The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1894-05-26

Q crumpled envelope she fshed out Of
her pocket, lis where Sarah Jane said
she lived"
"The poor thing!" calculated Mrs.
Ryciiffe, her kindly spirit touched.
"Yes. I'll CO." 50,
| When she arrived in New York she
gave cabman both addresses her
niece's and Elsie Payne's.
Drive me to the nearest first," she
ordered.
And the nearest happened TO Nbe a
tall, dreary tenement-house, In a mar
row, dingy street. She found Elsie
in bare, clean, little sky-high room.
Pretty, gay, rose-cheeked Elsie Cam
eron! Not gay, nor rose checked now,
but slender, pale and still Perry dAinti-
ly fair to look upon. She wore a
black gown. A beautifgt child chung
to her hand. III 4 ,..'s,slss. 's,r'
"oh, Mrs. Rycliffe.r she cried IS -
The sight of the dear "a lace WIS
precious after he'll. Z nmonE
strangers. She kissed Gar aest dissy
her in, took off her bonnet, and made
her a cup of tea, all the time full Of
words Of welcome, and of inquiry, but
not once mentioning her own poverty,
which everything in the room pro-
| claimed -
How are you getting on, is what
want to know" the old lady said,
straightforwardly.. -. .....-.... .....
"oh, l manage. ! do splain sewing,
you know. Sometimes l find it hard
to get all can do, but a week ago q
lady called and left me an order that
has kept me busy since. She asked
my prices for making plain garments,
and mentioned them, but the ma
terials were accompanied by directions
for much elaborate work! OF course,
l have no doubt she will pay me what
my labor was worth You may see it."
She displayed four nainsook dress
ing-sacques, having insertions of Tor
chon lace, clusters of tiny tuclSs, and
hemstitched rufiies. Mrs. Rycliffe en-
pressed her admiration.
"What do you ask for them?'
"When they are quite plain, twenty
I five cents each, but as these have so
much work, thought fifty would not
be too much to ask"
"Well / should think that pretty
cheap. lIark!'
There was a step in the passage
without.
THAT is my customer, | suppose.
She said she would call to-day. Don't
STIR"
But Mrs. Rycliffe vanished behind
the cretonne screen that partitioned
off the oil-stove and few cooking
utensils from the rest of the room.
There was tear in the cretonne,
however, and she saw the person who
entered, large fiorid woman, attired
in furred cloth skirt coat of many
capes, flaring hat on which black
birds bobbed, and yellow kid gloves.
"Ah! the work is done. Yes, salts
factory-quite. Really, l shall rec
ommend you. A dollar, believe.
There it is"
She tossed coin on the table, and
took up the parcel Elsie had tied.
Mrs. Pugh,' demonstrated the
seamstress, Il said l would make
those with only ruffies at neck and
sleeves for the price named These
are worth at least fifty cents each.
The sewing on them has taken me
week.
Her patron turned from the door to
freeze her with stare.
"Ah! an impostor, / see-like all of
your class! You make one contract,
and demand pay that was not stipula-
ted. shall not again employ YOU"
With which appalling threat she
swept away.
Little Mrs. Rycliffe came out from
behind the screen, white and trem-
bling.
what wicked woman, Elsie" she
cried.
Elsie smiled family.
They are not all so unjust" she
said, trying to speak cheerily.
Dusk was closing in when Mrs.
Rycliffe reached the house of her
niece, snowy, imposing house. Her
mistress, the servant said, was at the
matinee. Would the visitor wait?
Mrs. Rycliffe sat down in chair in a
corner of the parlor waiting. nodded,
fell fast asleep. She was awakened
by a mans angry tone, demanding
with an oath, if he was ever to
have any supper. The next instant
Medora's voice admonished him.
"You must wait. I've just got in
from the matinee. Don't scold.
didn't buy my ticket out Of the
grocer's money. A woman did four
dollars worth of sewing for me. /
paid her, and had a good time out of
the amount saved. Why, Aunt-is it
Aunt Mary?"
Mrs. Rycliffe rose with stiff effort.
She was cramped and tired.
II think it is she replied, dryly.
For four days was Mrs Rycliffe the
guest of Mrs. Pugh. And she saw
more than the interview with Elsie,
to convince her she was under no OBJ
legation To give money or its equiva-
lent to Medora. She saw an extrava-
CANT, ill-regulated household, where
prevailed all manner of schemes to
make a show Of opulence, and all
kinds of petty subterfuges to evade
,aenopc ihilitv and naymapt of iuut