The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-04-19
ITINERANT MILLINERY.

81 always foresaw how it would turn
out, said Mrs. Mynton. "You can
bear witness, girls, that prophesied
this from the beginning. She isn't
strong enough to work in store.
She's no sort of use about the house;
and here she's sick on onr hands, and
no telling how long it is going to last.
with every prospect of doctors bill,
and Mynton's salary just cut down on
account of the dull season coming on,
and business being slack, and
s'Hush, mammap said Angelina
Mynton, lifting her finger with a gest-
ure which denoted caution. ''She
hears you"
= 1t was true. The black mist was
floating away from Phebe Clissold's s
obscured vision-the words. which at
first sounded like the distant buzzing
from a beehive, now assumed form
and distinctness.
81 am very sorry, Aunt Mynton. "
said she. 81 will try not to be bur-
den to you. Indeed" with a faint
smile fiickering around her white lips.
II did not faint away on purpose; but
the store was so hot, and the ventila-
ton so poor-if / could have a few
"
Phebe Clissoid had been left au Or
phan at the age of 10. Her nearest
relative-a brother of hor deceased
mother-was & bank clerk in the city.
and to him she had naturally directed
her footsteps. He had succeeded in
obtaining for her a situation in great
fancy store; and in this, her first quar-
ter, she had ignominiously broken
down.
'.She cannot endure long hours and
close confinement" said DR.. Falkney.
''She must have plenty of exercise and
fresh air."
"Exercise!" bitterly repeated Mrs.
Mynton, in whose heart years of pri-
vation and toll had well-nigh soured
the milk of human kindness. 'But
we don't keep carriage and pair, DR..
Falkney, neither do we have time to
walk in the park. Fresh air! We live
in fat, and the bedrooms are lighted
by gas. and ventilated through the
shaft, and things can't be helped so
DIR. Falkney shook his head.
''Slow poison" said he, ''for girl
of her temperament"
Phebe, lying on the lounge in the
adjoining room, and slowly Knitting a
pair of socks for the last Mynton baby,
heard all this. She put two and two
together in her mind.
'.They don't want me here" thought
she sadly. II am an incumhrance;
and DR.. Falkney says am not to go
back to the store. The question is,
what am / to do? Exercise! Fresh
airl Aunt Mynton is right; there
seems to be no prospect of my attain
ing any such luxuries."
As she lay there, she watched Ange-
lima Mynton trying to trim her last
seasons hat with three yards of
crushed-strawberr ribbon,
and bunch of yellow primroses.
Evidently Angelina was no milliner.
She twisted the ribbon this way and
that; she pinned the primroses, first on
one side then another, and finally end
ed by fiinging down the bonnet with
an exclamation of despair.
Hateful old thing!' she cried; II
can't do anything with it"
Phebe laid down her knitting-nee-
dies.
"Give it TO me" said she.
A few dexterous folds and turnings
Vi tnS iloOOuo, a "a
the much-abused primroses, and Phebe
held up the bonnet to Angelina's adj
miring glance.
How do you like it now?" said she.
Angelina clasped her needle-pricked
fingers in admiration.
9Oh. it's lovely" cried she. 'It
isn't like the same hat. How did you
do it, PnebeP'
Il don't know" said Phebe. II al
ways used to trim my own hats, and
my mothers. like to do it."
"You ought to be a milliner," said
Angelina. Only" with sudden re-
collection, cdr. Falkney says you can
not be shut up in store, and mil
liners trade is about as confning as
any there is"
YES" assented Phebe with sigh.
| DR.. Falkney, was a quiet, brief
spoken man of 40. and bachelor at
| that. He had praeticed medicine in
the same neighborhood for ten years,
and never felt that any element was
lacking in his life until now.
| But on this brisk spring morning he
sat thoughtfully in his office, looking
at the great skeleton that hung behind
a curtain in the corner, and tapping
his ruler on the table.
"She has eyes like startled deer. "
he said to himself; s'and such a soft
sweet voicel She don't chatter, like
those cousins of hers. She speaks in
| a allow gentle way, that seems to rest