The Argosy — page 225: what you’re looking at

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

210 Winntfred Dee. The former milliner of Rillbrook was a Mrs. James: a superiof, obliging woman, who was liked by her customers. She had a small shop also, selling ribbons, artificial flowers, feathers, lace, and other such articles pertaining to her trade. Four years ago there appeared behind her counter, one fine summer’s morning, a charming-look- ing, ladylike girl of eighteen, dressed in deep mourning. Rill- brook found out that she was a Miss Dee, the only child of a land- surveyor who had recently died, and who had _ been distantly related to Mrs. James. Mr. Dee had died comparatively young and quite unexpectedly, and had not been able to make any provision for his daughter. ‘’ You must come to me, Winnifred,” wrote Mrs. James : and Winnifred came accordingly. She was very pretty, very pleasant, lively and sweet-tempered, and had been well-educated; and from that time she remained with Mrs. James, having no other home. “She is a dear, good girl, very grateful to me,” Mrs. James would say confidentially to her customers, “though I know the millinery business rubs against her notions, and especially the shop and having to serve in it. Her father was a scholar and well connected, you see, ladies, and her mother was a clergyman’s daughter: but Winnifred has good sense; and having brought her mind to submit to circumstances, she does it cheerfully. And I think she will make as nice a bonnet, in time, as I can; if not a better.” So, perforce, as it seemed, Winnifred Dee became a milliner, and served the ladies of Rillbrook. Everybody liked her; liked her much. She was merry-hearted, sunny-mannered ; and if she forgot to say ‘“ma’am” as often as she ought, it was found excusable, she not having been ‘‘to the manner born.” At the end of two years Mrs. James died, and the business fell to Miss Dee. For one year after that she was patronized and coun- tenanced: and then a change set in. It had occurred to her to adda small circulating library to her business, which was not very profitable : Rillbrook being but a small place, and some of its ladies making one bonnet serve for a year and three-quarters. ‘The library involved the changing of books, and brought a new element into the shop in the shape of a young man now and then. ‘This would have given no offence ; men, young or old, being at liberty to read ; but, unfortunately, they did not only change the books: they admired and talked to Miss Dee. It set the ladies of Rillbrook against her. She had a beautiful face, and her address was charming; and men, especially eligible ones, were not so plentiful in the village that they could be spared to Miss Dee. Animosity grew strong, culminating at length in the dis- covery that Mr. Probert had gone over to the enemy, and might often be seen in the shop. For Mr. Probert, the surgeon and general practitioner, was con- sidered the most eligible match in Rillbrook, A genial, warm- EONNIE KOO KS (E(@)