Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1883-05-26

1 A0PoOO 4AOO
Grandpa is so queerr' said Fer
nanda, with an injured expression of
countenance. "But you'll promise me,
won't you, dear?"
But Octavia only laughed, and went
out into the kitchen to see if the bread
was light enough for the oven.
Mr.. Fitz Arragon was certainly
rather handsome. He was dressed
very elegantly, also; he wore what
was either a diamond or a very ex-
cellent imitation of one on his finger,
and his cravats were simply superb.
He looked at Octavia Glenn with soma
interest when they were introduced.
"You are fond of music? he said,
in that soft, insinuating way which
Fernando found so irresistible.
"Idon't object to it, = said Octavia,
bluntly.
ats a divine gift" said Mr.. Fitz
Arragon.@ MAY ask If you are TAX
ing lessons from Ferrani or Agra
monte ?,'
Neither one of 'em," said Octavia
And at that juncture Fernando
hurried the literary man away to look
at beautiful cluster of trailing ar
butus which some one had Just
brought in from the woods.
|. "There's no telling what Octy
would blurt out if you once gave her
the chance" said she.
And she did not breathe freely until
Octavia had left the old farmhouse and
gone back to her duties in the big
fancy store on Twenty-third street.
Octavia herself felt a, if some dis
agreeable pressure were removed from
her existence. She was frank, noble
natured girl, who was saving up her
earnings to pay off the mortage on old
Grandfather Glenn's farm.
She delighted in work, not only for
its own sake, but for the beneficial re-
suits it could produce and she had
sufficient of courage and self+denial to
live plainly until her object was at
tained.
She occupied a fireless hall bedroom
in shabby little downtown boarding
house, patronized mostly by the guild
of working people. whose only recon-
mendation was its scrupulous neat
ness.
She wore cotton gloves, dyed-over
gowns and the plainest of plain bon
nets. and through it all she respected
herself.
Stay, though-we have not told it
all There was one extravaganza in
which Octavia Glenn occasionally in
dulged herself-that of charity. She
had cnss of innocent-faced children
in the mission school, of an evening,
and she was diligent worker in the
ranks of quiet benevolent society,
which wrought a great deal of good
without any blowing of trumpets.
And one day when the feeble old
porter at the store fell i'll and his place
was vacant, Octavia Glenn constituted
herself a committee of one to inquire
into the matter.
"Of course you can do as you like.
Miss Glenn" said Mr.. Idem, the pro-
prietor of the store. But Ferrigan
lives in most dismal neighborhood,
and I'm not sure that it is altogether
safe for you to venture there after
dark"
"After dark is all the time have"
said Octavia, brusquely. And it
must be great deal worse to live
there than to go once in awhile. l
think I'll risk it."
So she begged permission from the
clearinghouse keeper to make little
farina Jelly over the cooking-stove
when the heavy, blackberry dump
lings, which were to regale the boarders
for dessert, were taken up, bought a
few Strawberries and small slice OF
sponQe-cake, and set forth to visit old
Ferrigan, the porter.
II was a dismal neighborhood, in
deed. where the poor o.d man lived
a neiQhborhood where piles Of ashes in
the narrow street made sort OF model
of the Rocky mounta MS, on small
scale. and layers of cabbage-leaves and
damaged lettuce festered in the gutter;
where rivulets of soapsuds trickled
acros, the pavement; and there ap-
peared to be more feeble groceries
than there were people. The very
0aslights sulked behind their cloudy
lanterns, and the occasional passers
prowled by like homeless cats.
Number ninety-nine," said Oc-
tayia, briskIy walking into a thread
and-needle store. where an old woman
sat fast asleep behind the counter.
"Does Mr.. Fcrrigan board here?"
The old woman reused herself and
looked about. =,
.second floor back" said she, and
instantly fell asleep again.
Octavia smiled.