Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-05-11
CHAPTTR xf

I ShAG bIt Az
Bebce was dreamer In her way, and a.
piref to 30 scholar too But, ali tho samc,
she was not a little fool
She had been reared In hardy, dmple, hon.
est ways of living, and would have thought
It as shameful a. . theft 10 have owed hcr
bread to other folk
So, though she had Q wakcful, restlesp
night. full OF strange phantasies, mono tho
less was she out In her garden BY daybrcak
none the less did she sweep out her floor and
make her mash for the fowls, and wnsh out
her bit Of linen and hang 10 to dry on a limo
among the tall, haunting hollyhocks that
wero 20 proud of themselves boca,,pe they
reached 70 tho roof
What do you want with books, Bcbcer
said Reipc, the sabot makers wifc, across, tho
privet hedge, as she also hung out Der linen.
Franz told me you wero reading last night.
1t is the silver buckles have dono that One
mischief always begets another"
Where Is tho mischief, good Rsiner' snid
Bebee, who was always prettily behaved with
her elders, though, when pushed to it, sho
could hold her own.
the sabot makers wife. People live ON their
own little patch, and think Il Is tho world;
that Is as It should be--evcrybody within his
own, like a nut In its she'll But when you
get reading, you hear Of q swarm Of things
-ou never saw, and you fret because you
cannot see them, and you dream, and dream,
and holo Is burnt In your soup pot, and
your dough Is as heavy as lead. You arc
Ike bees that leave their own clover fields to
buzz themselves dead against the glass Of a
hot house"
Bcbee smiled, reaching to spread out her
linen. But she said nothing.
"What good Is It talking to themr' she
thought "they do not know"
Already the neighbors and friends of her
infancy seemed so far, far away; creatures
of distant world that sho had long left; it
was no use talking, they never would under
stand
Antoine should never have taught you
your letters" said Reinc, groaning under the
great plue shirts sho was hanging on high
among the leaves II told him 80 at the
tima said, Tho child is a good child, and
spins, and sews, and sweeps rare and fne for
her age-why go and spoil herr But be was
always headstrong. Not a child of mine
knows letter--the saints DO praisedi nor
word OF any tongue but our own good Flem-
ish. You should have been brought up the
same You would have como TO no trouble
them"
~ am In no trouble dear Reinc," said Be-
bee, scattering the potato peels to tho clack-
Ing poultry, and she smiled into the faces of
the golden oxlps that nodded to her back
again In sunshiny sympathy
"Not yet" said Reine, hanging her last
shirt.
But Bebco was not hearing, she was call.
Ing the chickens, and telling the oxlips how
pretty they looked In tho borders; and In her
heart she was counting tho minutes till tho
old Dutch cuckoo clock ut Mere Erebs'--the
only clock In the lane-should crow out the
hour at which she went down to the city.
She loved tho hut, the birds, tho flowers;
but they were little to her now compared
with tho dark, golden, picturesque square,
tho changing crowds, the frowning roofs, tho
gray stones, and tho delight OF watching
through tho shifting colors and shadows OF
tho throngs for one face and for one smile.
"lle is sure to be there" sho thought, and
started half an hour earlier than was her
wont. Sho wanted TO tell him oil her rap
ture In the book-no one else could under
stand.
But all the day through he never came.
Bebee sat with sick heart and a parched
little throat, selling her flowers and straining
her eyes through the tumult of the square.
Tho whole day went by and there was no
sign of him.
Tho flowers had sold well; IL was a feast
day; her pouch was full of pence--what was
that to heri
She went and prayed In the cathedral, but
1t seemed cold, and desolate, and empty; even
tho storied windows seemed dark
Perhaps he Is gone out OF the city,n she
thought; and a terror fell on her that fright
ened her, II was 80 unlike any fear that she
had ever known-even tho fear when she had
seen death on old Antoine's face had been
nothing like this.
Going home through the streets, she passed
the cafe of tho Trois Freres that looks out on
the trees OF the park, and that has flowers in
its balconies, and pleasant windows that
stand open TO let the sounds of tho soldiers
music enter. She saw him In ono Of the win.
dows. There wero amber and scarlet aud
black; silks and satins and velveta There
was a fen painted and jeweled There was
Womens faces There was a heap of purple
fruit, and glittering sweetmcats. Helaughed
there. His beautiful Murillo head was dark
against tho white and gold within.
Bebco looked up-paused second-thcn
went onward with thorn In her heart.
He had not seen her.
ut is natural, of course--he has his world
-he does not think often of me-there Is no
reason why he should DO as good as bo Il.
she said to herself as sho went slowly over the
stones.
She had the dogs soul-only she did not
know it,
But tho tears fell down her checks rs she
walked.
Fasting, next day at sunrise she confessed
to Father Francis:
II saw beautiful rich women and epvied
them; and ! could not pray TO Mary last
night for thinking of them--for hated them
SO much"
But she did not say:
~ hated them because they were with
him"
Out Of tho purest lttlo soul, Love entering
drives forth Candor.
THAT Is not like you at all, Bebee," said
the good old man, az she lsnelt at his feet Oh
the bricks of his little bare study, where all
the books he ever spelt out wero treatises on
tho art Of bee keeping.
My dear, you never were coyetous at all,
nor did you ever seem TO care for the things
of the world. ! wish Jchan had not given
you those silver buckles; think they have
set your little soul on yanities.n
at is not tho buckles; am not covetous.r
said Bebee, and then her face grew warm.
She did not know why, and sho did not hear
tho rest of Father Francis adElonitions