The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-06-05
THE FACT OF THE MATTER.

THAT will never do, Miss Josie.
1Our work does not improve much,
Observe" said chunky individual
with sleek, coppery head, a sombre
yisage, and marvellous cravat.
g He had just entered the long work
'foonl and he was critically examining
On eiaborately braided jersey, COM
'pleted at the moment.
us there something wrong with
The braiding?" asked Josie, an un-
eommonly pretty girl, with large
1rown eyes and delicate lily face.
'The braid does not follow the
illlles of the pattern, and you are using
thread much too coarse" the CHUNKY
szoung man said, as he still inspected
Hework, and still with the air of an
ekuerienced authority.
n 9u Instructed me yourself, Mr.
Hunt, to use none other than that
particular thread" Josie said with
spirit, but not uhciyiIy.
II think not, Miss Josie. Very
likely you have forgotten what my
instructions really were. The fact of
the matter is. our manulactory is not
quite the place for you. | am not
blaming you, Miss Josie; you are
willing, no doubt, but you are not
strong enough for such unremitting
labor; and you cannot help being re-
miss when you are weary and wor-
ried," Mr.. Hunt returned in his slow,
sleek, insinuative fashion.
The girl lifted her tired. pale face,
and for an instant she .attentively re,
garded him.
Certainly he was not eminently pre-
possessing, with his chunky frame
his shambling gait, his dul! and shift
ing eyes. She had never felt the
smallest liking for him she hated
the sound of his grandiloquent and
unnaturally smooth tones she detes-
ted the sight of his bloodless and
Ishmaelitish yisage.
She did not know precisely how
much authority he really had in the
mandatory he was always shamh-
ling and prying about the building
when the superintendent chanced
away, and she had decided that he
must be moncyed member of the
new firm. He did not come in fire.
quently to that department, and he
always came with the air of a master
with an air of superior discrimina.
ton and absolute authority, which
was obviously meant to be very i'm.
pressiye.
81 try to not be remiss at all )" Josie
said somewhat impatiently and with
a prompt motion TO change the spools
of her braiding machine.
He moved little more nearly to
her side, he bent so closely over her
that his bloOdless visage almost touch
ed her brown. pretty head.
"We are sure of that, Miss JOSIE
he said in smooth whisper close tr
her dainty ear. "You try to do every
thing which is correct and agreeable
But the fact of the. matter is you are
too delicate and senitiye for our coarse
and noisy factory. But you know ]
am ready to take you away-yOu
know am ready to make you my
wife,"
With that extraordinary declara
tion he stepped back, seeming pro
foundly occupied with the animad'
verted jersey, and awaited her re-
sponse.
But the girl looked neither fiatter
ed nor conciliatory; her spirited face
crimsoned and whitened again hel
large eyes blazed like flame.
"You would do me too much hon
or" she said. with an unmlstakable
undertone of contempt somewhere in
her civil voice.
"The fact OF the matter is you can
not afford to refuse me-" he pursued
with the suggestion of a threat in his
sombre, shifting eyes. "YOu are Sc
incompetent, you know, that youI
work is not valuable to us. We"
She interrupted him by gesture
OF ineflable scorn.
IL can maintain myself-and else
where" said she abruptly putting
down her spools, and hastily arising
from her seat.
so, just as you please! We car
easily obtain somebody for your place
you know. You can come to the Office
for the trifle due YOU" the interest
ing young gentleman said, with
change of aspect and with his mos
insolent autocratic air.
And then with his most Extensively
polished sneer Pickering in his dul
eyes and about his bulging lips hi
turned and left her to herself.
AS he shambled away she became
conscious of another presence-tht
/ e Al. Inss IL