The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-12-30
The Cashiers Romance.
ny HELEN FoRREsr GRAVES,

story" said Fanny Tullan. ~ can
see it in the expression of her face. ]
only wish I had courage to ask her
about it."
1t was dull, rainy day--onc of the
bleak prcmonitors of the cquinoctial
storm--and as there was not much doing
at the store, the girls took longer than
usual at their lunch.
Fanny sat on a packing-box, turned
upside down, under the stairway that
led down to the shipping room," slowly
munching her soda crackers and smoked.
beef, anil Ella Hay, her companion at
the kid-glove counter, was nestled at her
feet, eating bread ani butter and rasp
berry jim, with the heartiest of appctites.
At th same moment, Miss Verona,
the cashier, came lightly down the stairs
in her dark blue serge gown, and h'l
satin-brown braids of hair shining in the
oblique light of the dust-dimmcd win.
dow. She caught Fanny's last sentences,
and paused abruptly.
"To ask whom2" said she. "Nho has
got story9'
And Fanny, spurred on by a sudden
upward blaze Of courage, answered.:
"You!'
Miss Verona smilel. In response, her
face was cold and grave; but when il
lighted up with that rare smile, it was
absolutely beautiful. Instead of being
offended, however, sh. sat cheerful J
down on the other half Of the packing.
box
you are right, Miss Tullan," sale
she. II have got s:ory, else l ncvc
should have been in this store. l wasn
brought up to work, and l don't like te
sit behind cashiers desk from morning
until night any better than other pcopl,
DO" ....
Fanny Tullan's great, gray eyes opened
wide.
ooh. Miss Verona" said she, "won'
you tell it to us3'
"Of course l will," said the cashier
''Why shouldn't II You were very kint
to me, Fanny Tullan, when first l came
lonesome and inexperienced, to th
store. II would be hard indeed if
couldn't do as much to please and anus
you.'
The rain pattered against the dust
blurrcl window; the wind, shriekin:
around the corner, made mnatur
maclstrom Of shavings and bits Of papc
in the brick shaft which afforded til
only prospect; and Fanny Tullan anC
her friend, Miss Hay, crept up closer t.
Miss Verona TO hear her words.
"Of course, you have already SUI
missed that l nm a reduced lady," sal,
she. THAT goes without saying. Blu
you would scarcely have imagined that
was once an hc:ress. Hornbowc
Hall--that was tha name of the place
beautiful old house, down by the sea
Oh, / loved that house and now
never shall see it any more.
Her lips quivercd; the tears came int
her eyes for q second, aud then she wen
bravcly on:
"But didn't know until quite latel,
that there was a lawsuit about Horn
blower Hall; that some other branch o
the family believed that they had
better right to it than my mothe
and ]. Mamma never told III
about it; and, luckily, it wa
not until after her death that that hate
full lawyers letter came. The letter,
mean, that notified me with mock re-
spect that was worse than any amount c
downright influence would have been
that Hornblowcr Hall belonged to m
fourth or fifth cousin instead of mt
There was something in it about my nc
being disturbed in the occupancy, if
suited me to remain, but l could li,te
to no such belittling proposition as tha,
tore the letter into pieces, and packc
my personal belongings into one lit
trunk and came away. too
refuge with relative of my mother, WI
lives, in very quiet way, on Dilsto
street, and it was she that helped me
get this situation; and there is n
story"
''The beginning" said Fanny Tullal
nibbling up the last crumb of her luncl
'but not the cnd."
"Why not the enda"
"Oh, because you'll see that the er
will be that you'll somehow go back
Hornblower Hall and the cousin will
a stately, dark eyed aristocrat, who W
fall hcadlong iu love with you at fl
sight. nodded Fanny.
Miss Verona laughed in spite of he
self.
"Thcn he may fall out again." sa
she. "There goes the bell. / must C
buck TO work-aud so must you chill
len; the fairy story is over; the work.
day hour is beginning once more"
1t was still raining hard when NJ
Verona came out into the dreary autur
dusk, where the wet pools glistencd
the sidewalks, and the gas lamps s:io
, sulkily through the mist.
From the other side of the street
.badou like fipure approached