The record-union., 1897-07-26
A CASE AT Z. & LIS.


Black, " the Superintendent of T. & LIS
store, directed. Il would give the place
10 No. 20; in some respects she seems
TO catch on quicker than the other girl;
but she has no one dependent upon
her, and the additional half dollar
week viii be help in the Marty house
hold
Miss Edwards, the young woman who
was ''right-hand man" in the Super
intendent's office, looked half regretfui
as she resumed her accounts After
ALL I don't see why I should care,
She thought; Sadie is such an odd
young one She never seems to care
whether you take interest in her or
not"
As the Superintendent passed oUC VI
the store, he ran across No. 20. she
had a silk waist over her arm, and she
had let fall a block of white RIBBON
that coiled in stiff spirals under peoples
feet. She was scarlet with confusion
and the floor walker was scolding her
carelessness. Tut. tut; accidents VIII
happen sometimes" said Mr.. Randon,
as he passed The girls eyes hashed
him a grateful glance, before she hao
time to think that this was the Superln-
back abashed.
Miss Edwards and the detective in 4.
& LIS store were churls. They ate
their lunch together and heated COM
panion cups of tea on a CHEEKY little
brass contrivance in Miss Edwards
room. a tiny room that opened off OF
the SUPERINTENDENT office. Both got
comfortable salaries, both were getting
on towards middle age, and both took a
wholesome. maternal interest in the
younger girls in the store. Miss Selig-
man was continually brought face to
face with ugly phases of human nature,
but the experience had not hardened
her heart.
Sadie Martin puzzles me- she was
saying. Il can't make her out. This
V.-street dancing school is a lovely
chance for a girl to have real innocent
amusement, but she won't join. The
cost is only % cents a month, ana
there Will be a soiree every now and
then, when the pupils can invite their
friends. One Of the teachers was here
and said that any girl whom 1 knew
to be unable to pay was welcome to
come for nothing The ladies hope to
get an influence over the girls in thai
necessary to be long-faced and sober
sided in order TO be religious. 1 con-
sidered that Sadie was able to pay.
What excuse did Sadie give for not
joining"
Said she did not care for dancing
You know that's a story. Dancing and
music are the only things 1 ever found
out that she did care for. Don't you
ing Just before Christmas, when those
new music boxes We're unpacked You
know they kept the stock-girls late
after closing those nights, so as to help
fix the new goods. When 1 first told
the girls about this dancing school, Sa-
dies face flushed up and she looked
Interested: then she put on that queer
she has and refused to join
Miss Edwards looked into space for
a while and let her tea get cold.
I've got it," she said at length. THE
child's a miser It's a pity, but I'm
forced to think so. See what broken
shoes she wears, no matter whether it
rains or sleets or SHOWS. Then she
sticks to that one little jersey jacket of
hers until the wrists are all frayed and
the elbows rubbed and even patched"
Yes; and I have shivered to see her
going in and out with only that half
cotton shawl for a covering all this bit
ter weather I told her about those
three-dollar coats that were going for
a dollar and a half, and even offered to
lend her a part of the money, but she
assured me that she was warm
enough"
She'll buy some things, though.
When I was going home last night, 1
saw her getting some cheap pink rib
bon. and another time she bought some
common flowers. Perhaps she plays
with dolls STILL
"She gets So a week?"
Yes. and pays 81 % for her board.
Sarah Rounds, who knows Mrs. Green,
where she lives, says that the rooms
look fairly decent, and the Green chill
dren seem we'll fed and clothed
well, it doesn't strike me that Sa-
die looks either we'll fed or comforta-
BILE"
Does she belong to the penny fund.-"
Yes and she always seems pleased
at pasting the gay-colored stamps in
her book, but she lost her book lately
with 81 - worth of stamps unre-
deemed. She's a taking kind of child,
although you don't know why. Two
or three shoppers lately have told her
to keep the pennies when she was Civ
ing them change and I heard one lady
ask her if she had comfortable home.
You can't help feeling drawn towards
her although l am afraid it's the
truth that she is a miser. She brings
such skinny lunches that the girls Of
fer her some of theirs, though I've no
ticed that she always colors up and re-
fuses to join them"
Who's a miser?" said the Superin-
tendent who had come in and over
heard the last remark. He greeted the
detective pleasantly. She had been
with the firm fifteen years. They val
ued her services.
"Humph!" he calculated when they
had told him. pulling at his beard in
way he had. ''The girl can't be
miser. It's more likely that this Mrs
What's-her-na whom she lives with,
spirits away her money. and doubtless
she doesn't take as good care of her as
she does Of her own children. I saw
the girl just now on my way out. She's
a scrawny little thing. Looks so old. >"
"One of the silk-waist saleslad dies
wants to see Mr.. Random" announced
q small boy from the outer office.
Tell her to come in" and the Super
intendent passed to his inner room.
Il don't think that I ought to have to
make it good. I have proof positive
that 1 gave the money into the girls
hands, and it's unfair to hold me re-
sponsible" blurted out a big blonde