Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1882-05-18

| I've come Tor dress, SAID captain
Drake, plunging headlong into his sub
Iect, after the fashion of men in general
-"my sisters dress. She is to be mar
ried next week, and some of her friends
coaxed her to have her dress made here.
Miss Fortescue-she's only my half-sis-
ter, you know in answer to Flora's
look of surprise; "but she is going to
marry well, l hope"
ats the mode colored Dress" said
Flora with frightening eyes. ~ 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
Captain Drake departed with dim idea
that Mddame Molini perfectly compre-
hended the art of high charges.
MISS Fortescue herself came the next
/ day. She was 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 "lt is not made
up in the dress. Ihad purchased enough
for o new waist and sleeves, and it is not
all here
"You must be mistaken, said Miss
Fcx with an aspect of polite impossi-
bIlity. "The bias puffs and folds cut up
the material shockingly, and"
But at this moment, little Flora Fay
who was packing some tulle capes and
tichus into bandbox, at the back of
the room, rose and came forward, with
deepening color.
"There are two yards and half of the
mode -colored silk, Miss Fox. she inter-
rupted-"don't you remember? on the
shelf in the back rocm."
Miss Fox colored and bit her lip.
Madame Molini, with omlnously dark
ened face, twitched the two yards nd
half of silk off the shelf, folded l. into O
paper and handed it to Miss Fortescue,
muttering something about mistake
made by one of her young women;' and
the young lady departed, a little dubious
as to whe her or not the fashionable
dressmaker had intended to cheat her.
She had hardly closed the door be-
hind her, however, when Madame Mo-
lini turned upon poor Flora Fay, with
scarlet spot glowing in each cheek and
lips closely compressed.
Young woman, said she, ''ycu are
discharged"
''Dlschargedv' echoed Flora. "For
what?"
II want no ono in my service" SAID
madame, "who is too conscientious to
fulfill my wishes. You have intermed-
died unwarrantably i'll the matter of that
silk, and repeat that you are no longer
in my employment"
So poor little Flora went crying home,
with a vague comprehension that she
had been discharged because size had
spoken out the truth.
1t was nearly q fortnight afterward
that Captain Drake noticed the absence
OF Miss Fay from the table of the board
ing house.
'Is your little blue eyed Iodger i'll,
Mrs. Dodds9" he asked "I don't think
| have seen her of late"
'No. she's not i'll, said tho landlady.
THAT is to say, not exactly sick. But
she will be if she don't look out. She's
boarding herself, Captain Drake, on
bread and crackers, and such like, poor
dear and wasting away like little
shadow, because she's lost her situation
at that dressmaking place, and don't
see her way clear to another. And she
won't run into debt, she says, not even
for meal of v1ctusls. Ahl" the good
woman added, 81 can remember when
she was the pet and darling of the old
folks at home, before they lost their all,
running about among the daisies and
buttercups like sunbeam"
But how did she come to lose her
placer" asked Captain Drake.
And Mrs. Dodds, who liked to hear
the sound of her own voice, told the
whole story.
"It's a shame" cried the captain.
"Just what say myself" nodded the
landlady.
And the next day, Miss Fortescue
| (uho Vvau Mrs AwLri0ht nowl oana To
see Flora Fay.
at was all my fault" she said, with
afectionate vehemence, "that you lost
your situation-and oh, if you would
come and stay with me. and help me
with the sewing for my new house, ]
should esteem it such favor Would
you please2"
care you quite sure that I can make
myself useful ?" SAID Flora, little hest
tatingly.
eyes, quite," said Mrs. Awkright.
And. in the sunny atmosphere of the
brides pretty home, the young country
girl seemed to expand into different
creature. Captain Drake, the most de-
voted brother in the world, came there
nearly every day; and little Flora, all
unconscious of her own feelings, began
to watch for his daily visit as q hello
trope- blossom watches the sun.
Until at last, there was talk of anoth-
ar lono VOYAGE to Japan and then Flora