The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1891-09-26
THE LADY'S MAIDS STORY

es, miss, certainly, ! lived with Mrs
Birch-Miss Grigg that was before she
married Mr.. Birch. l knew all about
That affair. 1t was very singular indeed
very. Pm not sure that | ought to
mention it, for if ladys maid can't hold
her tongue she can't find good Dlaces
Dear me, Pm no talker I'm as mum as
a mouse. Bushels of pearl powder and
quarts of rouge have applied with my
own hands, and never so much as limited
at As for cotton, bless your heart I've
never breathed about it, and / did live
with lady once that took arsenic regu-
larly for her complexion. That's no
secret, for she took too much one day, by
4 accident, aud died.
There was an inquest and it all came
out. It's well it did, for suspicion pointed
TO her husband. Somehow, it ALWAYS
seems to strike a jury that husband is
the likeliest person to wish wife out of
the way. But this isn't anything about
paint; Miss Grigg, being ON the stage,
made no secret OF that. She played queens
ana such, miss. I've often had tickets
given me and gone with my young man
to see her act And when she was naughty
and cured her nose like, miss. and looked
at other folks over her shoulder. and
talked away down in her throat ike a
pigeon gurgling she was splendid, miss.
1t made me think how nice it would be to
be queen and to take airs over every-
body.
well, Miss Grigg was engaged to be
married. Mr.. Birch had fallen i'm love
with her when she was playing Hamlet's
ma. Perhaps you have seen the plav.
MISS The young man objects to his ma
getting married the second time, so I
seemed to make out, and acted most i'm
pertinent, giving sass to his ma and his
step-pa, and carrying on awful. And
there was poor young lady quite out of
her mind that afterward got drowned
wei, she was playing Hamlet's ma,
and Mr.. Birch fell in love with her and
sent her letter and called and made an
offer, all in no time. She accepted him.
of course, and the preparations for the
wedding began. | don't think anv lady
ever had so many dresses before. Silks
and satins, and velvets and laces. Dear.
dear; Nine. is whole establishment
was hard at work for month. and if I'd
had twenty fingers, instead of only ten,
I'd have had use for them all
AT last everything was finished. The
trunks were packed, fifteen of 'em, miss,
and fourteen were to 60 on that afternoon,
and one-thc one with the wedding and
left and go with the bride when she started
next day. She was to be married at 10
O'Clock in church and then drive home.
have splendid breakfast, change her
dress and catch the 3 o'clock train OF
course | saw to the trunks and was very
careful, but just when was needed most.
just as the trunks were going down stairs,
"a Miss Grigg called me.
Miss Grigg was lady who didn't like
to wait. l went to her at once, miss, as
was my duty, and l said to Bridget Dus-
ter, the chambermaid:
Bridget, watch that black trunk and
see that the men don't carry it Off
Bridget understood with her elbows.
of course, miss, and after l had been to
the lands end for two yards of blue rib
bon of exactly such shade as she wanted,
and got back 1 found that she mad sent
off the black trunk first of all, and was
very proud of having been so careful.
The trunks were all miles away by that
time. There was nothing for it but to
tell Miss Grigg She flew at me, miss.
don't blame her for being angry. l would
forgive her in such a case. She flew at
me violent, miss; and then, miss, she had
spasms. She beat the sofa, she tore her
hair, she screeched, and me all the while
saying:
Remember your eyes, miss. Think
how you'll look. Your nose is swelling
dreadful, miss.
FINALLY she came to and bathed her
face. And says She:
" Flora, what-shall-I do?'
"I don't know, miss, said l, unless
you put off the wedding until you tele.
graph for the trunk
" No said she, that unlucky; be-
sides, one never knows. None amt to be
depended on
" You might borrow dress, said l.
las if I'd be married in one that
didn't fit said she. Stop, don't speak a
word. I've an idea
''She sat with one finger on her lips for
a while. Then she said:
My embroidered dressing gown. The
white one! That's here?'
" In the bureau, MISS said I.
" Very well, said she. III be mar
ried in that. Telegraph for the trunk,
Flora
g The white dressing gown, miss?' said
/, nearly astonished out of my senses.
Yes said she, the white dressing
gown, goose, you don't think rm going to
be married in church in that. l won't
put off the wedding, and won't stand
up before crowd in anything but nv
white satin dress! But Tll be married at
the appointed hour, for all that. So tele-
graph for my trunk and come back soon.i
when l came back 1 found Miss Grigg |
in bed and the doctor sent for. He was |
puzzled, l could see that. He couldn't |
tell what was the matter, and Miss Grigg |
was too faint to speak. He questioned /
me. l said she had been very much aGi- |
tated. He prescribed something and went |
of, bidding me send for him if she seemed |
worse. The evening paper published the |