Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1897-08-28
DOLLY'S CONFESSION.
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

February sunshine across the dark,
rich lines of the Administer carpet as
Dolly Damar drew the decorated
window shade.
''It seems pity to shut out Gods
sunshine" murmured she, abut Mrs.
Ledyard is always cautioning me
about letting that carpet fade.p
And she took a farewell glance
over the snow enamelled avenue,
where gayly caparisoned sleighs
skinned to and fro, and parties of
promenaders occupied the pave
ments, before she returned to her
humdrum task of busting the draw.
ing room.
For Dolly Damar was "only the
upstairs girp' in Mrs. Ledyard's
pretentious establishment. She was
a farmers daughter, who had receiv-
ed an education above the average !;
and when old Hiram Damar's death
had broken up the household, she
had come to New York, hoping to
get situation as nursery govern
ness or companion.
Disappointed in one after another
of her aspirations, she was at last
glad to secure o place as parlor
maid at Mrs. Ledyards, where she
was today, singing as she busted
bric-a' brac and polished plate glass
for Dolly was a cheerful little
maid, and had an inveterate habit of
making the best of things.
Crash ! Dolly gave start and
turned around.
Little Gladys, the youngest child
of the Ledyard flock, in tampering
with china shepherdess, had knock
ed it over. 1t lay in a score of gilt
tering fragments on the floor.
ooh, Miss Gladys" cried the up.
stairs girl. "What have you dore?"
dolly, don't give me away
stammered the slangy daughter.
"Tell ma it was the cat.'
"Bnt, Miss Gladys, that would be
a lie."
mo, it wouldn't. It would be
nothing on earth but tiny little
white fib, And ma will be so mad.
Oh, Dolly, do let her think it was
pussyl"
II couldn't, Miss Gladys. Please
don't ask me to - pleaded poor Dol
ly. II must speak the truth if she
asks me.'
Miss Gladys Ledyard swung NUT
tering, out Of the room.
"I'll be even with her yet" she
said, "the mean, hateful tattle-tale p
And when Mrs. Ledyard came
home from her sleigh ride in the
Park, Gladys was before hand With
the "mean, hateful tattle. tale"
Mrs. Ledyard sent for Dolly, tax
ed her with the misdemeanor of
breaking a Dresden shepherdess
worth twenty dollars, and then en-
deavoring to conceal her mishap,
while Gladys stood grinning by, and
then discharged her, first warning
her that it would be useless to ex.
pect a reference from that number
Fifth avenue.
So poor Dolly went back to the
intelligence Office and sat there day
after day until all her slender stock
of patience, and still more slender
supply of money, were exhausted.
No one would engage girl with
out any reference from her last
place. Day by day her heart sank
lower and the future became darker.
until her landlady's daughter, a
stylish looking, bIack-eyed girl, who
was lady's maid in handsome house
on Mallalieu Square, heard of her di.
lemma.
mo recommend, eh ?n she said.
81 can set all that square. I'll give
you one.n
"You ~
Eyes, I. Why not? It's often
done. know two or three girls
who have helped each other out OF a
tight place like that. Ny family is
going into the country for the Eas-
ter holidays. Send your people to
No. 6 Mallalieu Square, Mrs. Nyton's,
and I'll be Mrs. Nyton, and give
you number one character"
'iBut, Ellen, that would be un-
true !"
''What would be untrue? That
you are honest, willing, capable?'
NO, but-you are not Mrs. Ny
TOM
81 shan't say that l am. l shall
merely say what I know to be the
truth about you; and if you succeed
in getting good place, all that I
ask is dollar or two out of your
first months wages. It will be a
sort of masquerade
Then Ellen laughed and showed
her white, even teeth.