The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-21

a DuSy morning lay before her, Tor her
foulard was to be purchased at one shop,
her Innings at another, her braid and but
tons at yet another. all down In the depths
Of the city. far away from West-end prices.
At last, with her arms full of brown-paper
parcels, she gained her bus and drove out TO
Br0mDt0n, where, In quiet side street Of
two-storied houses, small brass plate.
Mrs. Raby, eostumer and dressmaker."
showed where she carried on her n Oldest
business
La the front room an assistant was whir,
ring away upon hand sewiDg-machine.
running "a seam down the ef ge of dress.
whie all around her lay heaped masses or
cloth, gray strips OF lining and Tolls or
braid.
Whose Is that, Anna9" asked Mrs.
Raby.
1T is Mrs Summerton's" The assist
ant was broadfaeed, go0d-humored girl,
with red hair and freckles.
All, you must be very careful with 1t.
She is most particular. The front cut
straight. and the back gored and cut on the
cross"
Eyes, Mrs. Raby. LIS coming out fine"
Il have new job, a f0uiard dress, which
must be ready Monday. This Is the stuff.
evening. 1t will take US all our time. Ii
MIR. Raby imp"
Yes. he came in half an hour ago."
where is hep
In the back ROOM"
Mrs. Raby closed the door and went into
the next apartment A small man, black
bearded and swarthy, was seated at a side
table STOPPING over a box of colors and
small oval piece of ivory, upon which he
was beginning to paint background. He
was peaky, irrita ble-looking person, with
sunken cheeks, nervous manner aud
blue ribbon in his buttonhole.
1T is no use. Helen." he said, 81 can't
paint until L rave an order.
But tow ever are you to get an order IL
you don't show folk what you can do?
Why don't you paint me, John, and hang
me up In case outside the door?'
Il want something that will look nice
and attractive" he said, petulantly.
She laughed good-naturedly. Paint me
as you remember me when you first met
me, them" said she.
"Ah. You were different then"
well. IL l am, you ought to know, John,
what it Is that has changed me. 1t has not
been an easy life for NE this twenty years."
well, Pm sure don't know what can
do. I've taken the ribbon to please YOU"
"Yes, John, dear. you've dropped the
drink. and God bless you for it,"
''Six months since had TASTE"
And aren't you the better for it, in
health and happiness and eyerything2
always knew that if you were to get away
from those other clerks you would be all
right. Now you are clerk no longer.
You're an artist"
'.Yes. but earned money as clark, and
/ have. made none as an artist / don't see
that am the gamer by the change"
'Ah, Id rather starye, dear, and have You
a sober man. Besides, | can earn enough
for both while you are gradually getting a
few customers.
.'SittersV
"Oh. yes, sittsrs. But you must 80 to
them, or they VIII never come to you. Why
look at me! heard two ladies talking in
the street. and pushing myself in / got ten
pound job"
did you, though"
yes, this very morning. My stuff will
cost from five TO six, but there should be
four pound profit" She took key from
her pocket. unlocked q drawer in side
table. ard. taking a tin box out. unlocked
that also.
1--WE have fifteen pounds here" said she,
turning out small heap OF geld. we'll
make it twenty soon, and then l can afford
to hire another assistant"
Her husband looked wistfully at the gold.
ut seems hard that you should put away
all that money, and should go about with
out half-crown i'll my pocket" said he.
II don't want your pocket to be empty.
John, but you don't need more than six
pence. 1t is only putting yourself in the
way of temptation"
"Well, anyway, ought to be head in my
own family. Why don't you give me the
key, and let me have the keeping of the
m0ney?"
NO, no. John; it is my earning, and I'll
have the keeping. What you want I'll buy
for you. but what l save must have in my
own hands"
"a pretty thing, tool" He went back to
his painting with a snari, while she very
carefully locked up her small treasure again
and then returned to the workroom. She
had hardly turned her back when he sprang
from his seat. rushed to the table and took
two wicked little tugs at the drawer, but all
was fast, so he skunk back, cursing under
his breath, to his paints and his ivory.
That afternoon Mrs. Raby called at
Palace Gardens, obtained her measurements
and forthwith set to work with might and
main upon the dress. 1t was Thursday,
and she had only two and half working
days before her; but she had given her
promise, and she was q woman who would
keep her word If flesh and blood could do
il. On Saturday morning 1t must be ready
for the trying or and on the Monday by 10
O'Clock it must be actually delivered. So
away she went cutting and stitching, gouf-
firing and tabbing and looping and hemming,
working late and working early, until
on the second day a dozen separate pieces
were all brought together like ehild's puZ-
Zle-a square there, triangle here, a long,
narrow slip down the front, and there, OUT
of what to masculine eye would have
seemed the merest scraps, there rose the
dantiest, neatest little dress that heart could
wish, still loosely pinned together, but TAX
ing already its ultimate outlines. In this
state IL was carried to Palace Gardens, tried
on ard then brought back to be finally CON-
pIeted. By - o'clock at night it was fin
ished, and all Sunday it stood upon the
frame in the workroom, looking so fresh
and neat and perfect that the wife, in the
pride of her heart, could not f0rbear from
running in every hour or so, and coaxing
her husband in with her, to look and to
admire.
He had been sorry helpmate to her. 1t
was not work which had placed those
marks of care upon her face. As clerk in
wholesale cocoa firm he had for years been
having some 93 a week, but of the G3 it was
seldom that 81 found its way to his wife,
who planned and worked and managed as
only devoted woman can. at last she
made herself independent of him, or rather
had made him dependent upon her. long
course of secret drunkenness had ended in
raging attack of delirium tremens which
could not be concealed from his employers,
and which brought about his instant
dismissal from his situation. But it
was no misfortune in the eyes OF
his wife. She had long made up
her mind that his weak nature was not to be
reformed while he was surrounded by temp
tation. Now, at last, she had him to herself.
which would mold him within her influence.
1t was always with others that she laid the
blame, never with him, for her eyes were
blind to the shattered irritable wreck. and
could only see the daTk-haired, baShful lad
who had told her twenty years ago how he
loved her. Could she keep out those evil
influences, all would yet be well. Her