Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1891-04-02

dressmaker, or busting the bric-a-
bracP Miss St. Aubyn considered that
menial."
oh! do not" said Miss Drake.
'.Bric-a-brac cannot be left to the
servants" 4
The old lady touched the bell. A
servant appeared.
Sara. show Miss Drake the blue
ROOM" she said. '.Oh! my dear. don't
carry your parcel upstairs; it is so
wearying to the wrists carrying some
thing so long. Sara. put Miss brakes
parcel and parasol on tho table. Moth
ing breakable. is itp"
Poor Miss Drake! Positively she was
not in the habit of telling fibs. but one
occurred to her just then.
'''Only q good book or two for some
poor working girls whom I am en-
deavoring to wean from pernicious
novel-reading" she said.
The old lady beamed upon her. and
she followed the servant upstairs to
see her room.
What alovely room it was! What a
charming house! Miss Drake was
not very imaginative. but for once she
gave fancy the rein. and before she
got down to the parlOr again she had
become the confidential companion of
the wealthy widow of the late Dr..
Bolus. and the latter had made will
in her favor.
you like your quartersp" asked
Mrs. Bolus, amiably. as Miss Drake
minced into the room.
They are perfection!" said Miss
Drake.
MY southern companion objected
to the absence of rocking chairs" said
Mrs. Bolus.
II consider rocking most undigni-
fed said Miss Drake.
She was ready to say that she pre-
ferred walking on her hands to any
other means of locomotion, If Mrs.
Bolus suggested the idea.
"And don't think I ever felt so
we'll pleased. said Mrs. Bolus. you
are exactly the person l have always
needed. Now. when NAV 1 expect
you. Miss Drake?"
ANY day you prefer" replied that
lady:
Tomorrow. then" said Mrs. Bolus.
"Good-by. Sara. Miss brakes parcel
ami parasol."
Sara hurried to lift these articles
from the table on which they reposed.
She handed Miss Drake the parusol,
and she rendered the parcel. holding
it by the blue cord which bound it.
The lady's fingers had just touched it.
when Sara released her hold-alas! too
soon. Before Miss Drake could grasp
it it fell TO the carpet with a crash and
tinkle of broken glass.
Sara stopped to pick it up, but the
cord had slipped away; the paper was
unrolled; there was, no longer any
parcel but its contents lay scattered
Oh the floor. and the old lady stood
staring down upon two books with red
covers, across the back of which ''Zola"
was printed in characters of gold. tx
A large package of cigarettes and q
fat bottle, from which tell-tale odor
escaped, and on which. moreover. was
pasted Il printed paper bearing the
word whisky" in letters that all who
ran might read.
For u moment there was silence in
the room. Then the old lady spoke:
Hereafter l shall believe that my
guardian angel is always with me. !
was about to take into my home a
companion who drinks whisky. smokes
cigarettes aud reads lola"
If | may explain. madame" began
Miss Drake.
II decline to listen" said Mrs.
Bolus. These. then, are the good
books you were about to take to your
poor girls? A gratuitous falsehood
that must have been inspired by a
sense OF guilt. What shocking
smell Of liquor! Sara. give Miss Drake
her books and cigarettes"
They are not mine; must ex-
plain" said Miss Drake.
Sara will show you the door," said
Mrs. Bolus. II can remain no longer
in this polluted atmosphere" Then
she left the room, and shortly after
Miss Drake passed out into the street.