The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-06-18
A LOST MOONSTONE.
by ELEANOR w. =. BATES.

dozen sewing machines stood about,
each in such light as its worker could
best attain But no part of the room
was dark, for there We're large, high
windows and ain ample skylight, which
let in IA noble flood of sunshine, even TO
dazzling on a clear day, 50 that Miss
Hall, the forewoman of the shirt fac
tory, petitboned Mr.. Chester for q cur
tain.
"Oh, don't shut out that lovely sun
light" cried fresh young voice
You'll be- blind yourself some day,
and then you'll know how good il is, -
replied the unrelenting foreNoman.
ii send up Peter" said Mr.. Chester
Here's an order for six shirts. They
must be just right and made by hand.
The eyelet holes must be bigger than
common, TO accommodate the custom
er's stud He left it for a measurement;
here it is; keep it to-day, and hand il to
me when you 60 home. Look out for
it,"
The patentee and manufacturer of
Chester's superior shirts disappeared,
and Miss Hall held up the gem and
looked at ii. Two or three girls left
their seats and came, with sewing
'Nti INCL No Ills I1t1-i Inc
stud. 1t was really beautiful moon
stone of unusual size and luster. set in
the narrowest rim of gold.
I've heard that they are costly
things" said Miss Hall. Go back TO
your work, girls, and don't idle any
longer"
At the extreme end Of the room sat
two young women. One was a new
hand. who had propitiated Miss Hall by
a sample OF exquisite needlework Her
name was FlOretta Simpson. The other,
Dolly Burr, was older, and had been in
Mir Chester's employ ever since he had
patented his handmade shirts, which
from the unvarying excellence. of their
manufacture, were fast making his
fortune. She was now initiating Floretta
into certain technicalities. They had 10
change their. seats; for Peter. general
utility man, now appeared and draped
white cloth across the sunny skylight,
To the darkeningo of the corner where the
girls had placed themselves.
Can you get along now, think ?" said
Dolly.
Yes; you're awfully good" said
Floretta- Il know how To sew. but [
never could put garment together i
couldn't do whole shirt TO save NV
life"
We'll, you won't have To here We
each have separate parts, and work on
them all the year round. That girl over
there does all the necks, unless there are
too many; the new hands try the seams
first Last month We were rushed SO il
took all one girls time just 10 put in
gussets, and she's quick worker. too
You're ia luck To- be set I'd tUcking; l
think it's such pretty work.
If these are al handmade garments.
what are those machines doing there -
asked FIoretta-
Well, YOU see there is a cheaper
garment which Is substantially hand
made, all but the seams; and when
work is dull, Mr.. Chester gets out q lot
Of them and sells TO retailers; but they
are not the patented article, and don't
I, tch the same price. You'll have TO run
a machine sometimes. I'd just az soon;
it makes a change. l used to run a ma
chine all the time. but that's hard
work.
Floretta sewed in silence a few min
utes.
Il hope / shall suit" she said. wist-
fully. Il never worked away from
home before; and you don't know how
bashful | felt when | first came in, and
all you girls looked at me-"
Up the stairs-for this attic room was
reached by no elevator-iuttered I
beautifully dressed, fair-faced young
woman. She rushed at Miss Hall, kissed
her, nodded with bright smile 10 two
OF three of the girls, and began To chat
ter voiubly to the forewoman.
That's Mrs. Chester" whispered
Dolly. She used to work here before
she married Mr.. Chester"
Floretta fixed her ewes, on the pretty
creature. Can she sew?" she asked;
and indeed one would have as soon
thought of a butterfly or a white mouse
sewing.
''Oh, pretty we'll; not SO well as you
and l." answ wered Dolly, candidly
Il can't have so much noise here"
said Miss Hall. raising her voice. You
must all sew more and talk less. Miss
Simpson, if you've got that tucking
done, I'll set you to work on these eyelet
holes. I'll give you the stud to measure
by. Now make the eyelet just right for
the stem of the stud, neither too large
HOT lOO Sflld.l- f1clt the
mercy's sake don't lose it,"
''Oh, let me see it" cried Mrs. Chester,
rustling forward. 'Oh, what a beauty,
The idea of this being wasted on a man,
1t ought to be set in a lady's ring
Wouldn't it be a lovely pendant for a
necklace? 1t is a cross between a pearl
and a moonbeam-"
She stayed talking some time longer,
then departed, stopping on the top stair
to say: ''Oh. you poor girls: wish you
could all go to walk this lovely day"
Somehow it seemed darker after she
had gone. The girls fell into a silence.
Miss Hall called Peter TO uncover the
Skylight. Floretta found herself short
of thread, and, applying to the fore
woman for more, was sharply rebuked
for not returning her empty spool, as
the rules required 1t was now one
O'Clock Some of the girls went oct for
lunch. while Others produced small
baskets, and in one corner an oil stove
did yeoman duty in brewing divers cups
of tea.
FIoretta felt lonely She looked at
Dolly. but Dolly was setting out her
dinner on the cover of a pasteboard box.
so Floretta put on her hat and started
for the stairs.
IF you're going out, Miss Simpson"
said Miss Hall. looking up from some
accounts she was auditing, you'd bet
ter hand me that stnd-''
II haven't it" said FlorettaI
"You haven't it, Why, l gave it 10
you,' said Miss Hall in a horrified Voice, |
getting up in a violent hurry and begin
ming to search her business pocket"
Yes, 1 know YOU did, said Floretta, |
and measured an eyelet by II; but 1 |