Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-11-20
APooRoIRL.

"Only think FIeda," cried q lad
bounding into the dingy room where I
pale-faced girl was working, ''your cur
tain Is sold for $50, and With 25 PEI
cent deducted you will have Just S37. >
Fleda's face was frightened at hel
brothers. enthusiasm.
81 am 30 glad" she exclaimed. "Bui
but / hoped II would bring q little
more. The material cost S32 and ]
worked whole week on IL until /:
O'Clock at night"
"Oh, but you haven't heard all, said
Karl. "You are to do q pair Of alcove
draperies to match, and they are t0 be
finished within ten days, and old Nor.
timer will pay you S75 for them IL they
suit exactly. He says you are to find
the material. as you did before as they
must be q perfect match"
Fleda sat silently calculating matters
and things in her mind.
"I'm afraid / shall not make much
profit. out of It," she said. 'But oi
course, will accept the commissions; ID
may lead to better things"
And 30 she set herself diligently Ia
work, scarcely pausing long enough To
eat or sleep, so anxious was she to COM
plete the order and receive the desired
compensation.
"FOr," she reasoned within herself,
1--WE owe the doctor so much already
that am ashamed to look him in the
face; and he Is so kind, so faithful In
his visits. III could pay him even SIS
1t would be load OFF my mind"
The upshot of the business was that
poor Elfeda finished the draperies, but
fell i'll with nervous exhaustion the
very next day. The doctor, q tall,
handsome young man, with dark Span
ish eyes and profile like q cameo,
shook his head and said:
"You have overdone yourself, Miss
Elwyn."
And then Elfeda made her confess
ion and told him Of the herculean task
she had just completed.
~ am to receive SIS for this" said
she. ITO be sure, I owe $40 for the
material, but there will be $35 left; and
we owe money to our landlord, and
there Is last months bill at the grocery
yet unpaid, and poor mamma needs q
little wine, and"
~ see,r said the doctor, shrewdly.
"But l am afraid, Miss Elwyn, It will
be dear $35 for you"
AS he sat at the table writing a pre-
scription, the door opened and Miss
Pennie Stockton came in.
Pennie Stockton was a bright little
damsel of twenty or so-one of the shop
girls at Messers. Mortimer & Co. sand
she was full of news.
ibid you hear, Fleda, she cried, not
at first noticing the presence of the
dark-eyed stranger in the corner,
your lovely embroidery has been sold
for $500? And your fortune is made!"
"All that / received was $75," said
Elf1eda,, her cheeks flushing.
"Then," cried Pennie, "old miser
Mortimer has been at his old trick
again! l heard the whole bargain my
self. It was Mrs. st. Dominel who
bought the curtains-Mrs. Dominel of
Fifth avenue and"
The doctor looked up quickly, as Ell
fieda made her friend sign to stop.
ut is my mother" he said quietly.
II am DR.. st Dominel! So she has pur-
chased the portiers, has she? Well of
one thing l am very certain, she has
been no party to this miserable double
dealing!''
mo sir, certainly not, said Pennfe,
herself blushing very becoming pink.
II heard the whole bargain. She sup
posed that Mr.. Morton had cabIed to
Paris for them. And he allowed her to
believe so."
"The man must be Thoroughbred
villan,n said Dr. st. Dominel, empress
ing his lips. "My mother shall be in
formed of his base BEHAVIOR
But all that did but little immediate
good to poor Elfeda Elwyn who fell in
to low fever and lay at deaths door for
weeks; and when she recovered DR.. St.
Dominel took her hand in his.
"Elfeda," he said, "if you had died
all life's sunlight would have died also
for me. never knew until you SEEM
ed to be drifting out into the other world
how very, very dear you were to me-"
Mrs st. Dominel came too.
my DEAR" she said, tenderly taking
the sick girls transparent hand in hers.
II am shocked to think how near my
draperies came to bringing your death.
But shall love them more dearly than
ever now. And you must make haste
and get we'll enough to be married
very soon indeed.n
So Elfeda Elwyn became engaged,
almost without any act or volition of
her own. And little Karl and the sick
were luxuriously provided for
now and life was all sunshine. Except
to Mr.. Mortimer who lost Mrs. st. DOM
inePs custom for good and for all.
"Things happened very awkwardIy
that time," said Mr.. Mortimer, gnaw-
ing his lip. II must be more cautious
in the future"
But the young wife never could look
at the red satin portieres, so richly
wrought with reeds and wild marsh
without shudder, when
she came to live In the big house on
Fifth avenue.
"They were so near costing me my
life," said she.