The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-05-11
UNDER THE STARS.

UNDER THE STARS.
Miss Bessie Barclay. coming down to
breakfast one morning in the neatest of
violet cambria robes, with little square
of point lace pinned To her abundant
| pale brown braids rs ''mOrning-cap,"
touched the bell for her maid Priscilla.
who instantly appeared with the tiny
teapot on Il tray, arranged for one. She
placed everything neatly. pulled Il blind
half IN inch lower. and lingered-as
Miss Bessie knew-io be questioned.
| Miss Bessie was Obliging.
well, what is il. PriSclla?' she ask
ed
The milkman. please. miss" said
| Priscilla.
"lle have seen the comik, and he do
say he is that frightened of him that he
scarcely daresn't leave the milk"
What timid milkman,' said Miss
Bessie.
"Yes, miss" replied Priscilla. but
the baker likewise saw him as he was
sitting outside at four last night to cool
hisSelf; and he says he's actually CASH
ly. - has tail yards long; and if it
weren't for II glass of beer he don't know
rs he'd have lived over il"
Indeed" said Miss Bessie.
"lcs. miss" said Priscilla. s'And
Jane Maria. that is cook of the house OF
the scientiical gentleman over the way.
says her master thinks the comik will
surely run into us and smash the world
To pieces"
-, L.. De-, n.l
IL, said Miss Bessie.
well. miss. that makes me feel bet.
ter" said Priscilla; .'for You know
French and music. and lots of things,
Yourself
But really" said Miss Bessie, "wc
ought To see the famous comet. l be-
lieve il is visible about four o'clock. I'll
wake YOU up at that time, Priscilla and
we'll 90 on the roof together"
PriScilla's healthy brick-dus c0lorcd
cheeks turned pale.
.Oh. thank YOU kindly, miss she
said; "but please, miss. | wouldn't see
him for the world. | know I'd have
spazzums. miss, or die, or something"
"Ah. well. shan't force you to look
at the comet said Bessie. "YOu may
90, Priscilla, and don't allow either
baker or milkmanto brighten You. Com.
cts have often been seen and they've
never done any harm yet
beg pardon. miss. Ny grandfather
saw one hissclf, and it had II influence
and brought blight, and frost, and all
sorts of misfortune. and made my uncle
Peter hang hisself behind the scullery
door. And if that had u influence, why
shouldn't this one, miSS?'
I'm sorry. with all my teaching. you
should be- 81 superStitiOus, Priscilla,
sail Miss Barclay. Read your prayer
book and see what that says" With
which vague admonition Miss Barclay
dismissed her maid, and turned to her
|breakfast-table.
Bessie Barclay had been very pretty,
and was still uncommOnly nice-lOoking.
She was not old either; but so much had
come and gone in her life TO cut her of
from all the hopes and aspirations other
sarly youth. that she considered herself
AN old maid, and was so considered by
most of her new acquaintances. She
had no other. The old friends the peO-
pie who called her Bessie and who knew
her in her childhood, and to whom she
would always be more or less young
were far away i'm her native country;
and absence only makes the heart grow
fonder, when il is not prolonged. A
letter once i'm three months or so was
now all that was expected on either
side.
"Besides," Miss Barclay said, with
SIGH, ..they were all offended with my
staying away; but could not g" back
there"
You see there was a story in Bessie's
| life. In those early days when her dim
pied cheeks were like two perfect peach
es, and her eyes bluer than the skies,
Young Robert Leslie had fallen in love
with her, and she with him. There was
no reason why the old people should not
have said, "1'less you, my children
and married them in the old brown
church standing there all ready, not a
stones throw from Bessie's home, but
they did not There was an Old-time
quarrel between the families about
strip of land, not twenty feet long, and
a right of way of no use TO anyone; and
Grandmamma Barclay "set her foot
down." and the Leslies declared it new
er should be; and the old romance Of
the Capulets and MOntagues was enact
ed in the quiet English way. And, III
deed, the young people went farther.
and would have been married whether
or no, but that they were discovered on
the verge of an elopement. Then stern
measures were taken and Grandmamma
Barclay fairly carried Bessie away with
her, To travel for her health.
| She crossed the channel with her lit
tie victim, and spent the winter travel
ling from place TO place on the CONT
nent. And while they bore the miseries
of fine, crowded hotels, where the
strange cookery and the foreign walters,
the noise and the high prices, kept the
old lady's nerves quiyering, a letter
came, which told them that Robert Les
lie was about to marry Miss Staple, the
rich wool factors daughter, snowy
girl, with hard black eyes. After that
Bessie no longer pined for ''hOme. v
The farther she was from it the better
now, and she had neither parents nor
brothers and sisters. The old lady took
a fancy to reside in London. too, instead
of going back to herquiet country home
so She bought q little house i'm one of the
suburbs, and settled down in it as well
as she could settle anywhere, and the
new life grew to be- an accustomed
one.
But Mrs. Barclay, hale, hearty wo-
man, took To her bed and died. She
had killed herself, for she could no
more bear transplanting than some
hardy-seeming plants can; but she had
gained her end, and separated Robert
and Bessie.
1--WE left you everything. Bessie
love-" she said. "And l wish you'd
promise me never 10 MARRY Robert Les