Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-04-27
G z r TIE

Tracy" questioned Gertle, looking doWn al tnt
shining folds of the costly ball dress which, lay
in her lap.
80. I'm moi at all fearful upon that point
And please be punctual, for must have II by
nine, without fail"
''You shall not be disappointed"
Thank you. Good morning"
''Good morning" And Gertie sighed wear
ilv as the handsome carriage with its shining
horses rolled away.
Two years before Gertie's father had occu
pied as proud position as Jerome Tracys
but reverses had come, and, followed by tn
commercial panic of 1S-, Mr.. Marchmnt ha'
gone down in company with many others rich
er and more influential than himself. Hi
health, which had never been robust, gave wa,
entirely at the shock, and two months after
ward they laid him to rest in the family lot IL
Greenwood.
After the fathers death everything was sold
and the widow and orphan found themselve
with but few hundred dollars with which t,
Icommence the battle of life.
In her prosperous days, Gertie and Bell
Tracy had been quite intimate. 1t was ''Ger
tie" and ''Belle" then; but circumstances hat
changed all that, and now Belle found 1t mucl
more convenient to address her former associat
and present dressmaker as Miss Marchmont,
and Gertie, taking the cue from her, FOLLOWED
her example.
Gertie was high-spirited, independent littl
Ilady; and when her former companions ne
elected, and finally left her out altogethe
from their invitation lists, she endeavored by
patient industry and the loving care of he
darling mother to forget that she had ever beer
one of them.
And when in the course of time these self
same friends patronized her in her new char
acter of dIessmaker, there was not one among
them could find cause for offense on account o
familiarity on the part of their employee.
Society thought itself worthy of great com
r,endatien in its treatment of the orphan ant
widow, for ''could they not get their dresse
made without having to drive to such heath
enish place as that in which the Marchmont'
lived?" But then ''one pitied poor Gerti'
Marchmont so much, under the circumstances.
And society smiled and was complacent. L
was strange that none of these benevolent one
thought of showing their compassion and in
terest in other ways than by merely giving he
employment; for Gertie, possessing great skill
and taste in the matter of dress, was really al
acquisition to them.
But so it Was, and Gertie found herself il
her Strengthened circumstances, and at a tim,
when she most needed the sympathy of friends
excluded from the circles to which she haC
been accustomed from childhood.
And Gertie was thinking of all this as sht
sewed busily, her slender brows drawn togeth
er as though in pain. She was in pain to-day
her head ached fearfully, and she felt SO Ian
guild and feverish, and withal SO low-spirited
Perhaps the depressing atmosphere of this
gloomy November dag had something to dc
with it. But between you and 1, reader,
think it was the associations connected with
this particular day, rather than mere outside
influences, which had the most to do with it.
"What is the matter dear? are youill?" asked
her mother, just then entering ther room. ''Had
you not better lay aside your work and rest
awhile?"
'.No, mamma, must finish this dress to-day,
and have a lot to do on it yet But my head
aches terribly"
Mrs NJ. looked searchingly at her daughter
for second, then signing sat down TO side
table on which lay pile of unfinished work.
''If only had this work finished, could help
you little"
Oh! no, mamma dear, do you think for one
moment would not let you worry your dear
old head over all these puffs and ruffles and
laces? No, no; it is enough and too much for
you to be compelled to do plain sewing" said
Gertie, decidedly. Presently the rain, which
had been threatening all day, began to fall in
torrents. ''Oh, dear" said Gertie, ''Pm afraid
it is going to rain just about the time I'm to
take Miss Tracy's dress home. 1t is seven o.
clock now, and just see how it pours."
b swell, dear, as the dress must go, and JIM
mie is sick, l suppose if you take an umbrella
and wrap up well you will not get very wet"
Mrs. NJ. spoke hopefully, but it was easy to
perceive the anxiety in her heart.
When eight o'clock came, Gertie stuck the
last stitch in the dress. She folded it careful
ly, and, donning her waterproof and overshoes,
took the umbrella and went out into the rainy
night, bidding her mother not work too hard
while she was gone.
And while she is gone let us see what it is
this day brings so visibly to the minds of both
mother and daughter. We will put on our
cloak of invisibility and peep at one of the
back pages in Gertie's book of life.
In the elden days Gertie had met and loved
Harold Eversly and was loved in returned
Harold was young man of pleasing address
and considered very handsome; the only child
of wealthy parents, talented, and a physician
in prospective, he was great favorite in So
ciety, and many maneuvering mammas and
manageable daughters sighed disconsolately
when it became generally known that he was
paying his addresses to Gertie Marchmont
Just two years before this very day Harold
has asked her to be his wife, and she had told
him that should he remain unchanged and re-
peat his question on his return from abroad,
whence he was going to perfect himself in his
chosen profession, then she would gladly be
his wife.
And so he had gone, leaving upon her lips
his first and only kiss, which seemed now as
the memory of some blissful dream to her.
Soon after his departure their misfortunes
had come, and Geltie had nothing but the
thought of his love and constancy to bear her
up through all the bitter trials which had come
upon her; for what was the loss of money and
butterfly friends compared with the blessing
of such love?
But days had heightened into weeks and