Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-06-02

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of the firm) at the Wildwood general
store; and /, as / have intimated above,
was the Wildwood milliner. But work
as hard as we might. Daniel, George, and
i. we could do no more, even with the
intermittent helps from father. than take
care of ourselves and the rest Of the
family in the humblest way. (The rest
of the family consisted OF mother-a
darling ndmother-another darling
and three of the sweetest, cunningest
little girls, two, FIVE, and six years old,
that ever needed to be taken care of.
So, as you may we'll imagine, / was not
only delighted, but extremely delighted,
to get the chance of assisting Mr.. Erick-
son with the reader. And / confided as
much to Matt Brewster when we were
coming home from church together the
next Sunday evening. because, you see,
Matt. y said /, elf | succeed with this,
maybe | can go on writing until'-and |
caught my breath at the boldness of the
idea-'I am found worthy of place in
the Juvenile magazines. and, as a success
full writer, could help the family much
more than / can now, for literary work is
for all seasons, and millinery only for
two or three months out of the whole
year"
"You forget" said Matt, "your rich
uncle who is coming here from Australia
soon. and who will, no doubt, so arrange
things that the family will need no help
at all from your hands"
"Oh, dear!' said /, $50 | did. But he
has forgotten us for so many years
ever since was five, and | was nineteen
on my last birthday-that now he has
condescendcd to remember our existence,
and promise US visit, it's no wonder
that can't keep him in mind. And we
are not sure that his coming will benefit
us any. He may be cranky old man,
and very hard to please. 1t is more than
likely he is, for father with whom he
could never agree, though he is his only
brother) tells me he was an unusually
cranky young one."
oh, you must make him pleased with
you," declared Matt, decisively. you
have one advantage, and great one,
over the Others. You are his god
daughter, you know"
81 know it to my sorrow, / assented.
"Samuella What name to give an
unfortunate girl baby If it hadn't been
for that saving Ella, what would have
done9 Fancy woman's being called
Sam all her life!'
But you will do your best to get into
the old chaps good graces, won't your"
said Matt, coaxingly.
"Well, yes, / will, since your heart
seems to be set on it." promised, though
/ wondered at the time why he was so
anxious that / should become favorite
of Uncle Sans. "I'll do everything but
give up the Reader" -
Matt Brewster was chief proprietor of
the store where my brother George
was clerk, and he was also my acknowl-
edged lover The latter fact made me
the envy of half the gir,s in Wildwood,
for Matt was considered the handsomest
and most fascinating young bachelor in
the place. He was tall and slender, with
very light hair. blue eyes, straight nose,
and a small mouth.
Captain Leroy-looked up to with great
respect by three-fourths of the popula-
ton of Wildwood, because she had her
bonnets and gloves straight from Paris,
gave it as her opinion that his brow was
too narrow, and his chin too retreating
"Give me" she said, calmly and coolly,
''the school-master, any day, in prefer
ence. He is not quite as tall, but his
shoulders are broader, so is his forehead,
and he has certain manly look and way
about him that is utterly lacking in Mr.
Matthew Brewster"
Strange as it may appear, did not feel
as indignant at this adverse criticism of
my betrothed (by-the-way. | had stipu-
lated at the time of our engagement, now
two months old, that marriage should
not be thought of for at least two years.
as some of the. other girls did NettIe
Haley, for instance-daughter of Haley,
the builder, with a snug little fortune in
her own right, inherited from her mother
was particularly wroth.
"She only talks that wav," she said,
referring to Mrs. Leroy, because she
wants to seem different from everybody
else, just as she sends to Paris from this
t-of-the-way village for her bonnets
and gloves. Why there's no comparison
between the two men. Matt dances
beautifully; Mr.. Erickson don't dance a
step. Matt sings lovely; Mr.. Erickson
can only join in bass. Matt has com
plexion like girls; and BIr. Erickson
has one like-like-"
"a mans, suggested, mischievously,
as she paused for comparison.
''Oh, pshaw, Ella, what tease you
arel And about your own beau, too! But
don't really believe you know"-and
here she heaved a deep sigh what a
lucky girl you are"
Well, | began the Reader, and soon be-