Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1896-06-17
A PoNGEE HANDKERcE1EFr.

s J J J ! ! ; ; : :: :: : i !: !"
"a . ARGAINs, eh?" said
eSs4S y Mrs. Pilkington.
N9 Haoa "Guess I'll look at
.he 'en." =
VIZ OF oil things, Mrs.
bK) 81 Pilkington was least
~ H able to resist o bar
w. gain.
Tho old Pilkington farm house ct
home was cram1ned full of ''bargaine.
rossihle and impossible. The bureau
drawers overAowed with "bargains, v
which were of no nee to anyone; the
trunks were packed full Of "bar-
gains"
And here, OH the crowded curb
stones of Grand street, the swinging
pasteboard sign of "Great Bargains
Within |" attracted her attention, hur-
ried though she was with the manifold
errands which yet remained incom-
plete.
She had lot OF damaged table
linen under her arm, and some cheap
hosiery in her bag, and dozen tow.
els with misprinted borders in her
pocket, and here she was crowdins
into the Grand street store to buy q
blue spotted pongee neckerchief for
eighteen cents!
s1t'll DO for Sara Janetta to wa'ar
around her neck OF o cool eyenin', y
said Mrs. Pilkington, send eighteen
cents is really very cheap for real pom
gee."
Mrs. Pilkington lived in little
brown rooted farm house on the Hous-
atomic River, and her main errand up
to town had been to buy "storo car
pet" for her bedroom floor, and to ex-
change ON old sewing machine for
something of q rlewer order.
Her cousin, Mrs. Bruce Babb.tt,
who had spent the summer months ut
the farm. and made the most possible
trouble for the least possible pay, had
also engaged to hunt her up "help"
from the nearest intelligence Office,
and have tho same on hand when the
"6ye-four train' left the Grand Cen
tral Depot that afternoon!
And sure enough, when the lady
from the country arrived, red and
painting, at the depot, with disheveled
hair, bent bonnet and shawl dragged
all awry,; modest young girl stood at
tbo door with card bearing the name
of "Mrs. Bruce .Babbitt" in her hand.
"Is it Mrs. Pilkington9" said she.
.sYou ain't the new sewing machine,
be your" said Mrs. Pilkiagton, rub
bing her nose with puzzled air.
s.Nor yet the eighteen yards of carpet
from Stoneybridge and Bounce's?"
s.I am Phoebe, +" eaid the young wo-
man-"Phebe, of nine dollars q
month, if ON lucky enough to suit
you, ma'am"
She was pretty, blue eyed lass,
with o fresh complexion. and neat
gown OF green and white seer.sacker,
and she were o bonneta,f her own
trimming. with d cluster Cd tuttercups
on the side.
Mrs. Pilkington looked Gtubiously at
her. She had prepared herself to ex.
pect stout, red handed drudge.
It did not seem possible that this
delicate little apple blossom Of girl
could be servapt-of-aA-work.
But there, sure enough, wore her
credentials. and the bell, even then,
was Changing for the closing Of the
gates.
"Come on!" said Mrs. Pilkington,
and she ruzhed through, dragging
Phoebe after her. "It's strange, though,
that the carpet and the sewing ma.
chine amt here"
ssDid you expect carpet and sew
ing machine, ma'am?" Phoebe asked
respectfully.
s'l bought 'em and paid for EN-"
said Mrs. Pilkington impressively,
sand don't see why they amt here"
"Perhaps they will be sent by ex.
press" suggested Phoebe.
ssI declare to goodness, I never
thought OF thats" said Mrs. Pilking.
ton.
And she skurried through the crowd
ed car to find seat.
Tt was the dusk Of chilly May
evening when they reached Black
birds Hollow, and alighted in the
midst of dense pines and sighing tam
aracks.
sTf Pilkington hain't remembered
to come and meet us I shall be mad !"
said Mrs. Pilkingtou, stretching her
neck forward the better to survey the
glimmering curves oil the road. "And
Pllkinston is always forgetting! Ny
goodness, gracious me, what's that?"
as Phoebe stopped to recover some
thing which she had inadvertently let
fall.
"My handkerchief, ma'am."
Mrs. Pilkington made grasp at it.
"Your handkerchief" she screamed.
''Mine, you mean-minx thief! good
for-nothing my pengee handker-
chief, that you havs stolen right ont
OF my bag! Well, never
She shook Phebe vehemently.
Phoebe began to cry in mingled ter
ror and resentment, and just then up
drove the farm wagon ct gallop.
"Hello, mother !" said Ezra Pilking-
toms cheerful voice. "i'm afraid I've
kept you waiting bia, but the Inch
pin came out OF the whecl and had
to stop at Tony Deephill's to get it
fixed. Now, then!"
He drove the stout pony close to the
raised platform which extended away
from the station.
Mrs. Pilkington pushed Phebo into
the back seat and followed her with
lightning haste.
'Not that way |" she cried, grasping
at the reins, as Ezra would have head.
ed for the highroad. 'tDxize straight