The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-07-28
+" Sea Cottage"


do. Mr. Bobinet was always degree
crosser than usual on dull days. He
scolded the little " cashes" for whis-
pering, criticised Miss Dagget for the
way in which she piled her collar-boxes
on the counter, and reproved Miss
White for packing her parcels of lace
under the shelves.
" 1t is very easy" said Mr.. Bobinet,
g to see that you young women have
no personal interest in things"
"Why should WEI" whispered Rosa
Nixon to Miss Carstairs. " He has no
personal interest in u.s."
And Mr.. Bobinet had told them
probably to increase their spirits-that
after the first of May their scanty sala-
ries would be locked twenty-five per
cent
For am losing money in the bust
ness" said Mr.. Bobinet; eyes, posi-
lively losing money all the time. |
ought to have cut you down at Christ
mas, but / am conscientious man, and
midwinter is a hard time to reduce
wages"
Meta Carstairs had looked incredu-
lousy at Lillian Hand Was it not on
the very last Sunday afternoon that
they had walked past the elegant new
house that Mr.. Bobinet was erecting on
Paragon Avenue? Did that, they asked
themselves, look like losing money?
"What humbug that man is! said
Rosa Nixon. If knew any respecta
BILE farmers wife who wanted help
I'd quit business and go to her-see if
l wouldn't"
" But we are all dependent upon our
salaries" sighed Lillian Hand. "What
can we do?'
This was at the noon-time, when Mr.
Bobinet had gone downstairs to quar-
rel with the fireman, and the girls hud-
died dsconsolately around the register
to eat their little paper packets of lunch
81 know what I'd do if l had a
house." said Meta, boldly. "I'd keep
boarders."
Boarders. Dear me, what funny
idea." cried Lillian Hand. "What
made you think of that?"
Because had letter from Stoning-
ton last night" said Meta. "And my
old grand-aunt Locke is dead, and
she has left me a lot of old furni-
ture-the accumulation of two or three
generations. What could l do with old
furniture, or new either, for that matter?
The homestead-a tumble-down place
enough-is left to a cousin up in Maine
and all the ready money to ne'er-do.
well relation out in Kansas, who will
spend it before the dear old soul is
fairly cold"
Furniturer' repeated Lillian
"Why, isn't that strange. And I've
got house out at Watch Hill, lonely
old place, on the very edge of the sea-
that is, if it hasn't fallen to pieces in
these heavy winter tides"
What sort of house?" said Meta
4" don't know" Lillian answered
laughing. never saw it. My uncle
died there, and l am the only surviving
relative. l might have fitted it up fol
a country seat if l had been rich, but
am not"
Meta put her right hand on the other;
shoulder.
ILL.," said she, " there's fate in
these things. You have a house, anC
I've got the furniture. Watch Hill is
the very place to take boarders I'M"
Are you crazy, Netta?' asked Lii
liam. g The big hotels would swallow
us up, as the whale swallowed Jonah
'Fiddlesticks!'' cried Meta. " Oul
chance is as good as anybody else's"
oh, girls, let me keep boarders, toon'
urged Rosa Nixon. " can't stay here
if old Bobinet mows down our wage,
so pitifully. l havn't got any CAPT
tai, but l can make splendid cake
and pie, and | can beat you all on bread
and biscuit and johnny-cake."
g l could help you, too" said eager
Miss Dagget, who was tall girl, witt
hectic red spots on her cheeks. "Tha
is, if the house was out of repair.
painted all the inside of Cousin Dobsor
Dagget's house once, and papered the
parlors in blue and buff And you dom
know how nice they looked. Do take
me, too"
" But it's all nonsense" said Lillian
A" No, it isn't!" said Meta. " Listen
You and keep boarders. Rosa is oul
cook, and Clara our carpenter. Here:
fair beginning. Hush! here comes
old Bobinet, looking as black as IA thun
der-cloud. Now for a lecture half an
hour long. Well, let him blaze away
l don't care whether he discharges me
or not!"
What sort of a place is Watct
Hill ?" whispered Clara Dagget
{" It's the sea-shore," said Meta, " di
rectly on the grand old Atlantic, The
place for you to get strong in, Clara
And l say-suppose we ask Fanny
Hoyt, that little ailing cash-girl, tC
come with us? She could wait on the
table and wash dishes, you know, and'--
Young women! young womenp
solemnly croaked Mr.. Bobinet, " is this
business?"
But when the April winds began tC
blow clouds of dust and whirlwinds Of
paper scraps about the streets, Lillian
Hand and Meta Carstairs set boldly
forth for the rock-bristling shore Of
Watch Hill-stopping by way of Ston
ington to overhaul the old furniture be
queathed by grand-aunt Locke.
" Enough to set up a dozen board
ing-houses," said Meta, eXultantly
Gwen have Clara down to repair ant
varnish it at once. And now for the
housed"
" Sea Cottage" was an old stone
house on a shelving beach, with appl,
orchards behind and little garden il
front, where sea spray sprinkled the
Rose of Sharon trees at high tide.
1t was ancient and inconvenient, with
additions clumsily built on; steps to &C