The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-10-13

sure enough, after the manner of his
kind, lolling against lamp post and TAX
ing in the scene at leisure. No use wait
ing, even if she could have spared time,
nothing for it but to plunge ahead, so,
changing the purse to her left hand, al
ready over-filled by the tiresome Camp, u
she held her dress away from the mud
with her right hand and started across.
Suddenly double truck came noisily
round the corner, startling her so that
she jerked aside to avoid it, and rough
looking boy scudded past, ducking as he
went, and quickly disappeared in the
block beyond. Somehow, in her furry
trying to escape the horses, her purse
had slipped from her fingers, and, when
she bent to recover it, was nowhere to
be seen. Nervous and distressed, she
scanned the muddy stones all about the
spot, but in vain; it was not there, and,
impossible though 1t seemed, she could
only suppose that the boy who passed
her so quickly had snatched it without
pausing in his flight.
Cora went to work with heart like
lead. No amount of continuance or in
vention could make up to her for so Sc
rious loss. Things at home were from
necessity so closely calculated that a gap
like this could not possibly be filled, I'M
less by miracle; and the poor child
felt that to even tell her mother and sis
ter of it would be more than she could
endure. All down the weary rows of
fine tucking which she did that day her
tears fell fast, and only by the wisest
maneuvering could she hide her misery
from those around her. With wretched
pertinacity her vexed brain rehearsed to
her the possible scene at home should
she tell the sad story From her dear
mother, whom she tenderly loved, there
would be no harsh words, only face whose
perplexity and grief would be worse than
volumes of reproach, but from Hetty,
who was less considerate and patient,
would come a torrent of suggestions of
the fifty ways in which "a careful per-
son would have avoided such an acct
dent; then, too, she felt that as it really
was her fault she alone should suffer,
and before the hour for closing came
poor Cora had decided that the new suit
must be given up, and the rent paid out
of her slender savings. Having thus
resolved, sorely against her will, but in
accordance with her sense of right, Cora
arose from her machine and went to the
wardrobe to prepare for her walk home
While buttoning her waterproof, the
ugly old " Camp" standing in the corner
reminded her afresh of her misfortune,
and with childish irritation she ex-
claimed: "Ugh you horrid thing, if it
had not been for you | should not have
dropped my purse. 1t hasn't rained
drop. l never needed you at ALL" and
with tears of vexation in her eyes she
snatched her evil genius from its corner
and marched off home. Having reached
this haven she sought her room and,
opening the closet, flung the old UNI
brella into the farthest corner behind
trunk, determined never to own that she
knew aught of its whereabouts. On the
following day she paid the rent with her
own money, reserving to herself the right
to conceal her misfortune and so escape
Hetty's unpleasant comments.
A certain pair of handsome blue eyes,
whose approving glances Cora was par
ticularly ambitious of deserving, looked
anything but approval at her when one
evening, fortnight later, their owner
called as he sometimes did to take her
out to concert. She did look shabby,
and she knew it. The new suit which
but for her misfortune would have been
purchased and ready long before was
now postponed indefinitely, and feeling
her privation keenly as she did the look
she saw on the face of her escort was the
last drop in her cup.
Nat HaZleton was the clerk in charge
of the room where she worked, and hay-
ing fair salary, a home with his parents,
and good start in life, he was always
well-dressed, happy and good-tempered.
Every girl in the room considered him
handsome, and two or three openly
courted him.
Cora, being modest as she was pretty,
held aloof from all that sort of thing, and
perhaps that very reserve proved her
strongest attraction, for from the time
she entered his room Nat had admired
her and paid her special attention. Cora
having seen very little of the world, and
less of men, felt considerably tlattered
by this state of things, and thought that
the summit of earthly JOY would be
reached whenever she should become
Mrs. Nat.
Very early in their acquaintance she
discovered that her friend had an ex-
ceedingly high regard for appearances,
and it was the hope of gratifying his
taste which more than anything else had
stimulated her efforts to obtain a pretty
suit. Having failed through misfortune
rather than fault, she did wish he would
not be quite so quick to notice the shah
biness of her attire, the cause of which
she felt to be quite beyond her control.
Nat knew what she earned and won
dered why she did not dress better. At
first he thought it must be carelessness
and want of taste, then he began to sus-
pect her of stinginess, and Cora, sensitive
and sympathetic to fault, knew as we'll
what was passing in his mind as though
he had put it into words.
The concert was not success to them,
though the music was good for when
Cora had almost forgotten herself in the
enjoyment of favOrite song she was
suddenly recalled to a sense of her short
comings by the insolent stare of girl
whose handsome attire accorded but illy
with her underbred manners-a stare
which said as loudly as words could have