American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-09-04
KFFIL's DOLLAR BILL.
. Stella. is it Won ~

Stella, is 1t yOus"
1t was bitter cold night, the full moon
shining with freezing light over a cold ex-
panse- Of glitaering snow, the branches OF
the glen tinkling and cracking under
their weight of icicles, the stars glistening
afar on. i had to run across the beaten
pa<h tAnt 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 UNDERSTANDING hospitality. But just as
ling nOiSe in the hay startled me. Before
could uttef low cry that trembled on
my lips l saw that it was Stella severn.
Stella Severn, Mr.. Lockwood's &c bound
girl, ;" wild, reckless thing, who received
. bod 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 c0mprehends the rowing nature of the
willful duckiing that takes to water in
spite Of everything-and for some recent
escapade, the full details of which did
mot know, I had been forbidden by my
mother even to speak to Stella.
.Yes. il is IL said Stella, slowly rear
ing herssK out of the recesses of the hay,
and staring at me with her big, Andalusian
ewes. And am. oh-so coidp'
What are you doing heres" I asked,
holding up my lantern in sore perplexity
Il ann tying to Sleep" said stella;"I
Run away! What fors'
aBecause couldn't stand it any longer.
Mrs. Lockwood sccused me of being a
thief-she had lost some miserable old
teaspoon or other-and I won't be called
q thiefr'
Pit R6elya-p Z cried INV conservative
,ustnre fhriIiinr With a vscne terror at the
Icre fsiea Of s5ch hold measures az these.
ssvlst are Won going to dov,
THE L1sd only. knows" Stella an
erenee. - =
.Perhans mother would let Won sleep in
our snare room.u said.
" Perhaps she wouldutr' scornfully re-
torted Stella. e No decent person lets me
inps
HI mean to ask herr
Ask, then, and get scolding for your
psinsr' laughed stella, bitterly.
a. But It is 20 cruelty cold. and know
mother wouldn't shut out even dog In
such weather as this.n
perhaps so-but am worse than a
dog. You mean kindly, Effie Heart, but
you'll find out the folly of it,"
made no answer. but ran as fast as
could hack tn the house where breathIess
and Dantino. nreferred INV request.
thief rnnawavf Tn NV houser,
cried nav mother.
"a law good -fornothinp. who would
rather lie In the sunshine than work anv
time" echoed Deacon Cornell.
eco and warn bAr rff ffo y,ra,,,;a in,
mediately," said my mother.
AZ dunno but ought to 90 for the Con.
stable obviously remarked the Deacon.
feeling his stubby beard.
/ skunk away disheartened. Stella's
prophecy had been correct. But was
determined not TO desert nv old playmate
thus. Creeping up TO my room, took a
solitary dollar Bill. treasured toward a new
blue sash for a spring muslin, and wrote
, a short note to Hubert Leslie, the young
artist who had boarded with us the sum-