Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-06-25
6abette. .

Babette sat in the doorway OF the
old hut, dreaming. Her clumsy
shoes were flung aside; her bare feet
touched the water that ripplcd up to
the very door.
"A crazy old place." the country
people callcd it; aud there certainly
was a wild Ophelia-like grace about
the ruipous building, crowded with
tufts of WHY, wind-blown grass that,
spiripp up through the chinks of the
roof and in the crannics of the de-
cayed window-sills, caught here and
there the suu.,..asht. and lent q change
ful charm to the desoiat6 spot.
Far back and beyond it stretchcd
the sca-beech, tho long sandy lcvelss
over which at tide-rising the sea came
crawling up, shaking the old ruin to-
its very foundations. Indeed, there
was a legend that the last inhahitsnt
of the placc-a solitary fisherman
had been swept away one wild night
long ago, when the waves broke over
the roof of his inhabitation. AT any
rate, though the village below and
the preat hotels OH the cliffs were
oyertiowing with summer guests, no
one lad soIght to utilize this habita-
ton, though the boys had signaiized
it's advantages in rude. placard. to
this effect, "This hole house to let.'
The ONLY occupants to-day were the
sea-shelis, the drifts of sea-wood, and
Babettc.
She sat III the doorway on an old
boat that had floated in thither, bot
tom side up, III some overflow of the
son and remained there ever since.
| In her hands she held W eb of thai
Iiuht. spider-likc work whereby wo
men love to keep their active fingers
busy, knitting themselves by fair!
| thread to the actual world; while
thoughts arc free 10 wander airil!
whittier they wist.
The girl was looking afar off sea
ward. where a quiet isle, luminOu
land sun crowned, dotted the distance
lholf-way out-idle, pleasant, driftet
oway from the cares Of the busy mair
land, and baskiug drcamily i'll th'
rosy light.
Babettc sympatlized with that is
Hand. 1t seemed to her it would be
gracious thing to get away from In
actual commonplace necessities o
! life as she had known it; to dwel
apart in some trace-like solitude iron
the tramp uitV w Hhi CIV
existence. For the girl had been
hard. worker III her time, as man
drcamy-cycd w~lncn are, ana the,
were not altogether iale ana cioul
like fnncies shat absorbed her rs sh
: sat. For she was a business woman
was Babette. and that moment wa
e revolving the problem Oh gettihs
y living. Tho peach bloom on he
. . cheek, and the young light in nc
;, eyes, did not render the problem lei
y difficult of solution.
y Her school-days ut the village Wer
8 ended-those doubtful yet quicscei
d days when, by dint ofincessant dru'
gerry as All under teacher, she ha
h Wrung out a sort of education II
herself. and graduated i'll hutterin
- white at once and forever out OF II
caterpillar state. That pretty G!
D citement, that brief flash OF light 9
her stormy pathway, over, shc ma
come back to her old aunt Marget
cabin. But she could not live the
dependent; live and die there: l
scanty fare, it's bare floors,its soiitu'
among the hills, its shelter OF WIN
swept pines that climcd the sterl
r crags and look down OIL the far oce'
these things had satisfied her ono
1t had satisfied her to hunt sea-shel
along the shore with Cousin Tom.
But Cousin Tom had gone out fro
~ the sca-shore TO the great sea and 1
great world beyond. Why shou
she not do SO too2
A sharp but not unkindly vo1
i. broke in upon her reverie. "B'
ette: Why what upon airth! Oh
ase you'll get your death of cold, as L
mp, often told you afore, in this dau
unwholeso,ne place"
- i,The speakers tall wiry figure a
clean sunbonnet carried an incis
- meaning with them, well calcuia
y to put TO flight dreams of whate'
= nature.
- 81 haven't been here long, Al
~ Margct," SAID Babette. rousing W
v! a flush from her reverie.
= "Why, Eve been looking for
= this hour past, pears TO me. I
- fessor Peoples has been to the no
4 inquirin' arter you. He's com
L Babette did not appear to be ex
Io arated by The information. She,
W listless, her foot playing idly with
dimpling water. ;, )
.l'm OH an arrant down to the
lagc," said the busy old woman; .
YOU can run home and tidy up thi
u BIT, ard dress Yourself"
"I-I can't. l don't want TO
him."
"La, child, you mustn't be SO b
: full! He wants to sec you. So
( aiong and smart yourself up"
A school-master and . parson '
in AuAt Marget's eyes two objec
special reverence.
"But Pm $3.50 tired" Urged
& ana ettc, with some hesitation.
iso % Of "Tired!' repeated the old VOL
,gned not unkindlv. 81 don't know ,