The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1879-12-26
LucrLEs WIN TEtR

when, one morning ] read ALOUD the
advertisement;--
"wANrrD. TO buy an antique desk. A
liberal price - he paid for one saiisfacio-
~ in every respect"
ooh, Lucille !" | cried, ''this isyour
chance. You can nov retrieve your
fallen fortune" And | tossed the
newspaper across the breakfast table.
Lucille read the advertisement again
and looked over, with sigh, to
where, between the windows, an old
desk, such as the newspaper describ-
cd, occupied the post Of honor.
81 should feel as IL / were selling
my grandmama's homes" she said, de-
cisively.
well" ! began, ~ don't believe
your grandmother would blame you
# she knew
Here Ruth stopped me with look,
and began telling something that hsp-
pened in the store that day. Ruth
was saleslady in the cloak department
in one Of our great city establish.
ments. taught school. aud Lucille
had been the French instructor in a
young ladies academy. We KEEP,
house together. until quite recently,
ia two rooms, in the third story Of a
New York house. We had our own
furniture and cooked our own meals
over a little gas stove. To girls who
had been motherless from childhood
and to whom the word ''home" was a
word with no meaning, such life was
very pleasant.
Lucille was dark-eyed, graceful,
French girl, who had once seen better
days, though she was quite reticent,
except to Us, about it. She was so
innocent and beautiful that Ruth and
| loved and guarded her as il she had
been our younger sister. Ruth was
sturdy. independent and New England
born. and so true-hearted and brave
that we looked up to her in every
thing and felt safe under her protec-
ton. As for me, was MOllie, born
10 the sunny South, wiliul, high-tem-
pered, but capable OF deep feeling,
they said. The war had ruined the
fortunes Of my family and my life had
been full of hardships since.
do not think three girls could
have been more unlike. And yet
we led very tranquil, happy life,
until a month or two before the eve
ming Of which | write, when cloud
had appeared on our horizon.
That night Lucille came h ime flush
ed and indignant. Ii took hut little
questioning to discover the cause. The
assistant principal of the school had
long annoyed Lucille with his atten-
tons, and her studied avoidance of
him did not seem TO make any differ
enee. He dogged her, wrote her
notes and sent her flowers till the poor
girl was nearly crazy. At last, una
bic to endure it any longer, she had
refused him peremptorily. Two days
later she received her dismissal, and
that. too, without recommendation.
Never mind" said Ruth. encour-
ageingly, "you need rest, and Mollie
and | need house-keeper. This is
your home, you know"
The girls dark eyes filled with
tears.
"You are very kind she sobbed
out, "but all it is this that makes
me think of the old days in France,
when grandma was alive. We lived
in the country, you know, and in such
a beautiful little chateau. And the
neighbors were 60 kind, especially
those in the next place. All ! what
pleasant days had she added, re-
calling it with a sigh, "playing in the
meadows with their son, Henri; and
what pretty fetes they gavel But
then grandma lost her fortune, and
she was too proud to stay where she
was known, and so she came out to
America, and died. You know the
rest. Oh, you are very kind"
We tried after this to get her an.
other situation, but we're unsuccessful.
Finally | found two of my scholars
who wanted to take French Lessons,
and this kept up her hopes
That night after | shovel Lucille
the advertisement she left the table
and went to the desk, passing her
hand lovingly over it. II was a quaint,
Old-fashioned thing. iulaid with differ
ent kinds Of wood, in the style of the
early part of the last century. 1t had
belonged to Lucile's grandmother and
% the family before, and was the only
relic she posed of her happy child lite
in France.
| knew what her feelings we're when
suggested the idea of selling il, but
! knew still better that she needed the
money sorely. There was an unpaid
doctors bill that haunted her and
which Ruth aud dare not pay. he.
cause of her pride.
The next night was New Years eve,
and when Ruth and came home the
lesk WAS gOne There were traces of