Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-09-03
EFFIL'S DOLLAR BILL.
g Stella. is it you %

J
1t was bitter cold night, the full moon
shining with freezing light over cold ex-
panse of glittering snow, the branches of
the glen tinkling and cracking under
their weight of icicles, the stars glistening
afar off. [ had to run across the beaten
path that led from the house to the barn
to get some of the red Baldwin apples that
were packed so snugly in the oat-bin for
old Mr.. Cornell, who had come to spend
the evening, and my mother took pride in
her unpretending hospitality. But just as
I stopped to lift the lid of the bin, rust
ling noise in the hay startled me. Before
| could utter low cry that trembled on
my lips | saw that it was Stella Severn.
Stella Severn, Mr. Lockwood's bound
girl - wild, reckless thing, who received
a bad name at every ones hand, and con-
trived, somehow, to get blamed for every
scrape that was going. Whether Stella
was really bad or not no one could tell
but somehow she was perpetually under
the ban.
Mrs. Lockwood, stiff, rigid dame Of
the puritanic type, knew no more how to
manage Stella Severn than the matronly
hen comprehends the rowing nature of the
willful duckling that takes to water in
spite of everything-and for some recent
escapade, the full details of which | did
not know, I had been forbidden by my
mother even to speak to Stella.
eyes, it is l." said Stella, slowly rear
ing herself out of the recesses of the hay,
and staring atme with her big, Andalusian
eyes. "And / am, oh-so cold"
What are you doing here?" asked,
holding up my lantern in sore perplexity.
81 am trying to Sleep" said Stella; l
have run away.''
Run away! What for?"
because [ couldn't stand it any longer.
Mrs. Lockwood accused me of being a
thief-she had lost some miserable old
teaspoon or other-and [ won't be called
a thiefr'
"But, Stella" I cried, my conservative
nature thrilling with vague terror at the
mere idea of such bold measures as these,
"what are you going to do?"
| "The Lord only knows" Stella an
swered, with more reckless truth than rev.
erence.
"Perhaps mother would let you sleep in
our spare room," | said.
Perhaps she wouldn'tp' scornfully re-
torted Stella. No decent person lets me
| inr'
81 mean to ask her."
| X,
| painsp' laughed Stella, bitterly.
g But it is so cruelty cold, and / know
mother wouldn't shut out even dog IN
such weather as this.'
Perhaps so-but / am worse than a
dog. You mean kindly, Fife Heartt, but
You'll find out the folly of it,
| made no answer, but ran as fast as
could back to the house, where, breathless
and painting, / preferred my request.
+" A thief! A runaway In my houser'
cried my mother.
"a lazy good for-nothing, who would
rather lie in the sunshine than work, any
| time,n echoed Deacon Cornell
$50 and warn her off the premises i'm
| mediately" said my mother,
| 81 dunno but | ought to go for the Con
stable" obviously remarked the Deacon,
feeling his stubby beard.
| [ skunk away disheartened. Stella's
prophecy had been correct. But I was
determined not to desert my old playmate
thus. Creeping up to my room, I took a
solitary dollar bill, treasured toward new
blue sash for spring muslin, and wrote
short note to Hubert Leslie, the young
artist who had boarded with us the sum-
mer erevious, asking him to befriend the
friendless. / believed he would do as
much as that for my sake, and then hur.
rying once more to the barn crept up to
Stella's side.
ssStella," said I,'syou must go away
| from here''
Il thought So" responded Stella,
calmly.
| g But here is a dollar-all the money ]
have got; it will take you to New York,
if you walk fast and reach the depot in
time for the midnight train. And here
is a note to gentleman who may, per,
haps, help you to find something to do
| Stella threw her arms about my neck