The Penn's Grove record., 1883-11-10
ACHANCE WORD.

dow of her little parlor waiting the slow
| rising of a storm over the opposite sky.
| Even city streets have their opportun-
tiles. This street in which Miss Sgd
ney dwelt was in the outskirts of a SUI
burb, where building lots were still ge-
nerously measured. 1t ran along the
ridge of a slope, and Miss Sydney's
house had the further advantage OF
| standing opposite a group of vacant lots,
| beyond which, above the roofs and
| chimneys ON the lower streets, a line of
blue hills was visible, topped with woods
and dappled with cloud shadows.
Many an autumn sunset had she
watched from her front windows many
a soft spring rain and whirling snow
storm. To some natures there are both
companionship and compensation in the
| changeful aspects of nature. Myra was
| one OF these. She would not have ex-
| changed her little house with its wide
| view for any other, however. magnifi-
cent, whose boundaries were brick
walls alone; and sky, and sun, and hill,
made for the leisure moments of her
busy life a perpetual aud u%nvarying
feast.
The room in which Miss Sydney sat
expressed its owner, as rooms Will,
whether meant to do so or not. In 40
respect of size or shape did it differ
| from No. II ON one side, or No. 13 Oh
the other, yet its aspect was anything
rather than commonplace. TIL pre-
vailing tint on the wall and floor was a
soft olive, which made a background
| for brighter colored things; for the old
Indian shawl, which did duty as a por-
tiere; for a couple of deep-hued eastern
rugs; for pictures of various kinds and
values, and a sprinkling of bric-a-brac,
odd rather than valuable, but so chosen
as to be in thorough harmony with its
surroundings.
Everything had a use. No pitfalls
yawned for unwary guests in the shape
of minute tables, Queen Anne Oh other
wise, laden with trumpery biscuit or
Sevres, and ready to upset with a touch.
A couple of short old-fashioned sofas
fanked the fireplace on either side, two
or three easy-chairs and a firm-set, low
table, laden with books and periodicals,
completed a sort of circle where ten or
a dozen persons could group themselves
around the blaze. Miss Sydney herself,
slight, vivid, and very simply dressed,
but without an ungraceful point or fold,
was in accordance with her room.
The clock struck seven The black
cloud had crept to the zenith, and nov
a strong gust of wind swept from be-
meath it, bringing on its wings the first
drop of rain. Miss Sydney rose and
shut the window. AT that moment the
door-bell rang.
"It's two girls with a parcel, Miss
| Myra," said Esther the parlor-maid,
They'd like 10 speak with you, they
say"
Miss Sydney went out into her little
entry. The girls about the same age,
were of the unmlstakable shop-girl type.
.'You are from Snow q Asher's, |
thinkp'' she said in her courteous voice.
'Yes'm. Mr.. Snow said he wasn't
sure which of the underwaists it was
and you will try 'em on, pleaser"
Certainly. Are you to wait for
them?"
"Yes'm."
Miss Sydney made what haste she
could, but before she returned the rain
was falling in torrents. "You must
wait till 1t slackens,o she said. you'll
be very wet if you don't. Have you
far to go?"
'She has," replied one of the girls,
with al embarrassed giggle. Pm
pretty neal by, and the horse-cars run
just in front of the door. But Cary has
to walk quite a long way, and hershoes
are thin, too. She'd better wait, |
guess, but l must go, anyway"
Miss Sydney glanced at the shoes
cheap, paper-soled boots. with a dusty
velvet bow sewed on the toe of each,
and she, too, concluded that by all
means ''Cary" must wait.
s'Come in here, she said, leading til :
way into the parlor. Esthar had now
lighted the lamp. A little fire sparkled
on the hearth. Myra drew an easy
chair close to it. ''Sit down and have
a thorough warming, she said. ''It is
a chilly evening"
"Yes'm."
The girl thrust the yelvet-bowed
shoes, which gaped for lack of buttons,
out to the fire, and half from embarrass- |
ment, held up a hand to shade her face.
1t vas a small hand, with an ambiguous
red gem on the foreinger. The nails
were all bitten to the quick, Miss sgd
ney noticed.
The face shaded by the hand was not
unpretty. The brown eyes had a
straightforward, honest glance, the
mouth was rather sweet, there was that
delicacy of modelling, just bordering on
fragility, which gives to the early youth
Of so many American women a tleetln5 |
charm. 1t was a face which softly
banded hair and a low knot would suit;
but with the bad taste of her class,
Gary" had adopted the style of coiff-
ure which became her least. All the
front hair was an unkempt tangle of
bang" AT the back was a mass of
jute switches, braided and surrounded
with a gilt comb, and ON the top of the
erection was perched a straw hat lined
with blue, and ornamented with a be-
draggled cock'stail. The dress, of cheap
material, was blue also, and was frilled
and tiounced into a caricature of the
prevailing fashion. A rufle of soiled
lace surrounded the girls neck, beneath