The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-12-30
D e B.

Tho solemn bell was ringing the mill
girl in by broad sunlight one noon.
when there clme knock at the door,
and behind it the young lady of whom
heard. Deb was startled by the knock,
and frightened by the Young lady. 1t
was not often that visitors came to Brick
alley, and it was still less often that
Brick alley had visitor that knocked.
This was young lady for whom Deb's
mother did fine washing Deb's mother
wiped her hands and placed chair, and
the young lady sat down. She was
straight lady, with strong feet, and long
brown feathers in her hat, and soft
brown gloves upon her hands. She had
come, she said, with that Cluny set, she
found she should need for party this
very night indeed, she was in so much
haste for it that she had hunted Debs
mother up-which was matter of some
difficulty-as she never had the least idea
where she lived before, and how crooked
the stairs were But the lace was very
yellow, as she saw, and would she be
sure to have it done at nine o'clock to-
night2 and
And then, turning her head suddenly,
the straight young lady saw poor crooked
Deb in her high chair, with wonder in
her eyes.
81 wonder if I frightened her."
thought Deb; but she only wondered,
and did not speak.
els this your
eyes," said Deb's mother, "the
eldest. Fifteen. I'll try my best,
ma'am; but I don't know as ought to
promi'e e." She spoke in business-lilke
tone, and TUNED the Cluny lace-a
daiuty collar and pair of soft cuffs
about in her hands in business-like
way. A breath of some kind of scented
wood struck i'll little gust against Deb's
face. She wondered how people could
weave sweet smells into piece OF lace,
and if the young lady knew; or if she
knew how much pleasanter it was than
the onions that Mrs. McMahoney cooked
for dinner every day in the week but
Sunday, upon the first floor. But it
gave her quite enough to do to wonder
without speaking.
Fifteen !" repeated the young lady,
standing up very straight, and looking
very sorry. Chow long has she been
ike-that!"
"Born so," said Deb's mother; " she
has jest set in that chair ever since she's
been big enough to sit at all. Would
you try gum on these, miss Z"
"But you never told me you had a
crippled child !"
The young lady said this quickly.
"You have washed for me three years,
and you never told me you had Grip
pied child -
/" You never asked me, MISS" said
Deb's mother
The young lady made no reply. She
came and sat down on the edge of Deb's
bed, close beside Deb's chair. She SEEM
ed to have forgotten her Ciuny lace.
She took Deb's hand up between her
two soft, brown gloves, and her long,
brown feathers dropped and touched
Deb's cheek. Deb hardly breathed, the
feathers and the gloves, and the sweet
smells of scented wood, and the young
lady's sorry eyes-such very sorry eyes |!
were so close to the high chair.
"Fifteen years!" repeated the young
lsdy, very low, SIN that chair-poor
little girl But you could ride" said
she, suddenly.
"I don't know, ma'am," said Deb.
81 never saw anybody ride but the
grocer and the baker. I amt like the
grocer and the baker"
"You could be lifted, 1 mean," said
the youtg lady, eagerly. "There is
somebody who lifts you ?"
" Mother sets me, generally" said
Deb. "Once, when she was very bad
with lame ankle, Jim McMahoney set
me. He's first floor, Jim McMahoney. Z"
ST shall be back here, said the young
lady, still speaking very quickly, but
speaking to Deb's mother now. "In