Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-06-23

and-twenty dollars. IT, however, you should
prefer to purchase mirror yourself in place
of the one broken by you, we will consent to
receive II, provided it is in every way as good
as that left us by our grandmother. And in
that case we will agree to refund the eight
dollars, your last months wages, which we
have retained az the first installment Of your
debt; which is really much more than could
have been expected Of u.s."
ooh yes indeed, very much more than
could have been expected of u.s." murmured
Miss Georgette.
"For such gross carelessness-" Miss Cam
eron went on.
."Indeed, ma'am," interrupted Molly, her
cheeks flaming and her eyes sparkling, "as /
have told you, ] never touched it: l wasn't
even near it. l was sweeping the other side
of the parlor when il fell, and the cord it
hung by was all moth eaten, and had parted
just in the middle, as l showed you at the
time"
should be punished" continued Miss
Cameron, not paying the slightest attention
to the girl. and one word more. please to
remember that we have your signature to an
acknowledgment that you consider yourself
responsible for the breakage."
you frightened me 50 that scarcely knew
what was signing" said Molly. 'But as l
have promised, / will pay you, for il shall
never be said that my fathers daughter broke
her word. I'd give you the few dollars
have saved, II had not to keep them for my
own support until get another place. Poor
Aunt Nancy can only give me shelter, for, as
you know, she has depended almost entirely
on me for food and clothes ever since my
father died"
"Yes, and very ridiculous thing for both
of you," snapped Miss Cameron, with a cold
snap. "She might much better sell the hut
she lives in for kindling wood, and go 10 the
poor-house, aud you might much better save
your wages to pay for the things you break.
For break you will to the end Of your days.
l never saw a person with such fly-away hair
as yours that was not vain careless, and
frivolous. You may CO."
eyes, indeed, you may CO." added Miss
Georgette.
And the poor child went out into the road,
homeless and almost friendless, with shad-
ow on her fair young face and pain in her
young heart. But she had only turned into
the long lane that led to old Nanny's cottage,
when some one came quickly to her side, and
said, in a kindly voice, "Molly poor little
Molly" and there was Mr.. Malcolm. And
Molly, in her grief, thinking only of him as
the friend of her childhood, who had known
her as the darling OF the kindest of fathers,
flung her bundle down, and burst into q pas.
sionate flood of tears.
''They were hard on me, your sisters, Mr..
Malcolm" she sobbed-"very hard on me. l
did my best for them. l worked-and / am
not very strong, though am a blacksmith's
daughter-from morning till night, and yet
could not please them. And it was not my
fault about the mirror. It was not-it was
mott was not Though Miss Cameron in
sists that l stopped sweeping to look at my
curly hair-I can't help its curling l did
everything to make it straight tied It back
so tight, over and over again, that my head
ached awful-and knocked it with the broom.
She was a little better before you came but
after you came, and complained so much
about the tea, and the coffee, and your shirts,
and-and everything"
81 complain :" exclaimed her listener,
breaking in upon her rather confused nara.
tion of her wrongs. "Why, l never com
planned of anything. How could I?-there
was nothing to be complained of."
''She said you did. But beg pardon, sir"
suddenly remembering the difference be-
tween the candy and kisses time and the pres
ent. ''She is your sister, and-and my troub-
les are nothing to you"
''She is my sister an extremely long step
off, he replied, gravely; land your troubles
are great deal to me; and furthermore, /
think see a way-a pleasant way-out of
them. Let me walk with you to your aunt
Nanny's and there, with her to advise us, we'll
talk matters over"
ooh, it's such poor place, Mr.. Malcolm
Miss Cameron called it hut, and said it was
only fit for kindling- wood"
1--WE been in much poorer places, Molly"
said he and picking up her bundle, he walk
ed by her side to the old woman's cottage.
Two weeks passed by. A poor drudge
from the work-house, whose chief (in fact
whose sole) recommendation was mo wages" F"
had taken Molly's place in the Misses Cam
eron's kitchen. Mr.. Malcolm had gone away
on business directly after her coming, and on
the evening appointed for his return, the two
sisters, attired in dresses of dull gray, unre-
lieved by a single touch of color, sat (every-
thing in the house being in heart-chilling,
dreadful stony order) one at each parlor win.
dow, awaiting his arrival.
HE must be coming 1 think 1 hear
wheels, said the elder, in her usual precise
tones.
wheels" repeated her sister.
Aud "wheels" they were, but not the wheels
of a carriage, but those of truck, and this
truck, on which lay long wooden box stop
ped before the cottage door.
"a mirror for Miss Cameron" the driver
called out as he jumped down.
"a mirror :" repeated tho spinster, unable
to restrain gesture of surprise. And "a
mirror !" said Miss Georgette, with another
gesture Of surprise.
eyes, ma'am from Willard's, New York.
Where ia it TO be taken ?"
"FiTst unpack it out here" commanded the
lady, recovering her self possession. 'I can't
have the house Uttered up with splinters and
shavings"
mo, indeed" chimed in Miss Georgette,
also recovering her self-possesson. 'Splin-
ters and shavings! !"
So the box was unpacked at the roadside,
and the mirror taken from it proved to be
better and handsomer in every respect than
that it had been sent to replace.
"Ivo brought wire to hang it WITH" said
the man, as be carried it into the house so
there'll be no danger from moths this time"
"Moths !" said Miss Cameron, gRring at
him And "Moths !" echoed her sister, also
glaring. Aud they both continued to glare,
as though called upon to superintend piece
of work highly repugnant to their feelings,
until the mirror was hung, aud the driver
again in his place on tho truck.
"Of course George sent it, said Miss Cam
eron when the man had driven away. But
Mary Brown must pay for the other all the
same. Our having this makes no difference
in regard to the agreement with her"
mo difference in regard to the agreement
with her." assented Miss Gvorgette-when
who should walk in, in a gray silk walking
dress, a bunch of crimson flowers at her
throat, and another in her belt, and the most
ooquettish gray hat, adorned with more Grim
son flowers, but Molly herself
"Good evening"" she said, smilingly. 81
have called for a receipt in full"
"A receipt in full Aud for what, pray ?
Have you brought the money 2 asked her
whilom mistress. And, 'Have you brought
the money ?" echoed her other whilom mis-
tregs.