Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-08-10
GOLD AND GILT.

She was very pretty girl, and she
knew it, and did her best, i'll an innocent
sort of way, to let other people know it
and she could not help thinking, us she
walked along the Feltham road, tint keep
ing company with Tom Dawlsh-who
was just n plain, honest, working
young fellow--was rather waste of time,
and that marrying him would be altogeth-
er throwing herself away.
Her reflections came to an end at the
door of Messrs. Bradbury's office. and
she walked in wholly intent on the bill
she had to pay. a smart-looking young
man received the money when the re-
ceipt was made out and she turned to go,
she found the shower which had threaten
ed for some time was coming down with n
vengeance.
"Oh DEAR" she said, "and have no
umbrella
"Wait here Il few minutes, miss it
will soon be over" said the smart young
man and then, having accepted his offer
of shelter, Mary found herself after q
minute or two thinking that lie was ga
very nice-looking young gentleman" Gas
she afterward described him to the cook,
and that he had beautiful hair-it was so
nicely curled-and he had little dark
mustache, and wore such pretty blue
necktie oh he was very nice looking,
indeed.
''Are you Miss Poole's sister ?" he ask
ed, after few minutes conversation.
Mary flushed as she replied truthfully-
for she was far too good girl even to
equivocate-tha she was not such dis
tinguished individual but only the house.
maid and chambermaid combined. And
then he asked what her name was, and
with another blush she told him that it
was Clara, but Mrs. Poole said it was too
fine name for n servant, and SO called
her Mary.
81 shall call you Clara" he said ;
"shall / ?" he added, with an appealing
glance Mary felt her heart beat faster.
Something seemed to tel. her that her des-
tiny had come, and she had no words to
say. So he followed up his successful
sally with another one "Do you ever
get out of an evening for walk p
Sometimes, she said, softly
"Will you go for walk with me next
time ?"
ut wouldn't be right. You are quite
strange, you see, she answered, slowly
"Oh we'll soon get over that you
know. Perhaps you are engaged though ?"
Marys inconvenient heart gave thump,
which showed that he meant business
!. G., matrimony.
"No, I'm not but I'm wanted to be. "
Not very lucid answer, but he under
stood it.
"Who to ?" he asked, coaxingly
"Well, perhaps l oughtn't to say his
name" she answered slowly for in this,
the most important moment of her life, as
she felt it to be, words seemed altogether
to fail her.
"What is he?"
"He's-he's carpenter" Mary never
felt the truth more difficult to tell in all
her life.
"a carpenter |" he said, in telling
tone of injury, not unmixed with scorn
"Well, of course, if 1 am not better than
q carperter-'
ooh you are you are, sir" said Ma
~, in her excitement putting out her
hand, and resting it for Just moment on
his sleeve.
Mary lost her heart to the smart young
man with the blue tie and the well-oied
hair. He never said anything more def
mite than he said that first day but he
was always ready to take her out. and
most particular about her dress and the
result was that all her little hoard of saw
ings went in more or less ill-chosen finery,
and Tom Dawlish was forgotten. There
was only one thing she refused to do, and
that was she would not give up her Sat
urday afternoon to him. She had always
Ind to take little Frankly Poole out for n
long walk on that day, it being his half
holiday, and she would never consent to
his being allowed to run about wild in
Kensington Gardens, as Alfred Hill for
80 the smart young man was called) sug-
gested, while she walked about with her
fine sweetheart.
'He is such wild little fellow; no.
body knows what he might do if he had
the chance"
"Ah you don't care for me-" said the
hero of the coal-merchant's office and the
proud recipient Of thirty shillings week
income. No answer came save that her
clasped hands made one in their dumb
movement of contradiction. Not love
him. Why, every moment in the day was
devoted to thinking Of him. her work
was neglected her money spent her
place in n fair way of being forfeited, and
poor Tom Dawlish nearly heart-broken,
and yet he said she did not love him