hattie butler left the bindery at her usual hour, and pausing only long enough to buy an evening paper, as she always did on her way, after her increase of salary made her feel able to do so, she hurried to her boarding-house.
now, the writer is not one who believes that woman is one half as full of curiosity as man is, but she will not deny that her heroine really did feel decidedly anxious to know the nature of the important business which her employer had told her would be revealed in the note which she was not to open until she reached home.
hattie lost no time in reaching home, and as she had fully ten minutes to spare before the supper-bell would ring, she went up to her room to take off her bonnet and shawl, instead of leaving them on the hooks in the long hall, as she generally did.
on her way to her room hattie met little jessie albemarle, who ran to her and whispered:
“miss scrimp has been ever so good to me all day. i’ve got a cot-bed, and sheets, and a pillow in my room now, and i’m to have two new calico dresses in a day or two.”
“i’m very glad, dear,” said hattie. “i hope your dark days are over, and that before long i shall have very, very good news for you. now, run down to your work, dear—i’m going to my room a minute, but will be down to supper.”
and jessie, full of a new happiness—it was so strange to be kindly treated even for a single day—ran[80] down to her duties singing, while hattie hurried to her room, lighted her lamp, and opened her note.
a look of wonder and of real perplexity gathered over and clouded her face as she read it a second time.
“i cannot, for my life, understand his meaning. what can the proposition be? he knows me too well to ever make any offer but one that the noblest-born woman in the world could accept. i am poor, but i am proud—not of beauty, not of education, but of a pure and spotless name, of an honor untarnished by an evil act or thought. he speaks kindly, seems to be very sincere, and is surely respectful. i will meet him, and in the parlor below, for i would blush to have any one see these poor surroundings, when they know i could afford better. i know it is against miss scrimp’s rules to admit gentleman visitors to see her boarders, but in this case she must permit the rule to be broken. i will tell her i must see a gentleman on important business. he is my employer, and it is my right to meet him here.”
this matter settled in her own mind, hattie let down her gloriously-beautiful hair, arranged her simple toilet daintily, and went down stairs to supper at the very moment the bell rang.
“wonder on wonders! what will happen next!” was what wild kate said as she filed with the rest into the room.
there was an extra lamp over the center of the long table, and the increased light shown on a row of plates of cold tongue, sliced ham, cheese, and three large, real sweet cakes, equally distant on the table.
such extravagance could not be remembered by miss scrimp’s oldest boarder.
[81]
and little jess was assisted by biddy lanigan herself in passing around full cups—not of hot water, but of real nice tea, with white sugar and good milk.
“miss scrimp, you’re just the dearest old maid that ever refused a good offer!” cried wild kate, impulsively. “and you’re not old either. you are twenty years younger to-night than you were last night when i was saucing you, like the bad girl that i am.”
“we’ll let bygones be bygones, miss kate. take hold—you’ll find no hairs in your butter to-night!” said miss scrimp, quite graciously for her.
“if i did i wouldn’t be so mean as to tell of it!” said kate, as she took two slices of cold ham to herself. “girls, if this thing keeps on i’m one to put down a dollar toward buying miss scrimp a new silk dress!”
“and i will double it if we buy good nice dresses for biddy lanigan and good little jessie!” said hattie, quietly, but distinctly from her chair near the head of the table.
“glory to her soul! i knew miss hattie wouldn’t forget me!” cried biddy, and she put a strong cup of tea each side of her plate to show her gratitude.
the clatter of busy knives and forks, the cheerful hum of happy voices now drowned everything else, and hattie, who made as usual but a light supper, took occasion when she was sure no one else would hear her to tell miss scrimp that mr. w——, her employer, had made an appointment to meet her there on business at eight o’clock, and she wished to see him in her parlor.
“you know it’s agin my rules, dear,” said miss scrimp, trying hard to be gracious.
[82]
“i know it, miss scrimp, and under no other circumstances would i ask the favor,” replied hattie, still speaking in an undertone.
“couldn’t you see him in my room, and i’d make it seem as if he came to see me on business,” said miss scrimp, in a pleading tone. “you see, if once i break over my rule, every girl in the house will be askin’ to have her beau meet her in my parlor, and the whole house would soon be overrun by horrid men.”
“i did not take that view of the case when i made the application. but, on second thought, i am very willing to see mr. w—— in your sitting-room and in your presence.”
“that’s a dear, good girl! i’ll fix it so i let him in myself, and i’ll take him right to my room, where you’ll be, and not a girl in the house shall see him, or know who he came to see other than me,” said the old maid, happy at the thought that she could hear what this important business was.
a secret to miss scrimp was a jewel to be possessed at the risk of death almost.
seeing that the clock at the end of the dining-room was about to strike eight, she whispered to hattie to go to her room, and left the table herself just as the front door bell rang.
