Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-02-22

BRINBRIDGE IL son.

lIShment OF MesSrS. cambridge y son
which the steady whir of a hundred
sewing machines could Hot drown.
Where the presence of feminine can
be found, be sure the tongue of the
feminine will be heard.
The superintendent of the room, I'M
Outstanding this. did not attempt to
enforce silence, sopretty Dolly Wynn
and May Bruton talked very conf
IDENTITY in their corner of the great
room; and no one interfered, SO long
as fingers were busy as well as tong
ues.
And this was what May said, Dol
lies blue eyes being riveted upon the
quilting on which she was at work:
81 saw her yesterday when L was
going out TO dinner. She was just
stepping into her carriage, and Mr.
Edgar himself handing her in. She
looked old-nearly 40, | should say;
but they say she is immensely rich, and
her dress was splendid. SO | suppose
her money goes against her age"
'Did you hear that they were to be
married soon?'
Bless me! didn't ! tell you that2
My brother is IN the stationer's where
the wedding cards are being printed.
They are to be married on the eth.
Mr. and Mrs. Edgar cambridge, and
the card of the brides mother, Mrs.
William Wilson. Twelvel Come we
will go for a walk"
mo am tired" u die pleaded.
And her friend left her, ~ ger heed
ing the sudden pallor al ihe sweet
i
great blue eyes.
When she was alone DJIae stole
away to the little room where the
cloaks, shawls and hats of the girls
were kept, and there, crOuchlng in a
corner, hidden entirely by q huge
waterproof, she tried TO think it all
out.
What had it meant? What did
Edgar cambridge mean in the long
year he had tried by every masculine
device to win her love?
She had not been unmaidenly {;
heart and conscience fully acquitted
her
She had given her love. pare, true
and faithful, To- the son of her EN-
ploycr; but he had sought it, delicate
ly and perslstently, before he knew
that it was given.
The young girl, now sewing for a
living, had been daintily bred and
thoroughly educated, her father hav-
ing been a man drawing II salary SUI
licIcnt to give his only child every ad
vantage. But when he died, and his
wife IN II few months followed him,
DollIe had chosen life of honorable
labor in preference To one of idle de
peudenCe upon wealthy relatives
And yet IN the social gatherings of
these relatives and the friends of sum
mer days, Dollie was still welcomed
guest.
1t was at her Uncle Lawrence's sub
urban villa, she had been introduced
to Edward Bainbridge. After this she
met him frequently, and in her sim
pie dress, with her sweet, pure face,
had won marked attention from him.
With the frankuess that was one of
her greatest charms, the young girl
had let her admirer know that though
she was Lawrence Wynu's niece, she
worked for u living i'll the dreSsmak
ing department of Bainbridge & Son.
Then he had made her heart bound
with sudden, grateful joy, by telling
her he had seen her leave the shop"
night after night, but would not JOIN
her for fear of giving annoyance by
exposing her to the remarks of her
companions.
After this, however, she often
found him waiting for her at some
point further from the establishment,
and always so respectful and cour,
teous that she was glad of his protec-
ton in her long walk
But he was going to marry an
helress on the 9th, only a week away,
SO he had but thrilled with her after
all.
Poor little Dollic, crouching among
the shawls and cloalls, felt rs if all
sunshine was gone from her life for
ever, as If her cup of humiliation
and agony was full to overlooking.
But the dinner hour was over, the
girls coming i'll or Sauntering from
resting places in the workroom, aud
the hum of work commenced again,
rs it must, whatever aching hearts or
weary hands crave rest.
Dollio worked with the rest, her
feelings so numbed by the sudden
blow that she scarcely heard Mays
lamentations over sudden flood of
order work that would keep many
of them in the room till midnight.
We'll have all day to morrow if
we can finish these dresses tonight"
said one of .the small squad of girls
told oil for the extra work Miss
Brown says so. But these must be
ready to deliver in the morning"
Talk, talk, talk Whir, whir, whir /!
Dollie folded and basted, working
with rapid, mechanical precision,
feeling the dull, heavy beating of her
own heart and the throbs of pain in
her weary head, but speaking no
words of repi!ning: eNcusing her paliid
face by the plea of headache.
1t was after II o'clock when the last
stitch was set in the hurried work and
the girls ran down the long flights of
stairs toplod home through drilling
rain following The late snow -storR.
AS Dollie passed down the staircase
she saw IN the counting-house her re-
creaut lover, busy over some account
books.
But for the heavy news she had
heard that morning she would have
felt sure that this sudden Spasm of in
dustry was TO furnish an excuse for
escortiug her home at the unusually
late hour.
But, if so, Dollie felt it was but an
added insult to his dishonorable con-
duct, and she hurried on, hoping he
had not heard her step.
She had gone some few streets from
the shop, when, passing church she
slipped upon treacherous piece of
ice, and twisted her ankle.
The sudden pain made her faint for
moment, and she sat down upon the
stonework supporting the ratings to
recover herself. Beside her, not a
stone's-throw away, dark, narrow
allevway ran along the high brick
wall of the churchyard. and the girls
heart sank with chill of terror as
she heard mans voice in the alley
say:
Didn't you hear step, Billi"
"a woman. She,ssrurned off some,
where. He amt come yet" was the
answer.
Hes late to night said the first
voice, in grutf undertone.