The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1898-05-12
BESSIE.

BEsslE. =: !:
I rs only Bessie Raven" said Mrs.
! Liddington to- her niece, Mrs. En-
seid, a bloehtng city naatron, who
had brought her. two boys to the eoun-
try for the summer. 'fI wouldn't let
Hal and Felix associate with her on
any account, if I were you. There's
nc good in any Of those .RaTens-a vile,
low set p .sas',. .,c>'-,-- =
Mrs. Enfield looked pftyingly at the
bEs-En-faced, bare-legged little gypsy,
who had skunk around the back door,
basket Of late luscious blackberries
on her arm, and the deep flush that
betokened how plainly she had over
heard Mrs. Liddington's careless
words, still dyeing her cheks.
Only Bessie Raven How often
she had heard that. please. How bit
ter a meaning did it convey to her ears.
<sThere are, no trout there! You
might throw a bait and wait a year,
and you wouldn't get biter'
&. was a Deep solitary ravine, where,
in attitudes Of Rtense eagerness, Hal
Enfield and his brother Felix were
holding their fishing rods, awaiting the
2 expected bite, while Bessie Ravens
brown face and big, black eyes looked
outSat them from natural oval frame
Of bushes and vines, as she held her
basket in one hand and her tattered
sun bonnet in the other.
s. Hal Enfield, a self-sufhcient little
aristocrat, by nature as well as by edu
cation, drew himself haughtily up.
~ 81 don't know that we asked any in
{ formation from you," said he, haugh-
tily. sHave the goodness to be about
yeur business" ".ts3,: /, -. -
won'tp' retorted Bessie Raven,
with: an onainous fash in hers darkeyes.:
ss sEss es.lH Al ::s-:: : -
4 as much right here as you ha7ss-
2 #s Every well,s said Hal, rising ana
gathering together his tackle. .'I'n go,
Ihen. Come, Felix"
But Felix, the younger brother, had
no idea. Of leaving his cool, shady nook,
for a whim of Halls. ..
Hal stalked away in high dudgeon.
Felix remained behind to cultivate the
acquaintance Of Bessie Raven.
ssIf there are ns:frout Here" said he,
composediy eyeing the brown gypsy
face among the leaves, where do they
hide?"
J 'TI show you," said Bessie, with
alacrity. Gust a. piece further on.
There's lots Of 'e9i-only Everybody
don't know it. Come on"'
:: And the two children spent long
summers morning together under the
green trees. .... ..
Until just as Felix Enfield was turn
ing to go home, halfSapprehensi7e that
be had missed the farmhouse dinner,
ne did not perceive that the little gold
cross he Wore attached to~his watch
chain was gone. - - =:
"ohg' cried he, 9where is my"
Ee stopped abrup$y. For in the very
moment in which he spoke, he per-
ceived half-hidden in the folds Of the
bosom Of Bessie's tattered dress, the
CLEAN Of some golden ornament. IN
Voluntarily he caught at tit was his
own.
'sYou little thiefr' cried he, you must
have stolen it!'
Bessie stood sullen and silent. her
eyes cast down, her bare feet impa-
tiently patting the velTety grass below.
She could not deny st&she scorned any
attempt to justify herself:
Bessie said the boy slowly, what
made you do it? Don't you know that
1t is wrong to steal?".
wrong cried out Bessie, passion
ately. why is it wrong? You are
rich and I'm poor! You've got every
thing. and I've got. nothing! Why
shouldn't help myself when I've got
the chance:"
Felix Enfield looked at her. Verify
there was more in:her creed. than he
had realized.
I'll tell you why, Bessie" said he.
"At least, I'll tell you what I think
about it."
So, in his boyish way, he unfolded
the philosophy Of meum and tuum.
Bessie Raven listened in surprise.
She had never been reasoned with be-
fore. No one had ever taken the tTou-
bic to explain matters and things in
general to her.
"Oh, Felix she. cried out, with
great sob in her throat, Il see it all
ROW. But no one ever told. me before.
And father was lost at sea, and mother
had us little ones to take care Of, and
somehow everyone's hand was against
US, and we had to fight our way along,
50 I got somehow not to care about
anything :.
Don't cry, Bessie;% soothed the lad.
Don't fret. that's a good girl! Here
take the gold cross aid keep it. don't
care much for it, De-: -.
So they parted. At'home Felix found
that his father had come to take them
I'D into the mountains for few weeks,
before they returned to their city home
and 50 he never got the chance to tell
Bessie Raven good-by. K :.
Ten wears afterward. Three and
twenty is dangerous age for flrta-