Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-04-19

she hsd the nervous headache-and the
two moustached young men who had
something 10 do with the brokering bus
incss in Wall street-and the stout
, couple who went daily to a gymnasium.
and walked for exercise so many hours
per diem. And there was the young
lady with the curls who taught school.
and the genteel dressmaker who had
the use of the parlors to see her COM
pany in, and the saucy pretty "sales
lady" who always dressed so elegantly,
and the shy youth who was q book
keeper somewhere on q starvation sal
airy, and whom nobody noticed. They
were all studies of character to little
Bessie Barton. She looked at them as
she might have looked at so many stat
ues or pictures they amused her
Until finally the shy lad-Laurence
Wyatt was his name-fell sick of ma
larial fever in the very chill hall bed
reom where Bessie Barton had shed
those first and bitterest tears Of her So
journ in the great city-and Bessie her
self, shocked at the total indifference of
Aunt Munger and the girls, made him
bowl of Cruel and took it upstairs.
''You are very kind" said the pale
lad, looking at her with eyes which
were like sunken caverns of fire. Idon't
know what right l have to your minis
trations."
'iJust this" said Bessie cheerily: "a
heard you say once that all your friends
were up in Maine--and, of course,
some one must take care of you"
'Every one doesn't argue after the
same fashion," said Wyatt bitterly.
Sand besides,n pursued Bessie, Sat
home, at Bluebell Farm, we girls have
little society which we call Sisters of
the Suffering And we go around to
all who are ill-all, | mean" she added
with blush, "who cannot aford-who
don't have friends and nurses of their
own. So, you see, am not inexperi-
enced in this business" .l5
"'Sisters of the Suffering" repeated
Wyatt slowly. ''Yes, it is sweet name
"a name that sounds gratefully on
ones ear. Miss Bessie, if my mother
were living-if she could be here-I
think she would thank YOU as I don't
know how to do"
oh" said Bessie brightly, at is early
for thanks yet! Wait little"
Down into the Valley of the Shadow
poor Laurence Wyatt went-close. close
to the black waves where life and love
drift forth SO often to return never
more.
But he recovered at last, and DR..
Steuben said that it was, under Provi-
dence, owing to Bessie Barton's kind
nursing and ceaseless care.
And he went away to his distant home
for rest and change; and Mrs. Munger
drew long sigh and remarked: ITO be
sure, what relief it was"
bessie DEAR she said to her niece
with sudden access of tenderness, ''you
were speaking of a ten-dollar bill your
mother sent you to spend. I've a
chance to get a great bargain in a con-
sole mirror for the best drawing-room,i if
/ could scrape little money together.
Suppose you lend it to me for few
weeks only"
Bessie colored; her eyelids dropped.
''Oh, Aunt Munger, l cannot" she
said. 'I-gave it to Laurence Wyatt.
He could not pay up his board-billl with
out it, and"
"Gave it to Laurence Wyatt, indeedr'
shrilly exclaimed the clearinghouse
keeper ...
"And he took it from you?"
"He borrowed it, Aunt Munger"
you'll never see it again, Said Mrs.
Munger angrily. Bessie, you are a
fool!''
And she fiounced out of the room in
passion. The next day she would not
speak to her niece; and Adeliza and
Medora went about with faces of grim
disapproval.
If Bessie must throw her money about
why couldn't she have thrown it in the
direction of the family-coffers?
From that day everything seemed to
90 wrong in the Munger household. Bad
debts grew worse The stout couple
went to Europe-the editor married and
set up a hearthstone of his own.
One by one the desirable boarders
dropped away, while their places were
taken by snowy impostors, who depart
ed, leaving behind them trunks full
of stones carefully muffied in red fan
mel.
And Mrs. Munger was gloomily con-
templating sheriff sale, when one day
a carriage rolled up to the door and out
stepped gentleman in sable furs and
costly dress.
"Don't you know me, Mrs. Munger,
and Bessie?" said he; II am Laurence
Wyatt! And I've come to pay my debts.
Don't look at me so strangely. | am
not an apparition. Only my uncle from
Chicago has adopted me, and am to
enter the mining business with him. He
has settled a liberal allowance upon me,
and am rich man now."
Mrs. Munger sighed sepulchrally.
you've no debts here, Mr.. Wyatt"
said she; ''it's all settled up to date
But if you know of any eligible parties
looking out for good board"
"Yes, of course / will recommend |
them, said Laurence frankly; 'but-
my aunt is out here in the carriage and
she wants to see the young lady who
saved my life-Bessie Barton"
So Bessie, blushing and frightened,
went out to see the grand lady in the
carriage, who slipped little diamond
on her finger-a solitaire diamond
that shone and glittered like spark OF
fire. And Laurence Wyatt whispered to
her.
"Our engagement-ring, Bessie"
Adeliza and Medora Munger were
highly scandalised when they heard OF
it. So Bessie, the sly little puss, had
been secretly engaged to that bookkeep-
ing young man ever since he went away,
looking more like haggard spectre
than anything else. How could she
know that he would come back rich
mans heirp Wasn't it the most improv-
dent thing in all the world?