The Democratic advocate., 1905-02-18

passing her arm around Maude waist af-
iectionately II had no end Of a time
getting off, I'll tell you. Old Brown was
as cross as bear had to tell him all
kinds of stuff. But you'r right in it,
for there's vacancy One of the girls
i sick and you can get her place. It's
shirt waist counter, and is dead easy.
| III tell you, Maude, you re lucky. Wen
leave your grip at my room and 60 up
right away, for | only have two hours.
MIR. Brown, the senior partner of the
firm, liked the appearance of Maude, and
although she did not know it, her soft
brown eyes wore very appealing look, as
Susie explained her merits, adding such
embellishments as she thought best
The next day found Maude duly in-
stalled behind stuffy counter Il was
terribly hot, aud before night she caught
herself longing for the cool, shaded ham
mock on the lawn at home. where she had
spent 50 many happy hours, listening in
dull way to the csckling hens and growing
cocks, the twitter Of birds in the branches
overhead, and the hummins of thousand
insects
\ few days later couple of fashionably
dressed women came up TO her counter and
asked to see some shirt waists. After
turning over half the stock, one exclaimed
pe;tIshly: Can you show us something
decent? These things are perfectly hor-
rid.
MI, -. .t rr II L-tt L-
what to say, but her quick temper 90; the
better Of her, and she said. If you don t
Ike these you viii have to 20 somewhere
else.
The lady appeared astonished and mur
nuring something about reporting,
walked away When six o clock came.
and Maude was pinning on her hat, one Of
the clerks came to tell her that Mr.. Brown
wanted her in the office. She hasteued to
obey and was curtly told that her services
Eouli no; be required ans longer
What have done, Mr. Brown p
asked Maude, ready 10 CITY.
NO impudent clerks employed in this
establishment, he condescended To say,
waving her towards the door.
Foor Maude hardly knew what to do
after this Discharged without a recon-
meuda,ion. she was compelled TO do as
Susie advised, Try to grt work in the bag
ging mill
She succce,led. after several TRIALS, to
yet place as .'can carrier. She was
dared. and suffered greatly with headaches
al first. caused from the ccaseless roar Of
the great machinery She soon found on,
what the lie Of mill girl really is The
majority Of the girls were course and decid-
eSily fat, and she found herself an object
Of crr,osity and ridicale The girls nick
named her The Angel She was
subjeS, to insult, for there are 50 many Of
these girls who are. alas, far from purity,
thar the name MIL Cir. IS a stigma
ol disgrace
The hot. dusty, lint laden AR, the
course, foal language, and the iucessant
toll, the long hours, aud dreary grind Of
,hc mill soon grew almost uncomfortable TO
country-bread Maude True, she had
evenings al the theatre. with Louis and
Susie. but as she became better acquainted
With Louis, his polished manners gradual
II vanished. and his trae nature was re-
yealcd 90 Der. She attended few Of the
grand balls, and instead Of being de.
lighted, as Susie had glowingly said she
was thoroughly disgusted \ few months
passed away, and found Maude disillu
stoned. ! very hoaesiek and repen,aut girl
Oh, how she longod to lay her aching head
90 her dear mother breast and cry out
her misery. Bat these last words of her
father stiIl rang in her ear. If you 20
away sfler al your mother and ! have said,
you eau stay
She was too proud to 10 back She
louged un.peaksbly for the quie, home that
she bad thought ~ hateful She would
have given anything tor ride through the
wood ou the back OF her pony, Jack but
the cry cf her heart was. "Oh, mamma
mamma papa papa, Oh, 10 be At home
once more IL only she could ask and
receive forgiveness for her past selhshnessi
and she could see how very selfish she lad
urrh IL sue t1ulu oulF NihS ~ Hci
mother, But no. her father had said
'.You can't write. If You canuo, obey
Us. yon mus, choose between "a and those
people.
She found the pleasures of the city are
not for the poor. They are too expen-
sive There was no pleasure in visiting
the shops tn look at the grand displays Of
beautiful things, when she had no money
to buy anything but the cheapest.
One Geld, misty morning in December,
Maude hurriedy dressed, for she had over
slept herself. She had gone to bed with
a severe headache. and was almost i'll,
after cooking her meager breakfast on the
gasoline stove, joint property between her
and Susie. She breskfasted alone now,
for there was a eoldness between the two
girls. Nlaude had grown so ''geody
.oOdy' of late that Susie declared, ''she
could stay at home and mope if she wanted
to. viii not make any special effort to
get up unnessarily early (as had been
her wont to do at irst) just to keep Maude
company.
Half past six saw Maude harying
through the duh grey of the street. The
great doors closed at seven sharp, and no
one was admitted after that hour. Be
sides she was liable to lose her place. For
tunately she arrived in time. She had
risen to the dignity Of .backtender now,
on one of the great 'rovers, and the pay
was little better than that of the lean
carrier 1t proved TO be very trying
morning. The number of pounds Of jute
run off OF each machine in day shows the
amount earned by the two girls in charge.
This morning the jute ran very badly; the
machine had to be stopped every few min
ntes. Maude was very nervous, almost
desperate, for her pocket book was nearly
empty. 1t was strictly against the rules
TO clean any part of the machinery with
out first informing the ''front tender of
the intention to do so. But Maude, in her
anxiety, forgot this. Mamie Ogden started
the machine; there was a horrible scream
from Maude, as her fingers were drawn
into the terrible machine and mangled into
shapeless mass Mamie instantly shut
off the machine, or Maude's whole body
,vould have been crushed or her arm torn