The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-04-08
TRIED AND TEMPTED.


making establishment moved more
closely to the window to catch the last
fading beams of light. 1t was a small,
ill-ventilated apartment, shabbily fur
nished and overcrowded with pale, tired
looking girls-but what then Madame
herself rolled in claret colored coupe,
and kept liveried servants to wait upon
her door; and who paused to think how
her money was madep
so, dear ~ said Grace Hooper, with
a sigh, " this Greek pattern is so puz-
zling, and my head does ache so hard
don't see why Mrs. Wharton wants
dress altered that she has worn but
once. Fine ladies are full of caprices."
"Give 1t to me, Grace" said Kate
Selwin; "I'll finish it,and you go home
to bed, unless you want to be laid up
with brain fever"
But what is to become of your
work, Katie ?''
"Oh, I'll take care of that-it's but
an hour or two's extra work, when's all
said and done"
Grace Hooper hesitated a moment -
she knew from experience how trying
was ian hour or two's extra work"
when brain, back and fingers were alike
wearied out. But the pain in her head
was increasing too rapidly for much re-
monstrance.
It's very good of you, Katie" she
said, meekly, land perhaps had better
go home"
Kate Selwin nodded pleasant "good-
bye" to the pale sewing girl, and began
the work of Mrs. Wharton's wine-color-
ed silk dress with busy, skillful fin
gers.
She was a tall, slightly made young
woman of two or three and twenty,
with rich brown hair wound round
and round the back of her head in heavy
lustrous coils, and large black eyes,
There was but little color in her cheek;
Madame Tournay's workroom had sto-
len her roses away long ago, but her
lips were as red as cut coral, and there
was an arch dimple in her rounded chin
and unwearying cheerfulness. Poor
Kate lit needed all her courage to meet
the stern realities of life, for even now
she was pondering within herself how
it might be possible to meet the land
lords demand for rent, already over
due.
" l cannot pay him any way in the
world" thought poor Katie; 4" but, oh
it would be very hard to be turned out
of doors in such weather as this: Why,
what makes the pocket so full ? Surely
Mrs. Wharton must have left some
thing in it,"
Kate Selwin drew from the pocket of
the wine colored silk dress an embroider-
ed handkerchief; but there was some
thing still remaining "a ten dollar
bill
The room was comparatively dark =
no one was observing the young seam
stress, and it was the instinct of the mo-
ment to slip the money into her bosom,
while her cheeks burned and her heart
throbbed with quick, irregular pulsings.
Some kind fate has sent it to me-"
thought Kate Selwin. " Mrs. Wharton
will never miss the money-she has an
without it, and to me it is
-bread-shelter 10
So Kate Selwin worked away with
feverish color, and hands that would
tremble in spite Of herself.
Why, Kate, how soon you have fin
ished it !" said one of her companions,
as she hurriedly folded it up and laid it
on the pile of completed dresses. "Grace
Hooper would have been two hours
about it.n
1t was late when Kate tied on her
worsted hood and went home, through
the chill and frozen streets, the ten-dol-
lar bill still hidden away in her bosom.
Home-it was but narrow room with
out fire or light, but it was all Katie
had.
She undressed hurriedly and crept
into her little bed; somehow she could
not say her prayers that night. Was it
the ten-dollar bill that stood between her
and the gates of Heaven ?"
Ten dollars. 1t was years since Kate
Selwin had possessed SO much money at
one time. To her it seemed almost un-
told wealth-and several times during
the night she started up, half fancying
that burglars were in the room trying TO
abstract the precious prize Such long,
troubled, fever stricken night! And