The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1883-11-30

| MT. Crolton lookeu pltylnSly al the girl 5
sparkling eyes, and pale, excited face.
81 am very sorry to hear this" said he.
"Can nothing be done?"
EYES," said Miss Monteagle, brusquely
Something can be done-and am doing it,
in 80 far as can. But papa and mama must
not be allowed to suspect it. Iam-learning
a trader
! You p he echoes. "a trade p
There's factory near by here" she said
calmly. 1.-THE country girls earn little
pocket money there sewing on shirts. | am
to have machine as soon as l have learned
to manage it. Igo every evening, while papa
fancies am at the Greek and Latin, to far
mer Pelham's, whose wife teaches me the
use ofthe machine. am learning homework,
too. made the mayonnaise for your salad
| to-day, and baked the bread. Our servant
can do nothing of the sort. But it would kill
| mamma to think that | stopped, as she would
| call it. to mental labor"
"You are quite right" said Mr.. Crofton
"That is what l wanted to know" said
| Mary, hastily. Because, living here all by
| myself, in such strange unnatural atmos-
| phere, ! sometimes get confused, and scarcely
know right from wrong"
"But they will surely have TO know it,
when"
"When really go into the factory" said
| Mary. eyes, know that. But until then,
l would fain spare them the pang. / am to
| have dollar day, Mrs. Pelham says, if
operate the machine skillfully. And dollar
| a day will buy mamma many little luxury,
and 60 far toward paying the grocer and the
baker"
"You are q noble girl" said Mr.. Crofton,
warmly; and in his eye, at that moment,
Mary Monteagle was gloritied with rare beau
ty, as she stood there, the fresh wind blowing
her jetty curls about, the reflection of orange
| sunset deepening the color on her cheeks, and
the grave, far-away sparkle of her eyes half
yelled beneath the long lashes. "And if |
could be of any assistance to you in this
task"
"You can" said the girl, abruptly. "You
can stay here and amuse papa, so that he
shall not suspect what occupies my time.
You can divert his attention from Sanscrit
and Arabic, and all mysteries"
And, for the frat time in his experience of
her, Mary Monteagle laughed-a mellow,
bird-like laugh.
81 WILL" said Mr.. Crofton, heartily.
And so the compact was sealed between
them.
father to spend with old Colonel Monteagle,
the sojourn was extended to three.
At the end of that period he gravely adj
dressed himself to the dark-eyed daughter of
the house.
"How is the trade?" said he
81 am to have u machine next week" said
Mary, with the conscious pride of one who
has conquered fate land then-only think
of it. Mr.. Crofton--I shall earn dollar a
day."
"Mary," said Mr. Crofton, seriously. II
have been thinking of another plan for you.
You tell me that this farmers wife has made
tirst-class housekeeper of you"
81 baked mince pie yesterday 7" said Mary,
exultantly; land | have quilted quilt and
made soap, within the week !''
81 do not like the idea ofyour going into
factory" said Mr.. Crofton. suppose, now,
by way of variety, you were to-marry me"
"But think you are not in love with me-"
said Mary, opening her bright black eyes.
"But ! am" said Mr. Crofton, with great
gravity. 81 have deliberately made up my
mind that | can not be happy without you.
And although | do not profess to be a rich
man, | believe | can make you better al
lowance than six dollars week. while at the
same time you will not be compelled to work
ten hours II day for it. That is the business
like view of the question. Now on to the
more personal one. Do not you think,
Mary, that You could love me? Because i
love you very much indeed"
lido not know !" whispered Mary. II
might try"
And then she blushed charmingly.
SO Colonel Monteagles daughter went to the
fair FIordan plantation on the river st. John,
and astonished every one there with her
thorough knowledge of housekeeping in all
its details. And the two old people, with
their burden of insolvency and care lifted off
their lives dwell quietly on, in the ancient,
tower like house, and talk to everybody who
crosses their path of "the excellent marriage
which my daughter Mary has contracted"
"a thorough scholar" says Colonel Mont
eagle, with dignity. "a musician, a linguist,
a thorough Hebrew student, and proficient
in Latin and Greek l myself was her in
struclor. 1t is not singular that girl of such
intellectual power should marry we'll"
But Colonel Monteagle, honest man, never
dreamed that it was the sewing machine and
soft soap, the mayonnaise dressing and the
vehement struggle to get free from debt,
which conquered Mr.. Crofton's heart. There
are plenty of scholars and poetesses in the
world, but real womanly woman-,is not her
price far above rubics?