Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-10-10
ONLY A FACTORY GIRL

noise made by the opening OF the great
door of the 'weave-room. aud saw tho
ovcrseer, Mr. Hart, bringing in party
of ladies and gentlemen. three of each
sex, wcll-dressed, bejewelled. and per-
fpmed, as fashionable people are liable
60 be.
Hortense smiled little bitterly. for
she had not been in the mill long
enough to get TO take these things
easily, and she could not help feeling
always when there were visitors. that
not only the mill, but every one in it
was on exhibition.
The Carter Mills were new. and con-
tanned some recently introduced inn
provements in the way of machinery
which were considered very curious;
as great many people came there,
ostensibly TO look ut the machinery.
OF course the ladies did come for that
purpose-they have a special talent for
such things. but the gentlemen came
TO look ut the pretty factory girls. and
Hortense knew it, and chafed under
the knowledge.
Hortense had been brought up
rich mans daughter, and educated for
another sphere than the Carter Mills;
but her father had failed, her mother
had died, she had neither brother nor
sister to help her, and for two wears
she had managed to support herself
and her father by cooring photographs.
AT the end of that time business failed
her, and her father grew feeb er
every day. He must have the COM
forts of life or he would fall into de-
cline, said the physician. and his
opinion induced Hortense to enter the
mill.
Three months after she did so. her
only relative died, and she was left
all alone in the world. She thought
she might as we'll work in the mills rs
anywhere. The pay was liberal, and
the work no harder than any other
work. So she remained.
She had little sitting-room and a
bedroom in the house of Mrs. Curtis,
and the girls were in the habit of call
ing her ''that stuck-up Miss May"
in consequence of her holding herself
aloof from all their merry markings.
She had the loveliest dark eyes and
hair you ever saw, and her complexion
was the envy OF every girl in the mill.
Mr.. Hart moved slowly on before his
company of viSitors-explaining and
pointing out the working of the diff
ferent parts of the machinery, and the
gentlemen were pretending TO listen
attentIvcly, while they ran their eyes
over the great room in search of pref
ty faces. and the ladies exclaimed that
it was wonderful! and they did not see
how any one ever knew enough to in
vent such remarkable affair as a
loom it really must have been the
work OF as great genius us ever the
world produced!
And Mr.. Hart smiled, and bowed,
and felt as flattered us men always do
when the peculiar genius of man is
complimented.
They paused before the loom where
Hortense was at work. Mr.. Hart
spoke to the girl. and she looked up.
In doing so she recognized two of the
visitors. The one. tall. handsome.
aud to a certain degree, rather naughty
looking, was Granger Sterne. the
wealthiest man in the village; the pro-
prietor of the great house on Catalina
Hill, which was the admiration of the
whole vicinity.
The other was Miss Eugene Dom
caster-a fair. pure-faced, unimpres-
sionable-looking blonde - to whom
Mrs. Grundy had given Mr.. Sterne
long ago.
Miss Doncaster's cold blue eyes ran
indiherently over the loom and the
fair weaver. and then she moved lit
tie away to look out of the window
near.
Mr.. Sterne drew a little closer TO
Hortense, talking idly with Mr.. Hart
at the same time, and carelessly
enough he leaned his arm on q por-
ton of the machinery. Quick us light
ming a swift revolving band caught
the sleeve of his loose buster. and in u
second his arm was likely to be crushed
and mangled and half torn from his
body.
MIR. Hart lcapcd forward, but could
do nothing. and the next revolution of
the drum over which the belt passed
would have crippled Granger Stcrne
for life, had not Hortense, with admir-
able presence of mind, sprang to the
rescue, and with one dexterous blow
of the sharp cloth-knife. which lay al
ways on her loom, severed the belt in
two.
Released from danger Mr.. Sternc
turned to thank the girl, but she met
his warm expressions of gratitude cold
ly, and he said very little on the SUBJ
ject. But his eyes expressed II great
deal. Even naughty. self-possessed
Miss Doncaster noticed the admiration
with which he regarded the factory
girl, and was reused to something like
jealousy by 1t.
She was delighted by the courage
of that young person." she said. real
~ she must do something for this girl
She wondered il she could not do plain
sewing, or get up muslin-or some
thing of that kindp She looked like
one of that sort OF people"
Sterne frowned on the fair speaker.
aud Hortense's face grew scarlet rs she
listened, but she gave no other evidence
of having heard the supercilous speech.
Then the party went away-Mr.
Sterne TO the doctor to have his slight
wound dressed, and Miss Doncaster to
her stately home to wonder whenever
Granger Sterne would come to the
point. She had been angling for him
for over year, and If he was going to
bite. why didn't hep Not that Miss