The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1908-07-03
The WoOer.
toriginal.l

/ llct MISS LNeiyu DTlSSS Ut u So
ciable Of our church during the winter
and 1t occurred to me that she was the
girl had been looking for. She didn't
give me any encouragement; but. you
know, faint heart ne'er won fail
lady" aud l concluded when the spring
came on to so down to the Briggs
country place and call on her. l sent
up my card, and she obliged me to
wait some time before she made her
appearance, but when sne did she was
quite cordial. l took courage at this
because. you see. l hadn't had an In.
vitation. Besides, niiss Briggs father
is lawyer, and well to do lawyer
standing high IN his profession, while
| am foreman In a children's waist fac.
tory, Besides, Miss Briggs Is highly
educated ami intellectual. while don't
make any pretense at that sort of
thing. know my business, and that's
all | want to know. l can take hold of
sewing machine and do more work
on 1t In given time than any trio of
operators In my department.
Well. we hadn't been chatting but n
few minutes when Miss Briggs looked
Absorb, in something passing In her
mind. Presently she said: Mr.. Bea-
Tile. I'm In q peck Of trouble. Next
week were to have the house full of
guests, and when we came down this
summer We found the rats had got
Into our linen closet and made havoc
OF our sheets and pillowcases. We
have the material for new ones. but
the woman we expected to make them
up has disappointed us. I was trying
to do some Of the work when you
called, but there's something the mat
ter with our sewing machine. won
der If you could fix 1t for me-"
Il should SMILE" said. pleased to
have an opportunity to be OF service;
that's just In my line. There isn't a
part Of n sewing machine that don't
know all about. i can put your ma
chine In order and then make her
hum"
She took me upstairs TO q sewing
room. There was a machine ut one
end Of II. and the rest OF the room was
taken up with white goods. Il looked
to me as IL there were a thousand
yards. | sat down ut the machine and
started 1t up. 1t went very slick.
why. the machines all right" ]
said.
rs 1t? Well. you might try 1t on one
OF these pillowcases."
She handed me the top one on a big
pile. and in a few minutes I had I'm.
ished II. She moved the pile up where
I could reach II and said:
Il must run downstairs for a little
while. Mothers not well. and have
to go into her room occasionally TO see
that she doesn't want for anything
She gave me an encouraging smile
and went out. ! looked around nj the
piles Of cotton and linen all ready TO
be sewed and remembered the princess
to whom the bad fairy gave impossible
tasks had often boosted Of my prac.
teal knowledge OF my business and
the amount Of work can do in given
time. but I had never calculated on
anything like this. I thought would
be good natured about II and let Miss
Briggs see by the time she came back
how many pillowcases ! could turn out
She didn't come back worked
about an hour when. getting tired. q
concluded 10 make an excuse 10 stop
I broke the needle. Going downstairs.
I met Miss Briggs coming up. I told
her why had TO stop. but she said
there was no need TO give up for lit
tie things Ike that. since there were
plenty Of needles IN the house. sha
got me another. put IL In and went
TO work again reluctantly.
Miss Briggs stayed with me n little
while. chatting pleasantly. and was
getting satisfied with my work when
her mother called her. and she skipped
out again. ! expected she'd H. hack
siDn. hut she didn't come. An hour
p8ssed. and ! began 10 think up m.
other excuse for stopping work. This
time ! concluded 10 break something
that couldn't be fixed. I took n stout
brass rod out Of n window curtain and.
Inserting II In the curved arm that
holds the needle. broke Il OF. Then
! eat Sill awhile. I knew when Miss
Briggs heard the machine stop she'd
come M. aud she did. when she saw
the damage that had been done she
looked grave for awhile. Then she
smiled looked ruefuIly at the broken
arm.
SORRY" salt. "There's no way Of
repairing that damage I'm afraI1
can't help you any more this afternoon.
There must have been weak place In
the arm. don't like this kind ef mn.
chine anyway. We never use II at the
factory"
''D01't disturb yourself In the least"
she replied amiabIy. Put I'm afraid
I'll have 20 ask you 10 cxcuse me. for
mother Il worse and needs my atten.
tion every minute
We walked out u the room together
and downstairs. Al the door she said:
"GoOdby. Mr. Briggs. I'm ever 90
much obliged for your kind effort 20
help us out. and I've no doubt you'd
have done a lot more n the machine
hadn't given out"
4 could have cleaned oft oil Tho
work IN the room before o O'Clock"
call In a dIaannnInfnd tone