Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1871-03-09

most singular result. Do YOU remem
Der. Jack. the day you took twenty.
four glorious fellows. not one of which
would weigh less than a pound, out of
the shadows above kally's Point:'
i hayc faint recollection OF the
time YOU refer to- said Jack indtFer-
entity.
Just listen 10 the atiectatiun OF the
fellow cried George. 1t was only
tins very last June-not three months
ago-and such a piece of luck never
could have happened 10 him before or
since; vet he has a faint recollection
of the circumstance: What precious
humbug You are, Jack, my boy, =
Jack made no reply. but looked
vastly amused about something.
Why don't YOU tell US the story 2
said Dcane Parker.
It's what was going 20 do George
/ replied. You see remember the
whole thing we'll, though Jack has for
4 gotten
lie took an apple from the table.
and began pairing It with great delibcr-
alton while he went on half medita-
lively.
III was the most perfect weather for
I trout that mornlng-hot, still. and not
too sunny. Not cloudy either: but
just that sIlNery curtain of thin, GRAY
haze an angler loves The arr felt
close and sultry. and work was out of
the question; tine oulv thing for A
christian to 10 was to 20 a fishing. IL
Is true, neither Jack nor myself had
anything 10 do--a couple of new hedg-
cd lawyers with our shingles hung M
side 10y side went over to hi, den
and asked him Ia 70. 1t was a ycucr-
Gus holding out of the olive branch;
for We had not been on the bc,t OF
terms latels'
i did not suppose that you and
Jack ever quarrclcd. said |.
We didn't George replied We
were the best Of flicnds-extcrnally
indeed too civil by half. hut there had
been secret s~udse growing up be.
tween us for some months
w ho was ,hc: scutentiou,ly asked
Dcanc Parker.
George laughed. You have hit H.
he sand. 1T was woman. of cnur.,.
on were gone, | th!ak. when the Sol
dons came here. Mrs. seldom wa, q
widow with two daughters. One wa.
still IN the -chool.room but Br--y.
the elder, wa, lovely enough to turn
the heads of half the men in town: and
that is very nearly what she did. They /
were poor Mrs. seldom gave music /
lessons and tie girls had various
pretty hAndicrafls by means of which /
they kept themselves in gloves aud rih--
bons, and wove new Iueshes for the |
aiini~e.. 81 a Ii
fingers, but little and little. Jack and I
| lad followed up the pursuit until We /
had crowded out the others We two I
hal the eafree of the house and II was I
= neck and neck race with Us. Some .
times | thought myself ahead and /
then again he would seem 10 be gain
ing on me. Our advantages were about /
equally balanced. Neither Of u had
any money, but | had expectations /
from my uncle, and jack had un un-
limited stock of assurance. That TEL
low brass Is fortune 10 him. He'll
be rich man in ten Years. As ior
personal appearance, any body can see
that am the best looking. but then |
AIN too modest 10 take advantage Of
the fact. | kept a horse, too. which
Was trump card in my favor; but ii
| asked her 10 ride one evening, Jack
would get 10 sce her first the next, and
keep her at home while he piped away
on his flute. And SO We had il, back ami
forth, until about the middle of Nav,
when all at once we missed the lady.
Her mother. in answer to our inquiries,
replied that 'Bessv was out of town
for the season, and that was all the
Information We could get. for neither
of Us dared ask her, point blank.
where her daughter was. Our common
bereavement drew Us together. some
what, or. perhaps | might as well own
that cottoned 10 Jack little, in
hopes that if he had any secret knowl-
edge of her whereabouts | might get a
chance word out of him some day.
But | soon found he was as ignorant
Is myself, and that was some comfort.
Ii was all had, Though, for 10 this
day | have never set eyes on Be,sy
Seldom
But what in the mischers name
has Bessy Seldom 10 do with your fish
ing" cried |, impatiently.
We'll. not much, perhaps; but can't
you let felleS tell a story his own
way! l only wanted you 10 know how
| happt ned to ask Jack to 90; what
Christian frame of mind | was in to do
SO and then you'll see how yillainous-
ly the rascal repaid me.
Jack said nothing. only kept biting
the end of his cigar But | fancied
saw fun IN his eyes. George went on
The day proved even hotter then we
expected. The thin clouds seemed 10
burn off, and left everything scorchcd
and painting. We were delayed, too,
and it was nearly noon when we got
off. We drove up to the Potter brook,
some six or eight miles from here.
dare say you know the place, there is
a small school-house about forty rods
this side; one of those awful little
square, red-painted knowledge-boxes
that lie scattered everywhere in coun-
try neighborhoods A swarm of little
bare-footed urchins were being rung in
from their play as we passed, and Jack
and craned our necks to see what the
school-marm was like, but never
glimpse could We get of her. There is
a clump of willow trees just below the
bridge. and we fastened the horse in
their shade, for we had to walk the
rest of the way to our destination.
This was something like mile and
half up the course of the brook,
deep. shady pool in the cool beech
woods, where the trout always lay, and
known to few in the vicinity.