Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-24
THE LADYS MAIDS STORY

her tongue she can't md good places.
Dear me, I'm no talker. I'm as mum as
mouse. Bushels of pearl powder and
quarts Of rouge have applied with my
own hands, and never so much as limited
at. As for cotton, bless your heart I've
never breathed about 1t, and l did live
with lady once that took arsenic regu-
larly for her complexion. That's no
secret, for she took too much one day, by
accident, and died.
"There was an inquest and it all came
out. It's well it did, for suspicion pointed
to 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
to see her act And when she was naughty
and curled her nose like, miss, and looked
at other folks over her shoulder, and
talked away down in her throat Ike
pigeon gurgling, she was splendid, miss.
1t made me think how nice it would be to
be queen and to take airs over every
body.
"Well, Miss Grigg was engaged to be
with her when she was playing Hamlet's
ma. Perhaps you have seen the play,
miss' The young man objects to his ma
getting married the second time, so l
seemed to make out, and acted most i'm
pertinent, giving sass to his ma and his
step-pa, and carrying on awful. And
there was poor young lady quite out of
her mind that afterward got drowned.
oil ba nlo III Lott
and Mr.. Birch fell in love with her and
sent her letter, and called and made an
offer, all in no time. She accepted him,
of course, and the preparations for the
wedding began. / don't think any lady
ever had so many dresses before. Silks
and satins, and velvets and laces. Dear,
dear; Nine IS whole establishment
was hard at work for month, and if I'd
had twenty fingers, instead of only ten,
I'd have had use for them all.
''At last everything was finished. The
trunks were packed, fifteen Of 'em, miss,
and fourteen were to go on that afternoon.
and one-the one with the wedding and
travelling dresses-was, Of course, to be
left and go with the bride when she started
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 3 o'clock train. OF
course saw to the trunks, and / was very
careful; but just when l was needed most,
just as the trunks were going down stairs,
Miss Grigg called me.
Miss Grigg was lady who didn't like
to wait. I went to her at once, miss, as
was my duty, and said to Bridget Dus-
ter, the chambermaid:
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 l had been to
the lands end for two yards of blue rib
bon of exactly such shade as she wanted,
and got back, / found that she had 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 but to
tell Miss Grigg. She flew at me, miss.
don't blame her for being angry. would
forgive her in such a case. She flew at
me violent, miss; and then, miss, she had
spaSms. She beat the sofa, she tore her
hair, she screeched, and me all the while
saying:
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-I doS'
"I don't know, MISS said /. unless
you put of the wedding until you tele-
graph for the trunk
"'No,' said she, that unlucky; be-
sides, one never knows. None amt to be
depended on
You might borrow a Dress said l.
AS if I'd be married in 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
q while. Then she said:
My embroidered dressing gown. The
white one That's here?'
q in the bureau, miss said I.
very well, said she. III be mar
ried in that. Telegraph for the trunk,
Flora
I" The white dressing gown, missr said
], nearly aStonished out OF my senses.
" Yes, said she, the white dressing
gown, goose, you don't think I'm going to
be married in church in that l won't
put off the wedding. and ! won't stand
up before q crowd in anything but my
white satin dress But III 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. He was
puzzled, could see that. He couldn't
tell what was the matter, and Miss Grigg
was too faint to speak. He 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 TO the hotel in /
terrible fright, as pale as sheet, to ask ,
how she was. l took him down 'uer |
love, and she WAS very i'll
''Then Miss Grigg said TO the ladies who .
had come in: Leave me with my faithful |
Flora, and we were left alone I can't |
say that ] was surprised when she sat up
in bed and said hriskly;
"'Lock the door, Flora. I'm sick of |
lying on my back. I've taken them in, /
haven't l? You see what ! am about
now?'
Exactly, miss said I; TO be too III .
to be married when the time comes
"'No.' said she: TO be Ill enough TO be /
married in the white dressing gown. I'm
going TO be married on my dying bed,
Flora
Il gave screech and she laughed. and |
then she made u supper of sardines and !
biscuits and wine, and she threw the med
iclne ont of the window. Early next day /
the doctor came. l answered his question
as to what sort OF night his patient had
passed by saying she had been much the
Same. And then took little note she
had written to Mr.. Birch.
ssI knew what Was in il Sho told bfr1
that rather than leave the world without
keeping her VOW to him she would DO
married on her dying bed powdered
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