO keep her customers wait
ing-although, of course, know you'll
do nothing of the sort. Men have no
moral courage. There's the address on a
card. It'll be such d relief 10 my mtndw
Maj. 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 NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.,
which wasn't so pulling.
And so he saunlered along, his hands
in his pockets and cigar balanced be-
tween his lips, unconsciously advancing
to meet his fate.
Rap! rap! rap! The Major played
tattoo with bis knuckles on the door.
Dear me, what noise!7 said voice
inside Come ina little founder.
The Msjor walked in to confront, not
wrinkled old nag of washerwoman in
halo Of soap and steam, but a beauti,
full young lady, dark and brilliant as an
Arabian dream, with jetty curls pinned
back in a silken cascade at the back OF
her head, and pair OF iutiPg scissors in
! her hand
Maj. Appleton started back, all his
wits momentarily deserving him. 1t is
curious fact that the more embarrassed
one party in a tets-a-tste becomes, the
I greater is the composure of the other.
/ Anna Brighton should have colored
and suffered at being caught thus, but
she didn't.
whats your business, SIR" she asked
with greatest calmness.
"It's-i's about my sisters gown
Miss Appleton's, you knows"
All" SAID Anna. Il hope to have it
ready very soon. II you'll wait ten
minutes you may carry it home"
/ And she took a secO1d pair of fluting
scissors from the stove, testing its heat
by holding it dangerously near her vel
vet cheek.
Maj. Appleton. not being posted in
etiquette and general decorum, saw nc
| harm in carrying home basket of new
/ ly-laundried clothes. So he sat down
and waited, while honest Mrs. Barker
started from the other room, where she
! lay upon her bed-a captive to rheumatic
! pains.
she's in a hurry, you know" said the
| Major, twirliEg his thumbs, and thinking
how very pretty the girl was.
So am l." said Anna, making the
tiutting scissors glide in and out in a
most marvellous manner among the clouds
of sunny muslin.
"She wants to wear it," added the
Major.
But say you-know-you're not a
| regular waSherWOmans"
Anna slightly Strengthened herself up.
My father was Colonel in the regu-
lar army. My gr: ndfather was Hyde
Brighton, of Brighton Manor, on the
Hudson. Bat We are reduced now, and
we need money; and l am not ashamed
to work
"By Jove, you're trump" said Maj
Appleton, starting up.
Much obliged to you,' retorted Anna,
with sparkling eyes. Would you mind
holding the sash for me-just second,
while finish this loop?"
And when Minnie came up to see how
her sister was getting on, she found her
aided and abetted by the Major of cav
airy, who was heating the alternate pairs
of fiuting scissors after a most scientific
fashion.
dear me-" said Miss Appleton, when
at last her brother made his appearance,
" how long you have been"
Yes" said the Major, rubbing his
hands with an appearance Of great salts
faction, cit took US quite a while to fin
ish those last thirteen tiounces."
"Usl You don't hean to say that you
| helped the washerwoman:n
Yes, did, said the Major; " and the
! frocks are downstairs, and I'm going rp
/ for game of billiards" And as he went
he murmured to himself, Il thought all
| girls were alike, but l believe I've dis
covered one independent-one at last"
"Grandmamma, I'm going to be mar
ried.n
You, Nanny: Why, you are but
child"
Anna Brighton was kneeling beside
her grandmother's chair, and the fairy
godmother was stroking her curls with
one tremulous white hand, where the an
tique jewels shone like drops of blood
and scintillating sparkles of green fire.
I'm eighteen, grandmamma"
$50 you arei How time fiss Eight
cen years old. But who's the happy man:
We see no society worthy of ourselves,
Nanny, and"
I'm sure you will like him, grand
mamma. He is coming to pay his respects
to you tonight. His name is Major
George Appleton. He is IN the-the
cavalry, and he owns a house on Madi-