The Green Satin Gown | Page 7

beating engine itself, so rhythmic and
monotonous it was.
"'Gene, 'Gene, Made a machine; Joe, Joe, Made it go; Frank, Frank,
Turned the crank, His mother came out, And gave him a spank, And
knocked him over The garden bank."
At Mary's cheerful "Good morning, Mr. Gregory!" the old man turned
slowly, and looked at the young girl with friendly eyes.
"Good day, Mary! glad to see ye! goin' along home?"
"In just a minute! I want to show you something, Mr. Gregory, and to
ask your advice, please."
The old finisher turned completely round this time, and looked his
interest. Mary opened her hand, and displayed the brooch she had
found.
James Gregory drew his lips into the form of a whistle, but made no
sound. He looked from the brooch to Mary, and back again.
"Well?" he said.
"I found it in the rags; blue Egyptians, you know, Mr. Gregory. It was
inside the lining of a jacket. Do you think--what do you think about it?
is it glass, or--something else?"
Gregory took the ornament from her, and held it up to the light,
screwing his eyes to little points of light; then he polished it on his
sleeve, and held it up again.
[Illustration: "GREGORY POLISHED IT ON HIS SLEEVE, AND
HELD IT UP AGAIN."]
"Something else!" he said, briefly.
"Is it--do you think it might be worth something, Mr. Gregory?" asked
Mary, rather timidly.

"Yes!" roared Gregory, with a sudden explosion. "I do! I b'lieve them's
di'monds, sure as here I sit. Mary Denison, you've struck it this time, or
I'm a Dutchman."
He got off his stool in great excitement, and walked up and down the
room, still holding the brooch in his hand. Mary looked after him, and
her face was very pale. She said one word softly, "Mother!" that was
all.
Mary Denison and her mother were poor. Mrs. Denison was far from
strong, and they had no easy time of it, for there was little save Mary's
wages to feed and clothe the two women and pay their rent. James
Gregory knew all this; his pale old face was lighted with emotion, and
he stumped up and down the room at a rapid pace.
Suddenly he stopped, and faced the anxious girl, who was following
him with bewildered eyes.
"Findin's havin'!" he said, abruptly. "That's paper-mill law. Some folks
would tell ye to keep this to yourself, and sell it for what you could
get."
Mary's face flushed.
"But you do not tell me that!" she said, quietly.
"No!" roared the old man, with another explosion, stamping violently
on the floor. "No, I don't. You're poor as spring snakes, and your
mother's sickly, and you've hard work to get enough to keep the flesh
on your bones; but I don't tell ye to do that. I tell ye to take it straight to
the Old Man, and tell him where ye found it, and all about it. I've
knowed him ever since his mustash growed, and before. You go
straight to him! He's in the office now."
"I was going!" said Mary, simply. "I thought I'd come and see you first,
Mr. Gregory, you've always been so good to mother and me. You--you
couldn't manage to come with me, could you? I am afraid of Mr.
Gordon; I can't help it, though he is always pleasant to me."

"I'll go!" said old James, with alacrity. "You come right along with
me!"
In his eagerness he seized Mary by the arm, and kept his hold on her as
they passed out through the mill. The few "hands" who were at work
here and there gazed after them in amazement; for the old man was
dragging the girl along as if he had caught her in some offence, and was
going to deliver her up to justice.
The same impression was made in the office, when the pair appeared
there. The two clerks stared open-mouthed, and judged after their
nature; for one of them said, instantly, to himself, "It's a mistake!"
while the other said, "I always knew that Denison girl was too pious to
last!"
A tall man who sat at a desk in the corner looked up quietly.
"Ah, Gregory!" he said. "What is it? Mary Denison? Good morning,
Mary! Anything wrong in the rag-room?"
Gregory waved his hat excitedly.
"If you'd look here, sir!" he said. "If you would just cast your eye over
that article, and tell this gal what you think of it! Blue Egyptians, sir!
luckiest rags that ever come into this mill, I've always said. Well, sir?"
Mr. Gordon was not easily stirred to excitement. It seemed an age to
the anxious girl and the impetuous old man, as he turned the brooch
over and over, holding it up