Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1875-09-30
EFFIE'S DOLLAR.BILL.
"Stclla, is it your

1t was bitter cold night, the full moon
shining with freezing life light over a
cold expense Of glittering snow, the
branches Of the glen :inkling and crack
ing under their weight Of icicles, the
stars glistening aiar off: I had run across
the to the barn, to get some of the red
Baldwin apples that were packed so snug
ly in the oat bin, for old Mr. Cornell had
come to spend the evening, and my moth.
er took pride in her unpretending hospi
'ality. Cut just as stopped to lift the
lid of the bin, a rustling noise in the hay
startled me. Before I could utter a low
cry that trcmblcd en- my lips, saw that il
was Stella Severn.
Stella Severn, neighbor Lockwood'<
''bound girl" wild, reckless thing, wh'
received a bad name at every oue's hand
and contrivcd somehow, to get blamed fo1
every scrapc that was going Whether
Stella WAS really bad or not, no one coult
tc]l-but somehow she was pcrpetuul'S
under the ban. Mrs. Lockwood, a sti1l
rigil dame Of the Puritanic type, knew
40 more how to manage Stella ScYcrl
han tho ma*ronaly hen compcehendS til,
rowing nature Of willful ducklings tina
axe to water in spite CT evcry'hiHg-an(
for some recent cscapadc. the full detail
Of which | did not know, had beer
forbidden hy my mother even to speak t:
Stella.
Yes, it is H. said S ella, slowly rear
ing llcrssl: out Of the rcccsses Of ti.c hay
md staring at mc with her big Andalusia'
eyes, "and am oh--so coll.'
"Wj,at are you doing h,:c:" l asked
holding up my lantern in sore perplcxi
ty.
Il am trying to sleep" said she, II have
run away"
"linn away? What for:'
"Bccausc couldn't stand it any long
err Mrs. Lockwood accused me of bein!
4 thicf-shc had lost some miserable ole
teaspoon or othcr-and I won't be calico
Il thief"
But Ste1la,'' cried, my conservative
nature thrilling at the mere idea of sucl
bold measures as these, what are you 60
ing to do now?'
''ric Lord only knows Stella answer
cd with more reckless truth than revcr
cnco.
"Perhaps mother would let you sleep i,
our spare room"
"Pcrhaps she wouldn't" scornfull
rc,ortcd Stella. No decent person let
me in:''
! Il mean to ask hcr.''
ASK, then, and get a scolling for you
pains" laughed Stella bitterly.
"Dut it's so cruelty cold, and she woul
not shut out even dog this cold wealth
er"
"Perhaps so-but I am worse than
dog! You mean kindly, Ef1ic Heart, bu
you'll find out folly of it."
made no answer, but ran as fast as
could back to the house, where, breatl
less and painting, 1 preferred my II
quest.
"a thief! A runaway! in my house {!
cried my mother.
"a lazy, od.for-nothing, who woul
rather lay in the sunshine than work an
timc," echoed Deacon Cornell.
''Go and warn her of the premises sal
my mother.
Il dunno but I'd ought to go for th
constablc,'' obviously remarked The de:
con, feeling his stubby beard.
I skunk away disheartened. Stella
prophcsy had been correct. But I wa
determined not to descrt,ny old playma'
thus. Creeping up to my room, I took
solitary dollarbill, treasured toward
new blue sash for spring muslin, an
wrote short note to Hubert Leslie, IL,
young artist who had boarded with us til
previous summer. asking him to .bcfricn
the fricndless. l believed he would do q
much as that for my sake, and then hurr.
ing once more to the barn, l crept to Ste
las side
"stella,'' said I, you must go away trol
here"
"Ithought so," responded Stella, calm
ly.
"But here is A dOlIar-all the money
have got. twill take you to New Yor
if you walk fast and reach the depot j
time to catch the midnight express. An
here is note to a gentleman there VIII
may perhaps, hclp'you find some thing t
do"
Stella threw her arms about my neck
and could feel her tears wet and warn
upon my cheek.
"Efie Heart" sobbed. she, If all til
world was like you, perhaps l shouldn