Smyrna times., 1884-04-23
Under False Colors.

ulenn. Author of Stray Leaves
and Floating Fanciesr Then whv il
the name of all the muses. and grace,
isn't he about his work?"
Little Fernando drew herself ur
with some excitement.
lie Is having his Spring vacation, )
SAID she. "He is resting his over
wearied brain little, before the nub.
lie shall become cIamorous for more
writings from his pen."
oh" said Octavia.
i. Yes" nodded her younger sister
And, oh, Octavia, you can't think
now charming he is! have ALWAYS
signed TO know an author. And he
isn't bit conceited or set upw
Isn't hep"
Not particle. He has written his
autograph in my album, and given me
a copy of Floating Fancies.' Mary
MARTINEZ is quite wild about him
And, Octy-;'
"Well?"
Please don't say anything about
the store," cOaxed Fernando. 81
nave given him to understand that
you are taking course of lessons in
music and thorough bass. 1t isn't
ge1teei to be a shop-girl, you know,
Hoity tOity!" said OctavIa, with a
toss of her really handsome head,
ms is a pretty state of things. and
all about u man who writes books.
isn't 1t just as genteel for me to sell
buttons and cologne and lace barbes as
II Is Tor him to sell his writings? And
haven't a right to earn my own liv-
ing IN any way that I choose? Fer
hahda, | didn't think you were such a
gooseu' -
lie Is very particular about such
thlngs," said Fernando. "He didn't
want an introduction to Melissa Plumb
after he heard that she worked in the
factory"
More the fool he is!' said Octavia.
crispily.
;" He is a gentleman. you know"
pleaded Fernando.
"Pshaw" said Octavia.
"Octy's right-Octy's right. nv
dear" said old Grandfather Glenn.
who had been sitting so still in his arm,
chair near by that neither of the girls
supposed that the subject of their dis
course was known to him. "a true
gentleman hOnOrs the woman as earns
her own bread. There's a deal of
electroplate in this world, and some of
it is laid on so skillfully you can't dis
tinguish it from real silver. But the
silver's silver for all that and the
others only humbug!''
HAVING nftapad which o.oo,.I-.- -
tences old Mr.. Glenn once more re-
lapsed into silence.
Grandpa is SO queer ~ said Fernan-
da with an injured expression of coun-
tenance. 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.
MIR. Fitz Arragon was certainly
rather handsome. He was dressed
very elegantly, also; be wore what
was either diamond or a verv excel
lent imitation of one on his finger, and
ms cravats were simply superb. He
looked at Octavia Glenn with some in
terest when they were introduced.
You are fond of musie?" he said in
That soft. inslnuating way which Fer
nanda found so irresistible.
. don't object to it" said Octavia
bluntly. -
Its divine gift, said Mr.. Fitz
Arragon. May ask if you are TAX
ing lessons from Ferrani or Agra
monte?"
Neither one of EN-" said Oetavia
And at that junclure Fernando hur-
rled the literary man away to look at a
beautiful cluster OF trailing arbutus
which some one had Just brought i'm
from the woods.
There's no telling what Oetv
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 Twrnty-third street.
Octavia herself fell as if some dis
pressure was removed from
her exlstance. She was frank, noble
natured girl, who was saving up her
earnings to pay off the mortgage on
old Grantather 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 attain
ed.
She occupied fireless hall bedroom
In shabby little downtown boarding
house, patrOnized mostly by the guild
OF working people, whose only recon-
mendatlon was its scrupulous neatness.
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 extravagance in
which Octavia Glenn occasionally in
dulged herself-that of charity. She
had class of innocent-faced children
In the mission school, of an evening.
and she was a diligent worker in the
ranks of a 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 committee of one to inquire
into the matter.
OF course you can do as YOU like.
Miss Glenn" said Mr.. Idem, the pro-
prletor of the store. "But Ferrigan
lives in a most dismal neighborhood.
and I'm not sure that it is altogether
safe for you to venture there after
dark s. ........
After dark is all the time / have. y
said Octayia, briskly. "And it must
be q great deal worse to live there
than TO go once in awhile. Think I'll
risk it." IN. ="
So she begged permission. from the
Doarding-house keeper to make little
farina jelley over the eooking-stove
when the heavy, blackberry dump
llngs, which were to regale the board
ers for desert were taken up, bought n
few strawberries and a small slice of
sponge cake, and set forth to visit old
Ferrigan, the porter. -..,., ~.
1t was dismal neighborhood. in
deed, where the poor old man lived-a
neighborhood where piles of ashes in
the narrow street made sort of model
Of the Rocky mountains, on small
scale, and layers of cabbage leaves and
managed lettuce festered in the gutter:
where rivulets of soapsuds, trickled
across the pavement; and there an
peared to be more feeble groceries than
here We're people,. The very gas lights |
sulked behind their cloudy lanterns.
md the occasional passers prowled by |
ike homeless cats. f,5ts,.s,r -
& Number ninety+nine, nsaid Oetavia.
mi Il IIrs -