Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-09-27
The Sturw Teller.
THE MAJORS CHOICE.

Inc 1dlr FEMININE SOclclS vi 1 1OlGNlilS wa
much exercisedin mind when Major IrlX0l
bought the great brown house across tn
park.
Year in and year out that house had stoot
vacant. Summer suns had woven thei
threads of light through the closed blinds
winter SHOWS had piled their white drift
against the threshold.
Some said the house was damp, other
that it was haunted, yet others shrewdly
surmised that it was in litigation and coulc
not show a clean title.
But nobody knew anything for certain
and when Major Trixon bought it, and al
army of decorators, masons, painters, ano
upholsterers took possession of it, the inter
est and curiosity of Portville was at the cul
minating point.
That the major was bachelor, was very
certain. That he was forty years old, II moi
older, appeared an incontrovertible fact
That he was immensely rich, rather eccen'
trio, and decidedly in want Of wife, every
BODY in town knew before the title deeds o1
the big house had been tWenty-fOur hours in
the possession of the new owner.
YES" the major had averred, seriously
when facetiously challenged on the subject
by Mr.. Miles Rideau, one of his most lntl'
mate friends, 81 do want wife. You may
chaff about it as you please, but it don't
L
die of giggles, and frizzes and Paris mil
linery."
ssI'll introduce you to our first young la:
dies" said Mr.. Rideau, cheerfully, land
then you can pick and choose for YOURSELF
Major TriXon was silent.
GA regular old bachelor" said Rideau to
himself. He'll never marry. He wants
perfection, and there's no girl living that
can come up to his standard"
The ladies, as matter of course, We're
much interested in the bluff, brown, elderly
major. Miss Serena Silver, whose grand
father had been commodore, and whose
genealogical tree had more branches than
star-fsh, picked out the last gray hair from
her tresses and plumed herself Tor conquest
"He'll want a lady of undisputable birth
and position" she thought.
Alice Wood, the pretty dressmaker's as
sistant, pinned an extra blush rose in the
front of her bonnet as she tripped to and fro
to her work past the windows of the brown
house.
tsThe old story of King Cophethua and
the beggar maid is often repeating itself,
she thought. "And Pm not quite beg
gar.'
While all the beautiesin Portville bright
ened up their armor and prepared to enter
the lists.
Major Trixon went into society, ndsocie-
ty was puzzled to know what to make OF
him. -.....
"Twelve shirts ~ said Gertrude May,
holding up her hands in dismay.
"Twelve shirtsv' echoed Mrs. Lacy, who
was pretty widow on the promotion.
"But, my dears," said Mrs. Hedge, the
mother of two dimpled velvet-eyed bru-
nettes, ''you must be mistaken"
"We're not, mamma" said Bertha.
'He really did say so, mumsey," declared
Ida.
"You see, Mrs. Hedge" explained Ermi-
MIA Bruce, ''he has founded hospital or
poorhouse or something out West, and he
wants box made up to send to the poor
people there. And he has asked the young
ladies hereabouts to contribute twelve shirts,
one each, don't you see : And they must be
made by their own hands,
$50 ridiculous !" said Mrs Hedge.
'But old bachelors always do have their
ouips and cranks," said Mrs. Lacy, COM
placently, as she remembered a garment OF
the late lamented Lacy's wardrobe which
she promised herself to ''dO up" and pass on
to the Western paupers us piece ofgenulne
domestic manufacture.
"Well, girls, you'll have to get your work
boxes" said Mrs. Hedge.
eff it was worsted work, now,' said Ida.
"But shirts Who ever heard of shirts ~
said Gertrude. "However, we must all try.
A rich old bachelor is worth a few pinched
fingers-eh, girls"
But Erminia Bruce, who had no liking
for plain needlework, looked with disgust at
the Wamsutta muslin, the card or buttons,
and the compact paper patterns on the t'tble.
81 haven't time for it," said she to her
self, ''if practice that sonata for the Thurs
day evenings musicale. Pll put it out and
the major will never know that l didn't
make it myself. A shirt indeed Why,
he'll be expecting us to scrub floors and
very nice and mean to be lady of it with
out any cf this odious drudgery."
So Miss Bruce, who was tall, with su-
perb complexion, flashing black eyes and a
figure like Diana's own, rolled up the OBJ
nOXious materials and carried them to lit
tie house around the corner, where pale,
dove-eyed young woman, no longer in her
first youth, sat at her sewing.
Agatha" said Miss Bruce. curtly, II
want shirt made. Very nicely, now.
hear"'
Agatha Fontaine looked up, wistfully.
"But, Erminia," said she, 81 am very
much hurried just now. If you could wait
a week."
every WE'LL" said Miss Bruce, with a
toss of her imperial head, then I'll take my
materials elsewhere It's always the way
with you suffering poor! If one takes you
work, you won't do it, and then you come
and tell us all sorts of stories about your
privatiOns. But, mark my words, Agatha,
if you refuse to oblige me now Ill never
employ you again."
Miss Fontaine sighed softly. Five years
ago she and Erminia Bruce had shared the
same room in Madame de Froulignac's
fashionable boarding school and were in
separable friends. But poor Harmon Fon-
taine had failed in business, and recklessly
drawn a razor across his throat, and here
was Agatha toiling for her daily bread, nc
less than to support a delicate mother and
a little brother who was ailing with spinal
complaint. And Erminia has listened with
a patronizing air to Agatha's' humble re-
quest for work.
81 will see what l can do for you," she
had said, slipping the rich rings carelessly
up and down her fingers. "But amateur
needlework is never quite up to the mark
However, if you will consider that in your
charges"
81 will endeavor to work well and cheap
ly," said Agatha, meekly.
And after she was gone Erminia laughed
eXultantly.
''It's regular stroke of good luck for us
mamma,' said she. "Broken down gentry
always work well and at quarter price!'
And so when she turned cOldly away
detain her.
''Leave the work, Erminia," said she
cit is true that | am very much hurried
inst at DreSpnt but Won have hpen very