The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1890-10-02
REcK.s OPPORTUNITY

BEcK's OPPORTUNITY
by Nary ?. Butts. in "Deu,orcst's Family
Magazine"
Rebeeea Green stood before her
little cracked lOoking-glass, gazing
earnestly aI the image there revealed.
There was the making Of beauty In
the mirrored face; q pFettily-mould-
ed mouth, q smooth, low forehead,
soft cleaning hair, \ straight nose,
aud q neat little chin with dimpie
In n. the whole for the moment IL
Iuminated with smile-snnshine.
stI a,s pretty" murmured Beck, az
the smile grew positively brilliant;
but the next moment q black cloud
Of discomfort eelipsed smile. beauty
aud ali. and commonplace, cross
BECK Green sank into sn old splint-
bottomed chair. Yes, she was only
Beck Green" IN the country neigh
bOrhDod-a rather bAd-tempered,
good-for-nothiBg girl, who kept her
fathers house in \ slait-rnly fashion.
10 was the soul coming into the face
la that moment before the glass that
gave the features life, and dlguified
them With q woman's loyliuess.
Presently n sound Of fiutterlBR aud
cackling came TO Beck's ears, and
she openpd her door TO find the
kitchen full Of feathered folk step
ming gingerly about, like plUmed
aud spurred discOvefers. A gorgeous
rooster had spied nut the resting
place Of tempting ginger-cake, and
was buFyIng his bill in the little
brown hilIoek that formed the GEN.
ter. A hotherly old hen, In Quaker
srays aud drabs, was peeking At .
uuity pumpkin-pIe. The fowl raid
vas too much for Berk's nerves
she had evolved all this cookery
through great tTibulatinn, and iis
destruction went 90 her heart. She
4ank into a ragged armchair. and
cried like the child slie wa-.
"1.urEy we broke down near n
house, Trough this ramshackle place
doesn't promise much
This speech WAS ute red by trim
little lady in an elegantly plain
travelling costume, felt hat and dain y
gloves. Her companion, ~ appro-
priateiy aiiired a. herself, was de-
iarhing spirited horse from q
carriage. one 0I whose shafts was
broken. The lady went her way 10
the house IN advance, to find " hos
piIaIity could be secured. She passed
through a garden filled mainly with
rabbages and maTignl1s, to the open
door from whose step the eXtTanrdi-
nary scene within was disclosed.
She stood half wondering, half
amused, until her brother came 81,
leading the horse. Hearing the steps
ilRrk lifted her head from the tat
tered chair-aTn. Naturally n colo
uuy ensured, revealing each Of the
pers0nages To the other; end IL was
settled that, a. the nearest house Of
pntFriainmFnt WAS sOmc miles dis
tant, the travellers should remain
where they were for the night
sweet Mary TrayeTs won from
Beck the whole story Of her trials,
thinking the while in her innocent
heart that they were no trials NJ all.
To her the little farm house, with it,
surrounding fields aud groves, it,
pretty brook le8ping within sight
over obsiructIng rocks with n great
ado nf Trnlic, anh merry chatter, it,
harm with the NOV rustliug with
fragrant hay, and the yard where
the gu-rr-mannPred inhabitants
walked about ~ lei=urcly, clucking
and growing aud carkling To- triumph
over an egg laid or an unfortunate
worm unrSrihed, was n lit of pure
poetry such a. she had seen IN dramas
ar read ni in stories hut knew moth
ing about in real life. To lie sure,
the interior WAS not very poetic: bnt
what fun 10 make 10 So Ia change
the disorder to ncaInesS, the rude
meas Ia Triin-mrni.
That night. Ehile Beck vas wash
ing the supper dishes, Misa TraverE
said tn her hrGiher, David dear, ]
wish We could do sonnet thing for nur
acowling little hnstess. She's posi-
lively pretty when she gets that ILL
natured look of her face"
Pretty"
"Yas, pretty. You should have
seen her face glow when I was tell
ing her about the city. Her father
doesn't care shout her, she says. OF
course he does. He's away now on
business"
And the girl is alone ."
ooh, there is a rbOTR-hOy who ste
his supper in the barn: for fear, I
suppose. that we should eat him.
Really, ! don't ace why the girl
shouldn't go away to seek her for
tune. if she please, the same rs
boys do under similar riTcunstan-
ces."
al suppose her father would have
something Co say about &C." replied
David Trayers, tapping bis sisters
cheek.
On = Winter day, three months
later, n girl stood at the handsome
house Ia Boston. She rang the bell
and was admitted to the parlor.
why, Beck! so you came, How
do you do"
The Strangers cold hands were
seized and held In 8 warm clasp; .
score Of eager questions we're asked
and answered; and when David
TraVeT- came home TO dinner. he
found little country Beck nestled on
q sofa before the open fire, reading q
storyboOk.
What To DO with her WAS now the
question. "Shs may stay" said
David Travers, "but she must work,
she must control herself, deny her
self, be useful"
"She will, she will" said bellav-
ing Mary Travsrs.
Two or three days were given for
Sightseeing and getting used to the
new environment; then Beck was
installed as nurse TO the little sister
nf the house, with mendlng aud
plain sewing TO flll the unOecupicd
time. There were to lie lessons
given nj regular hours by Mary, and
Beck might help herself TO books
from the ample library.
a little fund, provided by the very
hens that ate up the pumpkin-pie on |
the eventful day that brought the |
TraveTses to the farmhouse, wisely |
expended, had worked wonders In |
Beck's appearance. The gown of /
GObelin blue cashmere with velvet Il
vest and cufis was marvelluusly be-
coming. Certain points In Mary's
eoiffurs and costume were At once Il
initiated, aud behold Beck an eIe.
giant young lady.
Miss Travers was delighted with
The grace and comeliness OF her pro.
teges. The latter vas sweet and
long as her patron paid
her her society, but when Miss Mary
fell into he usual ways, expecting
Beck Go take up her duties and her
there came a change. The
nd stolid, sullen look came back 70
he girls face. Sometimes baby
yraee waa frightened by the bard.
expression In her nurses
yes, and turned away with q CRY.
Then Beck, resolved not tn lose the
he point she had gained, won the
'hild nv smiles aud sweet words.
At heart she WAS angry because Miss
l. a 4