The Portland daily press., 1871-11-25

quiet after the unusual excitement of the day.
More words OF Pinkham Sisters began to
press pack, ank the soft look began to gather
III MISS Marlgolds eyes once more. How
close they were drawing again. those days so
long gone by! Just as they had done in the
morning, only with such strange tenderness
added in their touch. Miss Margold closed
her eyes and leaned her head upon her CHAIR,
as If she felt a caress. And SO, as the tWi,
light deepened, the present hour still
more grew dim, and, as if the years
between now and then were blotted out,
Miss Marigold seemed to herself girl
again. How soft and delicate her cheek was;
how rounded every outline of her form; how
long, and soft, and golden her hair, and how
lightly she breathed as some one bent over
her and whispered many things.
''Jack! Jack-at-a-Pinchp she said, and
stretched out her hands in the dim light
Then starting up, she shook the red cushion
into shape again with little spat.
'Why, this will never do!' she exclaimed;
do get a light, Miss Marigold and find out the
longitude of Zanzibar! So unintelligentw
But just as she was taking the match in her
hand, there came another knock at the shop
door, and Miss Marigold was startled again.
ga second timep' she said. $50 unusual
ON such day."
Nevertheless, seeing that there was still
she ventured to step to the door and open it.
Not the tight-waisted calico this time but
tall stranger, his face much concealed between
his hat and handsome curling beard of iron
gray.
Il beg your PARDON" he said, as he raised
the hat slightly. 81 don't know that YOU at
tend to sales to-day; I don't know that I
| ought to ask YOU"
"Oh, yes, sir" said Miss Marigold, with
| ner own smile, III there is anything really re-
qulred; and between that moment and tax
ing her place behind the counter, she had ar
ranged in her own mind the whole account of
how he had come in town with his wife for
thanksgiving, and how they either lived
| where they could not make purchases, or how
some accident had befallen her hat since she
| she came in.
| The stranger hesitated moment; but
Miss Marigold was accustomed to see men
do that, when they forgot the name of the
article they were sent for.
Handsome eyes," thought Miss Marigold,
'very;" but what strange thrill they gave
her, and how steadily they gazed into her
own!
What is in that Window" he said; crib
bon? That is what want"
| Yes, sir" said Miss Marigold; ''did she
send sampler" and she reached her hand
half over the counter to receive it.
| NO" said the stranger, ''Pn take it all''
| Then seeing a startled look on her face, and
rejecting that she might not like SO sudden a
diminution of her stock, he added, ''Never
mind. Give me any one of the pieces And
what are these? Feathers ?'
Miss Marigold silently placed the box on
the counter. Her little vision of the happy
| Thanksgiving party had vanished. -
| "Oh dear! she said to herself sTm afraid
he IS going to a masqueradep'
| III take these" said the stranger, Sand
-" he looked about for some further
purchases, and seeing nothing but rows Of
boxes, whose contents were past his divining
he turned his ewes towards the bonnets upon
the frames, and added quietly, zone ofthese.' u
The masquerade became nullity in Miss
| Marigold's mind, and the fearful thought OF
escape from the lunatic asylum was Just ready
to take its place, when the hat was suddenly
lifted from over the eyes, the hand stretched
toward her, and the very tones she had just
been listening to in the red cushioned chail
cried, gently and lowly, "Marigold? Goldi
Maryp'
What Miss Marigold felt or did then. she
never knew; only in an instant he had push
ed away the boxes, sprang across the counter
and lifted her over to the little chintz-covereC
sofa In the back room. Then she did moi
know anything for good while, and wher
she opened her eyes the handsome face wa,
| Dendmg over her. She reached out a hanC
and touched it. "Jack! Jack-at-a-pinch p
and smile such as Pinkham sisters had new
er seen spread over her own.
That evening they were astonished in thei
turn by knock at their door, and when the,
saw Miss Marigold come in, leaning on 1
strong arm, they experienced shock tina
displaced Miss Pinkham's plum colored bow
so far as to reveal an edge of the thin spot
and Pinkie, for the first time in her life, wa
startled off her relative breadth in the carpet
Dear friends" said Miss Marigold, g
could not help coming to tell you. 1 kneu
you would like to hear that Jack was not lost
after all; it was only 1 and how he ha
found me again, and my cup runneth over. a.
it always has. So wonderful the way I an
always led! So many mercies And wa
ever anything so Fortunate" she whispered il
Pinkham's ear, "as the way was preserved
from eating that onion to-dayr'