The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1885-04-07
"a LITTLE SHOP GIRL.

"She's an old darling," said Grace
i Craxall, "and mean to help her all /
can. I've got beautiful recipe for
chocolate eclairs, and OH Friday even
\ ing am going there to make up all l
can, so that the school children will
! buy them on Saturday. know how to
make cinnamon apple tarts, too. and
!. lemon and cocoanut balls"
"Grace, do believe you have taken
leave of your Senses" said Medora
May. zone would think it was dis.
grace enough for Aunt Deborah tn open
a horrid huckster shop, without our
mixing ourselves up in the affair."
"But Aunt Debby must live, you
know" said Grace, who was perched
kitten fashion on the window-sill, feed
ing the canary with bits of sparkling
white sugar. "And Cousin Nixon
couldn't keep her any longer. l sup.
pose you wouldn't be willing to have
her come and live with you?''
'Ip' cried Medora. "Do you sup.
pose want to proclaim to the whole
town that have such a dilapidated old
relation as that?''
II would take her quick enough" >"
said Grace, eff 1 didn't board with
Mrs. Hewitt, and share the little up
stairs back room with the two children.
just wait until I marry some rich
man." she added, with a sancy uplift-
ing Of her auburn brows, "and then
see if don't furnish up stately
apartment for Aunt Debby."
& "Don't talk nonsense" said Medora,
Z acidly. "It's very likely, isn't it, that
"a factow Girl like you is sgolng.tosmarEy
Y rich mani"
Grace Craxall laughed merrily. All
through life she and her cousin, Medora
May, lad agreed to differ on most
points. Grace. seeing no otller career
before her, had, on the death OF her last
surviving parent, cheeriuliy entered a
factory, while M Medora, taking her
stand OH the platform Of a false gentil-
ity, had done fine sewing and silk EN-
broidery on the sly to support herself,
putting on all the airs of young lady
Of fashion the while. And now Aunt
Deborah May, to the infinite disgust of
her ristocratically.inc niece, had
actually opened little low-wndowed
I lehep in shady street just out of the
IMain thoroughfare.
~ $"But what am to do?" Aunt De.
bohah had said.
"What can you dor" said Grace.
81 don't know. Your uncle always
used to say l was master hand at
making bread"
''Then make it." brightly interrupted
Grace.
"EhP" said Aunt Debby.
''Ihere's nice little store to let on
Bay. street." went on Grace, "for ten
T dollars mouth"
but l haven't got ten dollars a
month";" feebly interrupted Aunt De-
borah.
"I'll lend it to you," said Grace,
"ont Of the wages l have saved. And
there's a pretty bed room at the back of
the shop, and clean, dry basement
under it, where you can bake your
81 bread"
III
said bewildered Aunt Debby.
g mot exactly that" explained Grace,
$ "But If the ladies' around here could
get real home. made bread, such as you
make, do you suppose they would put
up with the sour stuff they get at the
bakers shops? And you could easily
get up reputation on your raisin cakes
\ and fried crullers, and New England
pumpkin pies. Now, couldn't your"
J The old lady frightened up little.
/ ~ used to be pretty good at cook
{ ing," said she. ''And il you think
Z could support myself so------n
/ II am sure Of it'll" cried cheerful
! Grace. "Apd I'll 60 there with you
/ this very day to look at the place, and
4 %ill engage it for three months on
tQial. And / can paint you sign to
put over your door: Homemade Bread
= by Mrs. Deborah Mayl'' And I'll hem
J you some curtains and arrange the
shelves in the low window. almost
y Wish was going to be your shop girl, )"
y she addel merrlly. "But l can help
q, you in the evening, you know" -...
NJ Grace Craxall's prophecies proved
Il correct, Aunt Debby's delicious home
y made bread, whittier than powdered
Ell lilies, sweet as ambrosia. soon acquired
4 a reputation, and the old lady could
scarcely bake it fast enough. People
came half a dozen blocks to buy the
yellow pumpkin pesand delicious app Q
tarts; children brought their boarded
pennies to invest in chocolate sweet
meats, vanilla cararaels, and cream