The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-08-31
ONLY A MILLINER.

said Madame Molini. mo, it will never
do! don't pay you wages to sit and
fold your hands like fine ladies' Miss
Sedgwick, we are waiting for that law
ender silk polonaise, Lucy Lisle, why
do you not go on with those buttonholes?
Miss Fox, you will be SO good as to
change your seat from the window to the
middle of the room at oncew
But, madame, l can't see there to
lay on these fine pleatings," pleaded
Miss Fox.
"You mean you can't see the car
riages in the street, and the shopmen at
the windows opposite" retorted Ma
was "Mullens," and who had been
milliner's apprentice in the goodly city
of Cork, before she set up in Broadway
as a French modiste.
Lucy Lisle caught up her work.
Il stopped just a minute, madame,
with that bad pain in my side," she
said, beginning to stitch away in eager
haste.
''If you're SICK" said madame, Sc
verely, 'you had better 90 home and
send for the doctor. While you are
here your time is mine, bought and paid
for"
While Miss Sedgwick, in self-defence,
urged that she had not enough silk
gimp to trim the polonaise and was
waiting for moro.
mot enough" shrilly repeated mad
ame--.not enough. measured that
trimming myse't, and know that there
is enough. You may just rip it off
again, and sew it on higher up, and
more economically; and I shall deduct
this mornings lost time from your
wagesl What's that, Flora Fay-the
dove-colored silk dress? Finished? And
where are the two and half yards
which were left?'
II folded them IN with the dress mad
ame." said Flora Fay, an innocent, blue
eyed young girl, recently from the coun-
try, who stood in an unconsciously grace
full attitude, before the fat and forid
dressmaker.
Then you were q goose for your
palms," shortly retorted Madame Molini,
as she unfastened the parcel, distracted
the piece of glistening, uncut silk, and
whisked it away upon shelf. ''Two
yards and half isn't much, but it is
better than nothing
Flora Fay opened her innocent blue
eyes wide.
What is she going to do with it?"
she asked Miss Fox, in whisper, as
madame rustled off to scold the errand-
| boy for putting too much coal on the
| fire.
Don't you know, little sillyp" whis-
pered Miss Fox, laughing. 'It's what
she cabbagesr'
"Cabbages?" repeated Flora. in
/ amazement Il don't understand you"
''You will, when you see the dove
silk made up into 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,n said breath
less Flora, '.that madame takes the silk
that is left from the customers dress
es?'
''Goosier' cried Miss Fox, don't talk
| nonsense any longer. It's what every
/ fashionable dressn,aker does"
The dress was sent home, but the lady
| for whom it had been made called on
| Madame Molini the next day. She knew
her rights, and was prepared to defend
| them.
| Where is the material 1 sent" said
she to Miss Fox, who was in attendance
| in the show room. 1T is not all made
up into the dress. l had purchased
| enough for n new waist and sleeves,
and it is not here"
.'You must be mistaken" said Miss
Fox, with an aspect of polite impassibil-
ity. 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
fichus into a band-box. at the back OF
the room, rose and came forward with
deepening color.
There are two yards and half OF
the dove colored silk, Miss Fox" she
interrupted; don't you remembcr?-on
the shelf in the back ROOM"
Miss Fox colored and bit her lip.
Madame Molini, with CONTINUOUSLY.
darkened face, twitched the two. yards
and half of silk off the shelf. folded il
into paper, and handed it to Mrs.
Forteseue. muttering something about
"a mistake made by one of her young
women" and the young lady departed
She had hardly closed the door be-
| hind her, however, when Madame Mo.
lini turned upon poor Flora Fay. with s
scarlet spot glowing in each cheek aud
lips closely compressed.
Young woman" said she. you are
discharged"
.'Disehargedr' echoed Flora: '.Fol
what?l' "-
i want no one in my service" said
madame, ''who is too conscientious te
fnliil my wishes. You have intermed-
died unWarrantably in the matter o.