Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-06

tOl0 mOtner ali ABOUT IL.
And don't you, for any sake, tell Sarah
a word about II, or quinsy or no quinsy
she'll be UP at aunts before We know
where We are. to let the cat out of the
bag"
1 took all the money out Of my money box
that 1 had saved up for starting house.
keeping with. in case aunt should leave her
money to Sarah. and put it IN my pocket,
and took the first train TO London.
1 asked the porter at the station TO tell
me the way to the best china shop in Lon
don; and he told me there was one in Queen
Victoria street. So / went there.
1t was a beautiful place with velvet sofas
for people to sit down on, while they look
ed at the china and glass and chose which
pattern they would have; and there were
than aunts. but not one ike hers, and
when had looked over some fifty OF them
the gentleman who was showing them to
me, said:
'Ferhaps you could give me some idea OF
what 1t is you do want?"
Now 1 had brought one Of the pieces Of
the bowl up with me. the piece Of the back
and showed 1t to him.
II want one like this" said.
"Oh!' said he. why didn't you say so at
first? We don't keep that sort Of thing here.
might in Wardour street. or at Mr.. Aked's
In Green street, Leicester square
Well. time was getting on and ! did a
thing had never done before. though 1 had
often read OF 1t in the novelties. / waved
my umbrella and got into q hanson cab.
Young man." / said, will you. please,
drive to Mr.. Akeds in Green street. Leicee-
ter square. and drive carefully. young man.
for ! have a piece Of china in my hands
that's worth a fortune to me-"
80 he grinned and got in and the cab
started. hanson cab Is better than any
carriage you ever rode In, with soft cush-
ions to lean against and little looking glass
es to look at yourself In. and, somehow,
you don't hear the wheels. / leaned back
and looked at myself and felt like a Ouch
ess. for had my new hat and mantle on
and 1 know I looked nice by the way the
young men on the tops of the omnibusss
looked at me and smiled. 1t was q lovely
drive. When We got to Mr.. Akeds. which
looked to me more like a rag and bone shop
than anything else. and very poor after the
beautiful place in Queen Victoria street,
got out and went In.
An old gentleman came toward me and
asked what he could do for me, and he looked
surprised. as though he wasn't used to see
such smart girls In his pokey old shop
please. sir" said !, Il want a bowl like
this. II you have got such q thing among
your old odds and ends"
He took the piece Of china and looked at
It through his glasses for a minute. Then
he gave IL back to me very carefully.
There's not a piece Of this ware in the
private collections"
other like it?''
Not II you were to offer me a hundred
pounds down." said the old man.
/ couldn't help 1t. I sat down on the
nearest chair and began to cry, for IL
seemed as II all my hopes of Aunt Maria's
money were fading away like the ''roseate
hues OF early dawn" IN the hymn.
Come come" said he. what's the mat
ter? Cheer up. I suppose you're in service
and you've broken this bowl. Isn't that IL ?
anything with you Servants can't be made
| to replace valuable bowls like this"
That dried my eyes pretty quick. I can tell
you.
father farming his own land before you
were picked out of the gutter, III be
bound"-God forgive me that should say
such thing to an old mainland my own
cry in her parior than you've got in all
| your shop"
With that he laughed and I nounced out
Of the shop, my cheeks flaming and my
| heart going like an eight-day clock. I was
| 50 huttered didn't notice that someone
walked q dozen yards down the street be-
fore saw that someone was alongside OF
me and saying something to me.
not so old as Mr.. Aked-and remembered
now having seen him at the back OF the
shop. He was taking on his hat, as polite
You're quite overcome" he said. land nc
wonder. Come and have a little dinner with
about It"
II don't want any dinner" 1 said: 81
want to go and drown myself. for it's all
over and I've nothing more to look for
Ny brother Harry will have the farm. and
l shan't get a penny OF aunt's money
| Why couldn't they have made plenty OF the
ugly old basins while they Were about it?'
| Come and have some dinner" the old
gentleman again said. ''and perhaps 1 can
help YOU 1 have a basin just like that"
| So did. We went to some place where
there were a lot Of little tables and walters
in black clothes: and we had a nice dinner
and ! did feel better for II, and when we
had come to the cheese I told him exactly
what had happened; and ne leaned his head
on his hands. and he thought and thought
DO you think your aunt would sell an,
| Of her china?"
That I'm downright sure she wouldn't,
said. so It's no good your asking"
well. you see. your aunt won't be dowr
| for three or four days yet. You give m.
your address, and IN write and tell you i
think of anything"
And with that he paid the bin and had .
cab called: and put me in it and paid tn,
driver, and 1 went along home.
didn't sleep much that night. and mex
ever i could do. for It wasn't in nature tina
my aunt would not find me out befor,
| another two days was over my head; ant
she had never been 30 nice and kind. ant
=
whoever my moneys left to- Jane will
be bound not to part with my china, no
my old chairs and presses. Don't you for
get. my child. It's all written in black an,
white, and IL the person my moneys lief
to sells these old things, my money zoe
| along, too"
There was no letter on Monday morning
and was up to my elbows in the suds do
ing aunts bit Of washing for her. when
heard a step on the brick path. and Their
was that old gentleman coming round b.
the water-butt to the back door
"Well?' says he. Anything fresh hap
pened?
For any sake" says i in a whisper, .'ge
out OF this She'll hear IL say more thai
two words to you. II you've thought OF any
| thing that's to be OF any use get along 4
the church porch, and I'll be with YOU a
soon as 1 can get these things through tn
rinse water, and out on the line"
But" he says In whisper. lust let m
into the parlor for five minutes to have
look round and see what the rest of tn
bowl is like"
Then I thought Of all the stories I ha
heard OF peddlers' packs and a married lad,
taken unexpectedly IN, and tricks like tina
to get into the house when no one wa
about. So thought
We'll, II you are to go In, I must go Il
with you," and squeezed my hands out q
the suds. and rolled them into my aprol
and went in and him after me-
You never see q man go on he did It
my belief he was hours in that ROOM goin
round and round like a squirrel in a Gag.
picking up first one and then another M
OF trumpery with two fingers and n thumb