The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-04-29
A LOST MOONSTONE.
by ELEANOR w. F.. BATES.

1t was large, bare room, white
washed once, but now cobwebby as to
the ceiling and dingy as to the walls. A
dozen sewing machines stood about,
each in such light as it's worker could
pest attain. But no part of the room
was dark, for there were large, high
windows and an ample slzylight, which
lee IN a noble flood of sunshine, even to
dazzling on clear day, so that Miss
Hall, the forewoman of the shirt fac
tory, petitioned Mr.. Chester for 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 it is,
replied the unrelenting forewoman.
It'll 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 measurement;
here it is; keep it to-day, and hand it to
me when you go 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 it. Two or three girls left
their seats and came, with sewing
dangling over their arms, to inspect the
stud. 1t was really beautiful moon
stone OF unusual size and luster, set in
the narrowest rim of gold.
1--WE 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
Mr.. 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 wasnow initiating Florettu
into certain technicalities. They had to
change their seats; for Peter, general
utility man, now appeared and draped
white cloth across the sunny skylight,
tothe tlarkeningof the corner where the
girls had placed themselves.
Gan you get along now, think?" said
Dolly.
Eyes; you're awf1llly good" said
Floretta. II know how to sew, but I
never could put garment together. l
couldn't do a whole shirt to save my
life"
"Well, 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 necl1s, unless there are
too many; the new hands try the seams
first. Last month we were rushed so it
took all one girls time just to put in
gussets, and she's a quick worker, too.
You're in luck to be set to tucking; I
think it's such pretty work."
IF these are all handmade garments,
what are those machines doing there?'
asked Floretta.
''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 lot
CT them and sells to retailers; but they
are not the patented article, and don t
fetch the same price. You'll have to run
machine sometimes. I'd just as soon;
it makes change. I used to run a ma
chine all the time, but that's hard
work.
Floretta sewed in silence a few min
utes.
II hope shall suit" she said, visit
fully. Il never worked away from
home before; and you don't know how
bashful felt when I first came in, and
all you girls looked at me-
Up the stairs-for this attic room was
reached by no elevator-futtered q
beautifully fair-faced young
woman. She rushed at Miss Hall, kissed
her, nodded with a bright smile to two
or three of the girls, and began to chat
ter volubly to the forewoman.
"That's Mrs. Chester whispered
she married Mr.. Chester
Floretta fixed her eyes 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 we'll as you
and l." answered Dolly. candidly.
II 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
nor too small. Here's the stud; for
mercy's sake don't lose it!''
''Oh, let me see it," cried Mrs. Chester,
r'ustling forward. "Oh. what beauty!
The idea of this being wasted on a man!
1t ought to be set in laly's ring,
Wouldn't it be a lovely pendant for a
necklace? It is a cross between a pearl
and 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
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