New-York tribune., 1889-12-22
H..

.rbe only thing mind is leaving my dear nt.iG d
| hirdie bebhId and on Christmas Eve, toO :, 0io s
Nancys bright voice, fortnight r laees wore TO-
the evening of the ball, ana the sisoi reat fire
| getber i'm Nancy's room, where was gt gIeaU m -
and candles on the dressingtable, ana scenU cr w
sweet. fresh winter flowers, wlth wnlcm ia rents
was adorning herself lt5ir@ wmle had an air OF
ioyful. unaccustomcd confusion we WI h'u we're |
TO take such long drive, and II the IOuo tarted
not wet and heavy we Heeu @ iHs HSsl have to be
so soon" she went ON, Dul we sh"ii VII rcver
or i'm half an hour now, Josey. We'll ne, neNes CO
mind Josey 1t can't be helped can II IstnS
| that can't be cured must be endured, nuS,.l @ ,
they? We must be couple Of SOP
and leone along, philosopher, IA an sna Killing and
all glowing, and mischevouS rits ni,f Sp suddenly
caurbt ND her small companion In her ar,ils, 1hc
and whirled her round ana IOniiH hrantb with
little apartment till both were OUT OF oIe. 'ro than
| laughing Surely il was something no!c u .It
merely going out to neghboring 1es1lai$ y ',, her
was making the heart of the one dance III n'-
bosom. .-t. vorcv,s said
! Josenbine with a child's half reproachfm wonueI wiW
| - snnb frivolitv " had no idea you would Ike
| it so much And am rather sorry necauSe--
Is @RecaTse SUP' WHY, thou naughty oneP Because
thy poor fond sister thine own Nancy VINO ra metel
grudged thee treat. is going 10 nave 4" "o
oh. such a treat herself to-IlghtTIn T~o,.s
"TXccrVbody w is going to be so good to you dar-
ling" pursued Nancy more seriously. Aon ,r', are
| roinp TO have such a good supper; you don know
What. but il is all ordered and it is something you
like very much indeed. 1t was ordered on puI, pI
pose and Bell has promised to give IL you III tne
nice, bright kitchen-all hung win hon' OILY o, Sou
| Games with YOU afterward. And ! have allowed
Bell to invite her little niece
Sarah Jane?
"Yes, Sarah Jane so you can have Blndmah,
| or ANYTHING Won like. afterWard
That VIII be nice oh, thank you, Nancy; On
shall be all right, you know. Nancy ana IL u was
not that | meant at all IL was only uhdt ndu soo
Nancy's heart owned an expectant futter. She
had for a moment now and again wondered i u
were possible that a certain suggestion whicn iiad
| crossed her own mind could by any posslplliiy
have found its way TO Josephines. Most carefully
had she abstained from saying word that migh'
! have led up to it-but still
Josephine stood still pondering. Something was
| on her mind Not to hurry her, the other turned
again TO the glass-perhaps IL dld not require any
very great effort TO do that.
:" Is not my hair simply lovely. Josey? cannot
imagine how | ever did ii 50 beautifully IL Is
done better than if there had been hundred
thousand hair-dressers all at it at once. And II
. did not take me half so long as usual, either
| iAh. simple Nancy! She did not know that any
hair dressed in any fashion, must have suited
, the brilliant lustre of the eyes beneath. the
damask on the cheek, that wonderful evening"
= No, never saw you look more beautiful"
pronounced an audible voice by her , side. Won
|
don't tell me am beautiful" cried Nancy, with a
, glad laugh Now, no more wasting. tetCh
| me the silk stockings off the bed yOnder. and the
slippers-oh, dear me- with great effort at un-
consciousness, and again that Hutter Of hope
within, " am afraid forgot the slippers. JOsey.
They are in poor mamma's bedroom in the large
wardrobe drawer. Get of the maids TO take
: q candle"
Solemnly from underneath her little apron
! Josephine drew forth a brown paper parcel
, | " 1t is-it is" thought Nancy. Oh!'.
L just little tiny wee bit sorry to give
them tonight, do you see, said Josephine, shyly
advancing, because do like giving the Christ
mas presents Oh Christmas own day-but it doesn I
really matter, does ii, Nancy? And SO please
open them"
oh, you darling' and Nancy caught the little
, giver TO her heart. - guess ! guess | cannot
help guessing, you know, Josey and you are the
very dearest little thing" She stopped as if
struck by bomb-shell. and the parcel almost
dropped from her hands
Look at them" cried Josey, her anxious part
! of the business over. Here they are" And she
proudly surveyed-but how shall describe what ?
There they were indeed the well-known,
quantity cut, family discOOred pair of many many
years old, but now-hOrror Of horrors. distorted
disfigured and rendered hideOus beyond the dreams
OF nightmare, by an enormous wOrsted floral
decoration worked into the satin above the
toe Of each, in the places where rosettes should
have been. The rosetteS had disappeared. The
, gaudily tinted worsted work covered nearly the
whole front of either slipper.
5 For few seconds poor Nancy stood absolutely
frozen TO the spot wheTeon she stood. She hardly
|
it. how she had been preserved from giving vent
to the rush OF anguish and despair which filled
her soul at sight OF the frightful apparitions.
RecOect that others she had none nor had she the
means OF obtaining any. And here were the ancient
, pair, the pair which at best of times left much
TO be desired, and which she had hoped. had
: almost allowed herself TO hope. were at last tc
be left behind, here they were once more. and il
. what statel
, gigantic thistle, purple and green, surmounte(
, the broad toe of the one; a syelled. unwield,
rose spread itself leisurely over the other: Will,
trails Of green in different shades fondly designed
: for shamrocIs, wandered around the sides anC
met at the back of either heel
Bell, the cook, had presided over the work o
T art land had, indeed, unknown TO Josey. addeC
p considerably TO its goraeousnessl, and her anC
r the, housemaids admiration had confirmed tn,
little girl in her confidence Of having done th,
= right thing. The woods had been supplied by ;
4 collection in an old beehive basket the common
n property Of the sisters.
;, This: then, had been Joesephines solution o
:, | her difficulty.
). Thank you so very much. darling" said Nancy
), In rather strange voice "Come and Hiss mo
q Ana Joseys idea that her sisters feeling
hoA 1lv IN