, 1877-10-26
That Clerk.

"Only think of It'll A clerk! A sales
womanp sIt seems 10 me I'd have
worked nv fingers to the bone in some
other way before would have come to
that" said Lizzie Doyle, going to the
mirror and re-adjusting twentyEdollar
hat. :,
$50 would l. But then, what could
she doin :,
aAt least she might have made herself
a little less public. If there's anything
I despise, it's these saleswomen "
$50 do l. How much better it would
have been to have gone into dress max
ing, or millinery, or something OF that
sort. But to stand behind the counter
like manp ~ E.,
"Paps always did like those Stanleys,'
said Lizzie Doyle, petulantly.
eyes, we all liked them well enough
until Mr.. Stanley failed, didn't we9"
"No, not I, for one. Laura was al
ways too independent in her notions.
Don't you remembef how hard she stud
led lat school9 1t does seem as if she
foresaw her fathers failure"
"I wonder she didn't try for some bet
ter position, then. She is surely capable
of being something better than a shop
girl" lt. tsiiS Dt = 4tia
"Oh, I believe papa intends to pro-
mote her when Mr., Jobley goes West.
She will then take Mr., Jobley's place as
junior bookeeper. Think of that for a
womanp'
"That would be better than selling
goods. don'tsee how she can do that
with her refined tastes. Why don't she
give lessons, l wonders. 1t might not
bring her in quite so much money, but it
would be a deal nicer" ----..-.-.-.-
"Yes, and then we could recognize
her." said Lizzie Doyle.
"Thats what was coming to, was the
quick reply of her companion, small,
sallow-faced girl elaborately trimmed
and flounced. "How are we to treat her
now2 We have been great friends, you
know--that is, when she was in our set
she added, seeing Lizzie's brow darken.
''I'll tell you how I shall treat her." re-
sponded Lizzie, slowly drawing on pair
of perfumed, three-button kid gloves
"precisely as I treat all of papa's clerks
And should like to see any one of them
presumed
"Oh, but Laura won't presumed! You
needn't be afraid of that; she's toe
proud" a
"She must be-" said Lizzie, sneeringly
''to take that positionl Ishall not notice
her,"
"But how can you help it when you g
to the store or TO church2 She sits 81
near to us you know"
"Of course she'll give up that pew. Sh,
can't afford that" rw
"That's precisely what she does no
mean to do. ! heard her say that tn,
family must economize somewhere els,
and keep the pew. Her mother is hare
of hearing, and could not enjoy the ser
vices further back. The children, too
must go to church. That is the las
thing, she said, one ought to give up.
heard her say this TO yourfather last Sun
day
show provokingl" said Lizzie, impa
tiently. "she will always be in our faces
But shall have nothing to do with her
know what it's for, the artful mink =
it's to keepnear us. She knows she's go
into papa's good graces; and Al, too, ad
mires her. / don't see what there is
though, to admire. She's very plain
'Laura is no beauty" was the reply
"but don't think he's so very plain
She certainly has lowered herself, though
by going into = store" And thereupoI
the two girls went out for their walk.
II was near twilight Of that same da
when Laura Stanley walked briskly hom
and entered the neat two-story house {
which her mother had lately remove,
such Of her household effects as had bee
spared by the auctioneer.
"This is really pleasant she saic
sinking into chair that had been draw
near TO the glowing CRATE.
II had no idea, mother, that you woul
so soon make the house so home-like an
comfortable"
"Are you very tired, my deari" aske
her mother, pretty, refined-lookin
woman, as she helped her daughter I
take of her cloak and hat.
"Rather, but l like the business; an
it's fine place for the study of chara,
ter" she added, with a curl Of the Ii