Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-07-20

am; can alter 1t for you in one moment" The girls tone was fully as naughty and cold as madam's own, and there was not a symptom of cringing Tn the proud face of ''that shop-girl." as Mrs. Monteith mentally designated her. She was used to servility and fawning, and of being fiattered and told how exceedingly well every thing became her, and, conse- quently, was not pleased with this quiet at tendance.
 "Dear me, what an awkward bow you have tied!" and Mrs. Monteith petulaDtly twitched the strings of the bonnet spite fully, as she took it off for the alteration : Isabel Grant looked at her half detantly, then took the bonnet in her hand, with strong effort at repression, and biting her lip until it bled to keep back the words which longed to break out in a torrent and overwhelm this aristocratic lady in her vio- lence.
 She had been in q stormy humor all day, and from the first customer in the morning, the fat woman who tried on every hat on the rack, and departed with the purchase of a hat-pin, to this naughty Mrs. Monteith at three in tho afternoon, she had been rasped and tortured, until every nerve was in a quiver.
 "Rless us, Isabel Grant, you look like a thunder cloud!" said lively Jennie Dewey, as Isabel came back to the work room for needle.
 "Get up your lightning rods, then, if you are afraid of a storm," replied Isabel, briefly. She was in no humor for joking, even with Jennie.
 "rm sure don't see any need of using Mme. Arnot's needle" sad another; ''you have pins and needles enough in your ex- pression to supply the whole shop"
 "For shame, girls; you can't help seeing that Isabel is tired and worn out with wait ing on those trying customers"
 The voice was a soft, gentle one, and at it's sound the lively girls ceased their tan talking laughter and looked gently at the speaker; it was sweet LotMe Ford, the lame girl, whose tender sympathies for others was born of intense suffering, and Isabel, having secured her needle, stopped and kissed the white, blue-veined forehead of the girl as she turned to leave the room "You have always soothing word, you lit tie white dove," she said, In half whisper, and gentle expression came over her face as she made her way back to Mrs. Monteith.
 It was a very fashionable establishment, Mne Arnots, and it's plate-glass show windows were marvels of tasteful beauty, hung with airy laces and bright designs in ribbons the showroom itself had little to indicate the character of the establishment except one large rack in the center of the room, hung with trimmed hats, and the row on row of band boxes on the handsome shelves where the choicest specimens of pattern hats and Parisian styles were kept. Elegant mirrors hung on all sides; easy chairs and little sofas were scattered about for the convenience of the fashionable ladies, whose labors in shopping were sup posed to be so exhaustive, but woe to the unlucky shop girl who should dare sit down ou these inviting rests, for Mime. Arnot ct~.<t ofoIir pyrin iv,6, i,a no inconvenjent sympathy for her work people. A mere shop girl was not sup posed to be tired, and if she was there were plenty of good, hard chairs in the work room, provided she found any time to use one
 Mme. Arnot had no idea of being a harsh mistress; in fact she prided herself
 exceedingly on her Christian virtues, and
 considered herself particularly amiable person; indeed among certain class of her l customers she was spoken of as that
 "sweet person." Mme. Arnot, but the title uevcr extended to the work room. She was small woman, with blue eyes l which were capable of a variety of expres- l sions; to the rich Mrs. Monteith they
 beamed with good nature and pleasant emo tions; to Isabel Grant, the poor shop-girl, a
 paid person, they could flash with 0 tyran-
 nical gleam that transformed the plump, pretty lace completely.
 Mme. Arnot had been once poor herself,
 bitterly poor, and had risen by various
 stages to the position she now occupied. and
 commend me to that person who, with . mean, selfish heart to begin with rises from
 poverty to affluence for an example of the
 snob perfect; one who will grind her poor
 dependents down to the very smallest pow.
 der and make them feel her power to the
 uttermost.
 To say that Isabel Grant felt this amiable quality in Mme. Arnot's makeup is fee
 ble term; it stung her, degraded her, filled her very soul with bitterness from day te day, but as yet she had seen no escape from , 1t, for she had her bread to earn. ,I The season was almost over, and only this morning Isabel had received a letter from I her aunt, with whom she had always lived l and 1t was filled with bitter complaints ol poverty, of the husbands drunkenness, anG sad bewailings of her hard lot, which sen the girls heart, throbbing with pain, down
 down like lead, and made her feel as if sht had no right in that already over-crowdet home.
 She was no tender-eyed heroine who coult , go into that disordered household and, witt gentle words and saintly influences, lur' coarse John Harmon from his cups and b,
 6 tower of strength to the long-sufferinl ) wife. No, indeed! she felt only too clearl, , that, harassed, goaded and over-worked a. 3 she had been, she would only prove anothe ] element of discord there, and she longed r with fierce intensity, for some refuge whic
 would take her from it. "Miss Grant, if you can not look nor
 pleasant you had better retire to the wor room and let Miss Dewey take your place, said Mime. Arnot, coldly, as Mrs. Mor telth swept out to her carriage, followed b \ l Isabel's flashing eyes. ttYour expressio is enough to drive customers away, instea T of attracting them.''
 They were alone for moment, and Mime ] Arnot took the opportunity to speak he Y reproof, but another party coming in sh
 was all smiles in moment.
 There were several in the party, and d.
 manding immediate attention, else Isab'
 ICONCORD BUGGIES, Fl CARRIAGES and