The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-10-30

to work for my bread y
lyon mean that you would like to daub
canvass, OF sew yellow sunfowers ON green
plush screens satiriealIy observed the
old gentleman. 81 don't call thai work y
Nor | either, : retorted Nelly.
''Then what do you mean !" said Mr..
Brown.
Il mean that I shall be glad to under
take any sort of honest work by means of
which | can earn my own living"
'IIumph! again interiected Mr..
Brown. Can you cooks"
Yes" Nelly answered.
Il don't believe it y
But | can"
VERY WE'LL said Mr.. Brown, releasing
his coat-taiIs aud sitting down at his desk
as if the question were definitely disposed
OF. my cook went away this morning.
| haven't engaged any one in her place.
You may come this afternoon and see what
you can do for me"
Mr.. Brown fully expected that his young
cousin would recoil Indignantly from bis
proposal, but she did nothing of the sort.
She simply said, 1Yes. cousin John" and
asked him for his private address.
Mind you're p%unctual, my dear" said
he, as he handed her the penciled card.
4 am always punctual, calmly respond
ed Nelly.
Mr.. Brown watched her ont of the office
with a quizzieal twinkle in his eyes.
''She won't come he said to himself,
Eve seen the last Of my fine relation
Aud Nelly Torrance went home to q lit
tie second-hoor room. the cheapest which
the widow and her daughters could posi-
bly, find.
Mrs. Adrian Torrance was dressed in
black, a fair delicate piece ofhuman china,
who had been like the lilies Of the field, in
in that She rolled not, neither did she spin,
and Lucetta, the Older daughter, was try
ing, unsneeessfully, TO trim a black Grape
bonnet, by the window.
They had come mp from the country at
Lueretia's suggestio To appeal, in their poy-
erty, to this rich cousin Of the dead father
and husband, hut none Of them anticipated
any very satisfactory results from The ex-
pertinent.
These rich people are always miserly."
said Miss Lueetta.
"And I've understood, said the gentle
little widow, that he was not pleased
when poor dear Adrian married me in
stead of Miss Goldbags, tie rich pawn
brokers' daughter"
"Wen,o cried Mrs. Torrance eagerly,
as Nelly entered.
What does he say?" questioned Lu-
cetta, dropping the fold of Grape she was
vainly e~ndeavoring to fashion into what
Che fashion-platc called an oblong bow.
Il have seen him., said Nelly, untying
her bonnet-strings, ,'and I'm going to
his house in Grandoycr Park this after
noon
you don't mean" cried Mrs. Tor
rance, with a spasmodic catching in her
breath, chat he is going Toto adopt
your
Not in the least, said Nelly. Nov
mamma. darling, cont jump at conclu-
sions. Just hear my plain, unvarnished
tale. went to cousin John. | told him
I wanted something to do. He asked me
if I could cook. Thanks TO that course
of lessons I once took of Signor S~ilverspoon,
| was able to answer yes. Then he told
me that his cook was gone, and asked me
if I would come to lis house this afternoon
and take her place.
sand you-" gasped Mrs. Torrance.
Il said yes, of course
Eleanor tried Lncetta, Il am scan
dalized by your conduct. Yes, perfectly
scandalizcd. You viii do nothing Of the
sortl''
Certainly not" said Mrs. Torrance, de-
veloping strong physical symptoms. IF
your cousin Brown intends to insult US
"But he doesn't mean to insult as"
pleaded Nelly. ''lIe intended the offer in
all good faith, and I accepted it in the same
spirit"
You surely TO not mean to degrade
yourself, y cried Lueetta, "by turning-eook
for any man living!'
Il don't see" urged Nelly, that it is
any more degrading to cook for cousin
John than it would be TO embroider slip
pers for him, or read the newspaper aloud
to him Of an evening"
"Elcanor never had amy proper pride,
said Mrs. Torrance, wringing her hands.
"Neyern' echoed Lueetta.
~And." added Nelly, my cousin would
have every right to believe me an impos-
ter i'll told him | wanted work and then
refused tile first offer he made. 1t will be
useless for you 10 demonstrate, Lucetta,
and / hope IN will not place any OBJ
.stacles in my way, for am quite deter
to 20 to Grandover Park this after
And She adhered firmly 10 her rcsolu-
ton.
Ii was six exactly when Mr.. Brown let
himself into his house with his iatch-key
which always depended from his watch
chain. The gas Jet burned softly behind