The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26

her service. In a plain neat
dress, with a large apron and linen
sleeves in her satchel, she entered at day
light one of the principal hotels and took
her way resolute to the professors rooms.
He set her to work with a very few words
and day after day, week after week, she
assisted him in the production ofthe
most wonderful dinners and suppers.
When the winter was over the profess
or was willing TO endorse his pupil in all
things, and he offered to secure her
position for the summer months. Matte
very grateful accepted his offer, and in a
few days he was able to make an engage
ment for her at a fashionable summer
hotel. She was to have one thousand
dollars for the season and two assistants.
For five years Matte spent her sum-
mers at this hotel and her winters in
some rich private family, making about
fifteen hundred dollars year, and saw
ing nearly every dollar of it. For she
had in view the opening ola large private
hotel, and she knew that in order to get
the necessary funds she must herself be
willing TO risk respectable sum.
So she was patient and industrious,
and the day on which she was thirty
years of age saw her the mistress of a
msgnifcently-furnished mansion, every
room ofwhich had been taken before it
was opened. For by this time Mattie's
skill was we'll known to wealthy epicures
and it was considered something of a
privilege to sit at the table she provided
for, or live in a house she ordered.
But though obliged how to dress as be-
comes the lady of such house shenever
relaxed her patient attention to the
smallest detail Of her duty, and her board
ers knew that the elegantly-dressed wo-
man who presided at the table had been
hours before in linen blouse and cap
busy among her bright faucepans for
their benefit and enjoyment, and the
knowledge detracted nothing from the
respect and admiration everyone delight
ed to give her.
In three years Matte had paid OF the
last cent ofthe money she had borrow
ed in order to start her enterprise, and
thenceforward she began to make money
and save money for Matte barley alone
Sle was still handsome and had many
admirers, but she was OF that order OF
women who love once and no more, and
many things about Marks desertiOn Of
her had left a sting in her heart which
no future love could extract. She did
not know whether he remembered her or
not; she had heard, while in Europe
that he was going to marry an old com
panion Of hers but that was twelve years
ago, and twelve years rolled in between
two lives generally efectually separates
them.
When she was thirty-six years Of age,
and a rich woman she had an offer of
marriage. she refused It, but the circum-
stances set her 10 thinking about Marx
in a very persistent manner. She deter
mined to make some cautious inquiries
about him. She was too old now for
him to attribute any silly motive 10 her.
The resolution ran in he: mind for two
or three days, and she determined one
afternoon to 90 and find out an Old friend
likely to be familiar with Marks doings.
But while she was dressing an English
nobleman came to rent suit of rooms,
and was so full of erotehets and orders
that she thought it best TO remain in the
house. He was very peculiar and insist
ed upon having all his meals in his own
room; but as he paid extravagantly for
the privilege and kept his own servant
to attend upon him, Matte thought it
worth her while to humor so good q
guest.
She soon found, however, this strange
servant a very uneasy element in her
kitchen affairs. In a week her own
maids were at open war with him, and
she heard SO much about his delightful
singing and elegant manners that her
curiosity was somewhat excited. One
morning as she was coming downstairs
dressed to 90 out she saw the wine-eolor-
ed livery OF my lords servant coming
toward her with tray, containing deli
cacies for his masters breakfast As
they passed each other Matte looked
steadily into the mans face and saw
Mark Taylor.
He recognized her in the same moment
bat with the instinct of a small mind
pretended not to know her. After this
stare and silence there was nothing left
for Matte to say. She had been going
to see him and, low, even as servant he
would not know her. The next day the
servants parlor was desolate. Mark had
left my lords service.
1t might be four years after this event
that Matte one bitter, snowy day receiy-
ed q letter which greatly agitated her
She was wealthy woman now, and
though she still kept her hotel she also
kept her private carriage. After half an
hours trouble and uncertain thought she
ordered it, and greatly to the amszemeni
of her servant requested to be driven tC
a very disreputabte part Of the city. II
was hard for the vehicle to make its way
to the wretched tenement she indicated
and Mattie's heart sank at the filthy
slushy court and dark, noisome stairs be
fore her.
might say that love made her regard
less of these things, but that would not
be true. There was no love in Matte:
heart now 70. Mark Taylor, but his note
said he was dying, and she had not found
herself able to refuse his last request. In
deed, she half doubted him now, for
during the past two years he had beg
ged money from her, under every posi-
bic pretext; and there was now more