Evening star., 1914-07-19

patents. If there ever came a time when
she ceased to believe in then or him no.
body knew it. She had made foolish
bargain, but she kept her own counsel
came, the syringas fell and she ceased
to friz her hair. Elbert lived with her
and did not earn a cent. She had to
work a little harder to support two
than one, and she no longer had any
money to put in the bank.
Elbert Peer lived four years. The ex-
pense he had created ceased and he left to
Satie his name and a mass of rubbish
his inventions-which had never come to
anything.
She was fifty and she was beginning
to feel old and tired. Her work was
falling off. She could no longer get
apprentices. Times had changed and girls
could not be got to work unless they
were paid. She moved out of the house
she had rented into rooms. She began to
work alone. She had to work slowly and
people complained of her. New dress
makers had come in and her best Gus
toners went to them.
But Satie had a brave spirit. She rose
to each day as to battle and at night
lay down vanquished but resolute against
the morrow. She ate less and less as the
sewing fell off. She wore her clothes
forever. Women were ashamed to employ
her. A dressmaker Is supposed to look
her part. Satie did not look hers. She
and questionable sleeves
So twenty y-five years passed. And vet
her strength held out admirably Satie
was still sewing. but 1t was seldom now
that she had new gown to make. The
work brought to her consisted of gar
ments to be made over. Sometimes she
received her pay promptly: sometimes
she had to wait long time for 1t. Her
great trouble was that she was alone
and lonely. This does not matter so much
h ho Nf rn14r
cries to amuse ones self with Satie
had no memories of this kind. She had
lost her parents early and gone to work
when they died She had seldom been
out Of Westmore. She had never had
time to make friends. Her acquaintances
had consisted of her customers and the
shopkeepers she had patronized. The
one intermission to monotony had been
caused by Ebert Peer. But she did not
like to think of that. She really had
times as she sat sewing or lay awake
at night she wondered If her life had
any meaning or any purpose at ALL 1t
did not seem to have. Her work even
made clothes which had been worn out
and cast aside for women who had gone
on their way and forgotten her. OF all
her accomplishments nothing visible re-
manned. II she had one person near and
dear. child, friend sister! But,
no. at seventy-five she must be alone. still
taking stitches for her daily bread.
One day something happened. She had
laid aside her sewing and sat reading
the Westmore weekly which the postman
had just left at the door. Suddenly the
sight OF her own name astonished her.
Eagerly she scanned the paragraph. It
merely made summary of Westmore' g
oldest living inhabitants. and her name
was in the list. All told, there were
fourteen Of these old people. whose ages
ranged from ninety downward. 1t pleased
her to see her name in the paper She
sat looking at 1t with smiling lips. It was
the first time she had seen any mention
made of herself since Elbert's death.
The next day something else happened.
There came knock at the door, and
there stood. not the customer she was
looking for. but Alice EIdridge, tall and
BEAUTIFULLY clad. She came in and sat
down. She had the pleasant ways Of the
well bred and happy and well-to-do. And
presently she stated her errand. She had
seen Satie's name in the paper and she
had come with an invitation. Her moth
er was giving luncheon to all the old
ladies whom the paper had mentioned,
and Satie must come.
It was the first invitation Satie had
received In years: she felt like a girl
about it. A luncheon! What should she
wear?
After Alice went away she got out her
gray silk and began to rip it. She had
three days In which to get ready. She
decided to neglect her sewing in order to
prepare for the great occasion.
The day OF the luncheon was beautiful
one In early May. Satie dressed sare-