Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-01-15

one of the most obliging girls in the world.
but this sort OF thing was becoming mo.
notonous.
GAS long as you're in the city, an goin
right by the fashion stores, s'pose it won't
be no trouble for you to step in and buy
pattern or SO? You can get whatever you
think is pretty-some sacks, bodies and
skirts, and so on. You can tell better'n
can when you see 'em. You might get
about five dollars worth. think it'll pay
me. Pll let you have the money when you
know how much it is, or I'll sew it out"
While Hannah was silently making
note of this Mrs. Dobbs, their next neigh
Dor, came in.
''Pretty neighbors you are," was her
greeting. 'Pretty neighborsl 'Melie she
just come up from the store. Ma, SEE
she, what do yer think? Hannah Good
rich is going to the city a-Thursday a
shoppin, an is going to get Mis- Downing
a dress. wonder if she wouldn't buy me
a felt hat. Pm sick An tired O. Mis- Mil
ler's hatsp of course she would seq !.
"A pretty neighbor she'd be eff she
wouldn't" ST
"Why, certainly" said Hannah, tryisg
I to call up a smile. 1t was Only the gK.ssts
of one that responded, however. "What
Alllu VI lldU VIII Aillclld Will!
''She's goin to leave that to your judy
ment. Somethin pretty and dressy and
stylish, and that'll be becomin to you "
Hannah was dark, with delicate features,
and very pretty; Amelia was light, with
coarse features, and hOmely.
"She's willing to go as high as five dol
lars," Mrs. Dobbs went on. sStill, eff you
don't have to spend so much she'll be
lod nol-inu orCund o. oaflo of
taking the fust thing that's offered, you
kin sometimes save as much as fifty
cents"
The school where Hannah vainly strove
each day to make the Witham youth learn
ed was some distance from her home and
she took her luncheon with her. She had
just settled down to it the next noon, when
adelicate. withered looking, long ago come
~ woman entered the room.
Hannah greeted her with her unfailing
politeness, hoping against hope. that she
had not heard of the intended trip.
Mrs. Guion would not sit down. She
had run over only for a moment. She had
just heard that morning that Miss Good
rich was going on Thursday to the city,
and wanted to know if she would be will
ing to do the least bit of an errand there
Would she be SO kind?
OF course Hannah could not say no, and
Mrs. Guion chose to consider her embar-
raised silence an assent and took from a
bag three pieces of silk-blue, yellow and
green, all peculiar shades. Would Miss
Goodrich be SO kind as to match them in
zephyrs? She had vainly tried here and in
adjacent towns to do So. but then you
never could get anything outside of the
city;;a and you could get everything there.
Would Miss Goodrich be so kind as to get
a half pound of each?
The very small item of matching three
peculiar shades of silk was added to Han
nah's list.
She was sewing that evening when Mrs.
Clark, the physicians wife, came in. This
lady was well off, dressy, but economical
and very fussy. All Witham knew that.
she was hard to please. She would not
burden Miss Goodrich for anything. she
began, if she could possibly find time to
go herself to the city. or if she could get
what she wanted in Witham. She had
piece of brown plaid which she would like
matched; would Miss Goodrich be so kind
as to get the same quality exactly and the
same pattern? See? There was that fine
stripe-did she notice that? 1t was bought
three years ago-Mrs Clark did not re-
member now whether it was in New York
or Philadelphia; she had paid dollar
yard for it, and she would like six yards
more.
Mrs. Green from the Corners, Mrs. Drake
from the Center, Mrs. Williams from
North Witham, Mrs. johnson, Mrs Jones,
Mrs. Cole, one after the other, were ushered
into the sitting room and begged to have a
piece of goods matched or something big
or little bought in the city. They always
knew it would be no trouble for her as long
as she was buying for herself, and not one
offered to advance the money for the pur-
chase.
After supper on Wednesday evening
Hannah wrote out her list in full. She
was studying it, little amused and very
much vexed, when her mother entered.
"Ma, I've been counting up" she said.
"Waal?"
1.-THE things am requested by the neigh
bors to buy amount at rough guess to
$50. They would easily fill three trunks,
and the work of hunting for them would
occupy me at least four days. Not one has
offered cent in advance or the money to
pay expressage. have just eighty dollars
and two days to spend in the city,"
81 told you SOL told you So
"What could I do? l should have Of
Tended every one of them if l had put the
case to them as it is"
"Waal, what air you going to do? You're
in for it, you see."
"I'm not going-that's what I'll do about
it, Well buy our winter dresses at Blake's
as the rest of Witham will for all me-
The next time make up my mind to go
to New York not soul in Witham will
know it till am gone, if you please, ma"
Mrs Goodrich did please. When Han
nah went early the next spring even Mrs.
Downing was not told till the last mo.
ment, and then it was because Hannah
changed her name to Downing the day she
went, and was as pleased as before, of
course, to undertake any commissions for
Iarru,, mot her -I'rlIa lilac