Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1892-04-22
BARBARA'S CHANCES.
Her Decision in the Face Of a Great
TemptatiOn.


ISL murmured Barbara Blake to her.
sell, as she sat by the window, mend
ing with deft, delicate stitches the
holes in old Mrs. Dickinson's silk hose.
"IIere am, girl of eighteen to whom
gaycty, amusement and sunshine would
seem as natural as the fall of the dew;
yet I am cooped up in gloomy, brown.
stone house, the mere shadow of q
cross, exacting old woman, whose
wants are never satisfied Companion,
indeed' rs she broke off the needleful
of silk floss with a snap II am any
thing but that Drudge, menial-ma-
chine, il you please-but nothing like
companion. And all to earn paltry
living! Oh, dear, why cannot people
live on flowers and fresh air, as the
humming birds do? Why IS It neees-
sary to toll SO for bread to cat and
clothes to cover us? 1t does seem to
me. as if life were all failurel'
Ever since she had risen from her bed
that morning she had been at Mrs.
DiclSinson's beck and call
Mrs. Dickinson was not always in an
amiable mood There was hot water
to bring up for her bath-it must be
steaming from the kitchen, and the old
lady would trust no one but Barbara
to carry it, because, as she said the
servants were so careless and spilled it
on the stair carpets.
just then the door softly swung
or,1 f,,,,1 Lrfr t4ry
damsel of two or three and twenty, in
a coquettish fall hat trimmed with
scarlet poppies and bows of cherry
velvet, and a beautiful jetted mantle
''Clara!' cried Barbara, nearly upset
ting the work basket in her surprise
and delight. "How came you hcre!'
SIN spite of the edict: No followers
allowed?." laughingly retorted Clara
Belden. my dear, ran the blockade.
bribed the houscmaid, and crept ur
the stairs as softly as mouse. Don't
be alarmed-the ogress is snoring with
forty-woman power.
''How beautifully you are dressed
Clar!" said Barbara, with admiring sur
vey. "You have got a situation al
last?"
Clara nodded, and adjusted glitter
ing new silver bangle on her wrist.
"a good one," said she, ,emphatically
'1'm in the company of the Ceceliar
theater," explained Clara eve are
supposed to be singers, but our voices
don't signify pin. The Cecelian takes
pride in its chorus being the
handsomest girls in town. And you
are pretty, Barbara, you know very
we'll -prcttier than am, if you woult
only give yourself chance. coult
make first-class beauty of you'll Ant
it's only the evenings, you see, will
an hour or so at morning rehearsal
and q matinee once week-and it,
such fun. There's one young man i,
the audience who has thrown bou
quet to me every night for eight night.
running. And there are suppers ant
breakfasts, and all that sort of thing.
Involuntarily Barbara drew back.
"But, Clara--is it right to-"
"Rightl Oh, you silly little goose
why not? There's Mrs. Dowdin, tn,
bandmaster's wife, to chaperon us
isn't there? And she's an old woman
of fifty. Oh, assure you, it's ver1
select company indeed Sixty dollar
month, and your salary raised if yo
do we'll And when heard that ther
was vacancy, thought of you tn
very first thing. l knew you had
nice mezzo-soprano voice, but, as saii
before, that don't matter so much, a
long as you are SO pretty. A brunette
too-we have an overplus of blonde
already. And | knew, also, that yo
were only.getting fourteen dollars her
with an old martinez for a command
ing officer. Come, am ] not goo
friend to your"
Still Barbara looked with question
ing eyes at the handsome, voluble girl
Could it be possible that this self-pos
sessed, beautifully-dressed woman wa
Clara Belden, her classmate at school
aud only IN month older than herself?
Sixty donarsl Yes, it was kind c
Clara-it would indeed oe an outlet G
escape from this wretched, grindin
bondage of her daily life. Sixty do
lars, with suppers, bouquets, admire
tion unlimited. Barbara drew he
breath with gasp It seemed slmos
too much to realize.
Just then Mary, the housemsid, tiI
toed into the room, with her finger o
herlips-
"Miss Blake" said she, with side
long glance of admiration at the show
visitor in her silks, bangles and "breat
of roses" "the ould lady is afths
walSin' up as cross as two sticks. Al
she says you ye forgot her mornin
tonic and Bdou's collar Is toe tight, an