Beautiful but Poor — page 167: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

— E _—— = he - BEAUTIFUL BUT POOR. prayer, and then she lay down to rest on her coarse and humble bed, contented with her lot, and not for an instant regretting that she had refused a home of affluence and the fostering care of rich and loving friends. At early dawn the loud, shrill calls of steam whistles, blown to wake the workers in great estab- lishments, woke our heroine, and she was up and washed, ready to breakfast with the rest at the usual early hour. Miss Scrimp, with her lean neck bandaged where it had been scalded the night before, sat grim and silent at her post. But the steaks were good and well cooked, the bread soft and fresh, the coffee strong, and all still went on as it had done since Hat- tie held the finger of fear above the old maid’s head. The meal soon over, the chattering girls wended their way to their various shops, and Hattie, within almost a minute of her usual time, went to fee table in the old book-bindery, which seamed almost like a home to her. | Mr. Jones met her with his usual pleasant good- morning as she went to her place, and other hands, whom she knew slightly, bowed; but these were the only recognitions. She had never made any intimacy in all the long months she had worked there. Mr. W—— came in later, ane went at once into his office. Though Mr. Jones kept the time of every hand, Mr. W—— always made out the pay-roll on the morning of each Saturday, and in the afternoon the hands went into the office as called, one by one, and received their pay. And that had been the custom for the many years that the ame de first under the seiee alone, and comicbooks.com —