The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1903-12-18
peacemakers, the gulf could not


| bridged.
Bessie felt injured because Tom had
not understood her, and Tom felt mad
| that she had tried to play with his
| honest love. There was no more
counting that winter.
The couple were brought together
at a candy pull, an apple bee, and a Sc
cond spelling school, but they held
aloof from each other and resorted to
sarcasm. The old folks on both sides
tried their hands, but the fesult was
the same and it finally came to be I'M
derstood that the match was off for
good.
Time wore on and inc month Of
March came in Mr. Dixon had 200 SUI
gar naples in the woods and there was
sugarmaking every spring.
On this occasion the trees
bad been tapped during the last
days Of February and, as the faith
er had met with an accident, the
month of March saw Tom
at work alone in the sugar bush and
having his hands full.
On the night of 5th he gave 'sugar
off, party to half a dozen fellows and
their girls, and, Of course, Bessie
heard Of it.
Tom heard that she heard of it,
and also that she said that she never
could seesany romance in trailing about
the wet woods and eating maple wax
off chip and so he repeated the per-
Torrance week later. This time she
had no remarks to make, and be felici-
tated himself that he had made her
feel real bad.
Three or four days after his second
party Mrs Taylor said to her daughter
"Bessie, I've got real yearning for
taste of new maple sugar, and if it
wasn't for my sore heel I'd go over to
And what goose you'd make of
Of YOURSELF" snapped Bessie.
well, dunno. There's worse fell
lows than Tom Dixon. I've never
been mad at him."
"But you ought to be. You
shouldn't stand up for any one who has
acted 50 mean as he has,
"No, mebbe not, but perhaps you
were little to blame. I'd like some
new maple sugar, as l was saying, and
next to that I'd like two or three leeks
to eat with bread and butter. The
leeks must just be coming up in the
them. II father wasn't SO buSyIto day
I'd have him 20 down in the woods
and look for some"
Bessie made no reply, but an hour
later, when her mother happened to
look out Of the kitchen window and
saw her climbing the pasture fence and
making for the woods, she said to her
self:
"Our woods and the Dixon's woods
join, and if leeks and maple sugar don't
get together, it won't be my fault"
Bessie reached the home woods and
began to look for leeks. Here and
there was one beginning to sprout, but
she passed them by and went farther.
By and by she came to the line fence
dividing the farms. The leeks on the
other side looked bigger, and after a
long look between the rails, she elm bed
over. Yes, the leeks were bigger.
She had pulled three or four and
was still wandering along when she
passed brush heap, and rabbit ran
out with great rustic. Naturally,
she screamed.
The rustic of the rabbit was followed
by the boot Of an owl, and naturally
the girl screamed again. She heard
the sound Of footsteps near at hand,
and Was about TO scream for the third
time, when she heard the words:
miss Taylor, do not be afraid"
1t was Tom Dixon, with two pals of
sap suspended from the neck-yOke on
his shoulders. In her hunt for leekS
she had wandered into Dixon's sugar
bush.
ooh, Tom" she exclaimed, as she
turned about to face him.
"IO GU mean the windmill man."
81 do mott meant mean-well,
you ought to have asked me to go to
spelling school with YOU"
But you had better company"
$50 did YOU"
"Miss Taylor!'
''Mr Dixon"
1t was just growing dusk when Tom