The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-07-13
TWO OF A KIND.

"Bargains, chi" said Mrs. Pilkington.
"Guess I'll have a look at 'em."
OF all things, Mrs. Pilkington was
least able to resist a bargain.
The old P1lkington farmhouse at home
was, crammed full of bargains" possible
and impossible. The bureau : drawers
overfiowed with 'Fbargains" which were
OF no use to anyone; the trunk were
packed full of ''bargains."
And here, OF the crowded curb-stones
OF Grand Street, the swinging ~pastcboard
sign OF "Great Bargains Withinr' at
tracted her attention, hurried though she
was with the manifold errands which vet
remained incomplete.
She had a lot of damaged table-linen
under her arm, and some cheap hosiery
in her bag, and a dozen towels with mis-
printed borders in her pocket, and here
she was crowding into the Grand Street
store to buy a bfue-spotted pongee neck
erchief for eighteen cents!
t'Itll do for Sara Janetta to wa,ar
around her neck of a cool evenin'," said
Mrs. Pilkington, land eighteen cents is
really very cheap for real pongee."
Mrs. Pilkington lived in a little brown
rooted farm house on the Housatonic
River, and her main errand up to town
had been to buy a ''store carpct' for her
best room floor, and to exchange an old
sewing-machine fer something of a newer
order.
Her cousin, Mrs. Bruce Babbitt, who
had spent the summer months at the
farm, and made the most possible trouble
for the least possible pay. had also en-
gagged to hunt her up a ''help" from the
nearest intelligence Office, and have the
same on hand when the 'tfivc-four train''
left the Grand Central Depot that after
noon!
And sure enough, when the lady from
the country arrived, red and painting, at
the depot, with dishevcled hair, bent
bonnet, and shawl dragged all awry, a
modest young girl stood at the door with
q card bearing the name of "Mrs. Bruce
Babbitt" in her hand.
SIS it Mrs. Pilkington" said she.
"You amt the new sewing machine,
be you" said Mrs. Pilkington, rubbing
her, nose with a puzzled air. "Nor vet
the eighteen yards of carpet from stoney-
bridge and Bounce's"
II am Phoebe" said the young woman
--"Phebe, ut nine dollars a month, if
am lucky enough to suit you, ma'ama"
She was a pretty, %blue-eyed lass, with
a fresh complexion, and a neat gown of
green and white s~eer-suckcr, and she
wore a bonnet of her own trimming, with
a cluster of butter-cups on the side.
Mrs. Pilkington looked obviously at
her. She had prepared herself to expect
q stout, ~red-handed drudge.
It did not seem possible that this deli
cate little applc-blossom of a girl could
be q servant-of- all-work!
But there, sure enough, were her Gre
identials, and the bell, even then, was
changing for the closing of the gates.
'Come on!" said Mrs. Pllkington, and
she rushed through, dragging Phoebe
after her. 'Tt's strange, though, that
the carpet and the sewing-machine amt
here"
"Did you expect carpet and a sewing
machine, ma'am" Phoebe asked, respect
fully.
IT bought 'em and paid for 'em," said
Mrs. P%ilkington, impressively, "and I
don't see why they amt here"
Perhaps they will be sent by express"
suggested Phoebe.
II declare to goodness, Inevcr thought
of that!" said Mrs. Pilkington.
And she skurricd through the crowded
car to find a seat.
It was the dusk of q chilly Nav even
ing when they reached Blackbird's Hol-
Now, and ahghted in the midst of dense
pines and signing tamaracks.
s1f Pilkington hsin't remembered to
eozas and meet Us, I shall be madln said