The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1895-05-30
"Whv. mammal she said.

and such a man! And you haven't an
other beau-oh Breny."
Breny pretended to be asleep. Secret
ly, she was repenting bitterly.
BY this time she knew that her moth
er only said what was true about Rob
ert Oaks; but, nevertheless, she refused
to come into the parlor at all when next
he called.
That day Robert held out both hands
to Mrs. Fair as he said goodbye.
| Il suppose I might as well stay
| away he said. ST think I must give up
an idea I had of making friends with
Miss Sabrina
Mrs. Fair was too forlorn to deny the
truth.
q appreciate you, Mr.. Oaks she
said
Thank you," he replied, and was
gone
Weeks passed, he did not call again,
but secretly he still watched and wait
ed, expecting some recall from Sabrina.
He did not know that in order to
keep the cottage a little longer the Fairs
were living on bread and molasses and
rye coffee. Such diet did not agree with
Mrs. Fair-she fell i'll.
The doctor came and ordered wine
and chicken broth. Sabrina walked into
the village that afternoon and sold
pair of earrings to the jeWeler and
bought the wine. AS for the chicken,
she had a plan. Sabrina was a queer
creature, and I am sure that when l
tell my readers what she intended to
do they will be quite certain that she
was destitute of moral principle.
Sabrina Fair intended to steal those
chickens and to steal them from Mr..
Robert Oaks.
The great, Clean well-appointed
coops were close to the cottage garden,
and by loosening paling she could
easily slip in.
At midnight she set out upon her err
rand, cloaked and yelled, as she be-
Iieved, beyond recognition.
Trembling with agitation, she grabbed
rather small and skinny little hen,
and stumbled home with it, turning
faint as she reached her doorstep.
However, the chicken broth did her
mother good, and she explained that
she had sold her earrings, giving Mrs
Fair an idea that fabulous price had
been paid for them; and from that time
the two women liVen on chickens and
fresh eggs. There were always few
eggs to be found on the Oaks place
without much searching.
BY degrees Sabrina grew bold. Her
heart no longer palpitated with fear
when she drew away the palings and
slipped through the aperatlre into
Farmer Oaks hencoop.
eth get a good rooster for Sunday,
mamma she said one day, If you're
not tired of chicken
81 like poultry better than meat, the
unsuspicious lady replied. Its shame
you should part with your jewelry
though
.sOh, earrings are out of fashion, you
know" said Sabrina.
Her mother did not ask of whom her
daughter bought the fowls, nor did she
guess how at midnight she opened the
kitchen door and hurried away to the
scene of her former depredations, with
a cool audacity born of success in evil
doing.
In ten minutes she had a fine speckled
hen in her basket, had pocketed SIX
eggs and was STOPPING to creep under
the fence, when voice behind her said:
Poultry isn't worth much, to my
mind, without proper fixings. I've got
the basket all ready for you. The things
are fresh, anyway. The cranberr1es l
got over in the meadow, and there's
sugar for them as WELL
Sabrina Fair uttered scream and
leaned against the fence, white as
ghost in the moonlight.
Farmer Oaks TODD before her; his
hat on the back of his head, his hands
in his pockets, smiling benevolently.
An instant more and flood of hot
tears burst from Sabrina's eyes. Never
was human being SO bitterly mortified
before.
Mother was almost starving she
said. "Shes been sick, and there was
no money. That's my only excuse
''Why didn't you come to the fence
and tell me to bring over what she
wanted?" said Oaks. 1.-THE idea Of your
mother wanting anything I had plenty
OFF,
Tt occurred to Sabrina to look
naughty, but she could not manage it.
The tears fell faster than ever. Oaks
drew an Immediately clean handker-
chief from his pocket and wiped them
away.
"Don't." he said, tenderly. Look
here, Breny, all of this is mine and
thine"
Sabrina was not aware that he was
quoting from the Lord Of Burleigh";
but the speech was pretty and she al
lowed the young man to put his arm
about her waist.
you've liked me better than you
would let me see for long while, my
| dear" he said. "I've loved you since
the day we met.
| Tomorrow I am coming over to ask
your mother when I can have you both
| Sister Jessie is to be married soon, and
I need a wife and mother-in-law-
| and there's no woman in the world l
could love but you" Then he kissed
her, picked up his burdens, and led the
way under the fence, Sabrina following
meekly.
When Oaks had gone away, leaving
the baskets on the kitchen floor, she
stood looking after him until she heard
her mother calling downstairs:
''Breny, what are you sitting up SO
late for?"
'I've been to take moonlight walk,