The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-11-23

with a shivering sigh. MY airms ara
empty now
"puir thing. and are ye saun far2" feel-
ingly continued the woman.
"Hame-hanne- -hame." faintiy answered
Bell I'm weary--weary-weary o. tho
warld. / wish i was at the end o. tho
road"
So she moved or. and In three or four
hours was slowly climbing the steep path
TO her home. When she at last caught
sight OF the gay garden In trout OF the
white row OF cottages. the sun was set
ting redly behind Norman's Law. and IA
the doorway she saw her mother. grown
more wi'hered and grey, standing shad-
ing her eyes with her hand as she look
ed down at the stranger climbing the
path Bell went straight 90 the garden
wicket, and walked slowly ,uB 10 heI
mother, but was not recognized
We'll, my wuman. what dae ye wan'g"
said the old woman.
"Oh, mither. mither. dae We no ken meY
I'm Bell, come back-and, oh, l wish
ne'er had gaen awa'l"
A storm OF bitter reproaches would
have been her greeting. but as Bell utter
ed the weary cry, she sank softly on her
knees az the threshold. and when her
father, who had heard the cry and recog-
nizcd the voice, ran out 10. raise her, he
found that she had tainted. Tney bore her
into the house and tucked her in her
mothers bed: but when she recovered
consciousness she was I'm O high fever,
and would not let her father leave her
side.
"Haud my hand. father" she always
said. ''iaud IL firm, for I feel as II I was
slippin' AVA"
When at last she fell into a troubled
sleep, her father went ~ nve-mie walk
10 the nearest doctor. and brought him
| back with him The doctor apprehended
nothing serious, but. OF course. he could
| have no idea Of all that Bonnie Bell had
| suffered. The next day. about the time
when the doctor was 20 have called.
| turned into the path winding up towards
| the cottages. i had got out at Cupar. and
walked the rest of the distance, feeling so
| sure that / should find Bell at home. that
! the incident OF the cup OF milk, when
| learned IL, neither surprised nor elated
me-
| Just as I appeared In sight, Bells con-
| dition had become so alarming that the
! old man was at the door eagerly on the
/ outlook for the doctor.
There he is at last" he cried, or sight
| ing my figure. mo, it's no him either
! it's a stranger"
I Bonnie Bell family raised her hand.
saying in sudden terror
| Its M'Govan--I'm sure it'll be M'Gov-
! an. the detective. oh, hide me. mither.
| Say I'm no here" then her strength
I gave way. and she sank back weakly in
/ her mothers arms.
l asked no questions at any of the cot
| tages. / picked out the only beautiful and
blooming garden In the row, aad went at
once to tho door
| was so long of getting an answer 10
nay knock. although l heard voices with
| IN, that at last | raised the latch and
| looked in. The old man was prostrate on
| the bed, and the mother. with streaming
| eyes. was bending over Bonnie Bell, and
| gently closing the dropping eyelids. I
| moved in unquestioned, with head un-
! covered in reverence and awe, and / am
/ not ashamed TO say. tears springing to
| my own eyes as / looked down on the
! marble features Of the dead girl. with all
I the careworn lines slowly vanishing from
| them. and something like her early
| sweetness and beauty dawning upon the
! still face. The intoxicating fragrance of
summer flowers foated in at the open
window; but Bonnie Bell had gone where
| flowers are in everlasting bloom. and
| where tiny arms, eagerly outstretched,
waited TO cradle her weary head in end
| less peace.
| / said nothing of my mission; did not
even leave my name; but left them with
, their sorrow and returned the way had
! come.
Simpson eventually. when told of his
| wife's death, confessed all j have put
| down, and was sentenced to four months
| imprisonment for granddaughter. He wept
like a child when 1 told him of Bonnie
| Bells last hours. and 1 put down his
| tears as the mere maudlin winnings of a
drunkard which would be forgotten on
| his release. at the first sight of public
| house. but in this | was mistaken. On
! his release he became a strong temper
ance man, both sober and diligent. He Is
in England now. and doing we'll. believe;
| and once he said TO me when I met him.
lit needed Bell to be taken from me to
wake me from my sim" could only sigh.
and wish that the change had come SOON
| er.
CTHE END)