The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-03-02
A BRAVE STORE GIRL.
BY ROGER TAUNTON.

''Ah? Nelly, you are beauty; real Bos-
ton girl"
rs that so? Keep your compliments to
yourself You are fishing for a quarter on
payday"
No, indeed. Nellie. You're nice, pretty
wench."
Nellie H was sweet II. She was ac-
customed to such chu1f from the fellows at
the counter, and il was amusing to see her
assuming anger when they persisted in
their games. Undoubtedly she was good
looking, inclined 10 Stoutness, but her face
lacked intelligence. What else could be eX-
pected? Taken from school early with
much less education than the average Amer
lean girl. her mental food now consisted
chiefly of sentimental novelties, books in
mich passion, misnamed love, was cOntn-
ually exalted on high, ana the grotesque
men and women in them eterna4ly trUthlng
at the mouth about 1t.
Her ideal was TO get married Poor child!
She tried to do her best according to her
light and My blame her? at any rate she
Lad the great possibilities Of woman, and
if she got 10 chance OF developing them it
was not her fault.
An event happened. Nelly got a Eel
low" All! il WAS good and charming.
well. Nelly, you are all right now"
Clerk Thompson used to chime suddenly In
her ear.
"What are you talking about" she asked
with blush, and 50 the banter went OIL.
Some time after Improvements were being
made OIL her side Of the store and lust in
front If her counter there hung large brass
. chandelier. 1t was very heavy, seldom used
and it dated from the period before the
electric light was introduced. Ornamental
pieces of brass hung down from the differ
ent lets. As il was nearing the nalf-year
stock-taking, maj k-dOwn sales were going
on throughout the store and the traffic was
always excessive on Mondays when bar
gains had been advertised the Sunday pre-
YlOuS.
The alterations were being pushed on
hurriedly. Toward midday IN the second
Monday of January the chandelier was to
be litteG down On 10 the scafoldlng, prrpar-
atory to its removal altogether. -Four strong
men were appointed to tits work, and while
the tall joiner pried away at the plaster and
metal hXlngs, one man stood al each corner
ul the iIame ready to hold 1t when 1t came
away.
Unfortunately they had totally misiudged
its weight. Also they could stand only in IL
cTamped, STOPPING posture, owing to the
uearne,s of the woodwork 10 the roof, thus
preventing them from eXerting their full
strength
With one good heave the carpenter
loosened the last fastening, and the great
chandelier fell in the hands Of the men.
Here. Jones, Iblp us. it's too heavy"
shouted one. Its slipping from u.s."
But it was too late. Nelly had been
watching Their dongS alnft all along, ana
saw the chandelier beginning to Slip. She
cried: Take care, there" and beckoned
to the customers to keep back, pointing up
at the same time IL the Scaffuil.
Ii stemmed the tide of people. save
one little girl Of 6, who was walking few
PAGES in front OF her mother. She seemed
doomed.
The chandelier was falling. Nelly saw it.
She leaned over the counter, and, stretching
both Ler arms upward over the child, tried
TO shield her from the blow.
Good God Look ut III They're killedr'
shouted man.
Her little arms were indeed :, roar fence
against the heavy mass OF brass.
In moment they were broken. off at the
wrist the other at the elbow and wrist ana
they were torn and cut cruelty 10y the sharp
point of the pendant They had lessened
the force of the blow, hut the child was
knocked senseless to the ground by one of
the corners. Nelly had turned the chan
deiier slightly aside in an oblique direction.
She tainted Immediately.
The mother Of the Guild was screaming
.'Oh my child. my child! Several women
were IN Mysteries. The crowd thought they
were both dead. A cry Of fire was raised
No one paid any heed to it. The two SUI
forers were lifted teBderly up, lane was
made through the people, and they were
taken to the hospital. - &c.,.
Bruvely done! "She'sa brickW ',Splen-
did little girl p were the ordinations that
were heard the crowd while they stood
talking about the accident, A gloom settled
over Tile store at the news Of the appateut
fatality. :.
Next morning it was announced that they
were both alive and had regamed conscious
|; ness that Nellie, although very badly hurt,
would recover the use OF her limbs again
The child had received Il severe shock to
her nervous system, and in few days she
was able TO return TO the loving care Of her
mother. Three months after, the heroine
had recovered sufficiently 20 revisit her old
friends and the scene OF the catastrophe
There was fresh bloom on her cheeks and
happy look in her eyes. Tile head of
the tirm for whom she had formerly
worked, along with several men who had
heard OF her bravery, had offered to educate
her for an artists life, and she had accepted
For two years past She has studied in the
best Partisan studios and bids fair to be-
come an able painter. 1t is noticeable, how
ever. that She prefers to dept t the scenes in
the lives of the poor Of tile great European
cities, Tor her aim in art is to teach the uni
versal lesson OF sympathy add help t. all
who are weak and oppressed Boston
Eltha