Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-06-29
BESSTE'S WEDDING CAKE
BY MRS. Z. BURKE COLLINS.

Is 1 mhDs 14s ~ AeAAi@
"She is a perfect beauty a real
little blue and gold princess Dam
ty and petite, you know, auutle, with
eyes like your violets out IN the gar
den yonder, and hair like spun sun
shinew ~
Mrs. Warner dropped her knitting
and lifted both hands in unfeigned
surprise.
"Well, 1 declare Charlie Stuart
getting poetical But, Charlie, boy,
do not forget the hOmely old saying
that handsome is that handsome
does and beauty is only skin
deep.'
Charlie Stuart shrugged his
shapely shoulders with a merry
laugh, and leaned his brown, curly
head against the high back of the
rocker in which he was undenlably
"taking it easy"
A handsome, careless fellow was
Charlie, who had just opened a
large "store" in the flourlshiDg
town of Pit6eld. he had dropped
in upon his aunt, Mrs Warner, this
lovely summer morning, for a con-
fidential chat.
Handsome isl know all
that ~ he responded lightly, "and
though beauty is only skin deep
well, who wants it any deeper !
And, Aunt Helen, there are women
whose beauty not being skin deep,
would hardly bear close scrutiny,
ehl' And the saucy fellow laugh
ed aloud once more. "But, to re-
turn to first principles" he said so.
berly, all at once checking his mer-
riment; "we were discussing or
about to discuss-the approach
ing marriage of certain noble
scion OF the house of Stuart. Aunt
Helen what is that p
AS the sound of the crash of
breaking china from an adjacent
room fell upon their ears, cutting
the conversation short, Mrs. War
ner quietly took up her knitting.
"Bessie is in the kitchen making
ples," she observed, calmly. at is
not necessary for her to make such
a noise about it, OF course; but if
any accident has occurred, she will
attend to it without my interter-
ence. Such a treasure of girl as
Bessie Dale is / have never re-
gretted giving her a home, poor
child~
There was a slight flush upon
Charlie Stuart's handsome face,
and a look of profound interest in
his brown eyes.
"Surely you know something of
her parents p he queried. Mrs.
Warner shook her head.
"Nothing at all, Charlie. A wo-
man was found at Orr door one
night, eighteen years ago, when
Robert and l we're first married.
The woman was dying; there was
a babe in her arms-a child of
year old. 1t was a cold, stormy
night. The woman died, without
being able to tell us anything, ex.
cept that the child was named Bes-
sic Dale, and that they had come
from a great distance, and that the
child was of good parentage. The
woman begged hard for us to keep
her. She tired to tell all her
story, but death overlook her, and
we have never known any more
But Robert and ], having no chill.
dren of our own, have loved her
and cared for her as though she
were really ours. She has been
educated, and she is the best house
keeper, for her years, in all Pitheld.
And now, Charlie, go on with your
story. Your blue and gold princess
how pOetical, to be sure will
arrive, then, to-daYW
To-day or tomorrow, Aunt Hell
EN- And l am so glad that you
have consented to receive her,
Dick will be down here in a few
days, and We will have a merry
party until the wedding takes
place."
81 shall give a reception, of
course" cried Mrs. Warner, ami
mately. wn my position as aunt
to the bridegroom, it will be ex.
pected of me and Bessie shall
make the wedding cake"
"We'll see about thatp muttered
a low voice in the neighborIng
kitchen, where Bessie Dale was
Cup to her eyes, in the Wednes'
days baking. She had overheard
the entire conversation, and the
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