Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-05-04

a y0lschood Is neuer thing for a mdn."
She's the box and pushed 1t towards him
and turned TO the selling OF her bouquets
Her voice shook little as she tied up bunch
Of mignonette and told the price It
Those beautiful stockingsi why hnd she ever
seen them, and why had he told her liev
1t made her heart heavy. For the first time
In her brief life the Broodhuis seemed TO
frown between her and the sun.
Undisturbed, he painted on and did not look
at her.
The day was nearly done The people bc
gan to scatter The shadows grew very long.
Ho painted not glancing once elsewhere than
at his study Bebee's baskets wero quito
empty.
She rose, and fingered, and regarded him
wistfully, he was angered, perhaps she had
been rudei Her little heart failsd her.
II be would only look upl
But he did not look up, he kept his hand.
some dark face studiously over the canvas of
the Broodhuis She would have seen a smile
In his eyes il he had lifted them. but he never
raised his lids
Bebee hesitated; take tho stockings she
would not; but perhaps she had refused him
too roughly Shs wished so that he would
look up and save her speaking first. but be
to help her thus
moss rose bud that she had saved all day
in corner of her basket. and held il out to
him frankly, shyly. as peace offering.
"Was rudei did not mean to he, but
cannot take the stockings. and why did you
tell me that falsehoodf'
He took the rose bud and rose too, and
smiled but he did not meet her eyes
LET US forget tho whole matter. 1t is not
worth a sou. If you do not take the box
leave It.; it is of no use TO me-"
IL cannot take 1t.
She knew sho was doing right How was
1t that no could make her feel as though she
were acting wrongly
"Leave 1t, then. | say You arc not the
first woman, my dear. who has Quarreled
with wish fulfilled 1t Ia way your Sex
has Of rewarding gods and men Here, you
old witch-here is a treasure trove for you
You can sell It for ten francs In the town
anywhere"
As he spoke he tossed the casket and the
stockings In it to an old decrepit woman,
who was passing by with bakers cart
drawn by dog; and, not staying to heed
her astonishment, gathered his colors and
easel together.
The tears swan in Bebee's eyes as she saw
the box whirled through the air
She had done right-she was sure she had
done right
He was a stranger, and she could never
have repaid him: but he made her feel her
self wayward and ungrateful, and it was
hard to see the beautiful fairy gift borne
away forever by the chuckling, hobbling,
greedy old bakers woman. II no had only
fob II bitpSaif cba hav k,sa, ,laA
then to have been brave and to have done her
duty
But it was not in his design that she should
be glad.
He saw her tears, but he seemed not TO SEQ
them
Good night, Bebee," he said, carelessly,
as he sauntered aside from her GOOD
night, my dear Tomorrow will finish my
painting, but will not offend you by any
more gifts"
Bebee lifted her drooped head and looked
him in the eyes eagerly, with certain sturdy
resolve and timid wistfulness intermingled In
her look
"Sir-see you speak to me quite wrongly"
she said with quick accent, that had pride
as well as pain in it. Say II was kind to
bring me what | wished for-yes, it was
kind, know; but you never saw me till last
night, and cannot tell even your name; and
1t Is very wrong 10 lie TO any one, even to o
little thing like me, and ] am only Bebee,
and cannot give you anything back, because
l have only just enough to feed myself and
the starting, and not always that I'm winter.
thank you very much for what you wish to
do, but If | had taken those things | think
you would have thought me very mean and
tull OF greed, and Antoine always said, DO
not take what you cannot pay not ever what
you cannot pay-that Is tho way to walk
with pure feet. Perhaps ! spoke H. because
they spoil me ana they say | am too swift TO
say my mind But | am not thankless-not
thankless, indeed--it is only could not take
what ! cannot pay That Is all You are
angry still-not now-nof'
There was anxiety In the pleading. What
did 1t matter 10 her what stranger thought
And yet Bebee's heart was heavy as he
laughed a little coldly, and bade her good
day, and left her alone TO go out Of the city
homewards A sense Of having done wrong
weighed on her; Of having been rude and un-
grateful
Sho had no heart for tho children that
evening. Mere Krebs was sitting out before
her door sheliing peas, and called 70 her to
come in and have a drop Of coffee. Krebs
had come in from Vilvoorde fair and brought
a stock OF rare good berries with him But
Bebee thanked her and went on to her own
garden to work
She had always liked to dt out on the quaint
wooden steps Of the mill and under the red
shadow Of the sails. watching the swallows
nutter 70 and fro IN the sunset and bearing