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Show York." "To New York? Oh, Dolly I" cried the Httlo woman, throwing up her hands in despair. "What is the matter?' "Nothing," said Dolly, valiantly swallowing swal-lowing her team; "only I must go." "Has any one offended you?' "OU, no, no!" "If you want higher wages" "No", Sir. Edgecumbe; you pay me all earn now," protested Dolly. "Then what is it, Dolly? Dear Dolly, do stay. Yon are like one of ourselves," pleaded Sirs. Edgecnrabe. Hut Dolly only answered with her tears. "I can't think what has changed her so, all of a sudden," said Mrs. Edge-cuiube. Edge-cuiube. "The children have coaxed her dear little things! and Mr. Edgecumbe has offered her a better rate of compensation, compen-sation, but it is of no use. Perhaps, John, if you were to speak to her" Mr. Gardiner sat silently balancing his pen, regardless of the big round blot that had fallen on the "Thirdly" of his next Sunday's serinon. It was a strange revelation rev-elation to him, the chill feeling that caino across his heart at the idea of Dolly Damar'a going away. "Yes," said ho, "I will speak to her. Somehow it seems as if we couldn't spare her." - Iiut even to his kind reasonings Dolly only replied by tearful silence. "I must go," said she "1 must! And you, if you know all, wonldsay the same thing." "I don't know what I shall do, I'm sure," said Mrs. Edgecumbo, lapsing into deep despair. "I never shall have courage to face an intelligence office again. Cassie Merton has just been here, telling mo the strangest stories about those places. It seems, she knows of a woman whose wholo business it is to act as 'reference' to girls who can't get any, or don't deserve them. She has hired a gaudily furnished flat, and sits up there all day, acting the part of the last lady with whom the girls lived, at so much a head. Just fancy what a deception! The police have broken up this place, at the complaint of some lady who found herself her-self the victim of a dishonest maid whose recommendation was obtained in this manner, but who knows how many others there may be?" Dolly sprang to her feet, very pale but firm. "Mrs. Edgecumbe," said she, "that is what I did! That is the reason I am going go-ing away from you. I can't live on here and bear the burden of my guilt any longer!" And she confessed it all, beginning at the story of the Dresden shepherdess and ending with Ellen Gibbs' sitting up in the vacant boudoir of the lady who had gone to spend the Easter holidays at Tuxedo Park. DOLirS CONFESSION. , The clear February sunshine lay like a river of gold across the dark, rich lines of the Axminster carpet as Dolly Damar drew tlio decorated window shade. "It seems a pity to shut out God's sun-ihine," sun-ihine," murmured she, "hut Mra. Ledyard Led-yard is always cautioning me about letting let-ting that carpet fade." And she took a farewell glance out over the snow enameled avenue, where gayly caparisoned sleighs skimmed to and "fro and parties of pronwnaders occupied oc-cupied the pavements, before she returned re-turned to her humdrum task of dusting the drawing room. For Dolly Damar was "only the upstairs up-stairs girl" in Mrs. Ledyard's pretentious establishment. She was a farmer's daughter, who had received an education educa-tion above the average, and when old Hiram Damar's death had broken up the household, she had como to New York, ! hoping to get a situation as nursery gov-' gov-' erness or companion. Disappointed in one after another of her aspirations she was at last glad to ', secure a place as parlor maid at Mrs. Ledyard's, where she was today, singing as she dusted bric-a-brao and polished plate glass for Dolly was a cheerful little lit-tle maid, and had an inveterate habit of waking the best of things. Crash! Dolly gave a start and turned round. ' Little Gladys, the youngest of the Led-yard Led-yard flock, in tampering with a china shepherdess, had knocked it over. It lay in a score of glittering fragments on the floor. i "Oh', Miss Gladys!" cried the upstairs girl. "What have you done?" "Dolly, don't give mo away," stammered stam-mered the slangy daughter of the house. "Tell ma it was the cat." "But, Miss Gladys, that would be a : lie." , ' j "No, it wouldn't. It would be nothing on earth but a tiny little white fib. And ma will be so mad! Oh, Dolly, do let her think it was pussy!" "I couldn't, Miss Gladys. Please don't ask me!" pleaded poor Dolly. "I must ? speak the truth if she asks me." ' Miss Gladys Ledyard swung, muttering, mutter-ing, out of the room. "I'll be even with her yet!" said she; "the mean, hateful tattle tale!" And when Mrs. Ledyard came home from her sleigh ride in the park, Gladys was beforehand with the "mean, hateful hate-ful tattle tale." Mrs. Ledyard sent for Dolly, taxed her with the misdemeanor of breaking a Dresden shepherdess worth $20 and then endeavoring to conceal her mishap, while Gladys stood grinning by, and then discharged b3r, first warning her that it would be useless to expect a reference from that number on Fifth avenue. "Now you know all," said she. "Please let me go at once, for of course you won't' be willing to have me sit down to the table with the dear little children again." And her words died away in a great burst of tears. "Not willing indeed!" cried Mrs. Edgecumbe. Edge-cumbe. "Of course I won't be willing to let you stir a step from Lilliesleaf farm. Is that all that troubles you, Dolly?" "Isn't that enough?" wailed poor Dolly. "Quito enough to satisfy me that you must stay," . said .Mrs. Edgecumbe. "Why, Dolly, child, you're like my own sister now. Do you think I will let you go back into such temptation again? Neverl Talk to her, John. Make her understand that we like her better than ever for having told us the truth dear, brave girl!" And Mrs. Edgecumbe iran out of the room to tell her husband that all was right. Dolly looked timidly at Mr. Gardiner. "Well," said he, kindly. "It is for you to decide," whispered she. "I will do exactly what you say." "You'll promise me that, Dolly?" "Yes," she avowed, artlessly. . "Dear little Dolly 1" said he. "You have done very wrong, but you have atoned for all that by your free and frank confession. , My verdict is that you are to remain here." "Oh, Mr. Gardiner, I am so glad!" "Stop," said he; "I am not . quite through." . "Oh!" sighed Dolly, blankly. "There is something else I want you to do." "By way of penance?" Dolly's blue eyes sparkled; her old playful spirit was coming back again. "If you choose to call it penance, yes. I have discovered something within the last hour, Dolly. I have discovered that if you went away a great portion of the light and sunshine of my life would go also; that I love you, Dolly,, and this thing that I ask of you is to be my wife!" ' - Dolly hid her burning face among the leaves of. tho big geranium at the window. win-dow. ; I' I think I mu st be d reaming, " said she. "Becausehow can I liavo deserved de-served such happiness as this?" "If we all got only what we deserve In this world,'' said Mr. Gardiner, "we Rhould some of us fare pretty hard! That iB tho clerical side of me. And now, Dolly, my own darling little Dolly," taking her tenderly to his heart, 'here is the human aide of met No happiness hap-piness in all the universe can bo too much for you, sweet one! And I love you all the better, in that you are no more absolutely ier!'t.-t than myself." Ami this "situation" as minister's wife at lilliesleaf was tho last that Dolly Damar Da-mar ever took, and if ajiy one else wants a "refereuce" for :.r "they must ask Jhe Rev. John Gar. liner! lielen Forrest Graves in Philadelphia Saturday Night Knew 31 cm Than HI Prayers. They begin the classes in some of th public school nowadays in the rudiments rudi-ments of civil government at a very early age; au.l it seems that the young peoplo get on tho whole a pretty correct idea of the way we are governed. A teacher, who, by the way, is rather fond of English things, was orally instructing a class the other day in the foundations of political sci'uice. She had giveu her young pupils a very interesting lecture about the British system of government; and then she iwked the boy at the head of the class: "And now, J'ohnnio, what are the men called who govern or rule over us iu this country?" . "Kings!" said Johnnie, promptly, "Oh, no. Tell me, tho next one, by whom are we governed?" "Queens!" , . "No! Nes.; boy." "Jacks!" sjud the next boy. And he w as not promoted to the head of the class. Boston Transcript. So poor Dolly went back to the intelligence, intelli-gence, office and sat there day after day, until all her slender stock of patience, and still more slender supply of money, were exhausted. No one would engage a girl- without any reference from her last place. Day by day her heart sank lower and the future became darker, until un-til her landlady's daughter, a stylish, black eyed girl, who was lady's maid in a handsome house on Mallalieu square, heard of her dilemma. "No1 recommend, eh?" said she. "I can set all that square t I'll give you one!" .. . v "You?" "Yes, L Why not? It's often done. I know two or three girls who have helped each other out of a tight place like that. My family is going in the country for the Easter holidays. Send your people to 0 Mallalieu square, Mrs. Nytou's, and I'll be Mrs. Nyton, and giveyou an A No. 1 character!" "But, Ellen, that would be untrue?" ''What would be untrue? That you are honest, willing, capable?" "No, but you are not Mrs. Nyton!" . "I shan't say that I am. I merely say what I know to be tho truth about you; and if you succeed in, getting a good place, all that I ask is a dollar or two. out of your first month's wages. I'll be . sort of masquerade!" And Ellen showed her broad white teeth in a laugh. , . "It's a pity if we poor girls can't outwit out-wit the fine ladies now and then. Any time after Monday Mrs. Nyton will be at home." Dolly hesitated long, argued the point feebly, but finally gave in, and little Mrs. Edgecumbe, of Lilliesleaf farm, was more than delighted with the "reference" "ref-erence" she obtained for her new maid in the Mallalieu square mansion. "Such an elegant house!" said she, "and a tea gown of olive plush, such as 1 never saw out of a fashion plate. But I was surprised to hear Mrs. Nyton speak such dreadfully bad grammar!''. "Probably," said Mr. Edgecumbe, "she is' endowed with morj money than brains." , , "Moat likely," said the little house- wife.-, 'Dolly Damar was quite happy at Lilliesleaf. Lil-liesleaf. It was, strictly speaking, a bee farm, but they kept cow s and poultry as weii, and Doliy was delighted to get back to the pleasant cares that had been w familiar to her in the old life. John - Gardiner, - Mrs. Edgecumbe'B brotlwr, the villago pastor, boarded there, and they soon discovered that Dolly was no ordinary, uneducated kitchen help." The three children were blue eyed, siumy tempered little cherubs, the wages were generous, and Dolly found herself t last in possession of a home. After the housework was done of an evening, she could help Mrs. Edgecumbe with the family mending, copy music for Mr. Gardiner's choir practice, or write to the dictation of Mr. Edgecumbe, who was paiufully preparing a "Text Book on Bee Culture," and day by day the grew, she scarcely' knew how, teighter and happier. ' She had experienced a pang of remorse when she sent Ellen Gibbs a two dollar bill in a letter, out of tho first installment install-ment of her wages, but that was soon ver;r until, one Sunday afternoon, sit-iing sit-iing in charge of her class in the litt jliuroh. she heard John Gardiner's taio. . to liis Sunday pchool about the divine attributes at-tributes of truth. Like a keen edged poniard, it stung -s.her to the heart. S!And I," she said to herself, "am a liarT.WKat business have I in this happy homer this pure, peaceful atmosphere? Oh, 1 wiyh how I wish I never had listened lis-tened to. Ellen Gibbs! And yet, if I hadn't, 1 must hare starved or drowned myself. Oh, dear, how hard it is tv know what Is right!" She went home and packed her poor lirtlo treat. "My second month i up to-morrow," Mrs. Jbdgecutnbe," said she, in a falter-iiH; falter-iiH; viiiii. ";iiid I am roturuiijic to NVr 1 ' |