The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-05-24

THE young woman will pledge her.
self to nothingr' said Flora
ssHoity-toityI' said Mrs. Belton.''
''What ails the girls nowadays?"
And she gave audience to the next
applicant, a stout, elderly woman in a
dyed silk gown, and weak eyes shielded
by blue goggles.
''Miss Farquhar," said the perturbed
Mrs. Grigson, show do you ever ex-
pect to get place if No, my good
woman" to a timid little creature, who
was endeavoring to obtain her atten-
ton on the other side of the big ledger,
''we don't deal in general housewOrk
situations. We do only the genteeler
business"
81 want some one who will come at
reasonable wages to help me about the
house, and take the children out every
day." said Mrs. Dewford. ''It isn't
hard place if"
mot in our line," said Mrs Grigson,
protruding her chin.
Flora gave one glance at the troubled
pink-and-white face of the little house
keeper.
81 will take the position, if the lady
pleases," she said.
''You? Go out to general house
work."
'Yes, lr' Flora answered firmly.
Just as You please, of course" said
Mrs. GrigsOn with toss of the head.
And Mrs. Dewford's eyes frightened.
81 can't give high wages" said she;
"but-"
mo matter for that" said Miss Far
N 10 I
tired of sitting here to be stared at
and questioned by insolent fine ladies'"
Mrs. Belton, who. was waiting for
the blue-goggled woman to register
her name, smiled as she heard these
words.
pride, pridem said she. It is the
bane of the working-classes. -
Flora returned her glance with in
terest.
ut is our PRIDE" said she, 'sthat is
our safeguard
Mrs. Dewford took Flora back with
her.
''Isn't itstrange?" said She ''Those
Beltons live next to us. They are very
rich and naughty. He has made a
fortune on the Stock Exchange and
they take no notice of us because Mr..
Dewford is only an artist. We live in
a very small way; most of the house is
let out in lodgings. But think you
won't find the work too heavy. have
a woman in once a week to scrub and
clean, and all the laundry work is put
out. Can you cook? ?"
'.No," said Flora; "but | can learn.
| am not in the least afraid of hard
work"
'.And you have such a sweet apple
blossom sort of face" said Mrs. Dew
ford. ''Oh, l am sure I shall like
you"
But Flora never told her new en-
ployer that she had danced with Al
fred Belton at the May ball, when she
was ''sweet girl graduate" at Madam
Hayward's school, and he was visiting
at Tor Castle, mile OF so away.
She went quietly about her work,
dusting Mrs. Dewford's tiny parlor,
cleaning the brasses, polishing the
glass, and shaking rugs, early in the
morning, before any one went by; and
when the sun came out, she took the
little ones to run and play in the park
close by, while she sat and sewed
diligently under the trees on the baby's
new flannel sacques.
Alfred Belton came there, too. 1t
was pleasant place to walk, he said,
and smoke his cigar; and that nurse
maid of Mrs. Dewford's was such
little beauty, and her whole history was
so romantic.
II wish you would not come here so
often, Mr.. Belton," said Flora one
day.
1.-THE park is free to all, isn't itP"
was his gay response.
And one day he calmly announced
to his naughty sister-in-law that ''he
was going to bring home a wife"
Miss Auraton?" said Mrs. Bolton,
smiling. 80 you have won the golden
prize! / thought"
mot Miss AuratOn at ALL" Alfred
answered sharply do you think could
marry swarthy faced simpleton like
that? No; it's Flora Farquhar, who
lives with Mrs. Dewford next door,
sThe-maidr' screamed Mrs. BeltOn.
Eyes, the maid-the sweetest little
maid in the worldr' Alfred answered
defiantly.
And neither tears, nor entreaties,
nor reproaches could move him one
sixteenth part of an inch.
81 love her," he persisted; ''and that
is enough. She is lady by birth; and
her education is equal to mine"
He went that selfsame day to the
park. The children were hunting for
glossy horse-chestnuts under the rust
ling brown leaves-for it was in tn,
sere October. Flora was leading the
smallest one along the sunshiny path
and her face was brighter than the
sunbeams themselves.
Flora" said Mr.. Belton, Il have
come to ask you to become my wife.
| She looked at him serenely as if j
were an everyday matter for the hear
of a millionaire to be laid at the feet O.
a working girl.
81 am afraid" she said, 'sthat shall
have to say No 1 am engaged to
Frank Dewford, my employers cousin
He is an engineer on the Southern
Pacific Railroad, and l am to go Il
Melita to live"
''But, Flora, he is poor. l can give
| you setting such as a jewel like you
deserves. l can"
The scorn in her face was something
superb.
s'Do you think" she said, '.that
am to be bought and sold with money!
And Mrs Belton scarcely knew whicl
stung deepest, the fact that Alfred hat
actually fallen in love with Mrs. Dew
ford's maid, or that Flora had beer
mad enough to reject him and hi;
bank-book
'.Class distinctions are becoming
completely annihilated nowadays,
groaned she.
But kind little Lawyer Barret re
joiced in spirit when he heard of it.
''She needn't be dependent on any o
them now," said he. .'She's a gooC
girl, and l might have known sh'
would make her way in the world!"
Hook-swinging and widow-burnini
IN India have been abolished; but it
said that in the Nizam's dominion
there is a caste in which when any o
the members dies flag is attached to
bamboo, and the bamboo given to
man to hold over the corpse of the de
ceased Then. having retired to a con
yenient distance, the men of the cast
open fire on the flag, probably BY wa
8 l., II -.