Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-12-05

L
it," said she.
He looked at her from top to toe.
"Famlly ?"
"Myself only" he said.
She nodded.
"Dinner at six ?"
She nodded again.
"Soup every day."
She nodded once more.
"For the rest, variety"
gall right" she said.
He named the wages, and took her
down into the kitchen, where the
young person who was general as
sistant received her with q bewil-
dered stare.
After that he did not see her for
four weeks, but his meals were deli
cious. At the end of tho time he
went down stairs to pay her wages.
It was late in the evening. A plump
lady with pink cheeks sat before the
fire stoning raisins. He did not know
her at first, but as the knowledge
dawned on him, he realized how near
| ly she had been to starvation on the
/ day when he hired her. All he said
was:
"I like my steak broiled less"
After that he saw her once in four
weeks regularly. She never said any
thing to him but "thankye, sir" He
always found fault with something,
his eyes fixed on vacancy the while.
He was trim and big bachelor of 40,
with handsome black side whiskers.
She was 80, and warm-tinted little
blonde-not red haired, though the
kitchen girl thought so. Her hair
was Titian's pet color. Outwardly
she called her master "that bear"
Secretly she thought him very hand
some.
One day the dinner came down
untasted.
"What fault has he found with
it now?"
"None," said the girl. "He's sick. ="
At breakfast no one came to the
table.
Then the cook assembled the stairs,
and finding a pair of boots outside
one door, knocked at it.
"Come in" said a faint voice.
She went in, and the result of her
investigation was a telegram to the
doctor. Her master, who had always
been proud of not being vaccinated,
had caught the smallpox.
"You'd better go. You'll catch it,"
said he.
"I'm not afraid" said she. "Some-
body must stay, you know"
She stayed. AS he got better, he
rewarded her-as convalescent men
always do reward their nurses-by
scolding her, and finding fault with
everything. She had helped the doc
tor save his life, and had done all that
mortal could do, but he snapped and
snarled at her.
One day, however, he being well
though still in quarantine, had some
vile concoction brought him for his
dinner.
"What is this ?" he asked.
"It's the best I could do," said
Bridget, who, having been victim to
the disorder in her childhood, had no
fear of it. "Cook has gone off,"
"Where has she gomez" asked the
master.
ITO the hospital !" said Bridget.
"She did be getting the smallpox, and
she went"
at wasn't for one just out of sick
bed to use the language the master
did after that" Bridget said, in relas-
ing the incident.
But he was yet an invalid, and he
did not know his cooks name.
She had never told it to him. He
tried in vain to discover her where
abouts, but Bridget showed sagacity.
"The wages were owing, and the
trunk in the bedroom. Cook would
come back"
So the master waited; month
passed another week ; then another ;
then one evening some one rang
the bell.
"Cook is back and wants to see
you," said Bridget.
The master went into the parlor.
There sat the long-absent woman.
Her hair had been cut short, and
curled up about her temples; but her
complexion was not spoiled, though
she was thin and worn again.
"I've come to see whether you
wanted me to cook for you again, "
said she.
"No," said he.
every WE'LL" said she.
"You had no business to 60 off that
way" said he.
"Who'd have taken care of me?"
she asked.
"It was my duty to see to that,
after all you'd done for me-" said he.
mot at ALL" said she. "And about
the wages? 1 don't want to hurry
you, but 1 need the money"
/