Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-12-06
CHAPTER III.
Bees Letters.

Bees Letters.
The wind walled across the silent
and deserted Playground; drops OF
rain fell now and then upon the pane;
twilight was already gathering. For
the hundredth time, at least, Beatrix
Sardis, Familiarity known as Bee to all
her friends and relatives, drew out her
tiny jeweled watch and consulted 1t
anxiously.
She was sitting on the broad window
ledge Of the mushroom at Madame
Manners very fashionable finishing
school, curled up in a rather undigni-
fled attitude-Bee had very little nat
ural dignity, as Madame Manners fire.
quently told her-watching, waiting,
listening; round dimpled girl, with
blue eyes as frank and honest as the
day, a big braid of fair hair, a nice
skin and delicate hands and feet; a
girl with a pure conscience, a faultless
digestion and a wholesome hatred of
all falsities; a good lover and good
hater, born to the purple and fine linen
of life, yet quite unspoiled by the ac-
cident; a prime favorite with pupils
and teachers alike and last Of all, an
heiress in her own right, and the niece
and ward Of a man known in financial
circles as the prince of millionaires-
Cullen Sardis, the banker.
1T is actually growing dark" NUT
tered Bee, peering out into the lonely
wind swept playground. Perhaps he
will not come tonight, after ALL"
She arose in a fever of impatience,
walked about the room once or twice,
brushed some music leaves off the pi-
ano, and stopped to put them back
again, and finally returned to the Win
dow ledge, and to beguile the time OF
waiting, drew from the silken pocket
of her dress two letters, both bearing
| a foreign post mark She already knew
their contents by heart, for they had
been in her possession the entire day;
yet, having nothing else to do, she
| now prepared to read them once more
Each was written in a feminine hand
on exquisite creamy paper adorned
with a motto and a crest.
The first ran as follows:
NV Dear, Darling Bee:-I wrote you
last from the hotel de rEurope, Baden
Baden, a nice, long letter, full of all
| the gossip l could gather at that gay
watering-pl for know you delight
in everything pertaining to the great
naughty, frivolous Vanity Fair, into
which, happily for you, your unfiedged
wings have not yet scared. Well, the
time Of your debut Is near at hand
and sans doute, mamma will soon re-
turn to take charge of you, All, poor
mamma! I give her trouble enough
Heaven knows; but what will she dc
with two unmarried girls on heI
hands?
We are now at Lucerne, as you will
see by the. date Of this letter. Oul
grand hotel Is filled with guests-Ger.
man, French, English and many Amer.
leans. Familiar faces stare at me
daily across the table d'hote. What
with the dressing, the flirting and the
shrill American voices to be heard
everywhere, one might easily fancy
ones self at Saratoga or Newport. Th'
stone pier where the steamer stops /:
opposite my window, and l do no
think should feel very much surpris
ed to see you marching up from i
some day, hanging to papa's arm, ant
strangling with a superfluity Of adjec
tives at sight of the Righi, the blue
lake and the old watch-towers on th'
heights. 1t is actually year, yol
know, since I last saw your darling
face. All. 1 love you very dearly, Be-
better, l sometimes think than any
body else in the world.
In your last letter, you dear, unso
phisticated child, you asked me to tel
you something about my lovers. Now
what do you mean by that absurd re-
quest? Do you wish to know whethe'
they are tall or short, dark or fair
handsome or ugly, eligible or other
wise? And would you like to hear o
them collectively or individually, dea
Bee? Madame Manners ought to tel
you-no doubt she does, but / fea
many good lessons are lost upon you
that curiosity, at best, Is a vulgar sen
timent unworthy of one in your exalt
ed position in life. I, being more in
dulgent, will say, with all due modest!
, that my lovers are as "thick as leave
in Vallambrosa." They turn up at tn
oldest times and in impossible places
, and give mamma a world of trouble
, Poor mamma! One thing has happen
, ed, however, to put her in good humo
i mean little adventure which be
fell me before we left Baden Baden
| and though you make it a point neve
/ to agree with her in anything. Bee,
am sure you will be glad to hear abou
r it.
) The Redferns and Van Dorns, of NeN
| York, were at the hotel de l'Europt
r also the Bradfords, Of Boston, an
some nice English people, whose ac
I uuaintance we made at the America
l minister's in London. Alice Bradfor
t is an old schoolmate of mine, and he
/ brother Fred, when he can spare tn
E time from the study of his guide boo
e and the cultivation of his weak re
beard, still writes sonnets, sans rhyme
= sans reason, to my eyebrows.
I The day before we left Baden Bade
e went with this irreproachable part
t to ride in the Black Forest. Mamm
! had a headache, and I was conslgne
0 to that very careful chaperon Mr.
e Bradford, who, knowing the weakness
f of her son, Frederick for my societ!
e left me entirely to him.