Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1889-04-18

LAURA OPENED ONE AFTER ANOTHER
all Of these employments proved delusive.
Tho very society Of which she had been part,
whileit admitted her right to work, had no
hesitation in making distinction between
Laura Everdale rich and In the current Of
fashion and Laura Everdale earning living.
Very little Of the mobile compassion and
kind intuitions Of the struggles Of toilers"
huttered through the hearts Of friends in her
old set. Society simply drew its intangible
line, and Laura soon discerned in Its waning
devotion that the best of its service had been
the interest Of self love. To join the great
army Of practical workers now gave her
freedom and relief. She realized that
tranquil and satisfactory life may be followed
almost anywhere where there are no fictitious
wants and no exaggerated ideas of happiness
and unhappinesa Plans for the children be-
came plain and possible, for she had proved,
experimentally, that, so far as utility is con-
cerned, poetry gives way to bread
A position at Bartholomew was gained
without difficulty. It was an English house,
filed with personal articles of the most
luxurious and costly kinds, and being con-
Quoted with great nberality, the Bartholo-
NEW stamp had become the seal Of fashion.
Hence it was bit Of good fortune at the out
set, Laura thought, to be awarded the um-
brella department..
Tho equinoctial had been severe In the full
whereof this chronicle is made, and umbrella
sales had been particularly active On the
morning already mentioned the young at
tache to The Daily Argosy had come hurry
ing into RartholomeYs- from a sudden out
burst Of the clouds, and while properly cour-
teous, appeared little over critical in his
choice Of an umbrella. Laura opened one
after another of the handsome shields, when,
ut last, becoming nervous, she hastily closed
patent fastening, and impaled one of her
fingers upon a wire. With all her self con-
troll and resolution the pain overcame her,
and she tainted. Confusion followed; every
one in the establishment focked around her,
while the proprietor and the would DO pur-
chaser extricated the wire from the lacerated
thumb When tho sufferer recovered suffi-
GENTLY, @ carriage was called, and the gray
haired porter Of the establishment escorted
Laura homo.
Several days passed by before she returned
to her duties, and meantime Morgan Starr
called daily ut Bartholomew to inquire
after tho invalid. As il the attention re-
quired excuse, be never failed, at the perad-
venture Of criticism, to remark to Mr.. Bar
tholomew that 'such q wound In such q sem
sitive place might be q serious matter" At
which at last the merchant smiled and said
within himself that 1t appeared to be seri-
GUS matter to Mr.. Starr, just as it was.
In due time Laura returned to duty, and
the philanthropic qualification evinced by
Morgan Starr when he found her there ono
CHEEKY morning was a credit to his kind.
Within day or two he called again to offer
particularly fine lotion. eflicacious to o de-
grec in other cases of thumbs impaled on
wires and after d:eary hiatus Of a week,
during which he drew heavily on his Topics
for POEMS he sauntered in with plaster adj
vised by famous Prussian surgeon, and just
hero there came an end to his visits, for
Laura told the young journalist that he could
not be allowed to mako her conspicuous, and
at the chance Of seeming ungrateful for his
kindness, she must request him not to call
again.
"Is 1t necessary" said the gentleman, shat
we now go back, and become utter strangers,
because Of conventiona1ity, for which pre-
sumo you care as little as dor"
ut is not conventionality that Is in ques-
tion," answered Laura; ''it is propriety and
the correct demands Of self for self, and not
society at all With the latter have moth
ing to do. My days are passed here, my
nights with my family. | read and study, go
occasionally to see good play or hear fine
music, and over and above all | am intensely
interested IMP An interruption here oc-
Cured, and then another, and finally no OPP
portunity came up for o renewal Of tho con-