The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-06-28

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Tea was over. Mrs. Goodrich was
washing the dishes. Hannah was dry
ing them, when the kitchen door was
unceremoniously opened. A tall, gaunt
woman, with commanding air, as if
she we're at the head of disorderlv
regiment, marched in. It was Mrs.
Moore.
''I was down to Mrs. DowninR's, :"
she began, without small prelude of
a greeting, ''fur dish o. tea an a few
minutes set, an she was tellin' me that
Hannah was goin' to the city this
week"
eyes, on Thursday" Hannah
answered. 'fWill you sit down?"
81 hain't no time fur set. Mary
she's gone over to her grandmother
and there amt nobody to hum to git
Moore's supper. Mrs. Downing was
saying you was goin' to git her brown
mereener.
eyes.
81 s'pose it won't be no trouble, as
you're buyin', to buy me black
mereener, too, at the same time?"
"None whatever" Hannah's smile
was getting hollow.
'How long be you goin' to stay?"
"Till Monday"
''Il be round Monday evenin' with
the money. You can git me seventy
cent stuff, about seven yards"
She departed with as little ceremony
as she had entered.
81 told you So told you So" said
Mrs. Goodrich, as she lighted candle
and went down cellar with the milk.
''Ef you do fur one you'll have TO do
fur the whole town"
Miss Brown, the dressmaker, dropped
in little later.
81 heerd only Just now that you're
goin' to York" she said, as if to apollo
gize for not coming sooner, ''and that
you're goin' to get some things for
Mrs. Downing"
eyes, Dress" Hannah returned,
while her mother gave q tremendous
"Ahem."
$50 l heerd. I don't get to York
very often myself, and I'm afraid I'm
getting little behind the fashions. 1t
don't pay, you know, for me to get be-
hind, she simpered. Miss Brown was
more noted for her shippers than for
the correctness of her styles.
80 made bold to step round and
ask you, as you're going to the city
anyway, an will be lookin at the fash.
ions, to just give look fur me"
81 shall certainly study the fashions
well for my own benefit. y
81 can't say exactly how many pat
terms I'd like you to buy me-"
ooh, you want me to buy patterns,
do you?" Hannah asked quickly. She
was one of the most obliging girls in
the world, but this sort of thing was
becoming monotonous.
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 80
on. You can tell better'n / can when
you see 'em. You might get about five
dollars worth. I think it'll pay you.
I'll 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
neighbor, came in.
Pretty neighbors you are, was her
greeting. ''Pretty neighbors! Nellie,
she just come from the store. Ma, ,
sez she, what do you think? Hannah
Goodrich is going to the city a-Thurs-
day a-shoppin' an is going TO get Mrs
Downing a dress. l wonder if she
an tired o. Miss Miller's hats = of
course she would, sez l. A pretty
neighbor she'd be eff she wouldn't.
"Why, certainly, said Hannuh, try
ing to call up smile. 1t was only the
ghost of one that responded, however.
"What kind of hat will Amelia
want?"
''She's goin' to leave that to your
judgment. Somethin' pretty and dressy
and stylish, and that'l be becomin' to
you.
Hannah was dark, with delicate fea-
lures and very pretty. Amelia was
light, with coarse features and homely.
"She's willing to go as high as 50,
Mrs. Dobbs went on. "Still, eff you
don't have to spend so much she'll be
tickled. Looking around little and
not 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 learned was some distance from
her home, and she took her luncheon
with her. She had just settled down
TO it the next noon, when a delicate,
withered looking, long ago comely
woman entered the room.
Hannah greeted her with 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 moment. She
had just heard that morning that Miss
Goodrich was going on Thursday to
the city, and wanted TO know if she
would be willing 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
embarrassed silence an assent, and
took from bag three pieces of silk
blue, yellow, and green, all peculiar