Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-03-16

OR
THE FISHERMAN'S DDLDE.
OR
CHAPTER XL-CONTINUED.


and repeated the visit at q very brlei
interval OF time, when she impaired
to Nelly q project she had conceived;
it was that Ida should be allowed to
assist her in her work, thereby not
only earning at once a small sum
weekly, but with q prospect Of obtain
ing-an insight into trade which, at
some future time, might be extremely
advantageous to her.
"She'll be quite worth that to me, |
assure you" Mrs. Stocker went on to
say. ''The fact is, I've been wanting
this long while to have girl as could
help me; but they're SO awkward, and
there's so few of 'em can be trusted.
Now, your little thing has just the
knack of it, [ can see, and it's my be.
lief she'd take to it wonderful. Any
way, Pm willing to risk it, and if you
don't mind trusting her with me"
That was the difficulty. The moth
er had so accustomed herself to look
upon the child as something too prec-
ious to be trusted out Of her sight,
and had been made to feel so terribly
her first deviation from the habit,
that she felt scarcely any inducement
sufficient
Her new acquaintance spoke whole
some counsel-of how little to the
chiId's own welfare it could prove that
she should be so secluded from the
world, in which she must eventually
mix; how few callings there were for
which she was not wholly disqualified.
"Poor dear" she added kindly, mo
blame to her; but in this, you see, it
might make little odds; her being so
handy; and, between me and you, it s
none so bad a trade You see there
are few catch at the knack of tasti-
ness--and it's just having the ready
fingers; and then the connection is
something 1t isn't what do for the
ordinary folks at the theater; they
wouldn't pay; but there two or three
OF our tirst-raters that | work for.
I've got into their ways, and they
wouldn't part with me on no account,
both as regards their dresses and their
ornaments, So you know all about
it now, and if you can make up your
mind. it will please her, poor child,
and be little help to you; for, Of
course, she'd take all her meals with
me-"
Thoselast words sent q pang to the
heart Of the mother. Her table, poor
as it was, deprived ofthe solace of her
darling's presence-it seemed impos-
sible to consent; yet, again, she was
not insensible to the thought that the
child would doubtless fare very much
better with the good-natured woman
who had taken fancy to her than
she could out of her scanty earnings.
Mrs. Stocker attributed her hesita-
ton, apparently, to another source.
FtYou needn't be afraid OF her meeting
anybody there you'd object to; I'm
mostly alone the whole blessed day
Bill is seidom o. home but of Sunday
evenings, for he's wanting as much
days as nights, and not a soul comes
but maybe D lady now and again from
the theatre, to give some directions.
1hen, you know, you would come for
sler, for I'd bring her here before six.
Cone, now, you'll think of it, and not
sttynd in the child's way; she's so
longing to make herself useful"
So it was settled that little Ida
should go to Mrs. Stocker, to be her
assistant in the stringing of pearls,
and the holding Of threads, and sort
ing OF beads, and silks, and what not.
1t was not ten minutes walk from
Che lodging in GosWel-road, yet Nelly
took her there and lett her with
Beating heart.
"How strange" she thought, as she
retained to her solitary home. "This
has come of that good-for-not thing
fellow scheming for nay ring. How
very strangely things come to pass"
It was chill, autumnal day, when
they laid the long ailing, enfeebled
old man, the father OF Agnes Chaunce,
to his last rest. The leaden colored
clouds seemed 10th to descend, yet
threatening the rain which would now
and then just perceptibly moisten the
biting wind that blew sharply, betok-
ening the wintry lands it had passed
over in it's course.
Though the very slenderest and
most meagre. in appearance, the fun
eral was not pauper's. The poor
girl had parted with thelast available
articles of furniture, with the excep-
ton Of the bedstead on which the old
man died, to make up the needful sum
for laying her miserable parent at
least decently in the earth. The dress
she had habitually wore was black,
and the undertaken, himself of the
very humbIest in his craft, made her q
present of the gloves and a piece OF
Grape for the bonnet; SO far, her out
ward appearance bore company to
the grief within, and Heaven knows
that was deep enough.
1t was so violent and overwhelm-
ing-nay, passionate, in it's display,
that the women in the house, who had
as amatter Of course, mustered strong
on the occasion, marveled greatly.
''They should have thought it would
be q good radiance; gracious heavens,
her hands were regularly tied with the
old man, and not a moment OF peace
of her blessed life, with his grumbling
and growing.
Nellydidnotgo so far as that, certain
Nv, but she was not without surprise
at her friend S uncomfortable emotion,
which seemed to her to partake OF
some other sentiment than grief; yet,