Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-05-28
a SEWING.GIRL.

HNow, girls, this won't dor said
Madame Molini, bouncing In upon the
six pale sewing girls, like wolf into a
flock of lambs. "No, it will never do
in the world! I don't pay you all ex-
orbitant wages to sit and fold your
hands, like fine ladies. Miss Sedge-
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 p
"But, madame, I can't see there to
lay on these fine bias folds !" pleaded
Miss Fox.
"You mean you can't see the carts
and carriages in the street, and the type
settlers at the windows opposite I" re-
torted Madame Moini, whose true
nomenclature was "Mullens," and who
had been milliner's apprentice, in the
good city of Cork, before she set up on
Sixth avenue as a French modiste.
Lucy Lisle caught up her work.
81 stopped just aminute, madame, with
that bad pain in my side," she said, be-.
ginning to stitch away with eager haste.
"N you're SICK" said madame, Sc
yerely, "you had better go home and
send for the doctor. While you are
here your time is mine, bought and paid
for p
While Miss Sedgewick, inself-defense,
urged that she had notenough silk gimp
to trim the polonaise and was waiting
for more.
"Not enough" shrilly repeated mad
ame-'tnot enough! I measured that
trimming myself, and 7 know that there
is enough. You may just rip it off again,
and sew it on higher up and moro eco
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
ford dressmaker.
"Then you were goose for your
palms," shortly retorted Madame Molini,
as she unfastened the parcel, distracted
the piece of glistening, uncut elk, and
whisked it away upon 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 o whisper, as
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. "It's what
she cabbages p
"Cabbages?" repeated Flora, in amaze
ment. 81 don't understand you"
''You will, when you see the mode
silk made up into o 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?'
"Goosiep cried Miss Fox, "don't talk
nonsense any longer. It's what every
fashionable dressmaker does, and"
''There's the reception room bell"
shrilly called madame. "Miss Fay, an
swer it at oncer'
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 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 still retaining
kind recollection Of Mrs. Fay's kindness
| during an illness which overlook her
there.
ooh, Miss Fay, is it you? ?" said
Harry. "Do you work here? Upon
my word, you seem to be in very COM
Portable quarters"
"But I 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
y little dark room, where there is
sitting smell of coal gas, and no carpet
on the floor"
"I've come for a Dress" said Capt.
Drake, plunging headlong into his sub
ject, after the fashion of men in general
tiny 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
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-c olored 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 a 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
l.