Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-03-01
BEBEE;
 or, TWO LITTLE WOODEN SHOES.

!
 ] More than once he came and filled in nor l fully his various designs in the little hu | garden, among the sweet gray lavender an | the golden disks of the sunf1owers; and nor | than once Bebee was missed from her plac | ill the front of the R:eodhuis.
 The Varnhart~h, !dren would gather nov and then open mouthed at the wicket, an l Mere krebs would shake her head as she wen by on her shcepskin saddle, and mutter tha the childs head would be turned by vanity and old Jehan would lean on his stick an, peer through the sW eet brier, and wonderet stupidly if this strange man who could mak Bebees face beam over again upon that pane of wood could not give him back his deas daughter who had been pushed away unde the black earth SO .ong, long before, whe, "hc ro2 min had been brave and new, the ret mill that the boys and girls called old. But except these no one noticed much.
 Painters were no rare sights in Brabant
 The I-aol;,e were used to see them coming and going, making pictures of mud ane stoncs and ducks and sheep, and of all com mon and silly things.
 What does he pay you, Bebecs" they usec to ask, with the shrewd Flemish though after the main chance.
 Nothing" Bebee would answer, with { quick color in her face; and they would reply i'll contemptuous reproof, "Carcless little fool; you should nla:-e enough to buy VOL wood all winter. When the man from Ghen1 painted Trine and her COW, he gave her 6 whole gold bit for standing still so long ir the clover. The Krebs would be suro to lend you her COW if it be tho COW that makes the difference"
 Bebee was silent, wedding her carnation bed; what could she tell them that they would understand?
 She seemed so far away from them all- those goods friends of her childhood-now that this wonderful new world of his givinc had opened to her sight.
 She lived in dream
 Whether she sat in the market place takino copper coins in the moonlight with a book on her knees, it was all the same He1 feet ran, her tongue spoke, her hands worked; she did not neglect her goat or he, garden, she did not forsake her house labor. or her good deeds to old -Annemie; but all the while she only heard one voice, she only felt one touch, she only saw one face
 Here and there-one in a million-there is female thing that can love like this, once and forever.
 Such an one is dedicated, birth upwards, tc the Mater Dolorosa.
 He had something nearer akin to affection for her than he had ever had ill his life fo1 anything, but he was never in love with he1 no more in love with hei. than with the moss rosebuds that she fastened in his breast Yet he played with her, because she was such a little, soft, tempting, female thing; and be cause, to see her face flush and her heart heave, to feel her fresh feelings stir into life and to watch her changes from shyness te confidence, and from franhness again into fear, was natural pastime in the lazy golder weather
 That he spared her as far as he did-wher after all she would have married Jeannot anyhow-and that he sketched her face in the open air, and never entered her hut and never beguiled her to his own old palace in the city was new virtue i'll himself for which he hardly knew whether to feel respect or ridi. cule; anyway it seemed virtue to him.
 So long as he did not seducc the body ii seemed to him that it could never matte, how he slew the soul-the little, honest happy, pure, frank soul, that amidst its pov, erty and hardships was like robins song tc the winter sun.
 "Hoot, toot, pretty innocent, so you are nc better than the rest of us, hissed her enemy, Llsette, the fruit girl, against her as she went by the stall one evening as the sun set. "frut! so itwas such purity after all tha, madc you never look at tho student lads and the soldiers, eh?-You were so dainty o1 taste, you must needs pick and choose, and Lords sake, after all your coyness, to drop st a beckonlng finger as one may say-ponr!- in a minute, l.-e all apple over ripe! Oh, he you sly oner'
 Bebee flushed red, in a sort of instinct o1 otfense; not sure what her fault was, but vaguely stung by tho brutal words
 Bebee walked ho.ncwa1d by him, with her empty baskets; looked at him with grave wondering eyes.
 What did she mean? Ido not understand must have done some wronc-or shc thinks so. Do you know?'-
 Flanen laughed, and answered her eva sively:
 ''You havo done her tho wrong of fai, skin when hers is brown, and a little fooi whilo hers is as big ns troopers; there is nc greater sin, Bebec, possible in woman te | wonlan.'
 Hold your peace, you shrill jade!" he added, Ill anger to tho fruiterer, flinging at her crown piece, that tho girl caught, ano bit with her teeth with q chucklc. Do moi heed her, Bebce. Sho is coarse tongued brutc and is jealous, no doubt"
 ''Jealous!-of what?'
 Tho word had no meaning to Bebee.
 That am not q student or a soldier, as | her lovers arc" As her lovers were! Bebee felt her face burn again. Was he her lover then? The | chlld's innocent body and soul thrilled with 1 not, sweet delight and fear commingled.
 bebee was not quite satisfied until she had | knelt down that night and asked the Master l of all poor matdens to sec if there were any wlckedness in her heart hidden there like a | bee in a rose, and if there were, to take ii | out and mako her worthier of this wonderful | new happiness in her life
 CHAPTER XITJ