St. Paul daily globe., 1890-12-25

you IiuSt ut u pretty SiHuit XIII. anu
said: well, guess; isn't she my sis
the family. And then he asked if sup
posed you could make shirts; you see |
had told him about Mrs. Anderson and
the buttunhOles aud the stitching and
the school, and he said he WAS very par.
ticular about bnttonboles, and he would
only have hand stitching on the shirts,
and he guessed you was the Girl To
make them. He asked me to see if you
would, and I'm tO tell him. and il you
say you will. he'll come to see You about.
the price. Say. can YOU, can't yOu"
Dot considered. She could sew beau
tifully. Her work had received special
notice at the Winthrop school sewing
exhibition, and Mrs. Anderson herself
SAID she had never seen better button
holes or hand stitching. and had praised
the evennrSS and tinpneSS of her hem
ming. She had made Ted's shirts ever
since she had began To sew at schoul.
but these were To lie ''gr0wn up Shirts"
and what did she know about ''old-
fashioned touches" You must know
Dot well enough by this time 10 he sure
she would not easily be discouraged.
81 can try, anyway" she thought;
''lhere's no harm in that, and | shall
probably have an old shirt for guidep'
"Yes. Ted, III do it," she said, tinn-
Inc TO her impatient brother, and Off he
ran to carry the story of his success TO
his new friend.
Mother had gone into Mrs. Anders0n's
rooms for little change. SO Dot had no
chauce to consult her, aud pretty soon
she heard Ted's step on the stair, with
another heavier one beside it. The
door opened. and her small brother
entered, followed by tall, fine-loOklng
man, with one of the p!easantest SMILES
Dot Thought she had ever seen.
"That's Dot" and 'Fed's voice thrilled
with satisfied pride as he signitieu his
sister with wave of his hand.
''Why, what a little Dot" exclaimed
the stranger, eyeing her eagerly. with
longing look in his pleasant eyes. But,
as the color swept over her face, he eX-
claimed:
Il beg your pardon; but. you see l
didn't expect to find such a little girl;
when Master Ted had told of his sisters
work | expected to see a grown up
young lady."
Dot smiled. "But Pm older than
look. I'm fifteen, and | think | can do
the work. if you are not afraid to trust
me-"
She Ionked up wistfullv a. him, and
he smiled kinaiy back at her.
Certainly, | shall trust you. | will
send you one of my shirts for guide,
with the cloth for them. tomorrow.
And now for the business part. | usu-
allS pay $50 dozen for hand-sewed
shirts. Does that price suit you?'
Dots eyes opened VIDE. Thirty dol
lars! that was a fortune.
''lsnt it too much?" she ventured to
ask. II am only "A little girl, you know,
and PERHAPS / can't do them aS Well as
a grown woman could"
IL never heard that the size of the
worker had anything TO do with the pay
for the work. If it had, I'm afraid my
last set would have cost me a fortune.
The woman that made them weighed
over 200 pounds.
Dot didn't know whether to laugh
over this whimscally or NOT. but there
was such a twinkle in tile mans eye
that she couldn't help it.
Il wish mamma was here to tell me-"
she began.
just then the door opened, and Mrs.
Kent appeared.
"Oh. mamma" but Dot stopped.
There was such queer look in her
mothers face, aS she stared at the
stranger who stood before her with out
stretched hands, saying:
''Dotly. Thy little DOlyp
lied, my led" she cried, and in
moment was in the strangers arms.
while Dot and Teddy stood silent with
aunaZement.
But Dot didn't wonder long, the truth
swept over her like a revelation.
.lt's Uncle Ted" she shouted.
"Uncle Ted that mamma has been
longing for. Oh. this is better than any
Christmas preSentW
1t was Uncle Ted, and he was for
aoP Of l.,s
and more elegant home; but Dot begged
that they might wait and keep Christ
mas in the place where their happiness
had come To them. e.s
Of course Uncle Ted consented. on
the understanding that she should carry
out the shirt contract when they got
settled in their new home. AMI wasn't
Dot happy ''second party" to the con-
tract.
And what Christmas it was. The
''cuDboaId'' was full to overlooking.
There was dinner, and Dot cooked it,
every Urt. And to this dinner was bid
den the g0Od friend. Mrs. Anderson.
and Miss tarnsworth and her sister. and
MIR. aud Mrs. SOule, her customers. sou
know, and the doctor who had been so
good and who had no home, but who
was thinking of making one when Miss
FarnswOrth's sister was ready; and
Miss Arnold. the kind teacher whom
Uncle Ted wished particularly to see.
and liked very particularly after he had
Seen. And how they all got about the
table was a mystery. 1t was regular
Chinese puzzle. Ted called it "Pigs
in Clover puzzle, and then wondered
why everybody laughed and why Dot
shook her head at him.
There was general good time. and it
was only dimmed by the thought that
the cupboard would soon be empty.
Wnen everybody was gone Dot nPs-
led down into her uncle's arms. that
held her as if they would never let
her go.
Ibid you enjoy it?'' he asked.
81 was never so happy in my life. Do
you know l am really sorry to say gOod
by 20 the cup .oard.' only hope it
will be as full of happiness for the next
people as it has been for us.''