The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-11-12
geIett Storp.
The Mistake Garnet Made.

The Mistake Garnet Made.
A little, low-browed, yellow cottage,
sleepily nesting 'neatha canopy of branch
ing hemlocks. Here dwelt Mrs, barley,
or the widow barley, as she was common
" called by the Inhabitants Of Linden.
Here, since the departure of her niece,
Garnet, her brother Roberts child, for the
city TO learn the dressmakers trade, which
event occurred couple of years ago, she
had lived alone, subsisting on the produce
she raised on the few acres of ground at
tached to the cottage, which she managed
to sell or barter away for groceries at
thriving town three miles distant.
Day was fast vergiug into dusk. Indeed,
for some time twilight had lain gray upon
the scene, aud Only a silver line kissed the
purple tops of the distant mountain. The
Widow barley sat By the window buSlly
engaged in darning a wFetehed looking
stocking over a mammoth mock orange,
bemoaning with every stitch her recent
attack Of rheumatism, which confined her
to the house when she was thoroughly
conscious of the fact that her services were
needed out Of doors. Now was the tiRe
to dig her potatoes, now was the time to
gather certain apples, and-do everything
in fact and here she was, not only unable
to get about, but so heavily trammeled By
debts that she found it impossible to Sc
cure the assistance 50 much needed.
aWell, / declare I"
This exclamation was caused by the
rumbling old stage coach that daily passed
her house stopping at the front gate, from
which aIighted her niece, Kho ran lightly
up the walk and into the house. followed
by strongly built man bearing on his
shoulder good-sized trunk, which be de-
posted 10 the hall before making his exit
GLOW dye do, Aunt Susan, with
hug aud a kiss; "not slave to rheuma
tism, [ hope ?"
ssYes, replied the Widow barley, who,
by the way, was a tiny vopas Of fifty,
with face not unlike the wrinkled apples
that grew on the tree in the garden, "the
monster has me again in his clutches.
But, whatever brings you home You
haven't been sent adriit again, surely 2"
eyes, aunt, a fremor of pain threading
her voice ia spite of her efforts to appear
unconcerned, s'times are dull, aud Madam
Brown has 50 little work that she deemed
it expedient to dispense with the services
of those girls who proved the most incom
petent. /, being the least skillful Of her
apprentices, was discharged without regret
Most summarily she dismissed me, with
holding the few faint words Of commenda-
ton she grudgingly bestowed upon the
others | have no taste for dressmaking
and am termed regular botch. Not
very good recommendation to help secure
another situation, Ell? How are things
prosperiDg ?"
'sNot at all, y in her most dolorous tone,
athe place is fairly weighed down with
mortgages, and for aught | know to the
contrary, Mr.. Lincoln may forclOse any
day. Yes, any day may find Us without
shelter. Our larder is about empty, and
there is no money to replenish it all Of
the -four has been scraped from the barrel,
and to-day was obliged to borrow pail
ful from Jane Grey then, too, there is
not tea leaf in the eaddy, and | do not
know how TO exist without my cup Of tea.
meant to have dug few bushels of po-
tatOes and got Mr.. Denyer's horse to go
10 obtain some Of the things eanuot get
along without, but am good for rothing
good for nothingP' with profound
sigh.
sNever mind, aunt, don't worry Ill
l., H.. - sto "
The next morning, about 10 o'clock,
with hoe swung over her shoulder, aud
a half bushel basket in her hand, in which
rcposed half dozen potato bags and
dainty repast done up in a newspaper, she
trudged to the potato lot to see what could
be done, for the widows niece, Garnet
Embers, was girl equal to any emergen-
ey. She was a slender, graceful girl,
neither blonde nor brunette, but combi-
nation of both, as pretty creature as one
would care to see, with her wonderfully
fair complexion, tinged with the merest
flush of pink, her dark es,.Slmond shap-
ed and full of vim, shadoV by black
curling lashes, and a superabundancs of
red brown hair, coiled low on her well
shaped head. She had donned dun hued
calico dress, which she fastened up on all
sides to keep clear of the dirt, thereby dis
PLAYING a foot arehed and slender as an
Arabs, and over her head, hiding her won
drous hair, was one of her aunt's sun-bon
nets, making her look, as she declared, a
regular guy. She reached the lot aud set
to work in earnest, but somehow she made
little progress. Oh, if some strong handed
masculine creature was but around. What
short work he would make Of the job
At this juucture the report Of gun
sounded near, and Garnet looked up just
in time to see a chipmonk running along
the fence dividing her lot from Mr.. Den
ver's topple over, and 10 an instant aftera
man in gray, musculsrly framed and as
handsome as Apollo, with wide sombrero
shading his face, appeared in sight. How
propitious the fates were. What she had
devoutly wished for was yonder-a young
man. Mr. Denver's hired man, without
doubt. She suspended operations and
with her hoe raised aloft cried OUT.
"Hcre, young man, come here! want
you to help in digging a few bushels of
potatoes. will see that you do not in
cur Mr.. Denver's displeasure by doing as
| desire. And indeed, for that matter,
you might as well be working for me as to
be idling your time 10 killing harmless
creatures Come, what do you say
GAN right, miss; I'll be with you as
soon as l can exchange my gun for hoe,
for suppose you intend to keep on with
your diggiDg?"
eCertainly. Now don't be long about
it. That's good man"
She was earnestly digging away when he