Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1895-07-05
CHAPTER XVII
ELSIE FINDS SOMETHING.

cutting her. Her pupils were all she
could wish, loving, affectionate, duti-
full; her eccentric mistress had not only
taken her into favor, but had actually
made pet of her, admitting her into
sacred precincts of dining and draw
j ing-rooms on gala occasions Only last
night she had been present at grand
ball given in honor of the eldest daugh-
ter's attaining her majority, and the
dazzle of the brilliant scene had hardly
faded from her Imagination than she
found herself crying her eyes out in
the keenest distress.
That very morning it had all hap
pened At an early hour Mrs. Grindlay
had demanded an interview with her
in her boudoir, where she was sitting
flushed, nervous and terribly out of
temper.
80, Miss Whitford, you have conde-
scended to come at last" had been Ell
sizes greeting
Really, madam, made all haste"
the girl replied.
''Of course you know why have sent
for you?"
mo, madam"
What, after your conduct last
night"
MY conduct last night!'
"Oh, you are all innocence, suppose.
l am abiding, miss, to your disgrace
full carvings on with Adolphus Glib
SON."
What, the fatuous youth with the
cye-glass? Why, talked to him out of
sheer p ty."
"Fatuous young man, indeed! Do you
know, Miss Whitford, that that young
gentleman is worth one hundred thou
sand dollars year?"
I'm glad to hear it for his sake, for
it would be difficult for him to earn his
own living"
THAT is all very fine," Mrs. Grindlay
remarked, severely; sit is just such
treatment as that-for men are such
fools--that drove Mr.. Gibson to take
the step he did last night"
May ask what step he took, mad
amp"
"As if you didn't know. Well, If you
..,ust hear it, then, he actually asked
my permission to call and pay his ad-
1 dresses to you. l really never was sc
shocked in my life"
"Does the shocking character of his
proposal reflect on him or me?" Elsie
asked with provoking innocence.
Mrs. Grindlay flushed furiously.
II do believe you have no conception
of the word propriety. You forget your
position, you forget his"
do
"What, you are insolent-and aftes
all have done for you. You will seeh
another home this day month, Miss
Whitford."
mo, madam, to-day"
"Oh, yes; go off at once and leave me
with those tiresomn children. Then
suppose you will pose as martyr be-
fore Uucle WoodgTove, and l shall
never hear the last of it."
"Do not fear that, Mrs. Grindlay.
will not stay another night in your
house, but will not carry my griev-
ances to that good old man"
"And as for money. Since you are
so reasonable, will gladly give you"
Just what you owe ne; nothing
more"
Then, l think, Miss Whitford, it
would be as well not to say good-by to
the children; it is NJ use stirring up a
fuss over such trife."
mot the slightest use" Elsie as
scented, and left the room dismissed.
Back to her old lodging again.
Then came a time of adversely, of
perpetual daily disappointment, enough
even to crush the high hopes of this
courageous girl. Advertisements she
answered by tile score. Now it was
public speaker who wanted an amanu-
ensis, all Office that needed an attend
ant, a correspondent for new COM
pany, but the burden of their story was
always the same-tle advance of q few
hundred dollars as an assurance of
good faith-not on the part of the
bogus enterprise, but on behalf of the
unfortunate applicant, who was to en-
bark her services with very dubious
chance of ever receiving payment.
To add to her trouble her stock of
money was getting daily more and
more attenuated, and in the midst of
all these worries an adventure occurred
to her which only plunged her deeper
into difficulty.
One cold, clustering day she was re-
turning from fruitless hunt after en-
ployment when her eye was attracted
10 tall, slouching man, apparently
tramp il very dilapidated condition
leading by the hand very tired little
boy.
; The child looSed at her with pitiful
glance which went straight to her
heart. Notwithstanding his dirty
,lothes and unkempt hair it was appar.
snt that he was lovely boy.
The man noticed her wistful glance,
and looking round to see that no po-
iceman was in the neighborhood, be-
ran to whine forth tale of suffering.
. SIS this little boy yours?" she asked
swell, no, miss. I'm a lSeepin' the
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