McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1883-10-18
WHAT ONE GIRL DID.

WHAT ONE GIRL DID.
Molly Perry woke, the morning of
Memorial day, about as cross as it Is
possible for a healthy, sunny-tempered
girl to be, and with some reason.
For, to begin with, her waking senses
were first greeted by strong Whit of
tobacco smoke waited into her open
window from the pipe of the ledger be-
low, and rs she had gone to sleep with
the same incense in her nostrils, you
must own that it was trying, partlc-
ularly to a country-born nose that
knew the fragrance of wild grape vines
and locust trees. Whatever you may
think, Molly was wrathful, and flounced
out of bed, shut the window with en-
phasis, and sitting down in her one
rocking chair, eyed with strong dis
favor a pile of clothes on another
chair. And here was another reason
for her crossness. The night before
she had taken account OF stock in the
way of clothes, and found herself on
the verge of bankruptcy. ''Not de-
cent thing among them except that
gray suit" she thought, disconsolately;
and the truth is they were shabby lot.
Barring the gray suit, navy blue serge
Dragged as to edges, and shiny as to
elbows and back, a faded cambria, an
old back cashmere, hot and dusty-look-
ing, made up the sorry display.
1.Why didn't she buy some new
clothes?' Well, there was no particu-
lar reason except that she had no
money to buy and no time to make,
being one of the forty or more clerks
in the SMART of Fashion," on Wash
ington street, at salary of Sc q week.
ANY one fundamentally inclined can
do the sum which Molly did each week.
Board .....................S4 w
Washing and ironing. 30
One sitting at ''Trinity' "a very hum
BILE one) ...................... 10
Total ........................ S4.65
And out of the difference between this
total and six dollars must come boots
and gloves and hair-pips and pocket
handkerchiefs and everything else, so
YOU can see that the Queen of Sheba
was quite safe from rival so far as
Molly was concerned.
But this mention of the SMART of
Fashion, brings me to the cap-sheaf of
Molly's discomfort. She had expected
to have the day to herself, but Rush &
Crush, seeming the possible profit from
country visitors, had decided to keep
open. So it was a very cross face that
looked at Molly from the little wavy
looking glass, and the soft brown hair
was hatcheled and twisted with very
few of the little pats and touches usual
ly bestowed on it, and the blue dress
was donned with some twitches. The
SIGHT of the breakfast table did not
tighten her mood. She looked down
its long length, and noted the spots and
rings and splashes on the coarse cloth,
the knives and forks at all angles, and
the dishes piled up, fragments and all,
by the untidy table girl, and felt an I'M
utterable disgust for it all.
1t is not necessary to 60 into the story
of sickness and debt and death which
had brought her from a quiet, refined
home to be clerk in the Mart of
Fashion and an inmate of Widow Jack
mans second ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS; but
we will start with her this memorial
morning when, after trying her sharp
little teeth on some tough steak and
turning over on her plate some fiabby
fried potatoes, she fished fly out of her
coffee, and took her way to the store.
Half the long forenoon had worn
away when Molly, with box Of
tumbled laces before her, stood looking
after lady who had just passed with
a cluster of violets at her throat, and
thinking wlstfully of a certain place she
knew of where they grew, cool and
moist in their green leaves, when the
voice of the ubiquitous foor-walker
brought her back to the present.
"Miss Perry, if you are not more at
tentive, shall have to report YOU
81 will save you that trouble" said
Miss Perry, and clap went the cover on
the box, and swish went the box into
its place, and Miss Perry, with very red
cheeks and bright eyes, went down the
long store to the Office and rendered her
resignation, 'sto take effect at once, if
you please"
Mr.. Rush was pleased, for trade.was
slackening and there were twenty girls
for every vacancy. ''But you know
our rule" Yes, she knew the rule,