The Monmouth inquirer., 1889-04-18


all of these employments proved delusive.
The very society Of which she had been part,
while it 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 'snoble compassion and
kind intuitions of the struggles of toilers'
futtered 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 q
tranquil and satisfactory life may befollowed
almost anywhere where there are no fictitious
wants and no exaggerated ideas of happiness
and unhappinesS Plans for the children be-
came plaia and possible, for she had proved,
szperimentally, that, so far as utility is con-
cerned, poetry gives way to bread
A position at Bartholomew's was gained
without difficulty. 1t was an English house,
filed with personal articles of the most
luxurious and costly kinds, and being con-
Quoted with great iberality, the Bartholo-
NEW stamp had become the seal of fashion.
Hence it was a bit of good fortune at the OUT
set, Laura thought, to be awarded the UNI
brella department
The equinoctial had been severe in the fall
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 Barthoomews from 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,
at last, becoming nervous, she hastily closed
patent fastening, and impaled one of her
fingers upon 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 be pur-
chaser extricated the wire from the lacerated
thumb. When the sufferer recovered sufti-
GENTLY, carriage was called, and the gray
haired porter Of tho establishment escorted
Laura home.
Several days passed by before she returned
to her duties, and meantime Morgan Starr
called daily at Bartholomew's to inquire
after the invalid AS if the attention re-
quired excuse, he never failed, at the perad-
venture of criticism, to remark to MIR. bar
tholomew that ''such o wound in such SEN
sitive place might be a serious matter" At
which at last the merchant smiled and said
within himself that it appeared to be seri-
Gus matter to Mr. Starr, just as 1t was
In due time Laura returned to duty, and
the philanthropic qualification evinced by
Morgan Starr when he found her there one
CHEEKY morning was credit to his kind.
Within day or two he called again to offer
particularly fine lotion, efficacious to de
gree in other cases of thumbs impaled on
wires, and after dreary hiatus Of week,
during which he drew heavily on his Topics
| for Poems, he sauntered in with a plaster ad-
vised by famous Prussian surgeon, and just
here there came an end to his visits, fol-
Laura told the young journalist that he could
not be allowed to make her conspicuous, and
at the chance of seeming ungrateful for his
kindness, she must request him not TO cal
again
us it necessary, {" said the gentleman, s'that
we now go back, and become utter strangers,
because of conventionality, for which ! pre-
sumo you care as little as dot"
ut is not conventionality that IS In ques.
tion," answered Laura; lit is prtpriety 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 tine
music and over and above all am intensely
| interested inn-- An interruption here oc-
Cured, and then another, and finally no oP'
portunity came upfor a renewal of the CON