The Republican journal., 1876-03-23


without my breakfast, but can't 90 with
my sleeve flying in this style; and as for
pinning it, ! could pin Il board sooner -
and rising from my suppliant position. |
looked obviously out of the window.
"Conlound it all" ! said at last, ''if it
hadn't been tor that party, | should not
have lost that miserable little key, and
and''-but talking did no good, and sat
down on tie side of the bed to cogitate
Suddenly Il bright thought flashed
through my brain. Why couldn't | sew
a button on myself? | mentally congrat-
ulated myself on the brilliancy of my in
tellect, and began to consider the best
way of accomplishing the feat
knew that Mollie kept her work-bask-
ct on the little table near the fireplace in
the stting-room there ! was sure to find
thread and needles, thimble, too, as the
children say; and trusting to the fatigue
OF the girls to keep them in retirement for
some time to come. | softly opened my
chamber door, and casting no thought on
my somewhat startling appearance, stole
down the stairs and entered the sitting
room.
Once there, felt safe, and drawing the
piano stool up to the glowing fire, 1 sat
comfortably down, and began to investi-
gate the contents Of the dainty basket
with its bows of blue ribbon, which held
my sister Molles sewing implements.
With all my comfortable appearance,
however, had an uneasy and a singing
conscience. / knew in my heart OF hearts
that Mollie would not have allowed me
to touch her pretty basket for anything in
the world and my fingers, always awk-
ward and clumsy, seemed ten times more
50 when turning over the bright silks and
many -colored worsteds
| tried my very best not to tangle the
things, for intended if possible, to con-
ceal my raid from Mollie; but they, like
everything else on that particularly i'll
tated morning, seemed imbued with the
very spirit of mischief, and looked with
horrof, while my ears tingled prophet
ically, at the complicated, and, as it
seemed to me, inextrcable snarl of silk,
worsted, and thread Of every description,
which my prying fingers left behind.
At last | succeeded in drawing out from
the confusion which | had created, a
small needle book, adorned, like the bas-
ket, with inlinitesimal bows of blue rib
bon, from which | eXtricated a large
sized needle, and a very small-sized, gold
thimble; then with a last frantic dive at
a card of buttons which had shaken out
of one of the little bags of blue silk which
were attached to the affair, set the bas-
ket down on the floor beside me, and pre-
pared for work.
threaded the needle easily enough,
with the very finest thread which could
find, and then, after trying the thimble
on each of my fingers in succession, and
finally crowding it down on the only one
which it could be persuaded to remain on
(that being the last finger on my left
hand), | held the button firmly on its
proper place, and began to sew.
will drop the veil OF oblivion for the
next fifteen minutes Let it suffice to say,
thai at the end of that time had broken
the points off half a dozen needles, split
four buttons, and met with difficulties
enough to have discouraged any but the
hardest and most determined of mankind
was. however, nearly desperate by
this time, and looking tiercely at the
clock on the mantel, whose slender hands
pointed mockingly at five minutes to
eleven. held the fifth button on its prop
er place, now stained with drops of blood
from my lacerated fingers, and repeating
grimly the time-honored motto relating
to perseverance, began once more to sew
AT this stage of affairs | was aroused
from my labors by giggle, a veritable.
school-girlish gtggle, from the direction
of the door.
Now, if there is anything hateful to me
on earth-if there is anything which eX-
asperates me beyond measure-it's gig
gle; and as l had often told Mollie so,
pose to aggravate me, and determined to
treat it accordingly.
In my excited state of mind, lost all
sight OF my own treacherous and under
handed proceedings, and. man-like, was
only too glad to find some one whom
could blame for my broken engagement
and smarting fingers; therefore, without
turning my head or deigning to cast a
glance at her, commenced in digniiied
way, which sat badly on my coatless
shoulders-''I declare, Mollie, this is a
pretty state of things No one up in the
house but the servants, and the bell has
been rung already three times. | guess
that the next time ! take You to a party,
you'll know it, any way"
How much longer should have con-
tinued in the same strain l cannot tell.
for the insulting giggle turned suddenly
to a ringing laugh, which l knew never
belonged to Mollie, and wheeling around
wrathlully on the musc-stool, | confront
ed the intruder
To say that was humiliated, would
express only slightly the feelings with
which looked at the plump little figure
OF Primrose barley, in bright-colored
morning-dress, her brown eyes dancing
with merriment, her red lips smiling in
spite of her efforts to look grave, and her
dark hair bristing with crimplng pins.
II didn't know that you were here, Mr.
Elliot, indeed didn't" she deprecated,
beginning to retreat as she saw the ex-
preston on my countenance.
In order to explain this young lady's
appearance at that unreasonable hour, it
will be necessary to say that Primrose
Darley was my sister Mollie's best friend,
and the two girls were in the habit. al
though they lived not a dozen squares
distant from each other, OF visiting back
and forth to an alarming extent.
For the past week Primrose had been
VISITING MOlla for the nurnOSa of mutual