Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-05-17
BARBARA'S IDEA.
The Happy Ending of Her Bust
ness Enterprise.

Barbara Bedford stood looking medi-
tatively ut an old rocking-chair that
occupied the center of her dainty
chamber
The usual order of this pretty room
was sadly disarranged. Bits of leath-
Ell. pieces of an old comforter, and
scraps of brown linen were sire wn
recklessly over the floor. That morn
ing Barbara had been recovering this
old family friend, and it was pardona-
BILE pride with which she now sur
veyed her latest triumph in economy
and skill. But her satisfied smile was
replaced by a faint sigh. not called
forth by the piece of embroidered
linen, gracefully tied with bright rib
bon over the restored seat
Many q girl besides Barbara has
had to grapple with the perplexities
that brought the frown to her fair
other members of her family. at the
breakfast table, that the "exchequer
OF the house of Bedford was deplora-
bly, low. Although she made her
statement with smile and st, she
was seriously troubled by the state OF
the household finances.
The Bedford family consisted o.
three others besides Barbara; her
brother Jack. who obtained small
salary as journalist, and Tom and
Jean, two youngsters in school. Their
mother had died three years previous
", and she had been soon followed by
her husband. Having ventured a
small fortune in stock speculations.
and lost it all, it seemed as if Mr..
Bedford died simply because he was
too discouraged to live. Since that
time. the children had managed to
exist on their elder brothers income
but the wants of Tom and Jean in
creased in alarming proportion to
their sz, Barbara felt that she had
exhausted every means of saving
money, and now she was resolved to
try some other expedient.
Il am young and strong" she
unused, land it is not only my right.
but ought to earn some money, rs
well as Jack. But how? There's the
rub"
Mechanically she wandered about
the house. back and forth from room
TO room. as she vaguely soliloquized:
eff 1 only knew enough could teach
school. But what wonder is it that ]
am hopeless Ounce. having given up
nv studies at the callow age of ff-
teen? / could not 60 into store.
Imagine a customer waiting for me to
reckon her changed And the little
maiden laughed aloud at the absurdi-
ty of her thought. Il might have
been an artist, if / could only have
kent on with my lessons" and she
paused at the drawing groom doorway
as she mentally summed up her def
ciencies. In spite of certain degree
of shabbiness. this was a harming
room, and as Barbara's eyes rested on
the artistic draping of curtain In a
particularly cosy corner OF the apart
ment. she said to herself: Il do pos
sess n certain knack of arrangement.
and can make room beautiful it there
is any thing to it. / love to fix orna-
ments, dust books and give things an
air.
$3.50
which caused her eyes to dance, and
the decided little chin to elevate it
self Jack said he always could tell
the state of his sisters mental atmos-
phere by the angle of her chin, and
when that facial appendage was up
in the air." he knew something was
about to happen.
Barbara walked quickly back to her
room. under her new impulse. and
threw down the duster she had been
idly waving to and fro. Then she
took the blue silk handker chief from
off her soft golden curls. unbuttoned
the big white phafore which had
covered her trim little figure. and
seated herself at desk. She began
to write something on sheet of
paper. pausing with her pen in mid
air as the appalling thought of 'wha
Jack would say arose in her mind.
just at this moment, Bridgets head
appeared at the door.