Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1885-04-28
MISCELLANEOUS.
A Decided Bargain.

"oh, mother" said Bossy Jewett
{" how hard it is to be poor. %
My child" said tho widow, will
a quivering lip, Hdo you think tha
1 have not learned that lesson long
sgo?"
s. Well, mother, it's too bad for mt
to add to your troubles by complain.
ing," confessed Bessy. g But it al
ways seems worse when Mrs. Fantine
comes to see us.
"She means we'll, my DEAR" said
Mrs. Jewett.
Then wish she'd mean ill.," saic
Bessy, tempestuously. Just for ,
change, mother. What business ha:
she to lecture you, I'd like to know
about using white sugar in your tea
and wearing lace around your neck
instead of linen? Why can't she say
pleasant things instead of unpleasant
ones? 1 declare, 1 could almost have
boxed her ears when she asked you
how much rent you paid, and ex-
pressed her opinion that you had no
business to live in such house as
this
Z" She did not know that Mr.. Par
dee gave us the use of the house for
taking care of it until it was sold, .
apologiZcd Mrs. Jewett. -
/" And l was sorry you told her"
said Bcssy. What business was it
of hers, I should like to know"
F" My dear, my DEAR" sootLcd tue
gentle widow.
/" Hush!" said Bcssy, lifting her
finger, +" there she is now! Twice in
one day. l declare this is too over
powering! -
Mrs. Jewett and Bessy were sitting
together in the little back room.-
Although it was early twilight no
lamps were yet lighted, feeble fire
of carefully husbanded Goals gIim-
mcrcd family in the CRATE, and shone
upon the antique furniture which was
all that remained to Mrs. Jcwctt OF
the old abundance. Into this nut
shell of a room Mrs. Fanting rustled
with a strong smell of patchouli and
an overwhelming amount of orange
colored feathers and sealskin furs.
'' l hope don't intrude," said she.
{" yes, you do" whispered Bessy
SO that only her mother can hear.
g Not at ALL" said Mrs. Jewett,
family.
but it just occurred to me-" OBJ
served Mrs. Fanting unbuttoning her
seal-skin jacket and tanning herself
vehemently, "that should like that
old family clock of yours
Bcssy glanced apprchensively at
the old brass-faccd clock whose
carved top nearly touched the ceiling,
and whose monotonous " tick, tick, !"
measured the seconds like an unseen
finger in the dusk.
Z" OF course you would be glad of
a chance to sell it, went on Mrs.
Fanting. How very warm you do
keep the room?"
{" You forget" intcrposed Bessy,
'' that you are sitting with all your
wraps on and that mother has cold.
No, we can't open a window"
Mrs. Fanting cast a vicious lcok
toward Bessy. She and that young
person never did agree. There was
always tacit antagcnism between
them. She turned brusquely to Mrs.
Jewett.
:" About the clock," she resumed.
p" Fanting has taken notion to have
an 'Old Clock on the Stairs. There's
landing half way up where it would
show beautifully from the hall. And
he says it must be n genuine old
fashioned one, too. What will you
take for that one?" pointing her fin
ger to the brass-faced clock.
Mrs. Jewctt started almost as il
she had been struck.
"-I did not think of selling it, y
said she. /" 1t belonged to Grandps
Jewett, and
That's all nonsense" said Mrs.
Fanting. &c You can't expect TO keep
all these old traps. Why, the very
storage of them would cost you too
much. And, besides, Fanting wants
the clock. He will give you twenty
dollars for it.
could not sell it for that" said
Mrs. Jewett. ' Doctor Siblcy would
have given me fifty for it before VIC
left Olvale." "
Then you were fool for moi
selling it to him." said Mrs. Fanting,
with coarscness that brought the
angry crimson to Bessy's check
g You can't expect to get any such
price for it here, where people know
the value of things. But, since YOU
are a relation 1 don't think Fantine
would mind giving you twenty-five. .
81 cannot sacrifice it for any such
sum as that, I" said Mrs. Jewett, de-
cidedly.
In that case you may keep it, y
said Mrs. Fanting, rising to her feet
and waving the fan back and forth
more energetically than ever. "There
are plenty of old clocks to be had at
Byington's for reasonable prices
And hope you may never live to
repent your obstinacy.''
She rustIed out of the room with