Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-09-05

he'll be expecting US to scrub floors and
! make soft soap next. The brown house is
very nice, but mean to be lady Of it
without any of this odious drudgery."
So Miss Bruce, who was tall. with a
superb complexion, flashing black eyes and
figure like Diana's own. rolled up the OBJ
noxious materials and carried them to a
little house around the corner, where a
pale, dove-eyed young woman, no longer
in her first youth, sat at her sewing.
agatha" said Miss Bruce. CURLY, II
want shirt made. Very nicely, now.
| And you must make it cheap; do you
] hear p"
| Agatha Fontane looked up, wistfully.
/ "BCt, Ermlnia," said she, 81 am very
much hurried just now. If you could
wait a week"
Every WE'LL" said Miss Bruce, with a
toss of her imperial head, ''then I'll take
my materials elsewhere. It's always the
way with you suffering poor IT one
takes you work you, won't do it, and then
you come and tell us all sorts of stories
about your prlvations. But mark my
words, Agatha, if you refuse to oblige me
now 1 III never employ you again.
| Miss Fontaine sighed softly. Five years
ago she and Erminia Bruce had shared
the same room in Madame de Froulignac's
| fashionable boarding school! and we're in
seperable friends. But poor Harmon
| i'm hnd faifa1 in h,c n
lessly drawn razor across his throat,
and here was Agatha toiling for her daily
bread, no less than to support delicate
mother a little brother who was ailing
with spinal complaint. And Erminia had
listened with patroniz;ng air to Agatha's
humble request for work.
II will see what I can do for you, she
had said, slipping the rich rings carelessIy
up and down her fingers. but amateur
needle work is never quite up to the mark.
However, if you will consider that in your
charges"
81 will endeaver to work we'll and
cheaply," said Agatha, meekly.
And after she was gone Erminia laugh
ed exultantly.
'1t'sa regular stroke of good luck for
us mamma" said she. Broken-down
gentry always work we'll and at quarter
pricesl"
And so when she turned coldIy away
upon this occasion Agatha made haste to
detain her.
"Leave the work, Erminia," said she.
1T is true that am very much hurried
just at present, but you have been very
kind to me, aud I would not Willingly
disoblige you"
ut must be hand made" said Miss
Bruce, unrolling her parcel, and very
neatly. mind, and 1 will pay you fifty
cents.''
'Fifty cents echoed poor Agatha.
"Our usual charge is-''
II don't care anything about your usu-
al charge!' said Erminia, impatiently.
eff you can't do it for fifty cents you
needn't DO it at all.'
And she rustled out of the room. leav-
ing a strong edor of Bouquet de Caro-
line' behind her.
Isn't it strange p" said Agatha to her
self, in sort of soto voice.
''Isn't what strange!' said a pleasant
voice from the adjoining room. where
Major Trixon was sitting by Hal Fon-
taine's sick-bed.
This the third shirt have had brought
me to-day to make" said Agatha, "and
all in hurry. shall to sit up till mid
night every night and finish them"
'Indeed - said Maj. Trixon.
some is from Miss Ida Hedge. and one
from her sister BERTHA" said Agatha;
''and now Miss Bruce
Miss Bruce, eh 2" said the major
"Can't she make her own shirts without
bringing them here?"
II don't know sighed Agatha.
"She is the naughty young woman,
suppose, who was domineering over you
just now?"
EYES," acknowledged Agatha. mot
that she means to be unkind, but
mo, no-of course not" said Major
Trixol, dryly. ''Only she treats you as if
you belonged to an inferior race of crea-
lures"
AS he spoke he stopped over the bed and
lifted the pillows so as to alter the inva-
lids position.
SIS that any easier, my little man ?"
said he. And now the doctor is here
will leave you for while"
Indeed SIR said poor Mrs Fontaine,
''you are very kind /"
''Kind ?'' he repeated bruquely. "Noth-
ing of the sort. Kind? Ought we not
all to be kind to each other !? And now
good evening !"
He paused minute, however, by Aga
tha's table.
$780," said he. these are the shirts!'
And with delicate pencil he drew a
tiny cross insblue lead upon each one.
''These are what you call the neckbind-
ings, aren't they?" said he. "That mark
Will do no harm. See, it is 50 small that
no one would notice it but ourselves.
only want to identify these articles if 1
should ever see them again. Good even
ing, Miss Agatha! "Mind you don't sit
too close at your needle!'
And the major took his brown face and
sturdy, tall figure out of the twilight
room.
The shirts came to the Western pack
ing-bax in due time. Major Trixon eyed
them critically.
MY old mother used to say" said he,
''that well made shirt was the criterion
of woman ability to make good wife.
These shirts are disgraces to the Portvile
girls-except three, and each one Of the
three is marked with tiny blue cross on
the inside Of the neck binding"
And Moior Triyon chucE1pd as ho