The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-10-11

reddish locks, q thin, fracklad face. a
nose painfully inclined to tilt heaven
ward, broad mouth full Of irregular
teeth, aud /. small, pointed chin. She
was dressed in an old ragged straw hat
and q faded pink calico gown, with bit
OF solled blue ribbon tied round the waist
IN what was intended for a coouettish
bow Her fat chest was adorned with
green glass breastpin; her thin scrawny
brown arms protrudad from elbow
sleeves, and her hands were covered
with dirty cotton gloves three sizes too
large and out at the fingers.
What do You wishT' said Agnes, as
she stood there in the glitnmeriug, I'M
certain light eying the stran ge figure on
the doorstep before her.
y want to see Miss Ransom
Il am she .
We'll. | never did The girl drew in
her breath sharply and let her proni-
nent light blue eyes roam all over Miss
hansoms face and figure. as fashiona-
PIE woman eyes q new costume on the
form of a rival.
Come in, said Agnes gently, land
tell me why you wished to speak with
me. .
The girl entered like an automaton, and
Agnes closed the door and lighted lamp
at the chimney. Her visitor sat down on
the nearest chair. tucked her feet as
far under it as she could. protruded
her bony knees and with her mouth
open followed with q kind of feline at
tentiveness every movement the young
lady made Agnes came and sat down
near her. The girl was still painfully
abashed, but she warmed under an en-
couraging smile.
well, now. why did you come here,
and what is your manner"
They call me Phemy Spence, but |
don't know bout It's bein my real name
guess hain't got none. was raised on
the poor farm, and Miss Blodgett took
me to mind baby and do chorin. She
agreed to give me three months schoolin
every year and to keep me clothed up
decent, and hain't been to school day
nor bad q new rag. only her old buds
mae over. and the baby was an awful
hea load, and hurt my back AGAR
ryil him, and she slapped nae If made
complaint, and sometimes she took a
big Stick to ME, and had mostly pork
scraps and mush to eat, so thought I'd
light ont of there.
This narrative was given in a monot-
onous, dull tone, without stopper accent,
the words running together in com
pact mass.
SO you have run away, 2 said Agnes,
eyiug the little bundle which she was
still feverishly clutching in her hand.
Il don't low as I've run away, : said
Phemy, shutting her feet uneasily under
the chair, "for the poormaster when
was leavin, SEE he; sPheme, if you don't
like to live with Miss BIodgett. you
needn't be bound You kin go on pro-
bashum for six months Bat Miss
Blodgett nearly scarf the life out on me
when said the work was too heavy and
the feedin too light, and yesterday she
give me hckin with a stick big's my
thumb, ont in the woodshed. should
just like to show you the welts she
raised on my back. and to Miss Ran
SONS horror the girl unfastened her
gown, pulled down the sleeve, showing
that she was entirely devoid Of under
wear, and revealed three or four great
red ridges furrowing her meager, bony
shoulders.
ssGood heavensw cried Agnes, what
a wicked, cruel woman she must be-
And SO you have run away from her and
come to me for protection
Dunno, said the girl with dropped
jaw and a half stupid look coming into
her eyes. Miss Blodgett said she was
goin to have them papers made out
whe'r no to bind me, SO planned to
light out for the poor farm and show the
poormaster them welts on my back.
slipped off with my bundle when the
folks was at supper, and Use tramped
five miles, runnin part of the way till
stopped to ketch breath. and all things
turned black and swu1n before my
eyes, for seemed to hear Miss Blodgett
right behind me swingin theswitch. But
meant to stop and see you, miss, if it
was the last thing ever did, for Miss
Blodgett had been a-goin on about you
like Sam Hill.
"About meg' exclaimed Agnes in sur
prise. what could Mrs. Blodgett have
to say about me? never even saw her.
''Oh, peck Of things, said the girl,
eagerly. Her second cousin. Lucia
Speer, worked in the kitchen at your
house two or three years ago, and she
told Miss Blodgett how you wore dresses
all sating and silk, and sheeny stuff as
dragged yard on the ground, and was
cut way down here" Phemy went on.
indicating very low water mark on hei
own bony chest, land had strings OF
diamonds as big as pigeons eggs. And
how you ct off gold plates and had gold
kerridges for what know, and houses
full of the most beautiful flowers, and
young men walters, miss. in tail coats as
Just made your eyes water to look at
and there was dancin and music, and the
ladies switchin round their long tails
and, golly, such good things to eat, and
the ladies and gentlelnens she acted out
their bowin and scrapin and their firth
as natural as life"
And what else did Mrs. Blodgett
say?" asked Agnes, her face quite Grim.
son with suppressed laughter.
'Oh. miss" said Phemy, waking up
and growing impressive, 'sshe told packs
- ,,rs kraxu abe did NOW Eve had