Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-01-20

y
as girls will do, had abstained from every in
diligence, however trivial, every expense.
however sma II and rose earlier and worked
later to obtain the simple outfit which form
ed her ambition. But all was crushed now.
Paul had been unlucky enough to offend
one of the principal clerks, a nephew Of
enc of the partners in the firm, and moth
ing he could do was right. The influence
OF the wears recommendation kept him
in his post little while, but eventually
the ill-will of his superior was too strong,
and yet this ill-will arose from very
trifing cause. 1t arose from Paul's
answering in his own defense when abused
wrongfully; he fearlessly and fully vim
dicdted himself, and showed he was
right; but the malicious Mr.. Andrew
Iolmaine, the clerk and future partner,
never forgave him. At last a package
of some value was missed, and without
imputing dishonesty, the loss was attri-
buted to the carelessness Of Paul, and he
was dismissed with, as he owned, char
acter which would do him but little good
As Paul finished his inelequent narrative
and ended with heavy West-country oath
OF revenge if ever time served, his hear
ers wept silently. but did not check him.
Now, unless these two chose to marry,
and live in the squalid poverty that most
of their class around them lived in, and
made up their minds to reckon on poor
house assistance every winter as part of
their income, it seemed as though they
could never settle. They had a long and
sad talk that evening, and it was plain
that nothing better, at the very outside,
than laboring at the ''oil mills" the only
thing like manufactory-couldb be done,
if happily even so much could be achieved.
So time went on, and Paul worked as a
laborer, and dressed and looked like a
laborer, while poor Alice grew paler and
thinner; for it was hard, in that quiet
little town to earn enough money to sup
ply even the scanty wants of herself and
her mother, and hope was nearly gone
now. From one great and common evil,
however, she was spared-her lover did
not drink
Summer came and went, and Autumn.
and with the close of October came the
rumor that the oil mills would shorten
hands; and Paul.knew that, being one of
the youngest in the service, he would be
one of the first to 60. Mrs. Purley's
strength was failing, too, and so the Sun
day walks were very sad ones; and even
the idea. which was growing into a re-
solve, of marrying on the wretched thir-
teen shillings earned weekly by Paul, was
sinking out of sight. What Al;sc most
feared may be juged by fauI's solemnly
swearing, as they stood in the twilight,
one Sunday evening, with his hand on the
large Bible, which lay on the window seat
in her mothers little parlor, that he would
never enlist for soldier. Sadly and slow
ly, then, the days went by.
One evening, while Mrs. Purley sat ex-
hausted with such little work as she had
done, and Alice had laid aside the needle
work WHICH she had been plying all the
afternoon, and had commenced arrang-
ing their scant and frugal tea, a well known
step was heard in the little garden, and
then Paul Ayles entered. He was grimed
and black with his work, of course, and
wore the loose smock frock which labor
ers commonly wear. He took off his cap,
and passed his hand through his hair with
the air of tired man. He sat down, in
obedience to Mrs. Purley's invitation,
while Alice looked at him with a face from
which the first flush of pleasure and sur
prise had faded, and which was now dead
ly pale. She saw with unerring instinct,
that the sternness on her lovers features
was not the grave sternness habitual and
natural to him, and this, added to his ap-
pearing there at an unwonted hour, as
sured her that he had something to tell
them, and she dreaded to hear it. She
silently produced third cup and saucer,
added one solitary spoonful of tea to that
already in the pot, and then, with tremu-
lous voice, said, ''Are they shortening
hands, Paul ?"
''No-at least not for me-" said the
young man. "Some have gone, but am
to stay week or two longer"
Thank God for that, Paul." said the
girl. "Who knows what may turn up in
a week or two ?"
"Ah, you may well say that" returned
Paul. There's many changes, nova
days, Alice; and I've come up to tell you
of one. Look here!"
With that, the young man produced from
his breast the outside portion OF London
paper, for it was easy enough at Edgefield
to get the morning papers down early the
same day; and, thanks to the cheap press,
even the very poorest could learn earlier
what was passing in the great world than
the lord of the manor himself could have
learned hundred years before.
''Sec lUIS uc cACldiulcu, W
an advertisement in the front page Of the
paper.
Alice took the printed sheet, and read
for they were both fair scholars
1.-TWO hundred pounds reward. Alb
seconded, on or about the 10Th instant,
Andrew Lawrence Tolmaine, who is sup
posed to have embezzled large sum OF
money, the property of his employers,
Messrs. DeLisle, Tolmaine and Tolmainc.
Wheeler's Court, Cornhill. The said
Andrew Lwrense Tolmaine is five feet
seven inches in height, with dark straight
hair, small dark mustache, slight figure,
wears spectacles, and has large scar on
the back of his hand. He is twenty-three
years of age, but looks older. The. above
reward will be paid to any person giving
such information as will lead to the ap-
prehension of the said Andrew Lawrence
Tolmaine. Apply to Messrs. Bonnell and
Wright, Solicitors, Bedford Row, or to the
Superintendent of the----division oil
Police,
Ere Alice could uttera single exclama-
t;on of o,,,a1a,,apt ar finding their chief