Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-21
BELLE BRANDoN,s BOOTS.

men in New York. There is no chance
for me. I've spent my money, and
every possible effort. Perhaps I'd bet
ter go enlist and fight the lndians-or
hang myself"
But what had this to do with Belle
Brandon's boots?: You shall see. That
very day Bellies father had written to
the mistress of the school in Chicago at
which his motherless daughter had re-
ceived her education:
girl to me at once. l have engaged rooms at
the Queen Victoria, and long for her. l in
close a check which will discharge my indebt-
edness to you so far as money can do 1t, and
pay her expenses etc., etc., etc.
And Belle had hidden adieu to her
school friends, and was on her way, at
tended by quite a little crowd, to the
station. Her trunks had been sent the
day before, expressed to her father, and
though, of course, she had a little
traveling-bag, she would have nothing
to think of.
Everybody was glad of this, for Belle
was one of those young women who are
always taken in charge by their friends,
rs though they We're brittle bits of
porcelain. Directions for her eating
and sleeping were poured in her ear;
bits of advice: Don't lose your ticket;
don't stick your head out of the window;
don't be frightened when the whistle
shrieks; don't allow strangers to speak to
you-this from the French teacher-and
ii! this mixed up with adieux. hugging,
kissing and hand-shaking. Even indie
pendent Miss Ophelia Phaller. who cut
her hair short all round, and would
have had no hesitation in starting any
midnight for Egypt, with a few things
crammed into a handbag, remarked: II
shall be glad to hear that she is SAFE"
81 suppose" said another, sit is be-
aus she is so small that one feels
afraid she may be carried off againsther
will. or lost somewhere, like a little
parcel"
Then the whistle blew, and the bell
rang, adieuX were uttered, and the train
was heard to shrek its way along in the
distance and was seen far away, like a
queer sort of serpent winding about the
hills. Belle felt lonely at first, and cried
a little. Then she began to cheer up
and looked at the passengers and
watched their doings, and laughed at
most of them internally, schoolgirl
fashion. She slept comfortably that
night in her compartment, and became
by morning quite an old travela.; and
as we have not time to describe her
Journey we will say that it passed off
pleasantly, and that as the evening ap-
preached on which the train was to ar
rive in New York she never felt in bet
ter spirits. She had made herself as
spruce as possible; and now she took
her travelling bag into her hand to ar
range it, for no maiden lady was ever
so particular about her small possess
sions. Her purse was in the BAG, of
course, her handkerchief, and a clean
collar or two, a box of jewelry, the book
she had had with her to read-you all
know what it held. And there was a
little bottle of polish, well corked, and
a little sponge with which to touch up
her shoes before she left the cars. The
shoes were high ties and easily taken
off. In the privacy of the compartment
Belle could do as She liked. She laid a
newspaper on her lap, frightened the
little toes of the pretty shoes and set
them on the window sill to dry; her bag
also stood there. And now she wrapped
the paper about the sponge and bottle
and proceeded to throw them away. for
she could not re-cork the bottle suf-
ticiently well not to risk spelling her
bag if she restored it to its place there.
Rolling all into a little ball She threw it
through the window. AS any bow
would have %prophesied, it hit the handle
Of the bag; the bag tottered, struck
against the shoes, and the next second
the window sill was clear. Belle thrust
her head through the aperture: far in
the distance lay, beside the rails, three
black specks, which vanished as she
looked. Her bag, with all her money
in it, and her only shoes. She was
going into New York like q beegar.
penniless and shoeless.
If her bag had not followed the ties
she could have got into a cab and driven
to some sh~oemaker's; for to arrive at
the hotel in stocking feet would be
dreadful; but, ~ it was, that mortifica-
ton must be faced. She would call a
cab and tell the driver-what?
'Oh, dear! Oh, dear! Oh, dear! /
don't remember the name of papa's ho-
tel!' moaned Belle, wringing her
1.-THE card it is written on is in that
horrible bag"
The climax had arrived, Here she
was rushing into New York alone, not
only penniless and shoeless, but home
less. She did not know where her
father was to be found. She had no
other friend in the city.
She could not go back to Chicago, be-
aus she had no ticket-no money to
buy one. She could not telegraph to
her father, addressing him at II don't
know where hotel" She could write to
Miss Rock; but where should she stayp
What should she do meanwhile? Even
If they would give her pen, ink and pa
per, and let her sit in the depot, She
might starve to death.
II shall go crazy" said poor Belle,
wringing her hands. 1 certainly shall
60 crazy"
Who can wonder that she said SOP
However, there was pothing for it but