Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-07-14
Gales amd Sketthes.
PUT TO THEIR TRUMPS.

evening smoking their meerSchaumS, ant
silently listening to the chirping of the tree
toads and the other various sounds tina
usher in a night in the country.
The Assimiquid House stood ON the out
skirts of the little village of Racketville
and directly above Assimiquid Lake, which
was the chief attraction to city visitors
and sufficiently so to draw quite gather.
ing of them each successive season, to
boat, fish, and otherwise disport them
selves. My two young men had heard OF
it this particular season and, having few
weeks holiday, had concluded to.pass the
time there.
Jack Savage, the elder of the two, was
young lawyer from New York; and his
friend and roommate. Tom Wetherell,
was book-keeper in large banking house
in the same city. The hotel had been
pretty well filled during the three weeks
of their stay, but was now thinning out as
the cool weather drew nearer, and there
were, in fact. but two or three families left
at the time my story commences. Among
these, the one most interesting to the two
friends was an old lady from Boston, and
her two daughters, who had been regular
visitors at the house for years. Her name
was Campbell, and the two girls-Maggie
|
ions of Savage and Wetherell, until quite
an intimacy had sprung up between them,
which was not in the least objected to by
the mother, who had learned all about the
young men and their connections through
some of the sources which elderly ladies
with marriageable daughters always have
at their command, and by no means disin.
clined to employ, when occasion offers
The little hotel with. its pretty Indian
name, was a second home to them; and
its landlord--old Bob Rogers-almost q
second father to the girls.
| 1t was an unpretending little hostelry
the Assimiquid buried in thick grove OF
elms and horse-chestnut, and these only
cut away in front to give clear and I'M
obstructed view of the placid lake which
stretched away for miles toward the set
ting sun. An unpretending place; but to
those who knew, none could be more
home-like or better loved.
| lnI front, the long and broad piazza of
fered a delightful resting-place in the cool
mornings and evenings; brilliant flower
garden extended down to the gateway,
whence drive passed in front and COM
pletely around the house. The young peo-
pie had sailed on the lake ridden and
driven about the country tished and flirt-
ed to their hearts content; and now, when
only week longer remained of their
| pleasant sojourn, they each began to dis
cover that the parting-like many such
would not be without its pangs.
So the two friends sat rather mood ilv,
listening to the tree-toads; the Young
ladies having gone with Mrs. Campbell
to pass the evening with some friends in
the village
But they We're not alone moody on &C.
count of the near approach of the time fol
their departure they each had another un
welcome cause for mental disquietude, il
the melancholy fact that they were both il
that impecuniosity commonly known as
dead broke The fact was that, before
reaching Racketville, the two friends had
passed week at one of the watering
| places, which had SO diminished their re-
| sources that on their arrival at the Assimi-
quid they had little or nothing between
| them.
| At first they treated the matter as
joke, for Tom Wetherell said he had only
to write to the bank to get all the money
| hat was necessary so, after week, he
did write, but up to date had received no
answer, which had rather nonplussed him,
though he was informed by Jolly Mr.. Rog-
ers, the landlord, that the mails were
frequently delayed. through the slowness
| of the country transportations and, some
times, even, never reached their destina-
ton at all, which was not in the highest
degree reassuring. Tom had written a
second letter, which met with no better
success, and now matters began o look
serious, as poor Jack Savage had no one
to whom he could very well apply for
money though he was, nevertheless, in
the receipt OF u handsome income from his
practice.
Il say, Tom," said Jack at length, re-
| moving his pipe from his mouth, "why
| don't you draw on the bank, and get old
Rogers to cash it, for enough to pay our
| bills and take us home ?''
1T would he as much as my situation
is worth, replied his friend; ''the cashier
don't like me over much, anyhow, and
that would finish me completely"
Cant you draw on the governor ?n was
the next suggestion.
| mo, tried it once, and he rowed me
so I'll never attempt it again, assure you.
No, We'll have to leave our luggage as Sc
curity and foot it home, as | can see."
"rn be hanged if we D." rejoned
Savage, rising and pacing the platform.
by Jove, it does seem rs if two sharp
young fellows like us ought to be able to
hit on some dodge better than that.
Confound it, | never was in such posi-
ton in my life; and what makes it worse
is, that we needn't be in it now if we had
not been a couple of unlimited asses. We
might have brought more money along if
we had known enough"
''lf we had only kept away from that
internal watering place we would have
been all right rejoined Wetherell, and
then the two sat silently listening to the
tree-toads again.
eli, Jack? I've got an idea,n shouted
Wetherell, presently, rising, and kicking
over his chair in an ecstacy Of excitement
"Bother - replied Savage; "you need
not scare the life out of fellow with youl
first idea, as if it were your first baby; si
down, and don't be rushing up and down
there like maniac"
For, in his excitement, born of his
idea, Tom was walking the piazza as il
| tr,t.a