Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1889-05-08
BELLA pONNA.


sie bcst of en- bcin' given To impish
sicks cf skccrin a team os horses going
Gown grade OF u whoopin' unexpected at
an elderly man that's some narvous from
.tage drivin' over twenty-five year: but
she want never tina: or Way. She was
lcctle. pale faced crcatur'. with the slim.
;nest arms. the longest legs. and poor.
'habby gowns alias too short fur her. sl.c
groweI SO fast. an they Want made.
with tacks 10 1t down, ,s told her
they'd oaghtcr lc. She como to- town
Miles Canon that sets down at the f,s,,
III Mt. SneElcs like It was dropped there.
along with her father. Hard Luck"
Stevens. lie was drunk as usual. and
she iuggi'i' big 5un,ik, done vi, in u r,.d
bandanaa, tiny sun h,mnittci crca,ur'
not morc'n years old.
Its too bad. Iss,ys. Sissy. to h,t YOU
lug that. and that oil villain stasgcrin'
as usual What's he TO you:''
just plain dad" she answers with n
little sigh: hes alhus t!slter way. anil
they've put muyer in the ground over tn
LcadNilie. and I've got ter live with him;
but I'm goin to be spectacle allus,
proni,cd my muver that"
BLESS yer heart" | cries, ''if Mike
Breen kin help you Ia thc same he. will.
Them lcctle old ways OF yourn kinder
chol<cs me Up"
AS they did every time sec her keep
in housc fur tina; old rupro.s.te. hc ,,rc-
tendin' to he prospcctin. but scttin'
around saloons loaiin'. When she got IL
he knowed. there was allus some enc to
lug him home fore lac got too fur gone
TO he hateful. rs he done when deep in
Ticker. Their whites somehow rot paid
for. though Hard Luck" never arm,
awthin'. Missy would thank IA Teller
90 cute. with such n mite of n curtsy, it
Was with n dollars buyin' of pork or
meal just To see her. She wouldn't an.
swer TO anytlin' but Miss Stevens.
though her naiac was Bell, fearin' i,
want high toned.
My road lay by her cabin q half miit
from town, an ! got in the habit OF
brearhin' my horses there. fur it's II steep
pull up the Crude. an out shed come TO
shy ''llow de do" and urtcr tim. TO
ride a piece with me. could swing her
up over the wheel like bird. fur she
weighed nawtlin'. an there she'd So;
aside me, her lcctle sun hunnit hancin'
by tho strings. her WALLER hair blowing,
her pale cheeks tintes. II hit. and them
big. black, sorrerful eyes full of n child's
delight. Land. how purity shc was then.
Ono day she says:
mister Mike. you nm mo is acouaint
ed u long time"
Five year. missy" answers. Girkin
the oil horse with tho whip: he n,lus
shirked.
''I've bin thinking we're such real
frens you needn't call mo Missy cnny
moro. That's just fur tho camp, YOU
know"
Better not change-rm used t.
Missy"
But kin lie 'spcc.ablo Just tho sarnr
an want To make YOU think | care q
heap about you. Now. Bell IL 20 short
II amt fino ernuiT. an shall be a way
up lady some day, so got mo name 10
the drug store that bitches onto mine"
Gimme suthin' easy; can't get over
no jaw breaker, Missy"
you wunt laI." lookin' ut me Will,
them big. serious eyes.
Not grin, even"
well" brcathless like, "it's-its
Delladonncr. Amt Il butiful!'
One day when she rid up with me eh
told mo, rs she was going to DO a great
lady. she ought to bc dedicated.
81 can't ~ 10 school in the canon. fur
father would set llissclf u fire or suthin'.
IN hey 10 git orr meals; but kin read
some, muver teacEed mo u little, an Two
picked up more, an | want you to Eit
mo some books"
An II sho didns put silver quarter
In my hand, warm from her tiny fist.
took IL. fur she was that proud she'd bin
mad. an I've got it yit. an Worried all
the way TO Silver City what Id cit. |
let her think her money paid fur nil.
She airn't some mendin' fur miners. fur
she'd SGT u patch wonderful with them
lcetlc claw fingers. an as she growcd biz
wouldn't take no more gifts OF vittles. A
pal an mo explored Silver City fur them
books, an ! brought Ter book called
"Monter Christcr, Bible, volume of
plays 10y Shakcrspcar TINT thought
wouldn't do her no harm. n fust reader
an a 'r!thmetic. She was tic..lcd, tell
you. when ! dropped them inter her
aprin. IN artcr that nllus sec Belladon.
nor (ns | keorfully called her. though |
he'd Ia laff inwardly--brt law! I'D called
her hull drug store TO please herr with
volume under her thin ara. an tho
words ciic used cv'ry day was rcs1ar
double dcckcrs.
She jest soaked up larnin' like n
sponge. TIL used 10 wonder that lcctlo
head could hold so much.
50 time goes on. m tho lcctlc govns
fits better, is long ornuiT. an Il ruat
made by her own hands. an s!ie gets
more flesh on her. an our lcctlc maid isa
young Teddy. an young civil engineer
surveying for n railroad comes often 10
tho cottaso-a good chap. Jack-an' /
liked him. Size growcd 80 purity. too
with her golden hair and sliinin' eyes
an tho pink In her chocl,s, an the sortcr
light Oh her face NJ young love gives
Wal. one day rs drove down prndc.
Bho como runnin' outer tho cabin. her
eyes slarklin', her lips parted. her face ms
rcsy-au' she gcnorolly quiet and pale-
an that yallCr hnir hyin about her
shoulders. Juck was with me. am I GOO
him color up an look M her sortcr hun.
cry. as man docs when hard lit. but
she barely spoke to him.
They say pas struck II rich" sho
cries "Tako me down 10 the Canon
Mister Mike; Thu wild 20 know"