The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-23


Il wish l did :" responded Ned, with
conscientious pangs for the polite lie.
Il am sure you would admire him." she
replied proudly. He is not greatly re-
spected by my uncle here, because he is a
city worklngman. He is a piece worker,
Mr. Watson"
"A whatG' he asked apprehensively.
'Ha, ha, ha! l see you do not under
stand what the term signifies. There is
much TO learn in this world, isn't there,
now, Mr., Watson?"
Too much. But what may a piece
worker be- A kind of machinery"
so considered by many employers. A
plece-worker is one who takes garments
coats, trousers or vests-from CUSTOM
tailoring establishments, by the piece, to
his home, To be returned as faultless as
the perfect human form, for which he re-
ceives nlggardly price; perhaps one dol
lar Tor the tasteful ducking vest you
wearu'
They were on the river; Watson, with
his coat off, rowing.
And this is your fathers profession"
looking obviously at his vest.
Yes profession as well as business;
for that implies, or should imply, artistic
perfection in any trade; and even your
vocation is trade, Mr.. Watson!n
de had not looked at it in Just that
light before, and confessed as much.
Yes, he makes vests for a livelihood
Oh, l know it is terribly vulgar" she
said, blushing; but God bless him for
his great nobleness, tenderness and love,
IN the midst of his wiggan, wax and
waistcoats!"
His impulse was to respond "Ameni"
not so much for the old gent among his
wlggan, wax and waistcoats, as for his
plucky daughter who so gallantly de-
Tended him away up there in Minnesota;
but somehow 1t stuck in his throat and
remained unsaid.
Yes" she continued, with tears of
love for her dear old father in her eyes,
but still laughing from the thought which
Mashed into her mind, land his poor, fat
hands may have ached over the very vest
you are now wearing!7
Ned Watson, and not his companion,
seemed atiame with modification at the
possibility.
Just look at the vent There, of
course you can't know what that is the
opening below the seam joining the fronts
and back. If you find an a. worked beau
tlfully where the seam is stayed at the
bottom, he surely made It'll"
by Jupiterl His crest is here ~ he
exclaimed excitedly
The 'sty'-the cross-bar of the HIS
necessary; but the uprighLs which com
plete 1t are only a little fancy of fathers
lie always says: 1t is not even one that
can so easily set his mark on 900 people
every year. Let us hope this garment
may never be worn by scoundreln
am sure he would be glad to know that
his handiwOrk had come so far in com
pany with a gentleman"
The young journalists head was whirl-
ing from the strange revelation. What
was he doing2 Where would this dal-
lance lead him? Above all what would
the tyrant, Society, say to discovery of
his summering and sentimentalizing with
the daughter of a sweltering, beer-guz-
zlulg, snutf-taklng vest-maker2
All Of this, in rapid succession, fright
ened him into asserting his then idea of
manhood, and how that manhood should
make him Just; and he rowed back to the
village, settled in his mind that he had
been doing mean, cOwardly thing in
thus dishonesty toying with the affec-
tions of susceptible girl
"Good-by, MIR. Watson; l neglected to
say that l am also a vest-makerp'
She said this as they parted with a de-
gree OF pride entirely incomprehensible
to him, and went home gaily, occasion
ally looking backward over her shoulder
at the detected journalist, whose eyes as
he passed out of sight were bent re-
proachfully upon his ducking vest, as
though it had wrought his downfall.
That night certain Chicago journalist
took no supper; and tramp. tramp, tramp.
he went, turning at either end of his
room in the old Alton inn, with that quick.
gaspng, yet regular motion of a Gagged beast
or JAILED criminal. But before he slept he
had dashed of letter to John Hicks, ESQ,
general postofhce, Chicago, full of good
sense, kindly solicitation and human
vanity.
Then he resolved not to see Milly until
the answer should come; and he kept
faith with himself like man of honor,
waiting longer and with drawer spirit
than he had ever before waited, tor the
following reply:
Chicago, July Is, 1s71.-Sir: l am in re-
ceipt OF your favor OF recent date dong me
and mine the honor of an offer of your rela-
ttonshtp, fortune and patronage.
My affection for my daughter who has al.
ways deserved it, has caused me to weigh
ner chances for happiness IN the days when l
shall have passed away: My own life (which
mas net been successful one, meas red by
! the standard OF many, but which has been
| ripe. full and complete with love Joy and
| contentl ana ny observations of the lives OF
| others, has taught me that there is but one
] road to pure and trustful happiness, which lie
| in the mating of equals and the pursuance by
! both OF some honorable labor; where the one
| may not be tempted to false ambitions OF
| the other De inevitably drawn into self aeon.
satlons, Whatever may be your personal
merits, they each become belittled from my
! view Ol hut matters, DN every dollar oil
wealth you name, as you admit this wealth
| to have been the hoardings of others. Ihi,
| Is no fault Of your own but yet il is q mis-
| fortune l cannot allow my dear Mildred t
| share
trust. sir, that the sense OF honorable es
| TEEN for my daughter and Difference to my
| own wishes, which prompted the request Vol
| have made, Will cause you to abide my re
| fusal of the same. ! beg TO remain with es
teen, your obedient servant, JOHN HICKS
| Mr. Edward Watson, Alton, Mimi.
Even while he was daZedly reading this
astounded at the independence Of the
| lowly, Mildred Hicks, who had been re
called to her humble home, was beins
whirled away from the life of a village
schoolmistrees which had passed from
her forever.
Mr.. John Hicks, yestmaker, and fami,y
lived in quarter of the city not uncom
mon TO all large cities, but especially
common TO Chicago at this time a quar-
ter of the city where the avarice Of IN,
landlord, the poverty of the tenant an(
| the recklessness of both coutrived to con
time debauched ana broken old rookerie
where the new and bounding life of tn,
mid-continent's metropolis halted aghas
at the wretchedness aud Jrembed from
its dangerous nearness.
In such quarter, not so many year
ago but that you and l can easily recall
the time, John Hicks, a ripe English gen
tleman. after having engaged in almos
every honorable occupation, yet retainin,
an impress of each that made companion