Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-03-31

There S no poverty like genteel pow
erty." her sister sighed. "But you
haven't heard my plan. Mrs. Barker,
the laundress, in our top story, is sick. :"
"What then? We have neither wine
nor jelly, nor yet crisp bank notes to
bestow upon her.
"And she can't keep up to her en-
gagements. There are two Swiss
muslin ball dresses, futed and pulled
beautifully, lying in her basket waiting
to be done up at this present moment.
Five dollars apiece she has for them"
"Well ?"
81 shall do them up"
"Nanny! You'll"
"Well, why not? Think what a
would be in our empty Golfers Ask
yourself how on earth you or [ could
earn ten dollars any other way. And
after all Swiss muslin dress is pretty
poetical sort of fabric to wash and iron !;
and into the bargain, poor Mrs Barker
keeps her customers"
"Oh, Nanny. have you con to
that?"
CHOW, you look and talk exactly like
dear old grandmamma Don't be q
goose, Minnie just you invent some
story about my promenading in the
park, or taking lessons i'll wax flowers
making to delude her c-edulous soul,
while l coup stairs and coin money"
but I may help your
" BY and,by, perhaps, If my wrists
' with grandmamm = x
cit is very strange, said Miss Georg-
iette Appleton, 'sthat my dresses haven't
come home! Positively, [ shall have
nothing to wear tonight"
She was lounging before the sea- coal
fire, in a blue silk neglige, trimmed
with swan down, and little French
tangle of blue ribbons and lace pinned
among her yellow tresses, with pearl
headed javelin, while q novel lay in her
lap.
"What an awful CASE" observed the
brother carelessly. "Where's the anne
thyst silk?"
"Oh, wore that to their last recep-
ton"
"And the pink crape?"
81 look like an owl in pink. I was a
goose ever 10 guy UudU SILK.
''Ihe Nile green silk with white
founces?"
''Sarah Howard has one just shade
lighter that she'll be sure to wear, and
I believe tho spiteful thing got it on
purpose to kill mine. No, must have
the Swiss muslin with knots of blue
corn flowers, and Roman sash figured
with gold. And you'll go around to the
laundress, and hurry her up little,
won't you, George? that's duck of a
brother!-and you know perfectly well
you've been yawning your jaws off the
last three quarters of all hour"
"Where is it?''
''Only in Mendenhall street-just a
pleasant walk. And to give Mrs. Barker
a scolding, and ask her if she don't
know better than to keep her customers
waiting 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 a relief to my
mind !"
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
othor source of perplexity handsome,
which wasn't so puzzling!
And SO he sauntered along, his hands
In his pockets and a cigar balanced be-
tween his lips, unconsciously advanc-
ing to meet his fate.
Rap rap rap! The Major played
q tattoo with his knuckIes on the door,
''Dear me, what noise," said voice
inside. "Come ina little louder.
The Major walked in to confront, not
wrinkled old bag of washerwoman in
halo of soap and steam, but beauti-
full young lady, dark and brilliant as Cd
Arabian dream, with jetty curls pinned
back in a silken cascade at the back of
her head, and pair of futing scissors in
her hand.
Major Appleton started back, all his
wits momentarily deserving him. It is
curious fact that the more embarrass-
ed one party in tete-a-tete becomes,
the greater is the composure of the
other Annie Brighton should have
colored and suffered at being caught
| thus, but she didn't.
"What's your business, sir?" she
asked, with the greatest calmness.
| "It's-about my sisters gown-Miss
Appleton's you know %
And she took second pair of futing
scissors from the stove, testing it's heat
by holding it dangerously near her vel
vet cheek.
Major Appleton, being posted in ct
iquette and general decorum, saw NO
harm in carrying home basket of new
ly-laundried clothes. So he sat down
and waited, while honest Mrs. Baker
started from the other room, where she
lay upon her bed-a captive to rheumat-
ic pains.
"She's in hurry, you know" said
the Major, twirling his thumbs, and
thinking how very pretty the girl was.
$50 am I, said Anna, making the
futing scissors glide in and out in 8
most marvellous manner among the
clouds of sunny muslin.
"She wants to. wear it, added the
Major.
But I say you-know-you're not g
regular WasherwOman ?"