The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-04-30

pany indeed. Sixty dollars month, and
your salary raised, if you do we'll. And
when heard that there was vacancy,
thought of you the very first thing. |
knew you had Il nice cmczzo-soprano voice.
but, as said before, that don't matter
so much, as long as you arc so pretty. A
brunette, too-wc have an ovcrplus OF
blondes already. And knew, also, that
you were only getting fourteen dollars
here, with an old martinez for a com
manding officer. Come, am l not good
friend to you2'
Still Barbara looked with questioning
eyes at the handsome, voluble girl. Could
it be possible that this sclf-possessed,
beautifully dressed woman was Clara Bel
den, her classmatc at school, and only
month older than herself?
Sixty dollars! Yes, it was kind of
Clara-it would indeed be an outlet of
escape from this wretched, grinding bond
age of her daily life. Sixty dollars, with
suppcrs, bouquets, admiration unlimited.
Barbara drew her breath with gasp. 1t
seemed almost too much to realize.
Just then Mary, the housemaid, tip
toed into the room, with her finger on
her lips.
Miss Blake" said she, with side
.ong glance of admiration at the snowy
visitor in her silks, bangles and Breath of
Roses" ''thc ould lady is afther wakin'
up as cross as two sticks. An she says
you've forgot her morning tonic, and
Bijous collar is too tight. and-this way,
miss, Place" as Clara rose precipitately.
"It's as much as HE place is worth for
Mrs. Dickinson to know that Miss Blake
had company unbeknown to her! Run,
pl'aZe, Miss Biakc.-I can hear her scold-
ing now"
"Never mind, DEAR cncouragingly
whispered Clara, as she rustled by, lcav-
ing an odor of fraugipanni in her wake;
"the odious shackles will soou drop off.
Send me line at once. Mr.. Dowdin
can't wait!
Mrs. Dickinson had never been so
irritable, so hard to please, as she was
to-day. Or, at least, so it seemed to
Barbara
But there vss al exuli&Gt thrill N the
girls heart.
"It need not be for long" she told
herself. II will write Immediately and
accept Clara's kind offer"
But nevertheless certain regretful
feeling kept pulling at her heart-strings.
She remembered how her gentle, soft
voiced mother, in her lifetime, had al
ways distrustcd Clara Belden's assured
manners and dashing ways. She recalled
to herself that mothers efforts to keep
her in the modest retirement of the home
circle, her constant precepts against
brushing off the soft bloom of true wo-
manhood, and conscience told her to re-
ject the tempting offer.
"But I am so young!" she pleaded
with herself. "And I have seen so little
of pleasure and variety. I am such a
drudge! No one cares for me here; and
perhaps, if I went to the Cecilian, 1
might attract some true heart. Even if
Eugene Dickinson were to see me dressed
as Clara dresses But no! Eugene
never would go to place like the Cecil
ian! Of course it must be respectable,
or Clara would not belong to it. But
oh, no! Eugene would never go there!"
In an instant she comprehended. She
would be lowering herself in her own es-
timation by accepting the tempting
bribe. She would be cutting loose from
all the traditions of her youth. And
yet
She sprang suddenly up, and threw
back the masses of soft, chestnut-brown
hair from her forehead, with both hands.
mol" she uttered aloud-''never!"
Almost at the same moment she heard
Eugene Dickinson's voice in the next
room, talking to his aunt.
eyes," said he, quietly, II think you
are right. think she deserves it at
your hands"
"She has worked very hard" said the
old lady. "She is very patient and
swcet-tempered. I've seen tears come
into her eyes, once in 4 while, but can't
call to mind that she has ever lost her
temper, or spoken word of complaint"
"The patient Griselda?' said Eugene,
softly.
eyes, exactly that. The patient
Griselda. So I've made up my mind to
adopt her as my daughter, and
get some one else to do the work. Well
travel and go everywhere. want her to
see the world. 1 somehow feel con.
science e-stricecd that a young thing like
Barbara should have grown up so much
in the shade"
II don't think, though, slowly added
Eugcne's gentle, lcisurely voice, "that
your plan is quite feasible" "
"Not feasible Why not7"
"Perhaps because it conflicts with
plan of my own"
ga plan of your own? My dear boy,
do cxplain!"
"The fact is, Amt Adriana," said Eu
gene, ~ have lost my heart to this
swcet-voiced, sweet-natured companion
OF yours. want to ask her to be my
wife"
Mrs. Dickinson was silent moment;
then she spoke again, in an altered ac-
cent.
81 wonder this never occurred to ME
before?" said she.
"It was not so very unlikely, was it,"
'Not in the least. But, Eugcne--"
"Yes, Aunt Adriana."
"Why need my plan conflict with
yours?"
II don't think I quite understand
!