The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-03-30
HILDA'S TRIAL.


III our HuiI. fsfctJ cOfiipelJOf 10 wear
a turquoise lockei round her neck. aud
20 have six-buttoned white kid glovcs.
stitched with pale blue on tho backs"
Won't It DO exquisite!' said Jane
lorrington. clasping her plump hands.
The seven young girls who wero that
day month TO take part in the half-year-
y examination at Minerva House were
sitting, schoolgirl fashion, under the
oowery beechcs on tho lawn-se zen fair.
human pearls, happily unconscious Of
al the pitfalls and trials OF lifo that
,ay before then-sevon half cpe-ed
blossoms. basking in tho sunshine Of
,chool-life, whittier as yc: no haunting
shadow had followed thcmi
But said cautious Mabel Hill,
will it bo exptn siveP"
.sNot ut all,n said Carrie. loftil,.
The whole won't cost moro tn: ten
,ui1eas each, as there Are seven Of Us.
And"
just then. Hilda Reynolds. who h>A
oecn absorbed in n letter which tho
.luc-ribboned parlor-maid had bror,|s
her, looked up.
"Wait a minute, Carrie" she said.
IL am afraid l cannot afford SO EN-
pensive a dress"
WIEN uouScusc, lliiuus ctilcu Ouy
Miss Nelson. you, the h i-ess, to
talk about not afording . paltry ten
guineas."
but I am an heiress no longer" said
Hilda; with a curious culver in her
voice. This letter is from my guard
ian. 1t seems something is wrong
about some investments that have beea
made, and-and l am az poor as q fac
tory-girl. / must go ont rs governess.
suppose, or companion. or something
Of that sort"
She burst into tears. with her face
hidden in her hands.
For a second or two the other six
girls sat looking at one another in diro
dismay.
Then Carrie Nelson sprang up and
threw her arms impetuously around
Hilda's dropping mock. +
you shall do nothing of the sort
darlingm she cried. '.You shall come
and live always with me. Inever had
a sister. and I shall treasure you with
the fondest Affection"
But Hilda shook her head.
mo. Carrie" she said; II must 90
home at once"
And she went; and Mrs. Clarendon's
class for examination numbered only
six that year.
Hilda's guardian was grim and In
communicative. The. loss OF the invest
ments. he stoutly maintained, was mo-
body's fault. NO one could have fore
seen the depreciation of stocks; no hui
man provision could have guarded
against the calamity. It was the for
tune of war, neither more nor less.
Hilda went to her aunt. who had al
ways declared that she loved her dar-
ling niece as if she were her W
child.
'Dear aunt" she said. '.you will at
least give me O home"
Il am very sorry. my dear, said Mrs.
Carlyon, ''but your uncle has been un-
fortunate in business, and we arc COM
PEELED to retrench in every possible
way. An additional member to our
family, Just at this time, would be an
absolute impossibility-"
"But what shall l do?n inquired poor
Hilda.
"Oh, get a situation somewhere, my
DEAR" said Mrs. Carlyon, smiling
sweetly. ANY girl who has received
so expensive an education IS yours
ought to be independent of the
world"
.sShall I advertiser" said Hilda.
'Mydear, I really know nothing of the
way people do such things" said Mrs.
Carlyon, beginning to grow impatient.
So Hilda advertised; but apparently
no one wanted either a governess, or n
"well-qualified ladies' companion"
Herlittle stock of money began to
dwindle. Her earnings failed her. Not
one of her relatives cared to assume
the burden of her support. No n else
took the responsibility of advising her.
One day she timidly entered the
plate-glass doors of n mammoth fancy
warehouse and asked for the proprietor,
TO whom she explained her wishes.
Perhaps" hesitatcd the poor, shrink
ing Hilda, ..you a help me to q situa-
| ton. II there should be u vacancy
among your lady-clerks-"
..How-hnt' said Mr.. Cartwright,
feeling his lank cheek thoughtfully.
''Had any experience in the ~businessP"
NO"
.Oh, then the idea is quite impracti-
cable" said Mr.. Cartwright 1--WE
| don't take apprentices here"
And he civilly bowed Miss Reynolds
| out of his little sanctum.
Hilda applied at a neighboring shop
for fine, silk embroidery. She worked
q week at a chiId's cloak, and was paid
-seven shillings!
..But this is very little" said Hilda,
piteously regarding tho silver pieces.
s.Our usual rates. said the forewc.
man. frigidly. III you are uot satisfied
with them. you need not come again.
We have plenty of hands"
Hilda crept home in the frozen, win
ter twilight, crying softly behind her
veil as she went. And, her eyes being
blurred with tears, she did not see an