The Democratic advocate., 1885-10-10

to and fro. "She's deal too good looking.
[ never had no faith in good-looking shop
girls myself. Didn't I tell you so, Simp-
son?"
And Alta Graves, who was unpacking
large hamper of cups and saucers and fan
tastically patterned plates down in the
mouldy basement, was promptly summoned
up by mouth of an eager, painting little
errand boy. She came, coloring and little
abashed, but prettier than ever.
"Young woman, uttered Simpson ma
jestically, "what does this mean ?"
"Confess at once, you base; unprincipled
girl, +" said his aunt
"Look here, Miss Graves, spoke Frank
lyn, 'I'm awfully sorry to startle you so,
but there seems to be something wrong
about your sale of this banner to me-
"There is nothing wrong" said Alta,
quietly; ~ did sell it to you
"And where did you get it p sternly
demanded Aunt Sarah. Confess, base girl,
that you stole it. Prevarications won't do
here"
Atlas cheek crimsoned; her eyes blazed
into sudden brllllance.
II never stole it, she cried. "Do you
think I ana thief? Oh, Mrs Simpson,
how can you, a woman, be so hard upon
me, a friendless girl? l made the banner
myself. Ibought thesatin, and embroidery
silk, and the gold thread, out of my own
savings, and [ sat up two nights to en-
broider it, so that could earn little more
money than the poor wages you pay me,
to buy wine and fruit for my mother, who
lies at home dying of consumption. Therel
If that is being thief, then | stand con-
demned
And here poor Atlas dignifed bearing
gave way all at once, and she burst out
crying like a child
"Don't fret, my DEAR" soothed Aunt
Sarah, who was kind-hearted woman in
the main. "It'sa misunderstanding, that's
ALL Don't fret"
'It's very good limitation of the Jap
anese style-very,' remarked Mr. Simpson,
closely scrutinizing the cleaning lines of
embroidery. Really, Alta Graves, think
you ave genius.
Lay 1OlSlNC luC 1Ol my
awkwardness, said Mr.. Franklyn.
And Alta tried to smile through her
tears, and said that she would "She was
ashamed of having made such scene.
The whole thing was matter of no con-
sequence whatever"
The satin banner was lined and mounted,
and Mr.. Franklyn took it to his aunts, who
could scarcely be ecstatic enough in its
praise. 1t was gem, beauty, marvel
Of art Such thing could never be gotten
up anywhere but in Japan. And it was
SO good of Frank to find it for them, after
they themselves had secured the highways
and byways in vain That love of an ibis
And that exquisite Sacred Mountain
They never could thank their nephew suf-
fciently.
Mr.. Franklyn went the next day to see
Alta Graves mother, on the dreary top
floor of the tenement house, where the un-
compromising sunshine that poured through
the curtainless window revealed every flaw
in the plastering, every mildewed stain on
the ceiling. He came home grave and re-
hective
"Aunt Belinda" he observed, 'you said
the other day that you were not intending
to use your seaside cottage at Asbury
Park this year,"
''Not if we go to the mountains said
Aunt Belinda, looking up in some surprise;
"and | believe that that is our plan. y
"May borrow it of you?" asked Frank
Borrow it ?" repeated Aunt Belinda.
And then Frank opened his heart, and
told them all-about pretty Alta with the
lmpid eyes; about the pale invalid, with the
two little girls who played at cat's-cradle
so quietly at the foot of the bed, and hushed
their baby laughter so as not to disturb
mamma; about the hand-to-hand contest
with want and disease, in which the sick
woman was getting so sOrely worsted.
"She shall have the cottage" said Aunt
Belinda, enthusiastically.
"And I will send my own maid down to
help make it all comfortable for her as soon
as the month of May comes" added Miss
Beckley
And so, perhaps, the old ladies were not
so much amazed in the autumn when they
heard that their nephew Frank had engaged
himself to marry Alta Graves. She was
very pretty, that was certain, and men like
pretty faces, and also they knew that she
had been very good and dutiful to the poor
mother who had just been laid under the
yellowing autumn leaves. And if Frank
was determined to marry, he couldn't do
better, they thought, than to marry Alta
Graves.
But there was one thing which Frank
never told them, nor did Alta, his wife; and
that was the secret of the embroidered ban
ner. And to this day the old ladies point
it out to their esthetically minded visitors
with conscious exultation, and say, with
many twists and wags of their venerable
cap strings:
"Imported, my dear. No, of course you
can't get anything like it, because it came
direct from Japan
"Oughtn't we to tell them, Frank, dear?'
whispers Alta And her husband answers:
"No, dear, no. 1t would onlybe break
ing an illusion. Don't you see how much
happier they are in believing that it came
diraef from IaDan 7''