The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-04-22
BAD BETTE BENNETT.
BY HARRIET PRESCOTT spoFFoRp.

BY HARRIET PRESCOTT sPoFFoRD.
There is no moral at all to what
am going to tell you about Bette Ben
nett At least the real fact OF the
,ase is that it is all very immoral.
But that's neither here nor there.
! had been watching the play some
time-I, generally looked upon by the
fortunate others as an old maiden
lady probably without experience, and
certainly without hope. The play
went on at the seaside; serious play,
Tor the stakes were high, high as when
some old eastern potentate risks his
lovely Circassian girl, body and soul,
to his antagonist. The players were
not eastern potentates, but all the
the same, lovely girls, body and soul,
were the stakes. l used to think OF it
when | saw Laura Stockwood, that
stately beauty, and Jeanette Dean,
the dashing one, and Caro- and Elsa
and the rest. And among the rest
could one forget Betty Bennett? She
was not q person who allowed herself
to be forgotten.
And yet you did not understand
what it all meant, this Juror about
her. She was not beauty; she had
no accomplishments to speak Of; she
was not an heiress. But she had ev-
erything her own way the summer
through. Ii you had to describe her
you would say she was dark and
slender little person, with arch ways
and the gayest laugh in the world; and
that would be all there was about it..
All there was about it? Oh, not in
the least! In the first place, there was
the readiest wit, the greatest good
nature, the most perfect grace. In the
next place, there were the most won.
derful toilettes. This morning robe
OF filmy blue India silk, garnished with
lace OF the same slight hue, and finished
with q collarette and chatelaine of
old carnelian beads, not to be bought
now for love or money; this bathing
dress of burlap dripping with rock
crystals, and worn under q cloak of
white plush, thrown Off at the right
moment for the wave; this distracting
dinner dress of white silk bound about
with autumn leaves, nothing but a
strip OF the bright vine making the
shoulder strap; and tomorrow brav-
cry as fine as this, with soft, creamy
woods made softer with their edgings
of ostrich lips, cambrics sheer ashoar-
frosts. and covered with thread lace,
Iustrous satins OF pale rose fitting per-
fectly the perfect shape, and dark vel
vets and tulles and gauzes; and now
IL brocade stiff with gold thread, such
us they might have worn in the days
OF M-dici; and now Il black Spanish
lace. with high comb and mantilla
that. taken with her little foot, made
an Andalusian of her.
WELL" | said to her, after week
or so, as she rested by me a moment,
sit must cost all of q fortune to dress
you. don't see where you get it,"
$50 it does" she said, with encour-
aging frankness. "Take my tollettes
and gloves and boots and folderols
and all, and the interest OF it would
take care OF one poor person for life.
Isn't it wicked?" and she looked at
me with an irresistible drolIery.
"Yes, think it is" said |. For l
had known Miss Bette OF old, and l
knew that if she cot through this sum-
mer alive, she wouldn't have one pen
ny left.
"And the worst of it is" continued
she, "that when you think you have
enough for queen. you find you've
only made beginning, and have to
keep ordering more from Pelisser and
from Bobinet and the others. 1t won't
do to be suspected of any tarnish.
You must be fresh, or nothing. Why,
Pm in debt up to my eyes''
Bette, don't know what you can
think of Yourself" ! said, in conster-
nation, "You have nothing to pay
with. It's dishonest; it's-it's swim
ding"
"No, it isn't. It's my business. If
l carry out my plans, my pin-money
next year will pay my debts"
"And if you don't?"
"Well, then, they can have the things
back"
"Bettie.'
"To look out for that is more troub-
lie than l can take, with all the rest
that | have. Pm in for it. I've got
to do it. And I've got to be q sue
cess"
Bette, if people knew about you,
you'd be anything but success
81 don't intend they shall. And it's
pity if can't trust YOU"
"You can-you can. | don't ap-
prove OF you, but l shan't hurt you.
If you were content to sit still, as lido
in one or two gowns, and see the show
60 by"
"And let somebody else marry
Mr.. Dunrobin! No, thank you. I'm
not content. But shouldn't have
gone into all this extravagance-it
makes my very soul ache to
see those eowns-if were not obliged
to be all the time en- evidence"
II don't really see the need of that. :"
II do. If you're to be q success. And
/ didn't come here to 60 home again.
And came here not only to rule this
summer, but TO have my rule remem-
bered in all summers to come"
"Noble ambition!"
cit isn't ambition, I tell you; it's
business"
"But, Bette, you're not beauty"
$50 much the more to my glory"
"You ridiculous midget"
"She's little, but she's shrewd. +"
And off she sped as young Pennycastle
came along for an hour at tennis; and
/ saw her coming back in time, sur
rounded by an awkward squad of the
young society men.
eyes, they are an awkward squad, F"
she said, in answer to me by-and-by.
"And stupid-stupid beyond any
thing!"
"The idea of taking so much trouble,
Bette, to please them, then!"
"Tm not doing it to please them,
the iackanapesl Yes, they are jacka-
napes They don't know anything
but society small-talk and attitudes.
They can dance-oh, how they can
dance! First one and then the other,
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