Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-06-24

WenC through. lTOiu IuC CiiuC ~ SuloiS l
the mill in great fluffy bales till it goes
out in smooth white muslin. l think
the proprietors took me for dry-goods
clerk or politician. Ibecame 80 learn !
ed that knewall the grades from paper
cambria to sleeting, and discoursed
upon the tariff and the necessity OF pro- |
tecting American manufactures like a
member of congress. l even made re-
searches into tie art Of bookkeeping. |
And all. Jack for the sake of a pale,
little factory grl with blue eyes-I. the
last of the Valderburgs! How l used
to lean over the great, gawky ink-stain-
ed desk and watch the small figure in
the shabby alp.ca frock! How l used
to intercept tie little girl on her way
back and fortl to the great mill, and
watch her bluh when her great blue
eyes met mine.'
"Had you made up your mind to
marry her?"
"God forgive me, had not thought
about that"
| "You scounGel."
s'Ask Pearlie if 1 am scoundrel,
Jack"
II have no Goubt that she worships
you, you most unworthy wretch. She
looks just like s,ch sweet foolish little
darling"
"Don't force me to call your attention
to the tenth commandment again"
go on"
81 am ashamed to confess it, Jack,
for two hours in my lifeI was a villain
only two, though, and am thirty-five
years old the proportion isn't SO bad, is
it? One morning it dawled upon me
all at once the mischief 1had been do
ing, and that very hour told little
Pearlie l was going away, ind bade her
goodbye"
'What did she say?"
'.Not word only put her little hand
in mine for moment, and lurned back
to her great ledger with brave look,
like the true New England girl she is.
Then, Jack, 1 knew myself to be a
scoundrel. But there was the imperial
Judith waiting at Saratoga, worthy
mate for the heirs of all theVaaderburgs.
cat four that afternoon jumped
aboard the train westward. The mills
were two miles below the station, and
we must pass them on our way. My
heart ached terribly when thought Of
the sweet little girl was leaving behind
me, and chose my seat in the car 80
that could see the great building as
we passed it,and perhaps catch glimpse
of her.
LAS we neared it there seemed to be a
great hustle and cenfusion-people rum
ming hither and thither, women scream
ing, and the clouds of steam and smoke
that usually t1oated around the building
seemed increased a hundred-fold. A
curve in the road brought US full in front
of the mills, and in a moment saw that
, the largest of them, the one where my
little Pearlie spent her weary days, was
7 on fire. Dense clouds Of smoke, min
gled with tiny tongues of flame. were
: issuing from the windows, frightened
operatives were rushing from the burn
ing building, tramping each other under
foet in their mad haste, and the whole
; scene was one of unutterable horror ant
dismay.
; "The train was stopped. In momen
we were all on our way toward the burn
: ing mills; l was among the first. All!
Jack, think of what felt when heard I
: terror-stricken group of men crying out
where is Miss Smith? She is nowher
to be found.' She was known to hav'
been in the office, when the alarm o
fire was given, and had not been seel
' since. One prayer for safety from tn
lips all too unaccustomed to such exer
u cises, and was in the midst of the burn
ing building. Up the stairs rushed
!; like a mailman; burst through the doc
of the office, and there, with her hand
y clasped, and her head lying on the ope
y page Of her ledger, lay the girl loved
q In !. moment had my coat of, ,wrappe
it over her head, and clasping her a
e closely as l could, lest these demonia
u darting tongues of flame and falling cir
e ders should touch her, l carried he
y down the burning, cracking staircase
Il safe into the fresh air. What chee
e. they gave us, Jack Then there was
Is rumbling sound, crash, and myriad
'r OF sparks wens shooting up like stars in
~ to the smoke-elouded air.
! 'sBut i do not remember anythin
=, further until woke up and found my
10 10 self in bed, with little hlue-eyed nurs
!" w bending over me, with tender hands, on
~ u of which kissed and captured and neve
~ lost sight of until | had decorated
"a :" with wedding ring. One day, Jacl
u u when we were first engaged, aske
" why she made no attempt to get out
~ ~ the mill when she heard the cry of fir
ID What do you suppose she told me
IN That 1 had gone away, and she thougl
~ =. it would be easier to die there in tt
ha fire than to i've her life without m
Id Id Think of it, Jack. Just fancy the ia
~ ~ Judith allowing herself to be burned
~. death because her lover had lett ne
All, my littls wife; my country dais
mr. | wish you could have seen her WHIT
GSf brought he home, so frightened at b
" magniiicence, so overawed by the grin
ut visaged Duthmen looking down fro
- their perchs on the drawing-roo
cs walls. l was obliged to reassure her
I'D telling her tlat if she persisted in beiI
~ y; so frightened, would have to dispo
ha of my ancetors as Charles Surface di
% q Fancy the first settlers knocked down
nd auction, somuch per head.
n~ The fir, had burned all recollecti'
~ of her outoi my head. The pride
10 the Knickeibocker had also disappear
nv m in the flames, and when had learn
M, my little Pearlie's sad and simple hist
h;s M ry, l think loved her all the better
for her humble nameless birth. Her moth
,bt was farmers daughter, who marri
an Il strolling vagabond by the name
p.r oIllJu. Dllc sllLeEWdEu udu lcaSOu
NJ think the name was assumed, but 8
aId clung to him faithfully until he W
found drowned in the mill pond o
ax day and ther she died herself in givi
.sd c birth to Pearie. or Margaret, as th
ext I called her. Judith, friend Jack, 81
lIs retains her maiden estate. though s
ma replaced me II two weeks by 4 Fren
Elk count. Now ii you were locking
~, for wife,
.;a Don't, nv boy. Are there no MT
Ia burning millsin New England? Tho
tba blue eyes haunt me. 1want to see th'
in again.
sod m Il don't know whether I'll let yol
o~ "Hark isn't that a baby's cry?"
- "Of course it is; Il bouncing your
on ster, the honor of whose paternity
vas claim"
ee. es Lets go and take a look at him."
.l ,al, "All ri ght / don't mind your adm
ok ing the child
ths Arm in arm they go up stairs wher
tho little woman who is not knlckerbO
er, kneels in maternal alteration bef'
mid the cradle of a young tyrant who is.
way
red Wilmington Herald thinks 1t
one found IN antidote to the corruptions
nd Washington when it SAYS: .'Co
ess- down to plain living. such as exis
her under the regime of the democra
,ale purge the offices of every fast and
vio- travacant man, taboo every one kno
Al.