Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-09-06

And you were here alone at that
hour?"
1t was bright moonlight"
And supposing there had been no
4 must have staid till l found her,
moon or no moon. Harkl did / hear
her bell?"
Perhaps we may find her sooner to-
gether. May go with your"
. Yes, [ suppose you may"
They strolled on, the young moon
casting weird shadows and peopling the
wood with fantastic shapes; and some
times they forgot why they were there,
and sometimes a frightened bird
brushed the dew from the tangle, or the
the faint melody of bell stirred the
silence and quickened their steps. 1t
was after eight when they drove old
Jetty home, and Ben had been sur
prised more than once by the speech
that fell from Rosy's pretty lips. She
knew the old poets, whom young ladies
of the period disdain to cultivate She
was at home with Scott, and familiar
gians
:" You told me that you had never been
to school," said Ben, but somebody
has taught you. There is no royal road
to knowledge"
eyes; Parson Psalter's wife taught
me TO read and write, and she gave me
little presents for learning verses by
heart She used to borrow me Of Mrs
Cramm to read to her when her dear
old eyes failed. Yes, and when she died
she left me all her books"
Ben was more than ever interested in
the subject Of oil as the days went by.
He listened to the enthusiastic raptures
of all Little Basset, and was persuaded
that this was the tide which leads on to
fortune. So he staid Oh and on, learn
ing the minutip of this method of coin
ing money, helping Rosy carry her
trimming pals to the dairy, or bring
the butter-fOr Mrs Cramm was not
one to allow milk to sour on her hands,
whatever the prospect which the oil
well afforded. Ben had inherited GER
tain sum Of money from distant
cousin; who, with his child, had disap-
peared from the sight of men years
ago; now he informed MIR. Cramm he
wished to invest it in oil.
:" Ill tell you what I'll do by ye," said
that disinterested soul. "Tve took
mighty liking to you, and so has Miss
Cramm; there's my well. Pm thun-
dering poor man, Mr.. Bates, and Pm
working it at disadvantage I'm aw-
fully in debt, to tell the truth. Pm
mortgaged up to my chin, and l don't
hev no peace for fear of a keeper in the
house and a-being brought to disgrace
afsre my neighbors- these women
folks to look after Now, mark my
word, somebody's got to make fortune
out of that ere well, and I'd rather it
ID be you, Mr. Bates, than anybody, as
it won't be Jim Cramm; if you've got
the means, you couldn't do better than
to take this ere elephant off my
hands"
"Thanks,' said Ben. I'll think
about it." Whereupon the merits of
Cramm Well were SO adroitly celebrated
that Ben began not only to think, but to
talk about it.
One evening, week later, when Ben
went to his room, folded slip Of paper
under his candle-stick attracted his at
tention Thinking it might be deli
present his bill in this way, he opened and
read,
Mr.. BATEs,-Do not bag the Cranne
Veil You aVW be sorry If you do.
"A KIND FRIEND"
Mr.. Bates smiled broadly. He would
show it to Mr. Cramm at breakfast, and
have laugh over the device of some
rival striker; but morning brought wiser
counsel. Was it not woman's hand?
Perhaps Rosy's; and if so might it not
deserve attention? When he went
forth to smoke, after breakfast, he en-
countered Rosy in the garden path,
picking peas for dinner.
"Ah, here is my kind FRIEND" he
hazarded, holding out his hand Rosy
started and blushed "How came you
to send me that warming, Rosy?" he
pursued. " What do you know about
the Cramm Well?"
ZIP" she asked, with illfeigned sur
prise. What made you think sent
it?'
did you not?"
Rosy hung her head, and tears filled
her eyes.
"Was it very wicked in me?" she
asked. 81 could not bear you should
be beggared by them. You are the
only one who has ever been kind to me
since dear Mrs. Psalter died. What
could do? At least you won't waste
your money for naught."
But what evil do you know of the
Cramm Well? Why should not pur-
chase?"
ooh, you see, Mr.. Bates, when they
found it a mistake, Il false strike, why
they-they doctored it. They brought
oil on the sly, and brought the pump
with it, don't you see? I heard them
talking of it between themselves after /
was in bed at night; it was Mrs
Cramm's idea: the walls are thin, and
couldn't sleep, was SO tired. If you
buy it, they mean to pack off before
you can find out that the wells hum
bug. And | thought, maybe, you had
nothing but the money you would put
into it, and | couldn't stand by and see
you swindled, and not say a word"
Il thank you; but, my dear girl, your
warning comes too late. Ihave already
bought the Cramm Well"
But you will make them take it
back? You will go to law about it?'
L think not" Mr. Bates was in
quandary. If he took the law in his
hands, Rosy would be called upon for
her testimony, and would not the fact
that she had preferred the interest of
stranger to that of her adopted parents
tell against this simple child, even
though she had acted right in the mat
ter? Furthermore, would it not east her
adrift unOn the world and uaS he mo