South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1881-06-10
ANNIE's MONEY.

as she walked rapidly away from the
sitting room fire, beside which Miss
Silence sat In coy comfort, her brown
alpaca dress-skirt folded carefully back
over her lap to escape damage by tho
heat; her lace head-dress perched
upon her scanty hair and her little.
twinkling, gray-green eyes shining
out through her steel trimmed glasses.
NO, you can't have it. Miss 81.
lence had said to her pretty little blue
eyed niece, five minutes before, when
Annie had come flying in from nm err
rand to the village, her gold.brown
hair tossed all about her flushed face
by the sharp November wind, to tell
Aunt Silence what lovely piece of
goods they had just got in Mt the
store-the shade of all shades Annie
bad longed for, for months. A love,
~, rich, wine-of.garnet cashmere,
double-fold, only u dollar n yard, and
1t only took twelve yards for dress,
and she hadn't had new dress for
three years, and she couldn't 90 to
the Christmas party at Kenie Red
mond's unless she had something to
wear besides the everlasting gray
black.brown alapaca, that was 80 an
Gent looking, with it's long, puffy over
skirt and wide sleeves, in these days
or skirred skirts and quaint little mar
row ruffies and cute tucks. All of
which Annie had eagerly said, stand
ing in front of-Aunt Silence while she
examined the parcel to see if the skirt
braid matched the sample of goods
her own new dress. Then She Lad
handed the braid to Annie.
'Scald it for me and hang it up
straight 80 it'll shrink even.'
And not word in answer to the
girls eager words.
Cant | have the dress, Aunt ST.
lencc! she vcntured after minute.
Then the solemn. deliberate an
swer: NO, you can't have it,
a hot flush of dismay and keen dis
appointment crimsoned Armies check
and there was n pitiful little culver,
that was almost anger in her voice, as
she answered:
why not, Aunt Silence ! do need
it, and | am sure earn my clothes in
your house. / am busy morning,
noon and night, and save you hun
dreds of dollars every year in help
alono. | deserve it! Aunt Silence.
you can afford it. You arc q rich
woman. Why can't | have it p
But for all the hot rebellion in her
young, ardent voice, Miss Silence only
looked solemnly Mt her-a hopeless,
dogged solemnness, that made Annie
want to fly.
There's no use saying any more
about it, Annie. You can't have it
A garnet cashmere dress You'll
think silk is not good enough for you
next. Besides, you know, I've had
bad luck this season-crops burnt up
with the drouth, and three horses dead
with the epiZooty, not to mention the
five silver spoons the pcddler stole
Your fault, too, leaving them on the
kitchen table
Annie listened; her sense of Justice
and her Indignation and sharp disap-
pointment, all together more than she
could calmly endure.
you can afford all the dresses you
fancy; and deserve something more
than my board, Aunt Silence.
think
Then Miss Silence got angry, and
pointed toward the kitchen door
Not another syllable Go to your
dishes =
And Annie slammed the door q lit
tie and tho dishes ratified moro than
usual ; and the fire had most vigor-
Gus pokiDg and when she wrung out
the shrunken skir.-braid it was dc.
cided emphasis of motion. And ]
don't know that any other young girl
situated rs Annie Morton was would
have done very differently. Young,
pretty, ambitious, proud as all girls
ought to be proud, with pretty hard
life of it and very few recreations, a
nature that demanded at least some
beauties and happiness, it was hard
she could not have the dress. And
motherly little Mrs. Greenway ran i'm
just then, with her shawl oyer her
head, from the next farm house, Just
at the end Of the lane, across the road.
1t is too bad she SAID sympatheti.
cally, when Annie had told her little
| grievance; because Miss Silence can
well afford it, She's rich woman,
but close listed, as we all know, An
ME-
Annie dried her dishes with All en-.
ergy that gave them glorious polish.
Il dare say l can stay ut home an.
other winter, and bake aud wash, and
iron, and sweep for my salt. For III
not 90 out again with my own wretch
ed dress-you wouldn't let your Isabel
wear it, Mrs. Grecnway.'
! mo, | don't know as should, that's
a fact, Annie. You ought to have
better clothes-asd 80 you can if
you've mind to earn en-. If you
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