Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-02-22
A RECEIPT IN FULL.


The tins had all been secured until
she could see her face, on grotesque
caricatures of her face, In each and
every one of them; the window panes
polished until they sparkled like bright
June sunshine; the silver FURNISHED IN
til neither spot nor speck marred its
mild luster; the loaves of bread baked
until each criopy crust took on the lght
shade of tempting brown; and Molly
was scrubbing the only unscruhbed cor
ner of the kitchen, when Miss Cameron's
deep, harsh, precise voise came to her
from the dining roon "Molly, are you
not through YETI"
Almost, ma'am," shouted Molly.
II thin k it is nigh time you were
quite" declared thevoice. "YOu must
make haste. We are going to the lee
ture this evening, Miss Georgette and
I; and, as Mr.. Malcolm also wishes to
90 out, we will be obliged to lock up
the house. Therefore, it is necessary
that you should leave as soon as posi-
ble."
Eyes, man," said Molly, meekly,
and finished her scrubbing, with her
tears falling fast and thick. Poor little
girl she had tried SO hard to please
Ter mistress-for Miss Georgette was
but re Fiction of her elder sister-and
her Efforts had been met with grim
silence that betokened q begruded
satisfaction until the last few weeks !;
that is, in fact, until Mr.. George NAL
colin came there. Mr.. Malcolm was d
sort of step-brother to the Misses Cam
eron (his father, widower with two
boys, had married their mother, a
widow with two girls and they inherit
ing nothing in the way of property
from their own father, he generously
made them an allowance from the
moderate fortune left him by his. Gen
erously and f0rgivingly-for they had
not rendered a 1.-THE of the respect, to
say norhing of affection, which was his
due, to their indulgent and kind-hearted
step-father, choosing to look upon their
mothers second marriage as an insult
to the memory of the parent whose
uot-at- all amiable characteristics had
been his only legacy to them.
The cottage in which they lived, stu
ated in the prettiest part of Meadow
vile 1.-THE furniture there being her
own, the beQuest of q maternal grand
motherl, belonged to Mr.. George; aud
here he had come in search of soil
tude and quiet, for the first time in
twelve years or more, to spend month
or two In thinking out and arranging
plans for starting large business in a
neigboring city. And, as [ have al
ready animated, things had changed
much for the worse with Molly, the
servant maid since his arrival. The
grim silence had given place to most
open fault finding when Mr.. Malcolm
was not within hearing. The coffee
was too strong, the tea too weak, the
chickens underdone, the steak burned,
the eggs boiled too hard, the rooms
badly swept, the shirts poorly ironed
and all these complaints, with many
more, the elder spinister, cor firmed by
the younger, have her to understand,
originated with the guest.
"What hard man to please he
must be |" Molly SAID to herself many
times. "And yet he has one of the
handsomest, kindest faces I ever saw;
and he spoke right pleasantly to me
the first day he came, and even offered
me his hand (how MISS Cameron
blushed); but pretended not to see it,
for I knew it was my place to shake
hands with him. It is strange he
should have become SO fractious. He
was so good, and merry, and kind
when | was little girl; I'd often heard
father ssy he'd rather shoe a horse
Tor him than for any one else in the
village"
And then she would fill to thinking
how grand he looked to her childish
eyes when he came riding up on his
bay mare TO the smithy, where she
spent half her time watching her father
at the forge. And he always brought
her q gay picture book, or pretty
ribbon. or box of candies, or a bright
new silver piece-one Christmas it was
a gold one-and claimed 3 kiss (good
gracious, how her cheeks flashed at
the remembrance! for payment when
be rode away again. How happy, how
very happy she had been then, with
that dear father and dear old aunt
Nanny $50 happy that she had scarce
~ ever felt the loss of her mother who
died in giving her birth. But when
Molly was Is the blacksmith, so strong
and rudy that it seemed impossible
pain or sickness could ever come
near him, fell sick, and after lingering
sorely crippled for two years, died,
leaving nothing to his darling but hard
work. Yes, there was one alternative
to become Mrs. Jake Willow, and
mistress of the forge again; but Jake
was 81 rough, vulgar fellow, and Molly
ipheritipg the delicate tastes and gen.
tie ways of her mother, who had been
a shy pretty young governess before
she married the handsome blackmsith,
shrank from the loud voice and rude
Iaug lter of her would-be husband.
And SO. in preference to accepting
Jake's offer, she beesme-Heaven
knows this vas hard enough thing to
be-maid-t f.ail-work in the cottage of
the Misses Cameron. Poor little Mol
lyi prettier than many princess, with