Year: 1879

WIN u last ifaiitlO uiNo w " V"'" w
buttons which had shaken out OF one
of the little bags Of blue silk which
were attached to the affair, ! set the
basket down on the floor beside me,
prepared for work,


| threaded tho needle easily enough,
with the very finest thread which ]
could find, and then, after trying the
thimble on each ofNmy fingers IN sue
cession, and finally crowdipg II down
on tho only one which it could be
persuaded to remain on Chat being
tho last finger on my left HANDY, held
tho button firmly on its proper place,
and began TO sew.


will drop the veil of oblivion for
the next fifteen minutes, Let it sut
fec to say, that at the end OF that
time | had broken tho points of half
q dozen needles, split four buttons,
and met with difficulties enough tc
have discouraged any but the hardest
and most determined Of mankind.


Twas, however, nearly desperate by
this time, and looking fercely at the
clock on the mantcl, whose slender
hands pointed mockingly at five min
utcs to eleven, l held the fifth button
on its proper place, now stained with
drops of blood from my laccrated
fingers, and repeating grimly the time
honored motto relating to persever
ancc, began once more to sew.


At tins stage of affairs | was arous
ed from my labors by a gigs'e' q
veritablc, school-girlish giggle, from
the direction of the door.


Now, if there is anything hateful
to me on earth If there is anything
whihc exasperates me beyond measure
1T is a giggle ; and as l had often
told Molhe so, I considered that she
was doing it on purpoae to aggravate
me, aud determined to treat it ac-
cordingly.


In my excited state OF mind, l lost
all sight of my own treacherous and
underhanded proceedings, and, man
like, was only too glad to find some
one whom | could blame for my
broken engagement and smartios
fingers therefore, without turning
my head or deigning to cast a glance
at her, commenced in a dignltied
way, which sat badly on my coatless
shoulders declare, Mollie, this is
pretty state of things !! No one uE
in the house but the servants, and the
bell has been rung already three times
l guess that the next time l take you
to party, you'll know it any way"


How much longer I should have
continued in the same strain cannot
tell, for the insulting giggle turned
suddenly to ringing laugh, which
knew never belonged to Mollie, and
wheeling around wrathfully on the
music stool, ! confronted the intruder


To say that I was Inundated, would
express only slightly the feelings with
which I looked at the plump little
figure of Primrose barley, in a bright
cololrd morning-dress, her brown eyes
dancing with merriment, her red lip:
smiling in spite OF her efforts to look
grave, and her dark hair bristline
with crimpiug pins.


81 didn't know that you were here
Mr.. Elliot, indeed I didn't" she depre
Gated, beginning to retreat as she saw
the expression on my countenance.


In order to explain this young lady'S
appearance at that unreasonable hour,
it will be necessary to say that Prim
rose barley was my sister Mollie's
best friend, and the two girls were in
the habit, although they. lived not
dozen squares distance from each
other, of visiting back and forth to an
alarming extent.
For the past week Primrose had
been visiting Mollie, for the purpose
of mutual assistance in planning their
toilets for the party, and as they hat
been for nearly all the time locked ur
, in Mollies room, surrounded by. ant
oblivious to anything but, muslins ant
, laces, had seen little or nothing o
either of them.


Now 1 am not going to say that
was Sin love" with Primrose Darley
. but as she was Jacks sister, and Mol
lies best friend, I was in manne
obliged to agree with my sister
: when she declared rapturously, as sh'
: often did, that Primrose was "th'
4 dearest girl in the world" and a
y though that I was not in love wit


ber, l will say that l would rathe
t have been caught in that plight b
!. anv one else in the world.