The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-02-21
THE LApY'S MAIDS STORY

her tongue she can Hnu gOu PiaCes'
Dear me. I'm no talker I'm as mum as
a mouse Bushels Of pearl powder and
quarts OF rouge have applied with my
own hands. and never 50 much as limited
st As for cotton. 'ess your heart I've
ne.er breathed aiout II. ana l did i've
with lady once that took arsenic regu-
lurly for her complexion. That's no
secret, for she took too much one day, by
accident, aud died.
There was an inquest and 1t all came
out. It's well il did, for suspicion pointed
10 her husband. Somehow, it always
seems to strike a jury that husband is
the likeliest person TO wish wife out OF
the way But this ISN'T anything about
paint Miss Grigg, being on the stage,
made no secret OF that. She Played queens
and such, miss I've often had tickets
given me and gone with my young man
10 SEQ her act And when she was naughty
and curled her nose Ike, miss. and looked
nj other folks over her shoulder, and
talked away down In her throat Ike
pigeon gurgling, she was splendid, miss
IL made me think how nice IL would be TO
be a Queen and TO take airs over every
body.
well, Miss Grigg was engaged to be
married. Mr. Birch had fallen IN love
with her when she was playing Hamiets
ma. Perhaps you have seen the play,
miss, The young man objects 10 his ma
getting married the second time, so i
seemed 10 make out aud acted most i'm
pertinent. giving sass TO his ma and his
step pa, and carrying on awful. And
there was poor young lazy quite out OF
her mind that afterwud got drowned.
"Well, She was playing IIamlet's ma,
and Mr. Birch fell 10 love with her and
sent her letter and called and made an
offer. all i'm no time She accepted him,
of course, and the preparations for the
wedding began. don't think any lady
ever had 50 many dresses before. Silks
and safins, and vclyets ana laces. Dear,
dear: Nine. rs whole establishment
was hard at work for "a month, and il I'd
had twenty fingers instead If only ten,
Id have had use for them all
at last everything vas finished. The
trunks were packed, fifteen Of 'em, miss,
and fourteen were 10 gcon that afternoon,
and one-the one with the wedding and
travelling dresscs-was, of course, 10 be
q
next day She was to be married at 10
o'clock in church and then drive home.
have a splendid breakfast, change her
dress and catch the . O clock train. OF
course saw To the trunks. and | was very
careful but just when WIS needed most,
just as the trunks were going down stairs,
Miss Grigg called me.
"Miss Grigg was "a lady who didn't like
TO wait went 70 her at once, miss, as
was my duty, and said to Bridget Dus-
ter, the chambernaid:
- Bridget, watch that black trunk and
see that the men don't carry it OFF,
Bridget understood with her elbows,
Of course. miss, and after | had been to
the lands end for two yards Of blue rib
bon Of exactly such shade a. she wanted,
and got back, found that she mad sent
off the black trunk first Of all, and was
very proud of having been so careful
The Trunks were all miles away by that
time There was nothing for it busto
tell Miss Grigg She flew at > . |
don't blame her for being q ! fiNould
forgive her IN such a CO I'd nOiew at
me violent, miss; and, sSs,, :. Ass, she had
spasms. She beat tEl Sofa, She tore her
lltlls Slit SllttNu.ls anu lllt Nil NHN NiIiO
saving.
Remember your eyes, miss Think
how you'll look. Your nose is swelling
dreadful, miss
Finally she came to and bathed her
face And says she:
Flora, what-shall--l do"
81 don't know miss, said |, unless
you put of the wedding until you tele-
graph for the trunk.
mo said she. that unlucky; be-
sides, one never knows None amt TO he
depended on
"'You might borrow dress, said l.
LAS if I'd be married i'll one that
didn't fit, said She stop, don't speak
word I've an idea
"She sat with one finger on her lips for
a while Then she said
:" MY embroidered dressing gown. The
white one That's here
I'm the bureau, miss, said !.
Very well, said she IN be mar
ried in that Telegraph for the trunk,
Flora
" The white dressing gown, missH sand
l, nearly astonished out Of my senses.
a" Yes, said she, the white dressing
gown, goose, you don't think TN going to
be married in church in that. | won't
put off the wedding, and l won't stand
up before a crowd in anything but my
white satin dressl But I'll be married at
the appointed hour, for all that. So tele-
graph for my trunk and come back soon
when came back found Miss Grigg
in bed and the doctor sent for. lie was
puzzled, ] could see that. He couldn't
tell what was the matter, and Miss Grigg
was too faint To speak lie questioned
me. said she had been very much agi
tated He prescribed something and went
of, bidding me send for him if she seemed
worse. The evening paper published the
report that Miss Grigg was dangerously
i'll, and Mr. Birch came 10 the hotel in a
terrible fright rs pale as "a sheet, To ask
how she was. took him down Her
love, and she was very i'll
"TheD Miss Grigg said 10 the ladies who
had come in Leave me with my faithful
Flora, and we were left alone. | can't
say that was surprised when she sat up
ia bed and said brisky;
"'Lock the door, Flora. I'm sick Of
lying on my back. I've taken them in,
haven't II You see what l am about
now
Exactly, miss said l. TO be too i'll
10 DO married when the time comes
No said she; TO be i'll enough TO Ike
married In the white dressing gown. I'm
going to be married on my dying bed,
Flora
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