Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1895-06-18

WILLS uOuiellke scene WAS Lie Johhe
mechanic, George Harland, as he sat al
a table with his three-year-old boy on
his knee. He looked at his wife as she
spoke, and merry CLEAN lit his honest
brown eyes.
why, Nell, what freak Of prudence
has bitten you now? If a master ship
wright. earning four dollars day and
doesn't spend a cent in drink, has cause
to be scared at getting into book
agents debt a few weekly installments,
why"
''But. George. you might take sick,
and"
pigs might lily. Pshaw, girl, there's
not much of the interesting invalid
about me; now, is there? Then, there's
that prize-packet lodger upstairs,
whom you seduced into paying a dol
lar and half week for his room.r
"Oh, yes, he's very nice, isn't he? But
Il fear he's out OF work, and, though he's
such perfect gentleman, l don't think
we can rely on his stopping with us for
long"
George laughed with enjoyment at
his wife's forebodings; it was rather
too good joke to think that a Chicago
shipwright in full pay couldn't afford
| to indulge in the purchase of a picture
| book.
You are incorrigible, George" the
! wife said with laughing lips. Then
little seriously: lis 1t likely to be
busy season at the dry-dock?"
"You bet. Why, Moore & Marston
have more orders on hand than they
can ever fill. The Red Star company
has the lines laid for hundred thou
sand dollar passenger boat Burroughs
& Watts have given orders for two
first-class tugs, and there are six barges
know will be turned out of our yard
this summer"
Times should be good, George"
"Never better"
At that moment the front door opened
and a young woman entered-a tall,
shapely girl, with good features, and
fair hair lying on her forehead like
cloud of feathery glory; yet, there was
shadow OF unhealth in the hawless
transparency of her complexion, and
her step lacked the litheness. and ac-
tivity of buoyant youth.
Alice Palmer's lines had not been cast
in pleasant places, except so far as she
was enabled to board with her sister,
Mrs. Harland. She "clerked" in great
dollar bazaar kept by a Hebrew mer-
chant, who cared nothing for the help
less girls who sold his glittering wares,
knowing well that when one broke
down-as, poor things, they were often
in the habit of doing-there were score
to take her place.
"You look tired tonight, Ally" the
mechanic said anxiously, as the girl
took her place at the table.
"Tired!' she replied, 81 am clean
worn out. A big country excursion
came to the city to-day, and the store
was over-run. You'd be tired too,
George, If you'd had to stand twelve
hours without rest, and with the
thought ever uppermost in your mind
that in this land of boasted prosperity
there were thousands like you, selling
their young lives and hopes for beg
carly payment that just keeps them in
food and clothes"
Seems to me-" said her brother-in-
law gravely, 'there's something wrong
in state of society which permits such
things; there ought to be law to put
stop to II. There ought to be a
law passed to compel employers of
female labor to pay fair wages and de-
cent treatment. But, Ally, throw the
thing up, and rest till you can better
yourself You know how welcome you
are to live with u.s."
st may come to that, George, for
something that has happened to-day
leads me to expect my discharge on
Saturday night.
''Oh, Ally, dear, how is that? They
seemed to think SO much of you?"
Mrs. Harland asked.
1T was through no fault of mine.
You know Charlie Grant, don't you?"
1.-THE reporter on the Herald who is
going to marry Carrie Chambers? Yes,
sure"
"Well, he came into the store to |
give me a message for her, and while |
he was talking to me Mrs. Buddulph,
the millionaire pork-packer's wife-oh, |
Nellie, how l do hate those new rich |
people-drove up in her carriage and |
walked straight to my counter. Char
lie stood respectfully aside till she
should give her orders, but as soon as
she had seated herself she began a
TRADE against servant girls, and wound
up by indignantly demanding why
was stuck there behind counter, in
stead of earning an honest living as a
domestic, when hired help was hardly
TO be had for love or money"
what did you say?"
II felt ready to sink with vexation;
but dared not reply, for she is good
customer; but what do you think Charlie
Grant did? He raised his hat in the
politest manner, and said in voice
that could be heard all over the store:
You ought to be very grateful to Mrs.
Biddulph for her kind advice. She
speaks from experience, you know, for