The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-18

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| hand, said: This one bolt has sort of a
| wedding look about it, has it not. Mae?'
| and his eyes grew soft and tender as he
| watched the pink creep up in her cheek.
But, ah me, there came day when
beautiful girl with wavy golden hair,
beautiful eyes and teeeh and rich apparel
came to him for ribbons. She was hard to
| please, and there was a lengthy discussion
| on tints and textures, and finally she went
away with her purchase. But the next
day came bringing her with 1t, and the
| next, and next and next. till Macs sweet
| to. fill with trouble. And then there
was soft remonstrance, a careless reply,
| then tears and silence. The next day, to
| the surprise of ali of Us, clerks, ribbons
| and all, message came that Miss Olury
wanted our Mr. Harvey to bring some
| samples of cherry satin ribbon to the
| carriage as she was too fatigued to come
| in. Mae watched him with sad eyes select
| the different shades of ribbon and make
| his way to the front entrance.
THAT was nothing to what it got to be, !"
| the pasteboard went on in reply to my
| day the little lady would trip in or send
| for him, and such world of pretty
| laughter and empty compliments
as passed back and forth over
that showcase. Finally Mr.. Harvey was
missed from the store and Mae silently
OlQ the WOTk lot TWO, as IL was now the
dull season and no effort was made for
more help. 1t was only week or two
after this when a little, blaek-eyed dress
maker made her way up to Mae.
81 want seven yards of some pretty
white ribbon
"'What NUMBER asked Mae
"'Oh, about No Z, / think
"Mae took down several bolts and spread
them out for her investigation.
No. don't like any of these, the lit
tie dressmaker demurred.
Have you nothing prettier-something
IN novelty? You see its for wedding
dress and | want something real tasty
For wedding Dress echoed Mae,
meditatlvely as she turned her back on
the dressmaker, who thought she was
looking over the stock of white goods on
the shelf, when in reality her eyes were
resting on me.
"'Yes, for wedding dress for Miss
Olury, the rich Miss 0lury, you know.
Probably you have heard of it, for it's town
talk. They say she is making fool of
herself, just literally throwing herself and
her thousands of dollars away on a poor
clerk-a Mr.. Harvey. l think that is his
name
81 saw Mae start, and look of pain came
into her eyes. The she reached deliberately
up and took me down. 1t made me
mad What was she going to do? Did
she have no respect for my feelings? Did
she think | had none for hers that she
imagined l would go meekly to deck this
hated rivals wedding dress? Far from it.
/ struggled, dropped from her grasp. l
wriggled about and did all could to elude
her, but all to no avail. She caught me
and looked at my dust-begrimed sides,
and then deliberately unrolled me to my
entire length, and beginning at the other
end measured off the seven yards, and how
she did it l don't know, but she managed
to press kiss upon my folds as she wound
me up, and l heard her say: God bless
the union."'
"Well, | see nothing to cry at in all
this" / remarked, as the ribbon or the
pasteboard around which the ribbon had
been wrapped, paused. Rather than cry,
should think you would be well pleased
to think she had escaped the keeping of so
unprincipled a wretch"
That's so, for that part of it," the form
remarked. "but my tears are for what fol-
lowed. 1t was not but day or two after
what 1 last told you had happened, before
Mae was missing in her old place. heard
one of the girls ask the others what the
trouble was.
"'Sick, guess she replied in a careless
sort of tone.
"That was quite few weeks ago, and
yesterday little, wan, sad-eyed girl came
in, and coming up to the counter said to
the girl who had Macs place:
Some ribbon please
"'What kindp
"'White, and something pretty
"Bolt after bolt was taken down, but all
were too expensive, and those that were
cheap the child did not like.
Have you more that are pretty-that
don't cost so much?' this child inquired.
1.-The girl took second look at me, and
finally took me down and called to the
foreman.
50 Can't We let this go at bargain, Mr..
d. she asked, pulling the ribbon off.
You see it is somewhat soiled at this
end. 1t got damaged in some way
'The foreman looked me over.
How much did you want, little girl2'
he asked, turning to the child.
AS much as 1 can get for 80 cents, she
replied.
He measured me off. There was almost
three yards left.
"Let her have it, he said, and turned
away.
You see,' the child explained as the
girl was doing the ribbon up, she was
awful good to us young ones in the block,
and we feel sorry cause she died. So we
all give what we could. We amt none of
US rich in tenement houses, you know,
and this 80 cents is all We could raise
"'Who is it that's dead 2" the girl asked,
| as she wrapped the paper about the ribbon
and took the 30 cents.
"'Why, Mae the child replied. And
| We thought she would be glad if we gave
| her some white ribbon to tie in bow for
| her neck and with that she left the store
Say, girls, that young one said Mae is
dead, the clerk remarked TO her compan-
| ions. They gathered in group to talk it
| over, and one brushed me off on the floor
| with the rest of the rubbish, and I have
lain for hours with my lips pressed agains t
| the spot where her dear feet used TO stand A"
l may be foolish but l just put that bit
| OF pasteboard into my pocket and carried
| il home, and on my way bought paper,
and sure enough when looked it through,
side by side, | found the marriage notice
| of Clarence Harvey and the burial notice
! of Mae. None but the ribbon and knew
that there was any connection between the
| two. WINNIE G. ANDREWS.