Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1860-06-21

ter or for worse, and, alas found him al
together for the worse and none for the bet
ter. Patterson was kind hearted, genial
soul, and strongly attached to whiskey tod
dy:, and was by no means diligent in his
business, which was that Of an accountant.
When he made up his own last account on
earth, there was very small balance left
in favor of aunty. A great proportion Of
what the iron-founder had made out of pots
and pans had gone in double-shotted jugs
Of toddy. Aunty was widow a second
time before she heard anything Of her sweet
heart, Robert Alison Then she heard that
he was married and doing well in South
America She used to lay great tress upon
the fact ofhis being married. Possibly that
was rather a consolation than otherwise -
She might have felt it a reproach to herself
had she heard that he was still single, as
that might have been taken to imply that
he had remained bachelor for her sake !;
whereas she had married and buried two
husbands
Some ten or fifteen years after the death
of MIR. Patterson news came to the town
that Robert Alison had lost his wife, and
was coming horne with his only son. Old
Mrs. Joyce, who had nephew in South
America, from whom the news came, called
one evening. to show aunty the letter.
Aunty. at this time, was getting old and
frail, and occasionally showed symptoms Of
falling into dotage When Mrs. Joyce read
her the letter she laughed childishly, and
said how glad she should be to see her Ro-
bert again; and then, when Mr.. Joyce went
away. she told me the old story Of her early
courtship with Robert, and of their parting
at day break on the old bridge.
I was, as [ have said, very little boy
when aunty first related to nae the story of
her early love. I was nearly man now,
and had come to spend my college holidays
with the good old lady. One evening, about
six weeks after Mrs. Joyce called with that
letter from South America, aunty and I
were sitting by the parlor fire as of old 1t
was nearly dark, but did not like to light
the candles, for aunty loved to sit and talk
by the f9e between the lights. The sombre
shades of evening seemed to have something
in harmony with her mood at times. She
sat opposite the picture of Robert Alison,
looking into the fire, and merrily rubbing
her hands. Suddenly the fire burned up
into fame, and threw flash Of light upon
Roberts pictuae. Aunty, who had long
been silently gazing at the burning Goals.
east lhe. eyes pstta Is ham feee apa
heaving a sigh muttered half to herself half
to me: Gle was fine fellow, but he's dead
now; at the bottom of the sea, my dear, D
she added, more pointedly addressing me-
| was startled for moment, thinking that
aunty might have heard some father news
perhaps that the ship in which Robert was
coming home had been wrecked. | now
saw, however, that she was only wandering
in her mind, as she had often done before
Of late. Presently, when the fckering light
of the fire again fell on the picture, she
laughed, and began to babble about her
faxen hair that streamed in the wind that
when she went to bid Robert good
bye. 'There's some of it left yet" she
said "Robert has got the lock that he cut
off with his pen-knife. Did | ever show
you the lock that [ took from Robert in re-
turn p I had seen it many time; but [
said that [ should like to see it. [ don't
think aunty could have been very senti-
mental person; for, though she kept this
lock and cherished it, she never wore it
about her person, as women do wear those
things. Perhaps she thought that, after
the iron-founder and the accountant, it
would have looked like affection. She kept
Roberts hair in a little red box with rings
and brooches, and other ornaments Of the
kind. She never took any particular care
Of this box, Or the hair which it contained
but always spoke Of the souycnir and of Ro-
bert simply as pleasant remembrances of
the past. She took the box from the place
on the mantle shelf which it usually occu-
pied, opened it and took out the hair. The
lock was a single jet black curl, and, as
aunty gently Strengthened it out, it slipped
from her grasp and twined itself round the
third finger of the left hand, exactly over
her two wedding rings.
"Why, aunty." said [, ''that's an omen:
Robert is certainly coming home to marry
you"
Marry me, child p she replied ''Tve
had enough of marrying. Robert will just
be fveand thirty years TOO late. 1 remem-
Der that lock curling round my finger be-
fore married Mr.. Granger, and I thought
would come of it-and something
lid come of it, but it was not the something
hat I expected. Robert got married land
50 did /. We swore on the old bridge to
i've and wait for each other; but our oaths
vent down on the stream that flowed UNDER
heath. and were carried away to the ocean
If oblivion. Yet, it seems but yesterday
hat we parted" Aunty paused, apparent
y overcome by emotion; and, ere she could
'esume, the fire fell in and burst into al
steady, brilliant fame. My attention, which
vas suddenly attracted to the blaze, was al
most Immediately diverted by noise as of
ome one entering the room-and at the
ame moment a scream, from aunty. On
ooking up, | discovered the presence of
tranger. My gaze no sooner fell upon
lis countenance than | also uttered cry of
urprise.
''Robcrt--R Robert ~ cried aunty
Had the picture stepped down from its