Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-09-01
PUT TO THE TEST.

With this fair little shop girl 2
Mr. Meredith, tall, well. featured man
of fifty, locked rather sadly st his enthusi-
astio young nephew.
Fancy, uncle? That is hardly an APP.
propriate word to use. am quite certain
OF the fact"
&C. suppose yen viii consider me very
had Judge Of human character If | tell you
like her Little cousin demure face best.
Believe ME. Harry, there Is more stamina
an Ruth Durr than IN her pretty cousin
Rachel. Father Clarence tells me she ia
the most dHuful girl gong to his church.
and while her inval / father was alive she
used to nurse him ike Sister of Charity.
Rachel is frivolous. Ruth is girl OF heart
aud soul"
There, sir" faid Harry, resolutely
ia where l mus beg leave to differ with
You"
That she earns her living behind the
counter of fancy store-that they both
do 30 Ia no drawback In my eyes. Inde
pendence aud self-reliancs are TO me car
dinal virtues, and even though your wife
will be raised into an atmosphere of com
parative wealth, few lessons taken be-
forehand in the impartial school of worldly
experience will be OF incalculabie use to
her"
Harry Meredith sat long that night be-
fore the snug bright fire IN his snug batch
elor apartment musing over his uncle's
words He had met the two cousins
Rachel and Ruth Durr, at a quiet little
birthday gathering at the house of friend,
and instantly felt drawn to the elder one
elder by eighteen months. She WAS
beautiful blonde, while the other was
rather Of the brunette type. Daring the
three months which had followed upon his
first introduction, Harry Meredith had
contr!ved to zee tho cousins several times
s week, and consequently fell deeper in
love with tho gOlde6- haired lassie, even
while he was quite conscious OF Ruths
deeper character and stronger intellect.
Sometimes he was even tempted to wayer
in his allegiance towards the elder, and
q i took himself to task with very un-
Necessary sternness.
Tonight, however, lie passed the whole
Ct the past few weeks in review before his
memory, and decided that inaction was the
worst policy in the world.
This suspense must be put an end to, "
calculated our hero half aloud, and then
smiled mischievously to himself as an idea
came into his head.
ON do it, he thought, biting his lip.
"Of course it's only tor the fun of the
thing. l have NOT the shadow of doubt
that she is all she seems
He was silent for few moments and
then arose to prepare for slumber.
"They are polite enough to me as the
favored child of luxury, Now will take
measures to learn whether this courtesy is
genuinely from the heart, or merely born
Of empty form and adulation for wealth"
So our hero laying his head on his pill
low, dreamed of private parties all night
long.
Rachel Durr and her cousin Ruth were
shop girls in Losier & Co.'S great fancy
store.
"Ob, dear p sighed Rachel, one morn.
ing as she took of her bonnet IN the little
dressing. room at the back of the store, and
shook down her golden shower of curls,
how tired 1 an Of this horrid drudgery.
How I wish Harry Meredith would pro-
pose, if he is going to"
Ruth laughed as she smoothed down her
satin brown hair and tied the bow of Grim
son ribbon at her throat.
And what do you think Of me, Rachel,
l, who have no such brilliant hopes of mat
rimony to light up the monotony OF my
daily toll p
Rachel shrugged her shoulders.
"Idon't see how you bear it so patiently
| should die of vexation and ennui if l
didn't hope for something better"
" Hush !" said Ruth, "there is Mrs.
Wicks, the forewoman, calling US"
q" How I hate the old vixen !" Rachel
eiaculsted, slowly following Ruth into the
store.
Really, Miss Rachel Durr, you must
be little more punctual," said Mrs.
Wioks, pursuing mp her mouth primly.
You are five minutes behind time, and it
was Just go yesterday"
Rachel pouted, snd went to work label.
ing box Of newly arrived ribbons. She
and Mrs, Wicks had never agreed very
harmoniouRiy, nor did she ever affiliate
with the other girls. "a stuck up i'm
pertinent thing" they called her, while
she, from the serene nights Of the posi-
bility of her one day becoming Mrs. Harry
Meredith, treating them with disdain
that WAs any thing in the world but agree
able.
In vain were Ruth's remonstrances.
Rachel had always been willful and in.
clined to uperciliousness, nor would she
listen to her oOusin's kindly preferred ad-
vice now.
IRIS all very well for you, Ruth, you've
got to spend all your days here, but 1 shall
soon be lifted out of this groveling atmos.
phere."
eft ia by no means certainty"
Eyes, it is" laughed Rachel blushing
like damask rose.
And Ruth would sigh softly and think
how bright the future was unfolding it's
vast map before her pretty little cousin.
Rachel Durr waited rather languidly
upon one or two customers That morning
Evidently her heart was not in her work,
and Mrs. Wicks. from her lurking place
behind the cash box. cast several enven-
omed glances towards her. premonitory
of o coming storm.