Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-03-19

" somewhat shah
by weeds, with blue eyes, delicate
bloom, and shy deprecating way,
like that of kitten who has been ill
treated, and is always on the lookout
for blow. Miss Honeycomb was tall
and handsome, dressed in substan-
tial-looking black silk, with the air OF
woman who fears no created thing.
And they were both from Dollerville,
up the Harlem road.
"Well, declared" said Miss Honey
comb.
"Who would have thought of seeing
you!" said Mrs. Gentle.
"Going to get into Madison ave-
nue. stage" said Miss Honeycomb,
crossing Forty-second street with a
martial air that made hack-drivers
rein in their horses, and even stopped
horse-car that had the undoubted
right of way. But who would have
dared to run over woman with q step
and umbrella like that?
Eyes, suppose so" said Mrs.
Gentle, consulting II crumpled little
slip of newspaper in her pocket. II
wat to go to 10 Rosemary square; and
if that is the nearest way"
Miss Honeycomb whirled around,
with her foot on the omnibus step.
"Eh?" calculated she. "No. 10
Rosemary square? Louisa Gentle, !
am going there, tool"
"To answer an advertisement for a
housekeeper?"
"Yes?"
"Dear mel" said Mrs. Gentle.
"How very strange! I saw the ad-
vertisement and thought perhaps that
I might suit"
"Well," said Miss Honeycomb.
seating herself in the best corner of
the omnibus and clicking her teeth to-
gether something after the same fash
ion in which she clicked the clasp of
her portemonnaie, after taking out the
necessary ten-cent stamp; "there's no
harm in trying. I mean to try"
Little Mrs. Gentle looked dlscom-
fitted. How could she expect to sue
ceed, she asked herself, where Maria
Honeycomb was also competitor for
the vacant post.
There were only three of them in
the stage-Miss Honeycomb, Mrs.
Gentle and little, modest.looking
damsel in aplain, gray travelling dress.
Mrs. Gentle looked at the third per-
son, thinking how sweet and innocent
her face was. Miss Honeycomb glared
at her, secretly assessing her dress at
twenty five cents yard, and setting
down her collar as imitation lace.
Miss Honeycomb put her ten cents
into the fare-box with the air of one
who owned the whole omnibus. Mrs.
Gentle dropped hers apologetically
through the aperture, as if afraid that
she might offend the stage-driver by
too great brusqueness. And the pretty
girl opposite felt in her traveling-bag,
then in her pocket-felt q second time
and thlrd-and then burst into tears.
Miss Honeycomb, who was the COM
plete antipodes of her name in every
respect, sat up, grulf and stern, in her
corner, "like a darning gneedle stuck in
. board" She had read of "conti-
dence games" in the newspapers, and,
no doubt, this was one OF them. Mrs.
Gentle leaned over, with sympathetic
kindness.
"My DEAR" said she, "what is the
matter?"
Miss Honeycomb ierked her dress.
"Don't speak to her." said she. "It's
oil put on."l
"I'ye lost my portemonnaie," said
the young girl, "or else I've had my
pocket picked. Oh, dear! dear! And
there were S25 in it, besides lot OF
change"
('Don't believe there was twenty
five cents in it," said Miss Honey
comb, soto voce,)
"Perhaps one of you ladies would
kindly lend me the fare?" said the
young girl, in tiurrid sort of way.
because it's too far for me to walk,
and / haven't penny left"
Young woman," said Miss Honey
comb, loftily, ''you can't come it over
me! I'm too old bird to be caught
with chaff like that,'
II don't quite understand you,
ma'am," said the young girl, timidly.
"Don't you?" said Miss Honey
comb. "If you presume to ask me
for money again, I'll give you in charge
of the police. Now do you under
stand?"
Mrs. Gentle looked as Indignantly
at Miss Honeycomb, as it was in her
mild nature to look at any one.
GLOW can You speak so. Maria?"
she said, eagerly fumbling in her own
scantily furnished pocket.
"Do you really believe that story?"
shifted Miss Honeycomb contempt
trembling on her lip and disdain
breathing through her uplifted nostrils.
"Why, Of course, believe it."
"Then you're one degree bigger
fool than 1 gave you credit for being" !"
retorted Miss Honeycomb. cts sell.
A regular street sell! II you had
read The Tricks and Trials OF New
York, "a have done, you'd under
stand oil these things from A to II