American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-07-05

oil those precious SEEDS In the packet alteT
all
But on the very next afternoon while
Bessie was out on an Grand, Hetty stood
by the boxes alone, and just as she had
sadly concluded that her last plant was
going to blossom white, she cast a careless
glance at Bessie's box, and what did she
see? There was, there was certainly bit
of sky blue visible in an opening bud.
so, you beautyp' cried Hetty. The
it with pang.
at is too bad! it is too bad!" she
thought. 1.-THE boxes were all mine, and
the seeds were all mine, and then had to
give her half, and she has got the very one
l wanted most of ALP
Hetty pouted and frowned and almost
let tear fall. Then her face darkened.
II didn't mean to give her that!' she
said again to herself. ITS mine, for L
didn't mean to give it away, and I'm
going to have itr'
The thought that flashed into her mind
was to transplant the sky blue pansy into
her own box, and to put her white one In
its place. But just as she was pulling at
the fibrous roots, she heard Bessie open
ing the front door, and she started away
in terror, not wishing to be found there
She went into the tea-rOom, and finding
that tea was ready, she began ringing the
bell, as if she had never thought OF
pansy, and presently Bessie came running
In.
81 wonder if she stopped to look at the
pansiesr" thought Hetty, expecting every
moment to hear her eXclaim that there was
a sky-blue one.
But if Bessie had stopped at the box,
she had apparently not had time to notice
anything, for she said not a word about
pansies, but talked very fast of the places
oh ha6 hppD tn and of how hungry she
was.
''She didn't notice!'' thought Hetty with
secret, guilty satisfaction; and after tea
she proposed jumping rope in the court,
so as to keep Bessie away from the sit
ting-room, for she still meant to carry out
her plan.
Bessie seemed very willing to 90 out.
and they played in the court until it was.
fairly dark. When they came IN, Hetty
said:
Don't let's go in the itting-room, it's
SO warm.'
Suppose we go right up to bed" said
Bessie. ''I'm sure we're tired enough"
So to bed they went, and were soon
still, for neither had as much as usual to
say.
at is bright moonli ght," thought Hetty
Il am going to keep awake, and as soon
as everyone in the house has gone to bed,
I'm going down softly to the pansy
boxes"
She lay awake a long time waiting
Pretty soon Bessie breathed so regularly
she knew she must be asleep. She heard
her mother come upstairs, and then while
she was waiting to hear the last sounds,
she fell asleep herself.
But the moon woke her up presently,
for it was shining full on her face. She
did not know what O'Clock it was nor
on oh had hIt ha
was perfectly still.
I'm going downr' she silently de-
termined, and slipped very softly out of
bed, not even daring to glance at Bessie's
side, for fear of waking her She stole
out of the room, and her little bare feet
crept noiselessly down the stairs. How
bright the moonlight shone over every
thing-it would be light as day in the
sitting-room. What was she about to dos
Was it wrong? Was it stealing? 1t seemed
great deal worse to think of it, standing
alone at the foot of the stairs in the night,
than it did before she went to bed. A
tremor passed over her, child's terror of
night stole into her heart; what if she
should find an angel standing by the
pansies! The door into the sitting-room
was open; she slipped along few steps
and peeped in. She almost screamed, for
there was somebody there, somebody by
the broad window-seat, little figure all
in white, bending over the pansies in the
clear moonlight.
30, if can only get back up stairsr'
thought Hetty, in panic of alright, and
she turned nOiselessly away; as quick as
she could she sped up the stairs, and
crept softly into her room, and softly into
bed There she lay and trembled; at last,
for company's sake, she reached out
hand to touch Bessie, but Bessie was not
there.
9Was she down stairs?' thought Hetty,
bewildered, and even as the
thought crossed her, the little figure in
white appeared in the door, and came
over the floor very softly indeelD
at is Bessie!" thought Hetty, pretend
ing to be asleep, so as not to betray her
self, but long after Bessie had crept into
bed, she lay awake, wondering and dis
turbed.
The next morning Bessie sprang out of
bed first, and seemed in very high spirits
as she dressed herself, and tried to hurry
Hetty.
"Come, Hetty, make haste" she cried.
Let's go look at our pansies!' Hetty
was puzzled, but allowed herself to be
led down stairs, and they went into the
sitting room.
"Ohi OH" exclaimed Bessie, clapping
her hands. you've got beautiful sky
blue pansy almost open, Hetty, darling!
Oh, Isn't it lovely!"
Hetty started, and then she looked again
and again at the boxes.
What did it mean? Had her eyes de-
ceived her the day before? For now the
,ky-blue pansy was certainly blooming in
ner box, and the white one was in Bessie'st
The color came and went in her cheeks,
md then she burst into tears.
"Why, what's the matter?" asked Bessie,
N dismay.
You did itl' cried Hetty "You
changed them in the night You have
given me your sky-blue pansy, and l was
wicked girl, and meant to get it away
rom your"
We'll, / wan. you to have it,'' said
Bessie, her face dimpling all over with
miles.
But oh, you don't know, Bessie"
nourned Hetty; and then full confession
The little girls stood before the
)ansy boxes, their arms twined around
ZACH other. They did not go through any
orm of asking or granting forgiveness,
,ut Bessy Rugged Hetty tighter than be-
ore when the sad little story was told, and
Hetty felt that Bessy was the very dearest
girl in all the world.
But | am ashamed to keep the sky
:lue pansv," she said. You must take
t back again, Bessie, because l was so
mean"
Il don't carel" said Bessie, stoutly II
have had any pansies at all if it
hadn't been for your
And so something even sweeter and
IL