Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-09-17
A RECEIPT IN FULL.
A Broken Mirror and What Came
OF Il.

could see her face, or grotesque caricatures
of her face, in each and every one OF them;
the wiDdow-psnes polished until they
sparkled. or had sparkled-fOr il was now
tNifignt-in the bright June sunshine; the
silver FURNISHED until neither spot nor
sueck narred its bright lustre; the leaves
az bread baked until each crispy crust took
ON the right shade OF tempting brown; and
Molly was scrubbinK the only uascruboed
corner Of the kitchen when Miss Canieron's
deep harsh, precise voice came to her from
the diningroOm: Mary, are you not
through yelg'
Almost, ma am, !" answered Molly.
II think it was high time you were
quite" declared the voice. You must
nlske haste, We are going to the lecture
this evening Miss GeOrgette and l; and a.
Mr.. Malcolm wishes to g out We will be
obliged to lock up the house. Therefore
il is necessary that you should leave rs
soon as possible.
finished her scrubbing with her tears ta!l-
ing thick and fast. Poor little girl. she
bsd tried so hard TO please her mistreSSes,
or rather her mistress - Tor MIS-
Georpetre was put q reflection OF her
older sister - and her efforts had
been met with grim silence that betokened
a begrudged satisfaction, until the last lie"
weeks: that is, in fact, until Mr.. George
Malcolm came there Mr.. Malcolm Was
sort of step brother 10 the Misses Cameron
(his iathsI, a ~idower with two boys, had
married their mother q SidoN 18th two
girlsl and they inheriting nothing la the
way of property from their own father, he
generously made them an allowance from
the moderate fortune left him by his. Gen-
erously and forgiyingiy-for they had not
rendered 1.-THE of the respect, to say moth
= Aua 70 hal
kind-hearted and indulgent step-father,
choosing TO look upon their mother 5
second marriage as an insult b the memory
of the parent whose nOt-atall-amiaole
characteristics had been his only legacy to
them.
The cottage in which they lived, situated
in the prettiest part of Meadowyille 1.-THE
furniture therein being their own, the be-
quest Of = maternal grandmother be-
longed 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 and
arranging plans for starting large bust
ness in q ighOoring city. And, as have
already animated, things had changed
much for the worse with Molly, the ser
vsnt-maid since his arrival. The grim
silence had given place to most open fault
finding, when Mr.. Malcolm was not within
tea too weak the chickens undOne, the
steaks burned, the eggs boiled too hard, the
rooms badly swept, the shirts poorly iron
ed. and all these complaints, With many
more, the older sPins,er. confirmed by the
Younger gave her TO understand originated
with the guest.
What hard maa to please he must
bep' Molly said to herself many times.
And vet be has one Of the handSomeS'
and kindest faces ever saw; and be spoke
right pleasantly 10 me the first day he
csme. aud even offered me his hand (hoW
Miss Cameron did frowu2) buE pretended
not to see il, for l knew il was not my
place to shake hands with him. IL is
strange be should have become 50 frsctlOus.
He was so good and merry aud kind when
was q little girl I've heard father say
often bed rather shoe horse for him than
for anyone else in the village And then
she would fall TO thinking how grand
he used to look to her childish eyes when
be came riding up on his bay mare 70 the
smithy, where she spent half her time
watching her father at the forge. And he
always brought her gay picture book or a
pretty ribbon or box of candies, or
bright new silver pieCe-One Christmas IL
was a gold One-and claimed a kiss (gOOd
gracious, how her cheeks flushed at the
remembmuce9 for payment when he
rode away again. How happy, how very
hsppy she had been then, with that dear
father and dear old Aunt Nanny:-sO hap
DIV 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 II
seemed impossible pain or sickness
could ever come near him, fell sick,
and after lingering, sOrely crippled, for
nearly two wears, died, leaving moth
ing TO his darling but hard work. Yes,
there was one alternative; to become Mrs.
Jake Willow, and mistress OF the forge
sgain; but Jake was a rough, vulgar TEL
low, and Molly inheriting the delicate
tastes and gentle ways OF her mother lwho
had been d shy, pretty young gOyerneSS be-
fore she married the handsome blacksmitbh
shrank from the loud voice and rude laugh
ter OF her would be husband. And 80 IN
preference to accepting Jake'S oder, she be-
came-and heaven knows this was a hard
enough thing to donald Oi-all-wOrk IN
the cottsge of the Misses Cameron. Poor
little MOllie' prettier than many q prIn-
cess. with lovely, blaCk-fringed gray
ewes, and hair of the very darkest brown
hair that would curl in spite OF her, to Miss
CamsTOns great displeasure. II l had
such untidy hair" that lady would often
declare, glsncing apprOvingly into the mir
Tor AT the Hat dyed bands that made a tri-
angle over her high, narrow forehead. I'D
shave my head; and we'd certainly shave
our heads" would echo Miss GeOrgeIte.
Tie kitchen floor finished, the rugs
shaken ana returned TO their places, the
bread put away in the big stone jar in the
cupboard, Molly sought her own room,
(which, truth 70 tell, was no room at all.
hut a corner Of the garrett rudely parn
toned off. with only a small skylight to
admit light and air-thege were ronms
empty, unused rooms, ia the attic. oui
they were much too good for servant,
Miss Cameron said; and very much too
good for a servant" agreed her sister)-ta
make ready for her fitting. Molly 10 Ikei
around il as she tied her straw hat over her
rebellious treses, and again the tears filled
her eyes. IL had not been happy place
of rest to her, but il had been place oil
rest and shelter, and she had been glad II
have il, fearing to leave 1t lest worse luck
lay beyond.
And she would not have been compelled
TO leave il had il not been for that untOr'
tunate mirror and the unceasing complaints
of the old bachelor. Old bachelor WHY,
he couldn't be so very old, after all, for he
was only one. and-tweuty (she was then be-
tween FIVE and siX) when he gave her the
ribbons and books and silver pieces and
she gave him the kisses.
But the sound of closing shutters broke
in on her reyerie, and reminded her that
neN departure Was NdltCA AoAs ohN IeNlA1
her bundle in her hand, she ran quickly
and lightly down the stairs to the parlor,
where the maiden ladies sat erect and stern,
their bOnnets already on in readiness for
the lecture.
I'm going now" said Molly, standing in
the doorway, her sweet, pathetic face, with
its pleading gray eyes and quiyering lips,
in no way touching what her mistresSes
were pleased to call their hearts. Good
by, ma'am. GoOd-by, Miss GeOrgette.'
But the only reply she got was: Bear
in mind that you are still indebted to Us
eight andtwenty dollars. 1t, however, you
should prefer to purchase mirror your
self in place Of the one broken by you, We
will consent to receive Il provided it is in
every way as good as that left Us by our
grandmother. And in that case We viii
agree 70 refund the eight dollars, your last
months wages, which we have retained 3
the first inStaliment OF your debti which L
rsallv much more than cDuld have been