The Wilmingtonian., 1886-06-12
Paper yioIets.


had not frankly confessed that age, and
plead guilty to the fact of being an old
maid.
She was pleas mt, kind hearted little
body, with fresh, youthful face, the cheer
lest laugh imaginable, and smile that Won
the Instant love Of everybody.
S1e had comfortable inc lme, lived ia a
cosy little cottage, and having nothing else
to do, was accomplished and charitable
that is, she painted, sketched, made crazy
quilts and crocheted afghans, hammered
brass plaques, aud manufactured all sorts of
quaint and wonderful articles Of house
adornmeut was president of three or four
charitable societies. and made a daily round
of visits to the humble homes of a score Of
her pensioners.
PEOPLE wondered why she had never mar
ried aud some Of her more intimate friends
ventured to ask the question.
She always replied with laugh and these
words, tMy Willie is off DER the sea " in
such jaunty nonchalaut tone, that NJ one
really believed that there was an actu Il flesh
and blood Willie over the seas, for whose re-
yum bhC " 'it-faSOu ''bbi" SP'hVSi " - "h'p-
ing patiently.
Visitors to her little cottage had noticed
crayOn portrait of Young and good-looking
man which hung above the mantle in her
cozy little parlor but they thought 1t the
picture of soma relative, and never cunnec-
ted him with the mysterious Willie.
1t was in reality the face OF Mr. William
Arnold, and he aud Miss Priscilla Curtis had
been lovers when he was young man of
twenty and she was a young girl of seven
teen.
Cruel parents had separated them, and
he had gone away across the seas where, it
was afterward reported, he had married a
titled lady-for his people were rich, and at
the time of love-makng Miss Priscilla's sur
rodudings were very poor aud humble.
Iu drawer of her bureau, which she sal
dom opened, there was bundle of letters,
yellow and faded with age, anil bunch of
withered viUleis.
The violet was her favorite lJwer, and
she had great pots of them in her conserVa-
tory, aud they were the device embrJdere
on all the little articles of household adorn
meut that her skilrul needle had wrought.
She always wore u bunch Of them at her
throat when she went out, aul "a II 'srgay of
of them nestled under her reminded chm this
morning, when, with an alligatpi-skiu reti-
cule on her arm, and CHEEKY smile on her
ice, she tripped dJwu the steps Of her cot
tage to begin the d ally round of visits among
her pensioners.
She was intensely practical in her charity,
and believed in helping only those wh) made
some efforts to help themselves.
Her first visit this m )rning was t. a neat
little house in back stree where lived
Alma Z,ne, slls supp rt OF an invalid
mother and half-dUzen little brothers ard
sisters.
Aua was seventeen, rather pretty, anC
previous to her acquaintance with Miss Pris
ella Curtis had worked in mill, where heI
earnings were just sufficient to keep shah
by tenement roof above their heads and pu
bre I'd and butter in the mouths Of her hun
CRY little brothers and sisters.
She had had a fair education and Ittine'
taste. Miss Curtis helped her to move int
the quiet little house, which was cheaply
but neatly furnished, aided her to put warn
clothing on the children, and to buy grea
easy chair for the invali mother.
She taught Alma to embruider, to pain
pretty little cards, aud to fashion, ou5 q
cloth, paper aud wax flowers so natural tina
it required great stretch of imaginatiu 10
to smell their perfume.
Alma found ready sale for the product q
her dcft liugers in the stora, and he: NV
eldest btothurs hawked them from dor
do Ir and on the street.
Tne incom thus derived was double ia
which She had received in the mall, alr
enabled the family to live very cnmfor tabl,
Alma had ii lov.r-ln honest, steady yUun
mau, who woi ked in the mill which sho ha
Just lett, and was like her, the lie SUPP >
of large family.
John B a'ntrd was shreNd and nteIligcl
I'd seemed deiernned to rise IN the WORT
although hy tuuud it pretty uphill work
He sUudiei hard 1T nights, an hal tate
becum much interested in constructing
m 'de ul IL little appliance to be added to Il
machinery Of Il oDm, that would save niue
labor.
lie had shOwu his drawing ofIh, i'm .jrJvt
ment to the mil owner, Dad the lattur {
promised to give HIM twenty-five thouSai
dollars for the invention as soon as lie shou
perfect it.
s'IC's bound to be success" he sal
confident to Alma, land we can afford
get married when get the money"
Miss Priscilla Curtis had taken much
terest in the young mechanic, and enter
hsa tily into his plans for the future.
When she called on Alma this mornil
she found the young girl in tears.
'What - she said, lllog up tho ylur
girls face. "Cryng? WHATS the matte.
dts about John, Miss Priscilla. lie &
caught IN the belt at the mill and his arm
broken ~ sObbed Alma.
''Thal's too bad p was Mis-, Priscill;
comment. But he's stout and healtf
broken bones soon mend "
Yes but it will force him to remain il
for several weeks, aud all the money th
he's saved up to perfect his Invention will
spent.
"Oh, .uess not ~ said Miss Prscil
with one If her qnetr little laughs,
know Of certain yJun, lady who might
able to help him, if size would"