Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-01-09

marry his prlnclpalS daughter"
Bessie popped her head out of the bar
rel with nervous haste, but, meeting Miss
Pobjoy's eye, plunged IN again. 'TOh p
she says from the depths of the barrel.
3" Is she pretty / mean who told you ?
Where did you hear it -
From Silas Bangs's mother. Oh !
there's no mistake. 1t will be good
thing for him, won't it ?"
"E2cellentr' says Bessie, emerging
from the barrel with scared, white face
These are very good apples, Mr.. Ketch-
UNI. Send me five pounds of them and a
peck of butter, and "a barrel of salt"
And leaving Miss Pobjoy smiling and the
grocer dumb with amaZement, Bessie
went out into the street, and in a blind
sort of way found the road toward home,
and stalked Ike ghost into her little
parlor. There Jim found hsr, standing
with her bonnet and shawl still on, when
he came in from school for his dinner.
Dinner ready, Bess?"
Bessie started like one from sleep, and
said No, she hadn't cooked it, and pro-
ceeded to set before the wOndrous boy a
lunch of brown bread and milk and apples
You shall have your dinner at supper
time" she said.
But at supper time Jim found that she
had put salt in the pudding and sugar in
the mutton hash. She ate nothing her
self, and didn't notice that he ate neither
meat nor pudding.
Jim studied his lessons sitting by the
stove as usual, while Bessie sat idle and
silent, with a pale face and strangely
bright eyes, not remarking the boys
troubled gaze as he paused often in his
lesson to try to read the mystery. She
kissed him when he babe her good night,
but as if unconsciously and merely from
habit.
Jim walked from troubled dream just
at daybreak, and heard some one creep
ing upstairs, and then the door of Bes-
sizes room shut. He wondered if she had
not been to bed all night
At breakfast her cheeks had a hectic
glow, and her eyes were supernaturally
bright. She talked fast and excitedly,
and loaded Jim's plate with good things,
telling him that he must be starved, as he
had eaten no dinner the day before seem
ing to forget that she had made supper a
dinner
Jim ventured to demonstrate at her eat
ing nothing, but she pleaded headache
1t was the same at dinner and at supper,
and in the evening she played gay tunes
on the piano, and sang for the boy her
liveliest songs. But it was melriment
that was strange to him, and he slept I'M
easily for thinking of it, and walked again
when it was nearly light, to hear footsteps
creeping up the stairs.
He stole out Of bed and opened the
door of his room, and saw Bessie with a
wan face and bowed head, just going INFO
her room, and he crept back to his bed,
weeping for the unknown sorrow that
had fallen upon his sister.
A few hours later, when he went down
to breakfast, he found Bessie watching
for the kettle to boil. AS soon as this
happened she took hold of it to lift it,
but it seemed too heavy for her She
tried again, and gave it up, sinking into
a chair.
81 believe I'm not well, Jim. | can't
lift the kettle. You must make your own
tea"
Dear Bessie" said the boy, 'let me
go for the doctor"
With unexpected warmth she turned
upon him, saying: "No! | forbid you to
go. If you do, shall be displeased. /
only want rest and quiet. I'm tired. I've
headache"
He dared not ask her what was the
matter. He quietly put away his school
books and prepared to spend the day at
home; made the tea, and made Bessie
drink a cup and lie down on the parlor
sofa afterward, covered up with shawls,
while he was hOusemaid, chambermaid,
cook, nurse, and everything else that day.
At nine o'clock he put her to bed, and he
could not help it if she lay with wide
open eyes until the sun shone over the
snow covered village. It was the day
before the new year. She was as quiet
and patient as little sick child all day
She drank the tea and broth jim made
for her quite obediently, and sat with her
hands listlessly in her lap watching him
60 in and out.
1t began to snow again toward evening,
and Bessie shivered and said she felt it
all through the marrow of her bones.
Jim piled on the coal and made a warm
fire.
"Put on some wood, Jim, to make a
blaze"
"There' no more, Bess; it's all out"
'You needn't tell me 500 said his sis
ter, tiercely, and burst into fit of weep
ing, while the boy stood frightened, and
wondering what he had done
She pushed him away when he would
have cOmforted her, but called him to her
again when he would have gone away,
and kissed him with intense affection,
ssyi 2 that he was all she had in the
world, and 1t was a shame to speak SO to
him. Would he forgive her? God bless
him. God bless him.
At eight o'clock the fire began to burn
low. jim put on the last scuttleful of
coal.
"We've been so lavish of coal these
last DAYS" he said, ''that find we're out
OF that too. Won't you come to bed,
Bess? III be up early IN the morning,
and get both wood and coal, and have a
nice bright fire for you before you're up.
1t will be New Years morning, Bess. Do
come to bed before the fires out"
But she shook her head and said: go
yourself, Jim. III come presently. I'd
rather be alone. Go, dear"
He went out of the room, at least, but
not to bed; out into the falling snow,
hoping to find the shop still open where
he could get a little more coal for the
night at least, and scolding himself that
in his anxiety about his sister he had
allowed his store to came to this incOn-
venient end.
He came in anime o'clock with scut-
tie of coal in his hand Bessie was sit
ting with her face in her hands, but start
ed and looked up as he entered the door
"Why, Jim, l thought you were in
bed?'
''No, Invent out to get some coal; the
shop was closed, but it will be open for an
hour very early in the morning. I got
this Of our neighbour"
"Who?n
"NIiss Porter. And she told ne that