The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1885-11-19
A SPRING CLEANING.

out" as poor Mr.. Clayton declared,
"till there was no rest for the sole of
ones foot, and each morning as he
started to catch his train at Kenning-
ton Church with his son, he vowed
that mover again would he undergo the
sgonies of "a spring clean." But tho
afternoon Of the last day at length ar
rived. and Mrs. Clayton and Wini-
fred, her daughter. with their one
servant. were busy AZ bees putting the
finishing touches 10 the household ar
rangements, though it must be said
that Winnie. who had just finished her
last term at boarding-school, and who
was not yet fairly domesticated, was q
moro ornamental than useful element.
However, she had not been idle, and
at last all was finished. and rather tir-
ed and flushed with her exertions,
Winnie went upstairs after somewhat
makeshift dinner with tho best inten-
sions possible of clearing out the closet
in her room.
II 1t had boon n linen-closet, or a
china-closet. or n preserve closet, or
anything but tho closet it was, there is
no telling what Winnie might havo ac-
complshed.
But those four rows of dresses.
hanging smoothly down from their re-
spectiVe pegs, proved fatal. They
wore dresses of her ante-boardine-
school period, and sho had had hardly
glimpse of them for two years or
more.
Trying them on came next, in the
natural course of affairs.
1t was an amusing process. They
wore woefully out of style, most Of
them buttoned behind, mono of them
reached beiow the tops of her shoes;
but it was worry absorbing, and she
could hardly believe her ears when sho
heard her mother calling to her up the
stairs to come down to tea.
She was arraysd at that moment in
white spotted muslin, which she re-
membcred to have worn for the first
Sime on her fourteenth birthday.
1t had sash which tied in an impos-
ing bow behind; it had row of white
pearl buttons down the back; and it
was several inches shorter than-sup-
posing there had been anybody to OBJ
serve-would have been strictly desir-
able.
Winnie giggled. A sudden idea had
struck her. She pulled out her hair
pins hastily, braided her hair in long
tau. and tied it with q blue ribbon;
ahe had discovered o string of coral
beads in hor drawer-she had worn it
at tho age Of six--and put it on; and
thon ahe giggled again delightedly, and
went downstairs.
Her little plan was, to o certain OK
tent, highly successful.
Hor father looked at her with exact
ly the degree of bowildermont she had
anticipated; her mother set down the
%tespos and gazed at her in just the as
tonished. halt-remonstrating way she
had known she would do; her brother
George emitted the explosive chucklo
she had expected. But there her tri-
umph ended.
For next her own vacant place,
spreading his napkin across his knee,
and regarding her calmly from o pair
OF handsome blue eyes, there sat a
yonng man whom she had mover seen
before.
Under ordinary circumstances Win
ME would have been rather gratified
than otherwise Mt the unexpected APP
pearanco Of nice looking young
man.
But now the blood rushed to her
face in torrents, her breath came In
gSsps; the light fairly danced before
her eyes.
Thro was nothing to DO done. She
was halfway across the room; they
We're all looking at her; tho precipi-
satS hight which sho had meditated
ior a wild moment was not to be
thouRht of.
She clutched a friendly chair to
steady herself, darsed n fierce glance
~ george, who was stufling his napkin
INTO MS mouth, and advanced az ma
allow.
my friend, Tom Bradley. You've
neard me speak of him, Winnie. MY
SssSL, nnsl, said George from behind his
ms Bradley turned his blue eyes up.
on tne figure ut his side,
1t had twisted its chair awav from,
him as far as possible; il waa bendino
low over its pis!ei 1t was eyidentlS
The young man smiled paterna,lv
Do you go to achoolfn ha hooaS g.,
the patEontSing tone young msn o..
sumo toward small girls. 90
WlnntI +nurmured something In
. George gave . violent sn;cker
and coyore 1t hastily with q couph.
Tom Bra sloy. being a kind. bSasted
fellow, and unwilling to soc anyho5S :
uncomfortable, talked indussrionslv ~
his timid neighbor. Ia the hope OF re.
1 Iieving her embarrassment, though she
WAS certainly the most diffldent ohiiS
he had ever seen. But no observed--.
and it Was an unusual thing, he said
80 himself, ia girls at that Interesting
age that she was decidedly pretty.
Well, we're very good friendS NJ.
ready. aren't weP'' no said encourag.
inGly, as they arose from the table.
Hhbro WAS no resp0pso other Shan q
sudden Bwish through the air Of 1
brown braid tied with blue ribbon.
and glimpse Of short, white skirt
flying through the door.
What peculiar litrie girl she wasI
II he had seen her at that moment.