Daily Republican., 1888-05-30
oHARzrx BEGINS AT momn,


the hall.
"I'll see, nia'am," replied the gil
Eopening the parlor door and taking th
card the lady offered. walk in
Iplea O."
l Mrs. West walked In" The parlo
was fresh and cool from recent dust
Ing and airing, and one of the win
Idows was open.
81 can't stand that" said the lady
and hurried petulantly forward to shu
| AS she did so the lace trimming o
her wrap caught the extended arm o
Ia beautiful little marble statuett,
(which stood on the slab before tn,
Hong mirror, and down 1t came on the
Icarpet. Mrs West gave a cry O
alarm, and picked it up. AS she die
so the pretty head rolled away from
the body. The marble slab had
fplayed the executioner.
What shall I do nowf" asked Mrs
West of herself. 81 know Hattie
Howard gave thirty dollars for tina,
statuette, and prizes 1t greatly. OF
course | shall be expected to get her
another. / wish i had not sent up
my card. I'll slip away without see
ing her. That new girl don't know
me. l wonder whether it could be
mendedf l wonder II the head would
stay on"
She placed the figure In an upright
position aud made the experiment.
The head did stay on. Then, blush.
ing guilty, she retreated to the other
end OF the room, and sat looking in
tently at tho Interesting pages of q
family photograph album as Mrs.
Howard entered.
How do you do dear2 What q
color you havel / never saw you look
so we'll"
The call was brief one. Mrs
West suddenly found that she had
twenty more to pay. Her only object
now was to get out of that parlor be.
lore some unlucky jar sent the head of
the statuette topping from its shoul.
ders. She succeeded; but in the hall,
amidst the last adieus, and at the
Opening Of the front door, which did
not open easily, her quick ear detected
a little tap-tap, sharp or the marble
slab dull on the carpet, and knew
just what had happened.
~ hope Harry isn't throwing his
marbles down stairs again. He has
trick of doing that. and II is so dan.
gerous II any one should tread on
them"
Mrs. West laughed, and her color
WAS higher than ever as she ran down
the steps; but she had escaped the de-
lection, and went on her way rejoic-
ing.
They'll lay it to a child, or
servant, and little scolding does
neither any harm," she said to her
self.
The next time Mrs. Howard met
Mrs. West was at the rooms of the
charitable association to which they
belonged, and to which they both sub
scrihed literally.
"How are you, dear?" asked Mrs.
West.
We'll. I'm not very WE'LL" said |
Mrs. Howard. az have Just half help |
enough, was obliged 10 send away /,
my UP stairs girl because she grew so |
careless and broke so much, and /
can't replace her."
Cups and saucers, l suppose, and
he spout Of the teapot, and the handle
81 the pitcher, and all thatP"
"Worse yet-some valuable parlor
said Mrs. Howard.
Then they walked into the commit
ee room.
1--WE were just talking of you, Mrs
Vest" said the president. ave fancy
We could make use of you and of Mrs
Toward too. There is case of great
distress in our district, and we must
AVE 1t looked into Immediately. 1t is
n Bank street; Mrs. Smith is the
name. She has just lost her
laughter, and has nothing, they say.
0 live upon. You can 60 TO see her,
an you not, this afternoonl"
The ladies assented, and the usual |
being gone through with,
hey started on their mission. The
ouse proved to be a wretehed tene.
lent, and on its top floor, in a desc
lie little room, without fire or suffi. !
ent bed-clothing, they found very
ID woman on straw bed on the !
oor.
You are Mrs. 6mithp said Mira
Vest, bending over her.
'1ndade | am, mistress" said the
d woman, feebly, land you are the i
BOD lady from the association. Sure, Q
never thought to come to this In my o
d age, but the Lords will be DONE"
"You are right TO be submissive to
im," said Mrs. Howard. 1--WE must
} all we can for you, too. So you Il
c he has not forgotten you. But | Ct
ust ask you few questions first. n
ave you no relations whose duty it p
TO aid you-no son, no daughter2" Ii
81 had but one. and that was my b.
Elsie said the old "
oman. "She's dead this three weeks. OF
good girl she WIGS. She lived out, tr
d her wages paid the rint and Ii
ught the bit to ate She only got IL
r shoes out of it. and once IN way, til
,alico gown. But she'd always say, y,
Il not fret whilst | can do for you, III
amy AT last she went to live along be
In lady by the name OF Howard, dc
a great fine house over Fourth ave- tn
0 way" re
Mrs. Howard started. co
And her wages was to be fourteen nc
lars, and glad she was OF the raise;
I'd had but twelve before, and it
8 nice family, she said, and well
ased with her, until one day-ochl Blu
sorry day it was thin for berl- ca
en-, how and ivers it happened she ed
MT know, there WAS something or,
Ike in the parlor. It was an image sig
a saint, or the like, and mighty