The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31


err" she said, kissing her affectlon-
ately, and I hope you're a true
prophet, as we'll, and that the turn in
the tide you predict will soon occur"
And yet, despite her attempt at
cheerfulness, Mary was very sad when
she retired that night, little thinking
that her darkest hours had passed
and that bright future was about to
dawn for her,
When Farmer Fairchild died he
left his wife and child in comfortable
circumstances, but little by little their
property had diminished until at last
Mary was forced to seek employment.
She first tried teaching a country
school, but was obliged to give that
up on account of long illness. She
then tried book canvassing, but was
not fitted for the work and was not
successful, yet, having her mother as
we'll as herself to support, she was
determined not to be conquered by
adverse circumstances. She slept lit
tie that night, and woke early unde-
termined what work she would at
tempt next. This question was solv-
ed in an unexpected way, for letter,
arrived from a relative in Western
city, telling Mary she had the refusal
of position in a large department
store. The salary, $50 month, would
keep the two until something better
offered itself.
So the Fairchilds sold their little
home, went out to the thriving West
ern town, where Mary at once began
work at the lace counter of Mr.. Har-
per's store.
Mr.. Harper, pleasant, middle
aged man, was fine manager, keep
ing watchful eye on his employees,
and he soon noticed how anxious
Mary was to master all the details OF
her department, and how carefully
she attended to the wants of her pa
irons. Before the end of the year the
new clerk was at the head of the lace
department at a good salary, and at
the close OF the second year she was
promoted to the position of purchaser
of her line of goods, going East thrice
year for that purpose. Mary de-
served her good luck, yet her advance
had been so rapid that she made some
enemies, who were always ready to
do her an i'll turn. But she also gain
ed an ardent admirer in the cashier oi
the store, a rather ill-favored man oi
uncertain age, toward whom Mary
had received an unaccountable antip-
athy. Whenever Mr.. Mullen came
near her she became as distant as pos
sible, but her shyness, as he called it,
only attracted him more to her. II
was only after he had declared his
love and offered her his hand as if he
were offering her great honor, that
he became convinced that Mary pos.
itively disliked him. Then, being
mean at heart, he began to hate hei
and plan for her humiliation. In a
short time he became very friendly
with one Of the clerks under Mary
fostered this girls dislike for her su.
perior skill and finally enlisted her aid
in fashionable scheme which he had
formulated.
One day, at noon recess, this girl
went to the foorwalker and in great
excitement declared that bolt ofvery
valuable lace had disappeared from
the counter. The hoorwalker accom-
panied her to the department and be-
gan thorough search for the missing
lace. Under the counter he found q
little portfolio containing two maga
zines, and between these magazine:
was hidden the bolt of costly lace.