The Republican journal., 1883-07-26
A Chance w ord.
BY SUSAN COOLIDGE.

BY SUSAN COOLIDGE.
Myra sydney was sitting in the win
dow OF her little parlor. watching the
slow rising Of a storm over the opposite
sky. Even city streets have their oppor-
tunities. This street in which Miss sgd
ney dWelt was in the outskirts OF Il sub
urb, where building plots We're still gen.
crously measured. 1t ran along the ridge
the further advantage of standing oppo-
stea group of vacant lots, beyond which,
above the roofs and chimneys on the low
cr streets, line of blue hills was visible
topped with woods and dapped with
cloud shadows.
Many an autumn sunset had she watch
ed from her front windows; many Il soft
spring ram and whring snow storm. To
some natures there are both companion
ship and compensation in the changetul
aspects of nature. Myra was one of these
She would not have exchanged her little
house with its wide view for any other
however magnificent. whose boundaries
are brick walls alone; and sky and sun
and hill made for the leisure moments OF
her busy life perpetual and unWearying
feast.
The room in which Miss sydney sat
expressed its owner, as rooms will,
whether meant to do so or not In no
respect of size or shape did it differ from
No. II on one side or No. Is on the other
yet its aspect was anything rather than
commonplace. The prevailing tint on
wall and floor was soft olive, which
made a background for brighter colored
things for the old Indian shawl which
did duty as a p0rttcre fer couple of
deep -hued Eastern rugs; for pictures of
various kinds and values. and a sprink-
ling of brio a brac, odd rather than valu-
able, but SO chosen as to be in thorough
harmony with its surroundings.
Everything had q use. No pitfalls
yawned for unwary guests in the shape
OF minute tables, Queen Anne or other
wise, laden with rumpery biscuit or
SeyreS, and ready to upset with a touch
A couple of short, old fashioned sofas
tianked the fire place on either side, two
or three easy chairs and trm-set low
table, laden with books and periodicals.
completed a sort of circle where ten or a
dozen persons could group themselves
round the blaze Miss sydney herself
slight, vivid, simply dressed, but without
an ungracetul point or fold, was in ac-
cordance with her room.
The clock struck seven. The black
cloud had crept to the zenith, and now
strong gust Of wind swept from beneath
it, bringing on its wings the first drops
Of rain. Miss Sydney rose and shut the
window. At that moment the door bell
rang.
ats two girls with parcel, Miss
Myra," said Esther, the paror- maid
"They'd like to speak with you, they say"
Miss sydney went out into her little
entry. The girls, about the same age,
We're of the unmistakable shop girl type.
"lo ou are from Snow & Asher's, think p
she said, in her courteous voice.
~ esm. Mr. Snow said ne wasn't sure
which Of the under waists it was that You
took, 50 he sent both kinds, and will you
try EN- on, please p
''Certainly. Are you to wait for them 2"
"Yesm."
Miss sydney made what haste she
could, but before she returned the rain
was falling in torrents. "NOu must wait
till 1t slackens," she said "Y0u'll be
very wet if you don't. Have you far to
goN
"tShc has, replied one of the girls, with
an embarrassed giggle. ''lm pretty
near by, and the horse car runs just in
front of the door. But Cary has to walk
quite way, and her shoes is thin, too.
She'd better wait, guess, but must 50,
anyway"
Miss sydney glanced at the shoes
cheap, paper soed boots, With dusty
velvet bow sewed Oh the toe of each, and
She too concluded that 10y all means
"Cary" must wait. "COme in here" she
said, leading the way into the parlor.
Esther had now lighted the lamp. 4 lit
tie fire sparkled on the hearth. Myra
drew an easy chair close it. '.Sit down
and have a thorough warming she said.
1T is a chilly evening"
"Yes'm"
The girl thrust the velvet bowed boots,
which gaped for lack Of buttons, out to
the fire, and, half from embarrassment,
held up hand to shade her face. 1t was
small hand, with an ambiguous red gem
on the toretinger. The nails were all bit
ten to the quick, Miss sydney observed
The face shaded by the hand was not
unpretty. The brown eyes had a straight
! forward, 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 tleeting charm. 1t
was face which softly banded hair and
a low knot would have suited but with
the bad taste of her class, "Cary" had
adopted the style of coitfure which be
came her least. All the front hair was
an unkempt tangle Of chang" At the
| back was mass of jute switches, braid
ed and surmounted with gilt comb, and
on top of the erection was perched straw
hat lined with blue and ornamcnted with
q bedraggled cocks tail. The dress, OF
cheap material, was blue also, and was
frilled and tiOunced into carcature OF
| the prevailing fashion. A rutf1e of sOilcd
lace surrounded the girls neck, beneath
which, over not Overclean muslin tie,
hung a smart locket Of yellow metal
very yellow. Bangles clinked round the
slender wrists. Beneath the putfed and
ruttied skirt shabby petticoat of gray
cotton peeped out. Though the weather
was chill, the girl wore no wrap. Miss
Sydney noted these details in half the
time it has taken to describe them, and
stirred with a pity which was half indig-
nation, said, "My child, how could you
think of coming out on such day as this
without a shawl? ?"
81 haven't any shawl"
"Well, a jacket, then"
81 haven't any jacket, either, that
matches this dress" glancing complac
entity down at the berutfed skirt.
"But you would rather wear jacket