The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-01-29
A BUSINESS GIRL.

then Daniel was a big, slow, man
with a placid manner and silver-streak
ed hair, and years older than his onl!
sister, Martha, who was his house
keeper. He kept the only genera
shop in the village, and lived in th'
cottage attached to it-so small q cot
tage that when he announced tha
Betty was to find home under it:
roof, Miss Matte really had some rea-
son for asking him how he proposed
TO make room for the new conner.
"Wol, lass" Daniel answered, IL
his slow way, "t place ain big, surely
but Betty herself he only a bill O. {
wench." !,
SHELL grow" Miss Matte objected
"Belike, belize, Daniel admitted
unruffied; "but twill not be SO fas
we'll not ha' time u get used t. 1t an
plan accordin.' No chaps house were
ever robbed o. comfort cause t orphan
were given shelter in it. "
So he went off to LondOn-far away
wonderful, confusing London, whence
he was glad to escape with the LITTLE
girl; and Betty came TO live at u
shopn in Little Gorston. She go'
along with Daniel famously from the
beginning; and on the Sunday after
her arrival, when she went to church
with him, the villagers stared at the
slim, black -frocked, pale-faced little
creature, whose frail fingers restec
contidingly in the huge brown hano
of the clumsy gentleman, as they came
up the church-yard path together
Miss Matte came stalking grimly be,
hind-so grimly, that when the chllo
glanced back, with little smile, she
was too frightened by what she cav tc
dare to repeat the experiment.
Miss Matte did not approve or Bet'
tvs coming, nor take to her. Her lie
was centered in her brother, aud from
the first she resented and feared the
thought of the child coming between
him and herself. She was willing tc
make many, if not all sacrifices ioi
him in her own severely practical way
and she could not understand why he
should desire anything else. But Dan
slow-thinklng, slower.
speaking Daniel-was firm, because ne
saw his duty clearly before him. -
ats right, lass" he said to his sis'
ter. tT' little lass ha 40 kith nor KIN
'cept YOU an I. We mum STAN by
her,"
And he did stand by Betty during
the wears which saw her sbootup from
a short-frocked child to a tall girl Dor
derinp on womanhood. She came tc
be his constant companion, his rlgh!
hand, his oracle in all his commercial
She had Inherited from
ner mother a quick brain and an IN
stinct for figures and affairs to make
her a veritable business girl. Matters
which made her big, gray-haired cousin
groan in anguish or plod with futile
Helplessness over columns of blotted
or involved accounts, were nothing to
her quick wits and keen eyes. Daniel
accepted her help at the outset with
trepidation, which resolved
into contented and absolute faith.
Without Betty he was nothing; and
the girl always remembered who had
stood between herself and the world,
and treated him with all the respect
mis- own daughter might have paid.
Daniel never meant to drift apart
from his sister; but Miss Matte, al
though devoted to him in her heart,
and ready to serve him as his hano
maid, lacked the gift of sympathy,
aud refused to take any part or Interest
in the affairs of the shop. She lost nc
opportunity of saying, in her old
fashioned, prim way, that she disap'
proyed of advanced women, and con.
sidered that girls were wholly out OF
nlace in business, even if that bust.
uess only extended to looking after q
village shop. And, perhaps, Miss
Matte felt more bitterly than she cared
to own, or even than she knew, hel
brothers. unconscious transference OF
80 much of his allegiance to the girl
whom she regarded as an intruder
She did not quarrel with Betty, but
never pretended to be her friend OF
.lad to have her in the house.
The latent hostility and thinly veil
ed dislike made the girl uncomforta'
ble and unhappy, and once she sug'
yested to Daniel that it t'would be better
if she went away-but only once. She
was startled by his distress and terror
may, nay, lass" he said, Martha
doesn't know thee yet. But, heril
learn -her'll learn. An COULDN'T
bide wiout thee now. What would
the shop be wi'out thee ?"
All, YES, Daniel well knew what the
shop would be without Betty-the
shop whence came the living of them
all. and which was to keep Miss Matte
from want if she were left alone. Times
were changing. new rivalrles ana com
petitors were springing up like lions
in the path. The stately, lelsurely
methods which had been well enough
once and had worked like machinery
would no longer do. To win success
and make a way now was needed youth
and pushful tact-yes, the talents OF
the business girl, whom in his simple
nious heart he thanked God every day
for sending to him. Without Betty
the shop woula be nothing at all. He
was growing old and tired, and Miss
Matte knew nothing, and would scorn
to learn, even it it were not too late
Not that Miss Matte ever thought sc
herself. She did not suppose, OF
course, that matters would go on in
definitely without change, but cher.
ished a vague notion that Daniel and
herself would eventually retire on 8
modest competence.
And even Betty, although she anX'
iously watched the lines OF though,
deepening on Daniels face, did not
fullv realize all his secret care for the
sister who had lived with him SO long
without really knowing or understand
him.
So Betty remained to help Daniel
and to cling to the hope of winning
Miss Matte in the end-a forlorn hope
and without much chance
Of realization. But, to compensate FOL
-. into fhn Oi rlls