The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-06-16
The Countess's Revenge.
Oh advertise for hands p

The Countess's Revenge.
"Did you advertise for hands2'
The speaker was a sad faced delicate girl
in search of employment, and this question
was addressed to the presiding genius in the
office of one of the large Manchester fac
! tories where women are employed.
SCOT all we want" ansv cred the man
| thus addressed.
The girl turned slowly away, too sick at
heart to notice the bold and admiring gaze
| of one of the group of gentlemen seated
round the fire. She reached the street,
| and walked on as one in horrible dream
| cold, tired and dizzy, and fairly crushed
with despair. All that day, and many pre-
cedng ones, had she been exposed to the
pitiless cold in worn shoes and thin gar
ments, travelling through the streets in
fruitless search for work.
81 am one too many in the world" she
thought. "Why should | liver" and Wis
ions of the river and of herself taking the
fatal plunge which would end her troubles,
with half-formed resolution to thus end
| them, were beginning to float through her
mind, when gentleman, whose step she
had been too preOccupied to hear, stepped
up beside her.
"Pardon me, MISS" he said in a polite
but off-hand manner. IL believe you Just
left the factory of Gliding & Sons"
She gave a quick, slartl6 d look at the in
truder, and at sight of the handsome gen
tleman beside her she nervously scanned
her poor, worn clothes, and blushed scarlet
at her mean appearance.
Yes, she answered with sad dignity,
81 have just left the office. Have you any
business with me?'
&c hn
you know | was in the Office when you
applied just now, and came after you to
say can get you in the factory if you
wish"
"Wish it? Certainly, sir. You do not
know whot favor you are doing me-"
She turned her glowing face to him in
glad and eager surpii,e but before she
could find words to thank him, her over
strained nerves gave way, and she burst in
to a flood of tears.
The gentleman, who had been looking
into her eyes as if he would fairly absorb
their sweetness, felt extremely awkward at
| this, and walked on in silence beside her
| until she could control herself sufficiently
to speak. The girl, as an apology for her
tears, gave him an account of her success
sion of disappointments, and, by dint of
sympathy and kind questioning, he won
from her, her whole sad history, with
confession of the resolutions she had a.
most formed to destroy herself, and how
his coming dispelled it.
81 hope, then, the life | have saved may
at some time belong to me- he said, taking
her hand, and gazing so ardenty into her
face that she blusbed crimson. ~ think
should know how TO value it,
The next day saw Kate Wesley, installed
op pf tho hopHu in hllinua foptprx,
through the agency of William Gliding, the
junior member of the firm, and the young
est son of its head. Kate regarded with
the warmest friendship and gratitude this
man who had lifted her out of the fearful
| slough of despond in which she was sink
ing and ere long she returned TIE love
| which he avowed for her. Every evening
found him guest at the humble lodging
where Kate boarded with Mrs. Finn, a
poor but respectable widow.
He was so devoted in his love for her, so
lavish in his gifts to her, and so DESTROYS of
doing everything to contribute to her hap
piness, that she grew to look upon him with
almost worship. He had come into her
dark life like "A prince in fairy tale turning
| everything to brightness, and taking her
heart willing captive at once. To a ma
| ture like hers, love was life, and the object
of 1t became almost her deity, She obeyed
and believed in him almost implicitly, and
gave herself up to him body and soul; lis
tening in blissful trust TO his promises of
marriage as soon as he could, with safety
to his pecuniary interests, incur his fathers
displeasure by so doing.
| He took her from the factory and from
Mrs. Films, and placed her in luxurious
rooms of her own-made heaven to her by
his presence-w she lived his wife all
| but in name.
| During his absence she devoted her time
to studp, and made astonishing progress.
Gle shall not have cause to blush at my
| ignorance, when / am his wife," she
thought.
This was the state ct things when Kate
one day went to take her customary lesson
in music. She arrived at her destination
| rather early, aud the music-master being
Engaged with other pupils, she was shown
into the ~aiting-room.
The building in which the musc-mas-
ter's rooms were was divided into cham
bers of various kinds, and only a thin
board partition separated the room in which
Kate was shown from another set of cham
bers. She was no sooner seated than she
recognized the voice of her lover in CONVEX
sation with another gentleman in the ad-
| Joining apartment db sue WAS hetlel CLOSE
to the partition, every word of their con
veTsatiOn reached her.
"You see, VIII, said the strange voice,
''that comes OF fellow running wild over
every pretty face he sees, You seem to
have faculty for getting into fcTapes of
this kind
"But," said her lover, "this is deuce of
a scrape. She expects me 10 marry her.
"Why, have you promised her ?"
"Well, yes, ought to but of course
never meant it. I'm brought up rather
sharp just now My resources are all ex.
haus,ed, and the time is drawing near when
| ought fulfil my promise. I've put it of
so often that cant see any way ont of il
this time Come, old fellow, use your ln-
genuity and help me-"
"ls she pretty asked the stranger.
81 rather think she is. I'd like to see
You find one pretier.
"Would she pass for lady in manner
and education ~
Yet, she has been studying hard to i'm
prove herself, in expectation OF our marri
age, and has succeeded az well as one could
wish"
"why the deuce don't you marry heI