Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-11-06
TIE HIRED GIRL.

She makes perfect picture, out there
IN that tropical sunshine" said Mr. VII
lars. Look at her with that scarlet rib
hon ut her neck and those curls Of her
hair waving blue-blacl in the intense
light! IL is like dream of Italy,"
ayes" said Mrs. Leeds, ''she is very
pretty, but that don't signify so much.
ashes a good smart girl, and don't lose
any time looking at herself in the glass,
like some I've had"
"Where did you pick her upf" asked
the young clergyman, carelessly drawing
the newspaper from his pocket as he sat
down on the carpet Of pine needles
under the big evergreen tree.
"Didn't pick her up anywhere" said
Mrs. Leeds, tartly (for this was part OF
the transaction that had never been quite
satisfactory to her business-like soul)
"She came along"
"Came alongs" with a slight accent
of surprise.
"Yes-looking for work"
Mr. villars lifted his eyebrows.
"Then how do you know who she isf
he asked.
az don't knowr' retorted Mrs. Leeds,
unconsciously betraying her weak point
BY this irritability of manner; "but /
know what she is, and that's more to the
purpose. She's the best washer that ever
crossed my threshold; as docile as kit
ten, and as smart as a cricket; does twice
the work of anyone else that ever had,
and il she's ever tired she don't say So"
Mrs. Leeds hustled off to interview
Farmer Parks for more Alderney cream
for the summer boarders, now that the
house was beginning TO fill up,
Mr.. Villars improvised a pillow out OF
his coat, folding il cylinder-wise and
placed under his head, and closed his
eyes in q sort of q summer dream among
the pine bows and butterflies.
And Eliza, spreading out blcakberries
to dry on the board platform that bad
been erected along the garden fence, be-
gan to sing softly to herself. She was
very silent ordinarily, but somehow 1t
seemed as If the sunshine had thawed
ont her very heart to-day.
Mr. Villars had been right. There was
something Of the atmosphere of Italy
about Eliza-her eyes were so deep and
dark, her hair so glossily black, her
cheek stained with sucli a rich olive.
Moreover, she did rot move like the
girls of rock bound New England. There
was a subtle gliding notion-a langor of
gracefulness in her gait-which was for
eign TO all'he surroundings.
The girls of the vicinage did not frater-
nize with Eliza when at rare intervals
she accompanied Mrs Leeds to church,
sewing circles OF village gatherings; for
in Stapleville the employer and employe
occupied one all-comprehensive social
platform.
They said she was ''odd;" they looked
at her askance; and Eliza, always very
quiet in her ways, made no effort to in
sinuate herself into their good graces.
Why should shei What did it signify,
one way or the other, whether Deborah
Smart and Keziah Hayes and Abby Jane
Clark liked her or not as long es Mrs.
Leeds was pleased with herr
But the village girls made one error in
their calculations. They had not in
tended as time crept on TO emphasize
their antipathy to Mrs. Leeds Eliza SO
strongly as to awaken partisan feeling In
Mr.. Villars' breast; but they did so, un-
consciously to themselves.
"Why do they neglect that girl so'''
the young clergyman asked himself.
"Can they not see how inflnitly superior
she is to themy It's shame"
And so Abby Jane Clark and Deborah
Smart and Keziah Hayes sealed their
own doom, SO far as Mr. Villars was con-
cerned.
There was not one of them but would
have been delighted to win smile, a
glance, pleasant word from the young
man who was summering at the Leeds
farmhouse.
But alas. like the priest and the Le-
vite. he passed by on the other side; and
when the village girls III their afternoon
muslins and ribbons, sat at their windows
and wondered why "he came not" he
was in nine cases out of ten helping Eliza
to gather peaches for tea; standing be-
side the brook, while she spread out
towels and pocket handkerchiefs to
bleach, or even explaining to her the
difference between the notes OF thrush
and the woodlark, the speckled eggs OF
the robin, and the pearl-gray treasure OF
the whip-poor-will.
''He seems to be taking a notion tc
her." said Mrs. Leeds to herself, as she
eyed the pair from her milk room win
dow. "Well, why shouldn't he' It's
true he's minister and my own nephew
but in my mind Eliza is good enough for
any man. My sakes! won't Abby Jane
Clark be mad, If ever girl wanted to
be a PERSONS wife, Abby Jane doesn'
Thus things were progressing when
one day smart young tradesman from
m adjoining town came TO board out his
fortnight's vacation at Deacon Clark's.
The Clarks were a well-to-do family;
but the deacon was little close in his
financial administration, and Mrs. Clark
and Abby Jane were not averse TO earn
ing new dress now and then out OF the
rent Of their big spare room; and Mr.
Trudkins brought letter OF recommen
dation from friend in Packerton, and III
dressed in the latest fashion, and had {
big black mustache that overshadowet
his upper lip like penthouse.
"Oh, ma, how very genteel he isv
said Abby Jane, all in a fiutter OF ad
miration.
"A very nice young man indeed" re
sponded the deacon's wife.
And the very next week, Abby Jane
came down to the Leeds farmhouse
"Have you heard this news of your
Elizay' she asked Of the farmers wife In
mysterious whisper.
"EhY' said Mrs. Leeds.
"She's nothing but play actress, v
said Abby Jane, nodding her head until
the stuffed bluebird on her hat quivered
as IL It were alive. "Mr. Alphonso Trud
kins saw her himself in the great New
York Combination troupe. She was act
ing woman who was married to Cuban
and lost her pocket handkerchief, and wa.
afterward choked TO death with the pil
lows of the best bed. Desdemonia he
name was, think"
swell, and suppose she wasF sai'