Carry's Customer

BT HIELEN FOREEST GRAVES. "Mv first day at tho store!'1 saiil Curry Aallinfcrd, with n curious thrill tnrotigh her, as if ui ice cold sücarn werc tri'eiding down the line of her sprinal column. ''Oh, I wish I were a rich girl, and (lidn't havo to work!" "■York is honorable, niy child," said old Cliclc VTolsey, who, witli lus spectaclcs on his nose, was tryiiig to spell through tho Ilegible paragraplis of the daily paper, muttering to himself that "either tlicy didn't print as good as they iised to, or else his old eyesight wa failing." "Yes, I know," fluttcrctl Cany; "but - I'm very willing that some one else should have the honor this time." Unele Wolsey turned his glasses, with mild reproaeh, upon his uiece's pink and white balsuni of a face. "My girl," said he, "you're not afraid of w-oi-k, are you?" "No, uncíe!" Carrie faintly, anBwcccd; "but you know it's all so strange!" "It won't be strange, long" cheerily encouragad the old man. "lts wonderEul Jiow soon Uie good Lorl accustoms us U tbinM, when once we set about our duty " "I wish I eould be as brave as you, [Jnclo Woliuy!" said Carry, as she tiéd ;he crimson strings of her little capote under her round chin. Old Wolsey Wallingford had shelter;d his littld lamb by his hearth fold all . ïer lifetimp until uuw. Ho was a jewelcr by trade, and he had kept his unjretending store open as long as possile. But the tide of fashion went by, ani left lüm stranded on the unfrequentei side street whére the sigii of the tarnished silver watch attracíed no further attention. And one day, when he liad sat all day in the window with his niagnifying tfass, working at some impossible old time pie.ce, whose owner had died and ncver ealled for it, the twilight crept darkly -over lus eyosight and his heart. He laid down his tools. "All day long," gaid he, "and nevcr a, Qurtoinci ï v en-a-Ua ! it jci time for the oldmau to shut np his store at last." He went out and put up the wooden shutters, with a heart that was heavicr than they, and from that time thenceforward," the woodea imitation oí the ilver watch swun'g no longer over the door. üncle Wolsey had been conquered in life's battle, aud liad laid down his arms, and now it was that Carry reluctantly threw hevself into the breach. How cernid sho let the dcar old man starvo? And Mr. Piekrell's faney and dry goods store on Sixth avenue was reáUy a vory ercditable establishment, and Mrs. Piekrell berself had promised, frcni the severe heights of the cashier's desk. to "keep an eye" upon old Mr. WaUingford's niece, and if her services pro ved desiiable, there was no sort of doubt but tliat her salary would be increased in time. So Carry buttoned up her sack, drew on her ncat lisle-thread gloves and took the little basket, in which, wrapped in a napkin was packed her lunch oí apple pie and eheese, and went.forth to meet her new career, little reekoning how brief it was to be. At iirst it was not very ple; sant. The store was small and stufl'y. with gorgeous piles of cretonne and chintz at Uto do ir, and festoons oí laces, silk handkerchiefs and colored jerseys tlapping against the heads of thé girls behind the counter, of whom there were three bcsidas Carry - bold, high-voiced damsels, wore the!r hair down over the bridge of their noses, and giggled incessantly. Customers camo and went, chanffe was made, and paper parcols expeditiously wrapped up. Mr. Piekrell walked the floor with his haniis in his pockets, orderal away small girls vhose noses werc flattened too persistently against the windows outside, and smilea beuiguly on old ladies who stopped tot.xauiinc the quality of the chint7.es and f'annel suitings. Mis. Piekrell reprinianded the young women witli the banged hair for gigglnig too loud when theri; were cuütomers in tlie store, and cilled to Carry to "mind what slio was abont" wheu a box of ribbons feil off the counter upon the floor. Carry grew very wcavy, lier hend began to aehe, and sha wondered how ong it would be bofore "shutting-up timo." At last i tall, brown-iaced young m:;ii eamein, wearing a foreign-lookng coat trlinmod with for, and someïou' boarkig n his aspect the indescribab!e stamp of belonging to some other country. One of tho banged-haircd nymphs was enting her lunch; the second had rnshed lip the street to get change for a trn-dollar bilí, and the tliird was engageil in niaiching an impossiblc shadc of ribbon for a young lady who was determined not to be pleased with anything. "Curry!" shrilly signaled Mrs. Pickrell. And our heroine advanced valiantty to tbc veseco. 'What can I show you?" she askcd, timidly, of the new customcr. 'i ik, said the young man. Aml v.hcn Curry perceived tnat he was consifierably more cmbarrassed than herself, sim took courage. "What color?" said she. "I doii't kiiüw," answei'ed the custo■mcr, "iJiat is, I haven't quito made up my mjnd. l'orhaps you could suggest - " "What Is it for?" (arrv asked, with mili' intoleration of His evident i derment; and at tbc sume tim; she ! coul'l üot help parceiving that he was verv hauJhoii1,;:, wit i wavy blaofc Vtair am! Itquiij cytó, long lashcs, and j ant to look npn. "Fot a dreas.1' "A dress? Bat is it for a young lady, or an old on?" 1 d()i.'t k:io'.v," acknowlcdgcd the ffCDtlemao. 'Voung, that is, not old. Khf can't . bw ovcv forty. To teil you trutb,"- ind ho smiled in spite of l-irii.-icif- !'-. e never setn the lady. I But -sin 'f a ousin of minp nnd I want I i" mako bc.r a present." "Yes- I undersland," said Carry "ís itto bc black or eolored?" "What would you ad.vise?" said the stranger, blindly elutehing at Carry'.' feniimne counsel as a shipwreckei marincr may be expected to cling to a floating spar. "Black would perhaps be more suitable, seeing that you don't know the lady's age or complexion," remarket Carry. "lint blue and pink are such pretty colors!" pleaded the dark haired young man. looking longingly at the piles oi lustrous fabrics on tne shelves. "XjCs," said Carry, growing interested; "but they are only suitable for a very few occasions, while black is always appropriate," "I thought that only old ladies wore black silk?" "Young ladies do also," calmly asserted Carry. "If you were selecting a dress," said the stranger ín desperation, "wlnch color would you ohooseP" "I woukl choose seal brown," said Carry, af tür a second or two of deliberation. "Eh? - should you? Show me seal brown then, please," said the custoiner. "It's a little grave, perhaps" - surveying theshining fold.s- "but it's pretty- yes, it's verj.#retty! How mauy yards now does it take for a dross??' "I should think," said Carry, after a second interval of reflection, ""that iifteen yards might answer if it was economically cut. "I don't know anything about eeonomy," said the young man; "I want u good allowance." "Then I should recornmeud eighteen yards, " advised Cwry. "Cut mo off eighteen yarda." advised the young gentleman, promply; "and1 put in the linings and trimmings nnd all that sort of thing, pleae- yoirll know what I need better than I do myself. And I say - " "Sir?" said Cairy, as.he hesitated. "Havo yCU auything that would make i nico present fov an old gentleman, do you think?" "A silk neck muñler?" suggested Caa-ry, Kér eyes running across the helves of the store, "or a pair of furined glpvcs?" "Capital!" said the oustomer. "Put ein botïi into the parcel." "Thank you, sir!" said Carry. "Where hall wensend tkèin?" "Nowllere," answered the customer. "I'll take them along myself; and hen I sh.all be sure that there is no misake. I'm a thoiisand times obliged to ou, miss!" "Not in the least," said Carry, with lignity. "So the dark eyed stranger with the ur trimmed coat departed, and Mrs. 'ickrell praised the young shop girl for he good sale she haii made. "You'll be'a valuable hand in time," aid she. "It isn't often we gêt a hancé Xo sell a sílk pattern like that. "olka mostly go on Broadway for their xpeösive dresses,'" she added, with a igh. Carry was very tired when she came home in the frosty October dusk. The tore did not close until 10 but the girls ook turns, two by two, to stay after unset, and CaiTyrs turn did not come until the next night. When she reached home Uncle Wol-: ey had the lamp lighted and the kettle oilhig for tea, and was slicing oft some canned comed beef and "ininding" the toast before the fire at the same time. It looked cheery and pleasant; Carry drew a long sigh of relief. "HoW nice it is-to be at home, Uncle, Wolsey!" she cried. "Do lêt me make that toast! And, oh! it hasn't been such a very hard day, after all. And Mrs. Pickrell says Tve made the best sale she has had for a week. Such a handsome young man, Uncle Wolsey! and ije treated me as if I were Pïiocess instead of a working girl, "Stop, stop!" said Unele Wolsey pausng, with the knife still in his hand. Fve had a gQod looking young man ïere, too, Carry. NeednM; think vou've jot a monopoly of the article. What do 'ou think of your poor mother's cousin' rom the seal-fur ñsheries iu Alaska? And what do you think of his coming to jend the eytíning, by-and-by? And what o you think of his bringing these things ïere as a present for vou and me - hf" Uncle Wolsey laid down the knife, nd carefully dusting liis hands on the oller-towel, drew forth froni the bureau rawer a seal-brown silk dress patern, and a pair of fur-lined gloves, wrapped aroimd with aspottedsilkneckmuffler. "Why, Uncle Wolsey-' ' aJmcst shriekd Carry. "What's the matter?" said the old man. Ain't they pretty ? Oughtn't I to have aken 'emr" "It's the very man!'" said Carry. "I old them to hun this afternoon." "Hey?" said Unele Wolsey "At the store," said Carry. "Oli, L'nle Wolsey! And he is really my cousin? am so glad!'' "Glad of what?'' uUered a strong, ïeery voice, and in eame the mysterous stranger himsclf. "Why, I deare," lie cried; "if tliere isn't the litu girl who sold me the things toay!" "Glad that 3011 are my cousin!" sak' }arry, with a mischievous sniile and a ow cöurtesy. - "Becausc - because I ïonght you were very pleasant and eind ." "And I tliougljt " said the tranger. But no, I won't teil you what I thought. How do you do, cous1?" "I am so glad you chose the seal jroivn s'ilk!" uemurely observed Carry. What should 1 have done with a blue r a phik silk?" "It would have looked very well on ou," said the cousin meditalively ey ing ïer. "Blue would have matcheil your yes; pink, your cheeks." "Just my sentiments!" chuckled Unie Wolsey. "Come, young folk s- como; oa is ready! and the toast is getting old!" ' Not until the visitor had taken lus leave did Uncle Wolsey, smoking his pipe before the fire, impart to Carry an additional piece of news. "What do you suppose this Mr. Lennox (old me lie carne down to the States for, Carry. 'Tm sure I don"t know," said Carry, innocent ly, "To ge't liim a wife!" said Uncle Wolsey. "Oh!" said Carry, shading her face from the fire. "I am sure I nope he will be successfnl!" The three banged-hair young maidena at "Pickrell's Emporinm subscribed to buy a Bohemian glass cologne-set for Carry Wallingford's wedding present; but they murmured much amongthemsclves because this golden stratum of luck had not come to them. "Wc're just as pretty as she," said they, "and. prettier, some folks would say. And why couldn't the custonier have fallen to our lot?" Tliere are some questions whioh Cu pkl alone can answer. And he, the 1 winged rogue, is obstinately silout! _ .