Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-12-10

l1O .JOu hCt1i
Agatha Fontaine looked up visit
fully.
'sBut Erminia,'' said she, II am
very much hurried just now. If you
could wait week.
every well,'' said Miss Bruce, with
a toss of her imperial head, "then /
will take my materials elsewhere.
It's always the way with you suffer-
ing 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 I'll never employ you again.
Miss Fontaine sighed softly. Five
years ago she and Erminia Bruce had
shared the same room together in
Madame de Froulignac's fashionable
boarding school and were inseparable
friends. But poor Harmon Fontaine
had failed in business and recklessly
drawn razor across his throat and
here was Agatha toiling for her daily
bread, no less to support a delicate
mother and little brother who was
ailing with spinal complaint.-And
Erminia had listened with a patron
izing air to Agatha's humble request
for work
II will see what | can do for you, D
she had said, slipping the rich rings
carelessly up and down her fingers.
sBut amateur needlework is never
quite up to the mark. However, if
you will consider that in your charg-
Il will endeavor to work well and
cheaply," said Agatha, meekly.
Aud 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 prices,
And so, when she turned coldly
away on this occasion, Agatha made
haste to detain her.
s'Leave the work, Erminia,' said
she. cit is true that l am very much
hurried just at present, but you have
been very kind te me, and l would
not willingly disoblige yon.'
''It must be hand-made,' y said Miss
Bruce, unrolling the parcel "and
very neatly, mind. And l will pay
you fifty cents"
'Fifty cents !" echoed poor Agatha
-''Our usual charge is"
Il don't care anything about you
usual CHARGE" said Erminia, impa
tiently.-"If you can't do it for fit,
cents you needn't do it at all. -
And she rustled out of the room
leaving a strong odor of Bouquet d.
Caroline behind her.
Isn't it stranger" said Agatha t.
herself, in sort of soto U0ce.
"Isn't what stranger" said pleas
ant voice from the adjoining room
where Major Trixton was sitting b!
Hal Fontaine's sick-bed.
This is the third shirt l have haC
brought me to-day to make" saiC
Agatha, "and all in hurry. | shall
have to sit up till midnight ever,
night to finish them. .
"lndeed !'' said Major Trixton.
Zone is from Miss Ida Hedge. ant
one from her sister Bertha" J" said Ag
atha. 'sand now Miss Bruce
Miss Bruce, eh?" said the Major
-s'Can't she make her own shirt
without bringing them here?'
II don't know" sighed Agatha.
''She is the naughty young woman
l suppose, who was domineering owe
you just now.
eyes," acknowledged Agatha
ssNot that she means to be unkind
but
"No, no-of course not" sait
Major Trixton, dryly. "Only sh
treats you as if you belonged 10 al
inferior race of creatures" )"
AS he spoke he stopped over th'
bed and lifted the pillows so as tt
alter the invalid's position.
"Indeed, sir" said poor Mrs. Fon
taine. ''you are very kind y
"Kind?' he repeated bruskly
.sNothing of the sort. Kind? Ough
we not all to be kind to each other
And now good evening" y
He paused a minute, however, b.
Agatha's table.
$50" said he, "these are the shirts ?
And with a delicate pencil he drew
tiny cross in blue lead upon eacl
one.
s.These are what you call the neck
binding aren't they?" said he. ''Tha
mark will do no harm. See, it is 81
small that no one would notice i
but ourselves. only want to identi
fy these articles if | should ever Sc
them again. Good evening, Mis-
Agatha. Mind you don't sit too clos
at your needle
And the Major took his brown fac
and sturdy, tall figure out of the twi
light room.
The shirts came to the western
packing-box in due time. Majo
Trixton eyed them critically.
sMy old mother used to say sai'
he, 'sthat a well-made shirt was
criterion of woman ability to max