The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-04-21
A SEWING-GIRL.

A SEWING-GIRL.
"Now, girls, this won't. do ~ sait
Madame Molini, pouncing in upon the
six pale sewing girls, like a wolf into {
flock of lambs. "No, it will never dc
in the world don't pay you all ex
orbitant wages to sit and fold you
hands, like fine ladies. Miss Sedgs
wick, we are waiting for that lavender
silk polonaise. Lucy Lisle, why do you
not go on with those button-holes Miss
Fox, you will be so good as to change
your seat from the window to the middle
OF the room at once T.
"But, madame, / can't see there to
lay on these fine bias folds 70 pleaded
Miss Fox.
You mean you can't see the carts
and carriages in the street, andthe type
settlers at the windows opposite - re-
torted Madame Molini, whose true
nomenclature was Mullens," and who
had been a milliner's apprentice, in the
good city of Cork, before she set up on
Sixth avenue as French modiste.
Lucy Lisle caught up her work.
81 stopped just minute, madame with
that bad pain in my side," she said, be-
ginning to stitch away with eager haste.
''If you're SICK" said madame, Sc
verely, ''you had better go home and
send for the doctor. While you are
here your time is mine, bought and paid
for -
While Miss Sedgewick, in self-defense.
urged that she had not enough silk gimp
to trim the polonaise and was waiting
for more.
"Not enough" shrilly repeated mad
ame-''not enough 1 measured that
trimming myself, and know that there
Is enough. You may just rip it off again,
and sew it on higher up and mora eco
nomically and / shall deduct this
mornings lost time from your wages
What's that, Flora Fay-the mode col
ored silk dress? Finished? And where
are the two and half yards that were
left?"
"I folded them up with the dress.
madame" said Flora Fay, an innocent,
blue-eyed young girl, recently from the
country, who stood, in an unconsciously
graceful attitude, before the fat and
horid dressmaker.
"Then you were n goose for your
pains, shortly retorted Madame Molini,
as she unfastened the parcel, abstracted
the piece of glistening, uncut elk, and
whisked it away upon a shelf. "Two
yards and half isn't much, but it's bet
ter than nothing"
Flora Fay opened the innocent blue
eyes wide.
"What Is she going to do with it?"
she asked Miss Fox in a whisper. an
madame rustled off to scold the errand
boy for putting too much coal on the
CRATE fire.
Don't You know, little silly ?" wins
pered Miss Fox, laughing. fIt's what
she cabbages 70
''Cabbages" repeated Flora, in amaze
ment. 81 don't understand you"
You will, when you see the mode
silk made up into a sleeveless basque
for madame" said the other, trimmed
with the gimp that was left from Mrs.
Aubrey's dinner dress, and the pearl
fringe from Mrs. Ossett's white damasse
ball costume"
"But you don't mean," said the
breathless Flora, "that madame takes
the silk that is left from the customers
dresses?"
"Goosie" cried Miss Fox, "don't talk
nonsense any longer. It's what every
fashionable dressmaker does, and"
There's the reception-room bell"
shrily called madame. "Miss Fay, an
swer it at once I"
Harry Drake was standing in the
pretty room, all glistening with satin
drapery, gilded holdings and huge mir
rors, when Flora came in-Harry Drake,
the young sea Captain, who boarded at
the same quiet and inexpensive house
where Flora was allowed a hall bedroom
at reasonable rate, on account of Mrs.
Dodds having once boarded summer
at the old Fay farmhouse, up among
the Berkshire hills, and etill retaining a
kind recollection of Mrs. Fay's kindness
during an illness which overlook her
there.
"Oh, Miss Fay, is it you ?" said
Harry. "Do you work here? Upon
my word, you seem to be in very COM
Portable quarters"
"But don't stay here all the while,"
said Flora, noting how his glance wan
dered from gliding to fresco, Administer
carpet to bronzed chandelier. 81 sew
IN little dark room. where there Is
sitting smell of coal gas, and no carpet
ON the floor"
"Pye come for q Dress" said Capt
Drake, plunging headlong into his sub
ject, after the fashion of men in general
-"my sisters dress. She is to be mar
ried next week, and some of her friends
cOaxe0 ner 10 nave ueI ureSs uidue mere.
Miss Fortescue-shes only my half
sister, you know" in answer to Flo-a's
look of questioning surprise "but
she's very nice, and is going to marry
well, hope"
"It's the mode-colored dress" said
Flora, with Frightening eyes. 81
helped to trim it myself. Yes, it's all
ready"
And presently madame came smiling
in, with the bill, and the dress folded
neatly in white pasteboard box. and
Capt. Drake departed with dim idea
that Madame Molini perfectly compre-
hended the art of high charges.
Miss Fortescue herself came the next
day. She was young lady not lacking
in quiet resolution. She knew her
rights. and was prepared to defend
them.
"Where is the material sent ?" said
she to Miss Fox, who was in attendance
in the reception room. "It is not made
up in the dress. / had purchased
enough for q new waist and sleeves, and
Il is not all here
"You must be mistaken" said Miss