Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-06-21
CHARMING BETTE.

Priscilla opened her mouth TO speak
but Miss Bette did not wait to hear
her.
Eyes, was pretty once, and was
called Charming Bette My hair
was always curly, and my eyes used to
be very bright Ny cheeks were red -
20 red, they accused me of painting
many time, and my teeth white and
even, and my figure round and trim"
She had her snug. brown house, with
It's pretty, old-fashioned garden, her
birds and her flowers, and her white
kitten; but she must at times, Priscilla
tancied, be very lonely, in spite Of it all
Priscilla could picture her in the
long winter evenings, sitting in the
little, dim, lamp-hghted parlor, knitting
knitting.
Miss Bette" she said, gently, after
Rlittle, "who called you that-'Charm-
ing Bettie?"
"Who?" Oh, a good many He
sailed me 50 first, and then they all got
to calling me that. | have never told
eny one yet. But sometimes | think
it would do me good to speak about It,
! get tired of only thinking-I think SO
Inuch," with little sigh, and the
Emitting lying idle now in her lap.
.I"IIis name was David Allyn" Miss
Bette said, rather tremulously.
,8"Dayid Allyn-Lawyer Allyn" Pris-
ella cried, her dark eyes large with in
tense surprise.
The spinster nodded.
S"I have a picture of him, taken when
he was young" she said, and she got
up and went to little shelf and took
it down. "IIe was a handsome boy"
she went on, handing the faded dagucr-
reotype to the girl, "and he was as good
as he was handsome"
The beardlcss, boyish face with its
irregular, Uniformed features. and
rather sunken black eyes, did not
strike Priscilla as being at all hand
some.
"Did you meet him here in R.
she asked.
"Ycs. at a dance at one Of the neigh
bors' He was a young lawyer had
DUST graduated, and hadn't hung out
his shugle. But he was uncommonly
HnaTt, even then. He is our leading
lawyer now, you know" the spinstcr
added, with no little pride.
ut seems 50 strange to think he was
your lover" Priscilla exclaimed.
YES, itdocs seem strange now. after
all these years" Miss Bette said. with
another little sigh; "6ut it seemed
very natural then We met very often
after the night Of the dance, and We
grew TO know these country roads near
here by heart, for many were the long
walks we took together There is one
Toad-that one that leads by the Hill
man cottage--I never care 10 20 now.
1t was there, on that road. just about
dark one October evening that he told
me he loved me. There had been a
fine sunset, and the sky had been q
bright lame-color. As the glow faded
and the meadows grew dark. and a
little mist began to shut out the hills,
we turned to 60 home. Lean on my
arm, dear he said. and when did so
trembling a little. he said: How
would you like a young fellows strong
arm TO lean on always? | didn't say
anything right then, he took ms so by
surprise; and presently he went and
told me how pretty he thought was
and he said, with a laugh. and giving
my arm little pinch: II am going tc
name you Charming Bette So after
that he always called me that, and soon
nearly every one in R began call
ing me it, too. We were never engag
ed 10 each other, although / wear Z
little ring he gave me, in remembrance,
of our love. yet" Miss Bette said anC
held out one thin hand, on which shone
in the freight, a worn band OF gold
~There was just this understanding
between as; some day when he ha,
got a nice start in the law and had
little home Of his own to take me to
then ] was to be his wife. We wer
young and we were content TO wait
and one day he went away TO the cit.
to go into partnership with and old es
tablished lawyer. friend Of hi
fathers. It was a grand chance,
fine eopening for him, and we both kne'
It. and rejoiced over it like children, a