The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-30
BELLE BESSIE.
:. BY OLIVER OPTIC.

/ shall soon be able to put the money back
again"
..But do you need as much as 500,
mother ?" asked the daughter, young lady
SO pretty in face and so graceful in form
that she was known on her street as Belle
Bessie"
'.The business in the shop has been very
bad this winter, and it will take all of 500
to pay the bills owe. The times have been
very hard" added Mrs. Linscott. "Mr
Granbank owes for five weeks rent OF his
room, and have my doubts whether ever
get cent of it, though ne promises very
fairly every week"
Mrs. Linscott was widow and Bessie
was her only child. Her husband had been
thriving mechanic, who tool, good care of
his earnings, and he had left her house at
his death. 1t was not at the court END of
the city, thought was in decent locality,
inhabited by mechanics and small shop
keepers. She had opened little shop on
the lower floor and let five of her rooms to
dodgers. She had got along very well so far
and had few hundred dollars in the savings
bank.
Duke Granbank. as he had been named by
unappreciatiye observers of his daily life,
had an attic room in the house of the widow.
the tireaterS and had procured him situa-
tion as usher. 1t would have puzzled any
economist TO ascertain how he lived, aud all
that was known was that he did live. He
was q dude so far as his means would per-
nit, but he had aspirations. He believed
that he was born to be an actor, and not
only an actor, but great actor. he spent
the greater part of every day in his attic
: chamber sporting Shakespeare; and he was
as sure as he could be that he should out
Stri1, -drfv on tho hOar1s vyba his timp
came. - ~
!. lie was 10 years old, and he thought his
time ought TO begin To come. He had once
(: binied his aspirations to his uncle, but mat
gentleman only: laugh he'd at him. and did not
:, even offer him the slightest ENCOURAGEMENT.
He was cruel and cold-hearted uncle. But
the day was sure to come when the stage
: manager would be. proud of his gifted
! nephew. Duke thought the time had come
to hasten matters a title, and he had studied
: up plan by which-to expedite his march TO
:. fame and forttfllei One of his cfonies, who
was ttirsting for glory as a dramatic au-
: thor, had written a play Tor him. (which in
Dukes opinion was fully equal to anything
siuce the time of Shakespeare. He had
: speuted over this play ia his attic till he
kEes it by heart: So -. = 81
-: H4Suncle must procure the acceptance of
!: this peee. Duke was sure the play would
oyerwfe In the stage manager by its power,
and eqnSlty sure That the readings of his
IL
:. effect upoh him. lie desired to give din
:: ner in hoA0r of his influential uncle, at
: which hall aSozen Of his friends were to be
:: present. and IN. the. occasion, as a post
!. pTandlal exercse, Duke was 10 declaim q
! few OF lis most striking speeches and give an
: exploitation of thepIot. The only thing in
: the way OF this dinner was the want OF the
money to pay for it. =.
Atthe moment Wien Mrs. Linscott spoke
; to her danshter apfuethe money Duke was
Ia lanY,r ~ he
: charge against himself, aud he walked into
; the widows back parlor. He apologized in
( courtly terms Tor his neglret to pay his rent
Would she excuse him moment and he
=. room aud returned with So, which he save
j. TO his landlady. 1t was good money,
:. though he had a lot of "thcatrical money!
in his room which he nssd IN the rehearsal
:. sic had gone ~ the bank. 80. -.
-: .pid yeuset your money, Belle Bessie p'''
i. asked DUB, as he appeared few minutes
:. later in Tie banking-r0on. &. ~: :
T.. T.. Yes, ertainly did" replied she, open
Z. ing heJank book, in which lay: a Sl0s
note -:
s FLATS a big bill; your mother wsuld
! preer smaller money, added Duke 1i,.'
= asked ior tens, but the man had no
), Set NE take the bill and I can make
Them give you smaller ones.' suggested
Duke: She gave him the bill and be went
to the rear Of the bank and appeared to 60 in
Denlnu the counter. In few moments he
returned with the bill changed into tens
She thanked him and started for home.
:. The asplrant for histronic honors had to
60 tQ:l he tieater. He had decided that the
dinner .sh0gid come off on the following day,
and before night be had ordered 1t at Del
moBlcO' s and Invited guests. His uncle was
700 iond ora good dinner to decline, and he
pronnsed4o be present In the afternoon
:. he went home and spent some time in his
room: ZIG had hardly gone ont before Harry
sb0sklrK, a: young man of 10, who was a
Trend OF tile family. quite as much for Belle
o. ss1es sake as for her mothers, made
social >ealk.: He was very kind to them both
and was always willing and anxious to
: serve tfIeni.:
Mrs. I1nscott wished him to 90 to the
butchers and pay a bill. She handed him
:. one 81 me tens: Bessie had brought from the
bank. In: q short time Harry returned, say
!. ing tliat the butcher refused to take the
bill. He was sure it was good for moth
Ing II IT. did come from the bank. Mrs:
Lnscott was startled. She produced the
bank book whit rest OF the bills still in
1t. Harry said they were all bad; he was
snre OF u, though they looked like green
backs, Then Bessie told what had occurred
&c the bank. barry understood it all. Duke
had changed:t he bills: 90
81 But .. ne said nothing and went to the attic
OF the aspirant He reasoned that the dude
would not. carry that large bill about with
MN, or try to getit changed. Without much
difficulty he forced open several drawers of
-. the fashioned: bureau and found pile
: OF inca lrlcal money. The bills were mostly
tens, but in the middle Of the pack was one
OF a hundred. "A careful examination con-
WINGED Harry that it was genuine note.
He put everything as lie had found it, and
leit the house to get the bill changed.
AT large store where he was known he
succeeded, and no obiection was made to the
Dill. thought It was examined by. the experts
OF the establishment. He returned the
money TO Mrs. Linscott, the butchers bill
was paid. and Bessie and her mother were
very happy. -. - =.
The dinner at Delmonico's was yery de-
eided success, so far as the dinner was con-
eerned. The spouting was not success in
me opinion OF the stage manager, though
ne drank good deal of wine and laughed
heartliy when tears were in demand. But
the influential man said little or nothing
about the piece, or about the wonderful
talent OF his hopeful nephew. As he went
out Duke asked for the bill for the dinner,
and he would call the next morning and nav
u Inc presence Of his uncle satisfied the
cashier, and he let it go so.
:: Duke went home. 1t was Sunday even.
ing, and he was in condition to, sleep, He
as not wholly satisfied with the impress
: sion produced upon the stage manager; but
= 49, Creams go by esontraries, he dreamed he
with the laurel on his brow. IS
Alter be had dressed himself the next
morning he found the bill for the dinner on
his pine bureau. 1t was only s52. Including
the cigars. He looked over his bogus money
He evidently missed something, and he
looked troubled. Examine as he might the
pack OF theatrical money he could not find
what he was looking for. He had some
aelicacy IN speaking about the matter, aud
he did not speak. Nearly week passed by
ami Delmonico's bill was not paid.
The cashier went to his uncle and his
uncle went to Duke. A scene followed.
HIS uncle used explosives and told his
nephew that he was a fool. The play was
trash, and his nephew was an outspoken
failure before he ever put foot on the
stage. He was q swindler, too. He was
discharged from his place as an usher. ais
Uncle refused to pay the bill and Duke was
never able to ray 1t.
~ DUKE was told to move out of the attic.
Inc widow did not prosecute him, as she
ought to have done. He never quite under
stood what had become Of that only good
bill In his collection, but he guessed that
the widow had taken It. HarrX Raskiri Ia