Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-02-23
THE LADrS MAIDS STORY


that affair. II was very singular indeed
very. I'm not sure that ought to
mention IL, for If lady's maid can't hold
her tongue she can't find good places.
Dear me, I'm no talker. I'm as mum rs
q 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 IL, and i did live
with lady once that took arsenic regu-
larly for her complexion. That's 10
secret, for she took too much one day, by
accident, and died
"There was an inquest and it all came
out. It's well IL did, for suspicion pointed
TO her husband. Somehow, it always
seems to strike jury that husband Is
the likeliest person 10 wish n wife ont of
the way But this isn't anything about
paint; Miss Grigg, being on the stage,
made no secret of that. She played queens
and such, miss. I've often had tickets
given me and gone with my young man
TO see her net. And when she was naughty
and curled her nose like, miss, aud looked
at other folks over her shonlder, aud
talked away down In her throat like
pigeon gurgling, she was splendid, miss.
IL made me think how nice IL would be to
be queen and To take airs over every
body
"well, Miss Grigg was engaged TO be
married. Mr.. Birch had fallen in love
with her when she was playing Hamlet's
ma. Perhaps you have seen the play,
miss? The young man objects to his ma
getting married the second time, so !
seemed 10 make out and acted most i'm
pertinent, giving sass to his ma and his
etn an1 Ftrfx ft,I AvxI
there was n poor young Indy quite ont OF
her mind that afterward got drowned.
"Well, 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 any lady
ever had so many dresses before Silks
and satin9, and yelvets and laces. Dear,
dear; Mime. IS whole establishment
was hard NJ work for a month, and II I'd
Ind 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 go on that afternoon,
and one-the one with the wedding and
travclng dresSes-was, OF course, to be
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 o'clock train. or
course saw to the trunks, and was very
careful but just when was needed most.
just as the trunks were going down stairs,
Miss Grigg called me.
Miss Grigg was lady who didn't like
TO wait. went to her at once, miss, as
was my duty, and said to Bridget Dus.
ter, the chambermaid:
I" 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 / had been to
the lands end for two yards Of blue rib
bon Of exactly such shade as she wanted,
and got back, found that she had sent
Off the black trunk first Of all, and was
verr~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 fiew at me, miss. I
don't blame her for being angry. would
forgive her in such 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 tho 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 doy'
81 don't know, miss said I.i'unless
you put off the wedding until you tele-
graph for the trunk
Ono said che, that unlucky; be-
sides, one never knows. None amt to be
depended on
"'You might borrow dress said /.
AS IL Id be married in one that
didn't fit, said she. Stop, don't speak
word. I've an idea
"She sat with one finger on her lips for
q while. Then she said:
My embroidered dressing gown. The
white one That's herei
" In the bureau, MISS said I.
"'Very WE'LL said she. III be mar
ried in that Telegraph for the trunk,
Flora
Tho white dressing gown, missP said
!, nearly astonished out of my senses.
Yes, said she, the white dressing
gown, goose, you don't think I'm going to
be married in church in that. won't
put off the wedding, and i won't stand
up before O crowd in anything but my
Il
the appointed hour, for all that. So tele-
graph for my trunk and come back soon.'
when came back found Miss Grigg
in bed and the doctor sent for. He was
puzzled, could see that. He couldn't
tell what was the matter, and Miss Grigg
was too faint to speak. He questioned
me. said she had been very much agi-
tated. He prescribed something and went
OF, bidding me send for him IL she seemed
worse. The evening paper published the
report that Miss Grigg was dangerously
Ill, and Mr. Birch came to the hotel in q
terrible fright, rs pale as sheet, to ask
how she was. / took him down Her
love, and she was very ILL.,
"Then Miss Grigg said to the ladies who
had come in: Leave mo with my faithful
Flora and VIC were left alone. I can't
say that was surprised when she Eat up
in bed and said briskly;
clock the door, Flora. I'm sick Of
lying on my back. I've taken them in,
haven't y You SEQ what I am about
nowf
"'Exactly, miss said I; TO be too Ill
TO be married when the time comes
"'No,' said she; TO be I'll enough to be
married in the white dressing gown. I'm
going to be married on my dying bed,
Flora
~ give a screech and che laughed, and
then she made supper of sardines and
biscuits and wine, and she threw the med.
icine out Of the window. Early next day
the doctor came. answered his question
as TO what sort Of night his patient had