The Girls at Mount Morris

Lilian Boyd entered the small, rather shabby room, neat, though everything was well worn. Her mother sat by a little work table busy with some muslin sewing and she looked up with a weary smile. Lilian laid a five-dollar bill on the table. "Madame Lupton sails on Saturday," she said. "Oh how splendid it must be to go to Paris Mrs. Cairns is to finish up; there is only a little to do, but Madame said everything you did was so neat, so well finished that she should be very glad to have you by the first of October." The mother sighed. "Meanwhile there is almost two months to provide for, and I had to break in the last hundred dollars to pay the rent. Oh Lilian I hardly know which way to turn. I am not strong any more, I have made every effort to-" and her voice broke, "but I am afraid you will have to give up school." She buried her face in her hands and sobbed. "Oh, mother, don't don't " the girl implored. "I suppose it was selfish of me to think of such a thing and you couldn't go through two years more. You are not as well as you were a year ago. I'll see Sally Meeks tonight and take the place in the factory. I only have to give two weeks and then begin on five dollars a week. It will be better than the sewing."