The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1886-01-16
aDt dbibaooux 5tntinel
SATURDAY, JAN. Is, 1885.
BETSY BLIVEN.

- /
Miss Bfivrn wa. tall. eject aud com
posed. She ha: seen the world, aud
she wasut afraid of il.
"But to think o. u Biiven going ont
- a hi,-d girl" said Mrs. Midget, =
feeble. pink eyed little woman with
ch,on;c cata,rh and Il detected snifh',
Who had been born Matilda Bliven.
and attached sup-r>titious respect t,
the name.
"Wha,'s th- odds :" said Betsey.
i've got my living to earn. and
mean to Earn it. Now. yon, Tilds."
With . compassionate glance 1T the
pink eyed %nrls,ocrat, you're made I"
work without any wages, just for the
satisfaction Of being called Mrs Y Aud
Betsey picked up her bag, .~houidc'-d
her umb, ella and .iulked out to meet
the stage, whose rumbling wheels were
lust beginning 10 sound upon tho road
like distnnt thunder.
Miss Bliycn had visited n Boston IN
$ellieencu bureau, and there they had
obtained tor her The address Of "a h"u>r
in the northern part"f the State whs'e
. reliable gl,i was wanted III the c"pa
city OF table waitress aud chamber
maid.
"Wagesi" demanded Betty.
"Fourteen dollars replied the gen
tlemunly clerk, who was smiling be-
hind the high deck.
..priviI-g.s :" again questioned the
young III
IA whole day to yourself every
month, and every other Sunday after
noon," replied the man.
"Any other girls kept 7" inquired
Miss Bliveu.
-Four said The man. complacently.
"Humph y commented Bets~y.
"Famiiy iarge!"
..Well-rather,' admitted the man.
"And the situation is very lonely: aud
60"
81 don, care anything about that p
quickly interrupted Betssy. "Td ss
soon keep house for y hermit, or go
on = desert island. I'm not very young
and I've no followers. Let me see
Grand Trunk railroad to Black Gorge,
stage coach to Bleak hall-yes, I've
got the directions all written down."
Betsey paid her fee, took her card.
and creaked out of the room in . pair
Of new calfskin boots.
Miss Bliv-n travelled comfortably.
She carried her lunch in a splint bas-
ket, and a:e comfortably on the road ,
shs b-guiled the tagging hours with a
newspaper, aud WAS not very tired
when at last the conductor flung open
the car door, and yelled out, at the top
Of stentorian pair of lungs
"BIack Gorge !" And Miss Betsey
found herself standing on the platform
surrounded by the dark, pine woods.
"Wh-re's the stage 7" she asked.
''Lady for Bleak hall I" inquired an
insinuating voice close to her ear
The next minute she found herself
lifted politely into . close, dark wag-
On with lexther. cushioned seats,
.Where are thu others I" inquired
tho driver.
"What others ,"ssked Miss Bliveu.
The two gentlemen who were to
come with you, madam"
"There were nons," said Miss Bliv-
%, II came alone :"
"Alone !" exclaimed the driver,
glaneing uneasily around them. "All
tho way FROM Boston 7"
@Yes, all the way from Boston ~
said Miss Betsey, . little impatiently.
AWhy shouldn't 1 You don't suppose
needed keepers do you 2"
"Oh, no, maam certainly not"
promptly responded the man as he
climbed into his seat and took tho
reins.
Ho drove eircumspectly along . lone.
!, road, Miss Bliven observed, up to
the very door of a dark stone house.
hedged about with funeral looking
spr4ces and cedars, as Betsey could
discern. in the star.sprinkled darkness,
aad q narrow door was opened.