Savannah weekly echo., 1883-08-26
! IL you .efuse 70 ohliea me- now ri

IL you IefuSe 70 oblige me now I'll
never employ you again."
Miss Fontaine sighed softly. Five
years ago she and Erminia Bruce had
shared the same roorl in Madame de
Froulignacs fa,.nionable = boarding
school and were inseparable friends.
But poor Harmon Fontaine had failed
in business, and recklessly drawn q
razor across his throat, and here was
Agatha toiling for her daily bread, no
less than to support delicate mother
and a little brother who was ailing
with spinal complaint. And Erminia
had listened with patronizing air
to Agatha's humble request for work
II will see what 1 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"
II will endeavor to work we'll and
cheaply," said Agatha, meekly.
And after she was gone Erminia
laughed exultantly.
"It's a regular stroke of good luck
for us, mamma" said she. Broken
down gentry always work well and at
quarter pricesl''
And so when she turned coldly
away upon this occasion Agatha made
haste to detain her.
Leave the work, Erminia," said
she. "It is true that am very much
hurried just at present, but you have
been very kind to me, and would not
Willingly disoblige you."
at must be handmade" said Miss
Bruce, unrolling her parcel, "and very
neatly. mind, and win pay you fifty
cents"
Fifty cents p echoed poor Agatha.
"Our usual charge is"
II don't care anything about your
usual charge p said Erminia, impa-
tiently. "If you can't do it for fifty
cents you needn't do it at all"
And she rustled out of the room,
leaving strong odor of B 3uquet de
Caroline" behind her.
"Isn't it stranger said Agatha to
herself, in a sort of soto voce.
"Isn't what stranger" said a pleas
ant voice from the adjoining room,
where Major Trixon was sitting by
Hal Fontaine's sick-bed.
This is the third shirt / have had
brought me to-day to make" sud
Agatha, 'and all in hurry. l shall
have to sit up till midnight every night
to finish them"
Indeed r. said Major Trixon.
"One is from Miss Ida Hedge, and
one from her sister Bertha" said Aga
tina "and now Miss Bruce"
Miss Bruce, ehP" said the major.
Cant she make her own shirts with
out bringing them here?"
II don't know" sighed Agatha.
"She is the naughty young woman,
l suppose, who was domineering over
you just nowt"
"Yes," acknowledged Agatha "Not
that she means to be unkind, but"
"No, no-of course not, said Major
Trixon, dryly. "Only she treats you
as if you belonged to an inferior race
of creatures"
AS he spoke he stopped over the bed
and lifted the pillows so as to alter
the invalid's position.
lis that any easier. my little man T"
said he. "And now the doctor is here
I will leave you for awhile"
Indeed, sir" said poor Mrs. Fon-
taine, "you are very kind p
"Kind?' he repeated, brusquely.
" Nothing of thesort Kind? Ought
we not all to be kind to each other?
And now good-evening !"
He paused minute, however, by
Agatha's table.
80" said he, "these are the shirts r.
And with q delicate pencil he drew
a tiny cross In blue lead irstrr:r3 aaGh
nna. A------- s----- z--g
- - i asa
~ <ro - hrk ali Ar