Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-02-02


to-day-but | spose she don't know no
better" And Mrs. Ruggles rose from
the table, while the corner of her apron
made sudden journey to the corner Of
her eye. 1t was evident her moral nature
had received wound that ranked.
year before this time the marquis and
his playmates had watched several vigor
GUS fellows plant theodolite on the bank
of Crawtish Creek, very much rs the ma
tives must have watched the Spaniards
plant their first cross on San Salvador
The contract for grading the new railway
bed was in the hands of stranger named
Miller, who was said to have known bet
ter days, and in the time of his prosperity
had been thought a proper person to be
called Colonel. He u was bluff man OF
forty years, who appeared to have known
both ups and downs in life, and whose de-
termination to wear black beard was
equaled only by its determination to be
gray. Rumor said that he had been
railroad president, that he made and spent
vast sums of money, and that his home
was somewhere in the East.
His only child. Alice, ten or twelve
years old, bright, fair, full of animal
spirits, who was indulged to the last de-
gree by the roughly generous colonel,
sometimes accompanied him about the
half-developed country, searching for
strange birds and blossoms in the woods
or watching demurely the laborers ply
their picks and shovels while he inspected
their work
The two rode almost daily between
Thompson City and the line of excava-
ton, passing the house of Mrs. Ruggles
and a cool spring by the roadside near it,
whence that lady had obtained the water
which made the tea which was stirred into
the maelstrom which has been described.
While obtaining it, clad in her working
garb, the patter OF hoofs and a clear girl
ish laugh-sweet as the carol of meadow
lark-came ringing along the road. As
the colonel and Alice halted to let her
high-mettled pony and his heavier Nor
gan drink, Mrs. Ruggles, who could not
otherwise escape observation, with be-
coming pride and modesty stepped behind
the thick willows, leaving the marquis
with pail OF water between his legs and
a bunch of mottled feathers in his hand.
lie stood dumb before the lovely girl,
with her face sparkling from exercise and
enjoyment, and her golden hair escaping
from its prison of blue ribbons. While the
horses drank she espied cluster of cool
violets Frightening the damp grass near
the spring. The marquis had presence of
mind enough left to step forward and
pluck them. Her "Thank you!" added
greatly to his embarrassment, which he
expressed by vigorously twisting the
mottled feathers.
''What bird are those from? asked Alice
The question so increased his embarass-
ment that now the marquis could express
it only by chewing his cap, and she smil-
ingly waited moment for the composure
OF the young naturalist's feelings.
''She was low, chunky hen," said he,
at length-''she was low, chunky hen.
an she laid an hundred an seven eggs,
an then she had 'spazzums an whirled
roun' till she died"
A burst of irrepressible laughter escaped
Alice, with the exclamation, ''Did any
body ever see such boy?n as she and
her father rode away. And those were
the eXceptionable words concerning her
son which so ranked that evening in the
heart of Mrs Ruggles.
The marquis gazed with hungry eyes
after the airy little figure as it dashed down
the unlovely, worm-fenced road. The
golden hair, overflowing boundaries of
blue ribbon, was more glorious to him than
the golden sunshine overlooking the blue
sky They met no more at the spring, but
distance, he watched her riding by. From
Thompson City to the little log bridge over
Crawfish Creek the road lay four miles
through heavy woods. Then came clear
ed fields, and soon the house of Mrs. Rug
giles.
So the summer days went by. The sea-
son was waning, the grading was almost
done, and soon the contractor would be
elsewhere. Then came one particularly
warm and sultry day. The screams of
locusts everywhere suggested that they
were frying. The colonel, riding once
more slowly out toward the workmen with
his daughter, was near the middle of the
forest The trees on either hand were
tall, and the road was so straight and mar
row that the sunlight scarcely touched it.
The marquis, in the top of tall chestnut
that overhung the road near the edge of
the wood, was overhauling nest of flying
perhaps in the hope of finding
mottled feathers on their wings. From
his elevation he could see for great dis
tance down the level, dusty road between
the trees, and far across the surrounding
country.
The sun did not shine bright, yet no
cloud was in the sky. The atmosphere,
thick, oppressive, opaque, veiled the hori-
Hoh VIII Sliaueo Sioou NOt u zeal could
stir in the vast forest. Not dimple nor
the semblance of current broke the sur
face of the sluggish creek. Not sound,
save the interminable frying of the locusts.
The colonel slackened his pace, sur
prised that his horse should so soon begin
to drip and pant-Alice, familiar with the
road, in the mean time riding mile ahead
The marquis chung to the topmost branch
| es LOOKING at the still sky far ahoye hin,
the still stream tar below him. the still
tree tops far around him, till he caught
glimpse cf the only interesting object to
be seen--a black pony bearing its usual
burden, if Alice Miller could be called
burden, and pacing leisurely up the road
beneath him. He gazed as far as the pal
isade Of trees permitted, but her father
was not yet i'll sight.
/ CONCLUDED IN To-MoRRow'S PAPER.