Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-07-13
A RECEIPT IN FULL.

a year, With their cnlldren, 1Or a DrcaCn VI Sea
air and to visit old friends.
A RECEIPT IN FULL.
The tins had all been secured until she could
see her face or grotesque caricatures OF her
face, in each and every one OF them; the win
dow -panes polished until they sparkled, or had
sparkled-for it was now twilight-in the
bright June sunshine the silver FURNISHED
until neither spot nor speck marred its mild
luster; the loaves of bread baked until each
crispy crust took on the right shade of tempt
ing brown and Molly was scrubbng the only
unscrubbed corner of the kitchen when Miss
Cameron's deep, harsh, precise voice came to
her from the dining ROOM "Mary are you not
through yet %
"Almost, ma am" answered Molly.
II think it is high time you were quite y
declared the voice. "You must make haste.
We are going to the lecture this evening, Miss
Georgette and and as Mr.. Malcolm also
wishes to 90 out, we will be obliged tn lock
up the house. Therefore it is necessary that
you should leave as soon as possible"
eyes, a'am," said Molly meek ~. and lin
ished her scrubbing, with her tears falling fast
and thick Poor little girl she had tried so
hard to please her mistreSSes or rather her
mistress-for Miss Georgette was but a re-
Election of her elder sister-and her efforts had
been met with grim silence that betokened a
begrudged satisfaction, until the last few
weeks ; that is, in fact, until Mr.. George Nal
colin came there Mr.. Malcolm was sort of
step brother to the Misses Cameron This faith
er, widower, with two boys, had married
their mother widow, with two girls), and
they inheritng nothing in the way of property
from their own father, he generously made
them an allowance from the moderate fortune
left him by his. Generously and fOrgivingly-
for they had not rendered tithe of the rs-
spect, to say nothing of affection, which was
his due, their kind-hearted and indulgent step
father, choosing to look upon their mothers
second marriage as an insult to the memory
of the parent whose nOt-at-all-amlable charac-
teristcs had been his only legacy to them.
The cottage il Which they lived, situated
in the prettiest part of Meadowville 1.-THE fur
niture therein being their own. the Request of
a maternal grandmother, belonged to Mr..
George; and here he had come in search
of solitude and quiet, for the first time in
twelve years or more, to spend month or
two in thinking out ana arranging plans for
starting large business iii aneighboring city.
And, as / have already intimated, things had
changed much for the worse with Molly, the
servant-maid, since his arrival. The grim
silence had given place to most open fault
finding, when Mr.. Malcolm was not within
hearing. The coffee was too strong, the tea
too weak, the chicken underdone, the steaks
burned, the eggs boiled too hard, the rooms
badly swept, the shirts poorly ironed all these
complaints, with many more, the elder spin
ster, confirmed by the younger, gave her to
understand originated with the guest.
'What hard man to please he must be 70
Molly said to herself many times. "And yet
of Il ,,I
1 ever saw ard lie spoke right pleasantly to
me the first day he came, and even offered me
his hand, (how Miss Cameron did frown y but
| pretended not to see it, for knew it was not
my place TO shake hands with him. 1t is very
strange he should have become 50 fractious.
He was so good and merry and kind when L
was a little girl. I've heard father say often
he'd rather shoe horse for him than any one
else in the village" And then she would fall
to thinking how grand he used to look to her
childish eyes, when he came riding up, on his
bay mare, to the smitly, where she spent half
her time watching her father at the forge.
And he always brought her agay pcture-book,
or a pretty ribbon, or a box of candies, or a
bright new silver pece-one Christmas it was
a gold one-and clameda kiss (gOod gracious,
how her cheeks flushed at the remembrance J
for payment when he rode away again. How
happy, how very happy, she had been then,
with her dear old father and dear old Aunt
Nanny SO happy that she had scarcely ever
felt the loss of the mother who had died in
giving her birth. But when Molly was fifteen,
the blacksmith, so strong and ruddy that it
seemed impossible that pain or sickness could
ever come near him, fell sick, and after linger-
ing, sorely crippled, for nearly two years, died,
leaving nothing to his darling but hard work.
Yes, there was one alternative: to become
Mrs. Jake Willow, and mistress of the forge
again hut Jake was rough, vulgar fellow,
and Molly, inheriting the delicate tastes and
gentle ways of her mother, (who had been a
shy, pretty young gOvernesS before she married
the handsome Dlacksmith), shrank from the
loud voice and rude laughter of her would-be
husband. And so, in preference to accepting
Jake's offer, she became-and Heaven knows
this was a hard enough thing to do-maid-ot-
all-work in the cottage of the Misses Cameron.
Poor little Molly prettier than many prill-
cess, with lovely, black-fringed gray eyes, and
hair of the very darkest brown--halr that
would curl in spite of her, to Miss Cameron s
gr It displeasure eff | had such untidy
h. r." that lady would often declare, glancing
approvingly into the mirror, at the flat dyed
bands that made a triangle of her narrow fore
head, 'I'd shave my head" and ''We'd GER
tainly shave our heads" would echo Miss
Georgette.
The kitchen floor finished, the rugs shaken
and returned to their places, the bread put
away in the big stone jar in the cupboard,
Molly sought her own room, (WHICH truth To
tell, was no room at all, but corner of the
garret rudely parttioned off, with only a small
sky-light to admit light and ar-there were
rooms, empty, unused rooms, in the attic, but
''they were much too good for a servant, .
Miss Cameron said and livery much too good
for a servant" agreed her sister-to make
ready for her fitting. Molly looked around 1t
as she tied her straw hat over her rebeillolls
tresses, and again the tears filled her eyes. 1t
had not been happy place of rest to her, but
| it had been place of rest, and shelter, and
she had been glad to have it, fearing to leave
it lest worse luck lay beyond.
| And she would not have been compelled tC
! leave it had it not been for that unfortunate
mirror, and the unceasing complaints OF the
| old bachelor Old bachelor Why, he could
not be so very old, after all, for he was only
one-and-twenty (slle then between five and six
when he gave her the ribbons and books and
the silver pieces, and she gave him the kisses
But the sound of closing shutters broke in
on her reverie, and reminded her that her de.
parture was waited for, and taking her bundle
in her hand, she ran quickly and lightly down
the stairs to the parlOr, where the maiden la
dies sat erect and stern, their bonnets already
on i'm readiness for the lecture.
s'I'm going now,'' said Molly, standing il
the doorway, her sweet, pathetic face, with its
pleading gray eyes and quivering lips, in nc
way touching what their mistresses pleased tt
cali their hearts. ''Good-by, ma'am GOOd-by
Miss Georgette."
But the only reply she got was bear IL
mind that YOU are still indebted to us eight
and-twenty dollars, If, however, you should
prefer to purchase a mirror yourself in place
of the one broken by you, we will consent tt
! roan;,.o IL nrnNided II Is in eNnrv WaY as rNOi