The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-08-22
WAS SHE UNWOMANLYg
BY G. A. WICK.

want of words to express her feelings.
Edna smiled, but she stitched away
quietly, as she replied
"I knew you would be surprised,
auntie, but I think a moments reflection
will convince you that 1t is the wlsest
course. have but one hundred dollars
in the world, and the furniture that was
left from the sale. It isn't much, but
with a few inexpensive additions it will
furnish the cottage DIR. Gray approved
INV plans, and he will rent me the place
yery reasonably. The grounds are
planted with fruit trees, currants, straw
berry. blackberry, raspberry, and grape
vines. and although they have been
neglected, careful pruning and training
will restore them, and they will amply
repay it in fruit Katy will stay with
me. and there is Widow Marks SON, a
strong, willing fellow, whom L can
hire"
"Good gracious, Edna! To think of
hiring man, the most improper thing
of ali. What will the people say ?" and
Mrs. Horton sank back npon the sofa,
completely overcome.
Edna answered coolly, as she kept on
with her work.
"I have as good right to hire a man
to help me, as DIR. Gray, a single man,
has to keep a woman as housekeeper.
As for the people, do not care in the
least for what they may say:
'tBut there is your sewing machine,
Edna. It would be so much more
womanly for you to earn your living by
sewing, since you are determined to be
independent; and as far as home is
concerned, you are welcome to stay with
me as long as you live. Besides y
here Mrs. Horton hesitated an instant
"there is Thorpe Clifford; do not think
you are, as you say, obliged to take this
extraordinary step. You will pardon
me, Edna, but I think it very strong
minded and unwomanly."
Edna did not answer Immediately.
She was thinking how bright and happy
everything looked q month ago, when
her father was living, and she had hardly
given the future thought. And then
when her father died suddenly, and his
affairs came to be looked into, it was
found that he was deeply in debt, and
the house was sacrificed to iquidate it.
She was entirely alone then, but her
aunt at once brought her, with the few
things that were saved from the wreck,
to her own home.
''Thank you for your offer, auntie,
she said at last; /" but I do not wish to
be dependent, and / could earn but O
poor living with a sewing machine. As
for Thorpe Clifford, 1 do not love him,
and the woman who would marry q
man simply to gain home, would be
both wicked and worldly. I will prove
to you, Aunt Helen, that I am not un-
womanly enough to do that"
She spoke with energy and spirit, and
Mrs. Horton, watching her resolute face,
and the determined light in her eyes,
was silent moment from sheer amaze
ment. She never had understood her
niece, and she was farther from doing SC
now than ever before OF course, ii
Edna was determined to unsex herself
she had the privilege of doing so, but
Mrs. Horton could not relinquish her
attempt to dissuade her without another
effort
Edna" she said, suddenly, "have
you forgotten Leslie Holmes? What do
you suppose he will think when he hears
of this?"
Edna bent trife lower over her work
as Mrs. Horton spoke, and her thoughts
sped away to Leslie Holmes, seeking his
fortune in far-away California. Forgot
ten him? As if she could ever forget
Leslie, who had been her closest friend
since childhood. They were not engaged
but Edna thought they understood each
ing the two years he had been absent.
''If Leslie is the man believe him to
be, he will think no less of me; and if
he is not, it does not matter what he
thinks"
Then she threw aside her work and
went to feeding Chirp, her pet canary,
while Mrs. Horton sighed till her spec
tacles nearly dropped off, over Edna's
"foolishness."
1t was pretty place that Edna had
chosen; and Edna herself, in ruffled
dress of pink pereale, standing under
the shade of the arbor and glancing
across the grounds, just completed the
picture. For she had been fairly settled
in her cottage now for six weeks. and it
was with no little pride that she looked
about her. The neglected apple trees
had been trimmed into neat shape, and
now were gorgeous mass of pink bios
SONS. The vines had been pruned also,
and trained up, where they were growing
finely, and giving great promise of fruit
the present season. A large plat of neg
lected strawberries had been carefully
cleaned out, with plants left at the proper
distances, and the whole top dressed with
fine compost. The balance of the gar
den was most promising. Lettuce, peas,
oniens, gooseberries, asparagus in
fact everything in the line of garden
fruit and vegetables, were in a thriving
condition.
John Marks had proved an invaluable
assistant, and Edna's time was fully en-
ployed in overseeing the work, and plan
ming for future operations. Katy was
with her. and had the full care of the
indoor work.
Edna had not been permitted to choose
her mode of life unmolested. People
had advised, sneered and exclaimed, ac-
cording to their various ways of viewing
the matter. But Edna had coolly ig-
nored them all. and kept resolutely on,
seeing which many of her former friends
quietly gave her the cold shoulder. DIR.
Gray and Thorpe Clifford were not
among them. True and steanfast, they
stood by her, and their friendship had
smoothed many difficulties from her
path. She had written to Leslie Holmes
in answer to one of his letters, and in ii
she had told him of the change in her
worldly affairs, and what she had con-
cluded to do. Since that time she had
heard no word from him. He had al
ways answered her letters punctually be-
fore, and somehow she felt as though her
1<J,