South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1885-05-15
Fortunes Frowns and Smile.


before Mr.. Briggs would own to i,
For she WAS one al those high nosed
domineefing females who pretend @
an alnost superhuman foresight. ana
believe that they can read oharacter
40 IT II We, Q an open book
i never was 90 disappointed in a
girl in nv life said Ars Briggs. Il
thought che had come grit about her.
But, there! might 40 we'll have an
old dsh--as liz ruy kitchen az Meta
Milton'
Mc;x herself, if the truth were to
he told, vas equally di.illuzionizcd.
She had fancied that life in the coun-
try was NIL roses, new-mown hay and
nightlngales; and when il came Id
getting mp before Aybresk. churning
! by the half-hour i'm = blue-r,old-smell-
ing cellar. scrubbing kitchen floors
and baking hot-cakes for a tableful of
shirt-sleered form hauds, she Was COM
pletely taken aback.
There were no lanes wherein to lin.
ger at duck (Mr. Briggs was a great
deal too careful OF his land to let any
part OF it run to wasts,) no piture.que
old well-sweeps or Ivy clad ruins.
Cabbagss grew in rows; onion
patches flung their perfume on the air,
and directly In front Of the main door
there was field of monster tobacco
leaves.
'And Of you've got any time to
spare, .aid Mr.. Briggs, you'd Letter
lay it out in pickin' them plaguy big
worms off the te; hacker, instead q
cuttin' round the country ar,sr Wild
hswers'
Meta had been shop-girl iu
bridgeport store before she came 10
her Cousin Briggs Her health had
failed; the doctor had advised coun-
try air. new milk and change Of scene.
Airs. Brlggs. Oh being written to,
had unwillIngly consented that Meta
should spend the summer there.
She must be poor creetur. JUDGED.
II she cau't earn her board and l;trIe
more into the bargain said Airs.
Briggs, who WA one of thos. gripping,
grinding taskmistresses who think of
trade and profit alone.
But Meta had not passed triumph
antly through the ordeal. Perhsps
sh. had not tu!'yregained her strength
Perhaps she had become Encouraged
with tho endless treadinill OF work
which Mrs Briggs provided Tor her..
She was pale. pretty girl, with tar
hair, large, s0rrowIul blue eyes, aud
color that came aud wen, with flick
sriug brillancs
And lts my OPINION said Mrs
Briggs, ho was i'll ,hs habit oil flying
around the house with her head tied
ny IL cotton pockst-h.ndkerc Lisi,
that sue spends deal too much time
a-hxln' up aud prinkia' before The
slsss-white lace at Ter neck every
day and u ribbon bow and white 4.
prons OF an afternoon. Gu, cked
glngham is good enough for me, gnd
II ought to be for herr
AT the end Of tho first month, Mrs.
Briggs told Meta, with engaging
frankness, that she had not proved g
quail to ths emergency.
Il guess We don't want you here no
more, said Mrs. Briggs You sin't
got no moro strength than a rabbit
and. anyway, there amt no calculation
abou, you You may do very well rs
stors-gal, but YOU won't never earn
your tread at general housevork.'
Meta sighed
But What am I 10 do 2 said sto
Where am l to go?'
fThafa ycur oA.,r ;.o;J Nrn p.;~.
And then she went TO take her
bread out OF the oven.
John Perkins. the nephew Of tho old
deacon who lived IN tho brick house
on the hill, and had more money than
the best irithmeticiaD in yellow
Plains could count. came tbs next
day TO drive Meta and her poor little
trunk 10 the stage,station.
John had seen Meta at church. He
had stood beside her more than once /
at singinE-school; and one nighr,
when the cattle we're obslreperOus. he
had come to the escUe, and helped
Meta drive them home.
So, when Farmsr Briggs sent over
word that his horse was lame. and
asked for the loan of Deacon Perkins
roam cob to carry Meta Milton to the
station, John himself bad volunteered
TO act as chzrioiesr
Going awav, hey 2 said John. when |
they had ridden = short distance H. |
silence.
Yes. said Meta. sadly. Il su 20
ing away
Didn't like the folks" said John |
u iried to like them said Meta
'but hr' Briggs was not snitsf with /
NE. The ushugs we're too bsav i
aud IT gave me psia in tue side TO |
lift the tubs
you do look rather slim observed |
John.
Aud he chswsd straw ia silence |
for some time before he asked. with |