Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-10-18

Belle Swain was well-meaning an1
innocent, pretty, and she knew 1T.
She was poor also, and could not afford
to buy the ornaments with which ricbef
girls set off their beauty.
The boys who went with her to school
discovered that Belle would accept
pretty gifts, even cheap iewelry, from
them, which they would hesitate te
offer to the other girls.
Il know you are my friend, Just like
brotherl" she would say to Tom OF
Joe or Ben as the case might be, when
she slipped a new ring on her finger OF
pinned brooch in her dress. She
never told Ben PAUL that she took gifts
from the others. Ben was a manly,
honest fellow with a profound respect
for all women. When he left Dinsport
to go into business in Cincinnati ho
thought Belle the purest and most mod
est woman living.
During that summer James Pollard
travelling agent for sewing machine
firm, came to the village He was q
married man with a wife aud child
whom he neglected: his habits were
bad and his manners coarse. But the
village girls thought him q model OF
manly beauty, and he said nothing
about his wife.
He took Belle to picnics, walked with
her, drove out alone with her. The
man knew that no girl of respectable
parentage in the city would admit
stranger to such intimacy, and did moi
give the village girl credit for the mod
esty and purity which she really pos
sessed.
At heart Belle disliked him. She
saw that he was vulgar and feared that
he was not good man. But he sent
her one day a neekchain and pendant,
SGT with sham rubies. 1t was Just what
she wanted to set off her white throat.
1t was great temptation, and after e
little hesitation she took the chain and
wore it to picnic the next day.
As Pollard came toward her, his eye
lighted with triumph. His voice had Z
jeering tone when he spoke to her which
was new to it. He had now hold
upon her The chain was like a yoke
upon her neck.
Belle had heaped all of her gaudy
little ornaments upon her person that
afternoon. There were the earrings
that Tom had given her, and Joe's pin,
and Dawes bracelet. Ben PAUL was
to be at the picnic and she wished te
look her best in his eyes.
Presently the stranger. Pollard, fol
lowed her to the spring where she baG
gone for water The other young mer
happened to be standing together and
saw them exchange few words. Then
Pollard kissed her
He boosted of it when he came back
@She objected" he said. But she had
not thanked me for my necklace. Ii
was worth a kiss. She had to pay"
A good ideal" exclaimed Dave.
She'll pay me for my bracelet"
And me for the ear-ringsF" CRIED
Tom.
And me for the pin she wears" sale
another.
Ben looked at them with scorn ana
rage in his heart. The jokers wer.
vulgar. But what was the girl VIII
had subjected herself to their coarse
jokes? When she came up, pale with
modification, he avoided her. The CIR
who was hung with the offerings 0!
other men could never be his wife.
Belle has her poor rings and neck
lace still, and a sense OF shame anC
modification that time will hardI,
efface.
No young girl should accept gift
from any man. The girl who does il
betrays the fact that she isnot CAREFUL,
guarded BY parental training, aud tha'
her own instinct is not fine enough t.
warn her of danger. Youths Com
pdnion.