Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-30
SOPRIE'S ORDEAL.

broad, blue sashes and forget-me-nots
in our hair. Every graduate to wear
a turquoise locket around her neck,
and to have six-buttoned white kid
gloves stitched with pale blue on the
backs. Madam Imogene herself
showed me the design
won't it be eXquisite?" said Fan
ny Willoughby, clasping her plump
hands.
| The seven young girls who were on
that day month to graduate from Clar-
endon Hall, were sitting, schoolgirl
fashion, under the bowery trees on the
lawn-seven fair. human pearls, hap
PLY unconscious Of all the pitfalls and
trials of the life that lay before them
l-seven half-opened blossoms, basking
in the sunshine of school life, whittier
as yet, no haunting shadows had ever
followed them. While on the shores
Of the calm river below, the other
children played and shouted, careful
not to disturb the privacy of the grad
uating class.
| "But, said cautious Rosa Hillgrove,
will it not be eXpensive?'
Mot at all, said Eleanor, loftily.
''Imogene will furnish them for hun
dred dollars each, as there are seven
| of us, and
just then Sophie Seyton, who had
| been absorbed in letter which the
blue ribboned parlor maid had brought
her, looked gravely up.
swat minute. Eleanor" she Said,
Il am afraid that / cannot afford so
expensive dress
"What nonsense, Sophie!" called out
Miss Kelsey, ''You, the heiress, to
talk about not affording paltry hun
dred dollar costume
''But am an heiress no longer.
said Sophine, with curious culver in
her voice. ''This letter is from my
guardian, Colonel Moody. 1t seems
something is wrong about some invest
ments that have been made, and-and
/ am as poor as any factory girl! [
must go out as a governess, fsuppose,
or companion. or something of that
sort. I don't know that I can even
stay here long enough to GRADUATED
She burst into tears, with her fair
face hidden in her hands.
For a second Or two the other six
members cf the graduating class sat
looking at one an other in dire dismay
Then Eleanor Kelsey sprang up and
threw her arms impetuously about
Sophie's dropping neck.
"You shall do nothing of the sort,
darling 2" she cried. ''You shall come
and live always with me. never had
sister, and / shall treasure you with
the fondest affection.
But Sophie shook her head.
mo, Eleanor she said Il must
90 home at once.
And she went; and Mrs. Clarendon S
graduating class only numbered six
that year.
Colonel Moody was grim and un-
communicative. The loss of the in
vestments, he stoutly maintained. was
nobody's fault. No one could have
foreseen the shrinkage Of stock; no
human provision could have guarded
against the calamity. 1t was the for
tune of war. neither more nor less.
Sophie Seyton went to her aunt, a
Mrs. Medbury Moore, who had always
declared that she loved her darling
niece as if she were her own child.
''Dear Aunt" she said, ''you will at
least give me a home?
I'm very sorry, my dear, said Mrs.
MedAury Moore, ''but your uncle has
been unfortunate in business, and we
are compelled to retrench in every pos
sible way. An additional member to
our family, just at this time. would be
an absolute impossibility.
'But what shall I do :" appealed
poor Sophie.
''Oh, get & situation somewhere, my
dear" said Mrs. Medbury Moore. smil-
ing sweetly. ANY girl who has re-
ceived so expensive an education as
yours ought to be independent of the
world
:sShall advertise 2" said Sophie.
MY dear, really know nothing Of
the way people do such things said
Mrs. NeWbury Moore. growing impa-
tient.
So Sophie advertised, but apparent
ly no one wanted either a governess or
lady's companion.
Her little stock of money began to
dwindle. Her earnings failed her.
Not one of her relatives cared to as
sumo the burden OF her support. No
one else took the responsibility Of adj
vising her.
One day she timidly entered the
plate-glass doors of a mammoth fancy
store, and asked for the proprietor.
miss Seyton, isn't it, said MI.
Makemoney, who had sold many bill
of goods to the heiress. pray. what
can do for you, Miss Seyton9''
perhaps" hesitated poor. shrink
ing Sophie, ''you can help me to obtain
situation. If there should be va
cancy among your lady clerks
"Oow--ah!'' said Mr.. Makemoney,
feeling of his lank cheek, thoughtful
ly. Had any experience at the bust
ness 2"
mol"
''Oh, then the idea is quite imprac-
ticable, said Mr.. Makemony. eve
don't take apprentices here.
And he civlly bowed Miss Seyton
out of his little sanctum.
Sophie applied at neighboring en-
porium for fine silk embroidery. She
worked week at a child's cashmere
cloak. and was Daid-fifty cents