The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-02-17
SELECTED STORY.
PUT TO THEIR TRUMPS.

evening SluOhlilS tuci liooioSii''aio, eAAiu Of
ently listening to the chirping of the tree
toads and the other various sounds that usher
in night in the country.
The Assimiquid House stood on the out
skirts of the little village of Rscketville, and
directly above Assimiquid Lake, which was
the chief attraction to city visitors, and suf-
ficiently so to draw quite gathering of them
each successive season, to boat, fish, flirt and
disport themselves. MyJwo young
men had heard of it this particular season;
and, having few weeks holiday, had con-
Guided 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 clearinghouse 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 COM
mences. Among these, the one most inter-
esting 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 and Susie-had been the chosen COM
panions 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
those sources which elderly ladies with mar
riageable daughters always have at their COM
mand, and are by no means disinclined to
employ, when occasion offers. The little ho-
tel, with its pretty Indian name, was second
home to them; and its landlord-old Bob
Rogers-almost a second father to the girls.
1t was an unpretending little hostelry, the
Assimiquid; buried in thick grove of elms
in front to give clear and unobstructed view
of the placid lake, which stretched away for
miles toward the setting sun. An unpretend-
ing place; but, to those who knew it, none
could be more homelike or better loved.
In front, the long and broad piazza offered
delightful resting-place in the cool mornings
and evenings; brilliant flower-garden ex-
tended down to the gateway, whence drive
passed in front and completely around the
house. The young people had sailed on the
lake; ridden and driven about the country I;
fished and firted to their hearts content; and
now, when only a week longer remained of
their pleasant sojourn, they each began to
discover that the parting--like many such
would not be without its pangs.
So the two friends sat rather modify, lis
tening to the tree-toads; the young ladies
having gone with Mrs. Campbell to pass the
evening with some friends in the village.
But they were not alone moody on account
of the near approach of the time for their de-
parture; they each had another unwelcome
cause for mental disquietude, in the melan-
choly fact that they were both in that condi-
ton of impecuniosity commonly known as
dead broke" The fact was that, before
reaching Racketville, the two friends had
passed week at one Of the watering-p places,
which had so diminished their resources that
on their arrival at the Assimiquid 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 that was
necessary; so, after week, he did write, but
up to date had received no answer, which had
rather nonplussed him, though he was in
formed by jolly Mr. Rogers, the landlord, that
the mails were frequently delayed, through
the slowness of the country means for trans
portatlon; and, sometimes, even never reach
ed their destination 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 to 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
handsome income from his practice
Il say, Tom," said Jack, at length, remov-
ing 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 bill and take us
home?" 2 4.a-.
sit would be as much as my situation is
WORTH" replied his friend; "the cashier don't
like me overmuch, anyhow, and that would
finish me completely"
'Can't you draw on the governor ?'' was
the next suggestion. ~ .-s7s s5ss-ls.
No. tried it once, and he rowed me so
I'll never attempt it again, assure you. No,
Wen have to leave our luggage as security,
and foot it home, as far as 1 can see.'
"Fll be hanged five dor. rejoined Savage,
rising and pacing the platform. ''By Jove,
it does seem as if two sharp young fellows
like us ought to be able to hit some dodge
better than that Confound it, never was
in such position in my life and what makes
it worse is, that we needn't be in it now if
we hadn't been couple OF unlimited asses.
We might have brought more money along if
we had known enough ..
IF we had only kept away from that infer
nal watering-place we should 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," shouted
Wetherell, presently, rising and kicking over
his chair in an ecstacy of excitement
'BotherH' replied Savage; ''you needn't
scare the life out of fellow with the first
idea, as if it were your first baby; set down
and don't be rushing up and down like ma
niac'
For, in his excitement, born of his ''idea",
Tom was walking the piazza as if for a wa
ger.
''Hold your tonguer' he replied, "and let
me work it out, will you? l think see my
way, not only to paying off our bill and our
expenses home, but to making some money
in the bargain"
Jack held his tongue as desired, and Weth-
erell continued to walk the piazza in brown
study, evidently bordering over some compli-
Gated conception.
Jack was not over sanguine as to the merits
of his friends 'sidea;' and his musings were
not altogether of pleasant nature. He was
thinking of Maggie Campbell-the pretty,
genial, lovable girl, whom he had thought
himself only flirting with, but whom he now
knew to be very necessary to his future hap
piness. Jack was an appreciative youth; and,
though not vain, he felt that he had made a
decided impression on the lovely Maggie, and,
further, that his attentions were not in the
least displeasing to the young lady's mother;
and now the whole affair was to be kicked
over for the want of few paltry dollars; for
he knew that the condition of things couldnot
be kept secret, and, once out, the game
would be up, for the old lady would be very
Thy of trusting her daughter to young man
who must be either swindler or very bad
to put it in the mldest form.
The sound of laughing voices was heard
coming up the road, and presently the gate
swung open, and Mrs Campbell and her two
daughters came up the drive to the house,
escorted by the gentleman at whose house
they had been visiting. Jacks heart gave
big bound as he caught sight of her trim fig
ure, and heard her musical laugh; and he
found himself grinding his teeth at the mere
presence of a gentleman in her company The
after, however, left the ladies Immediately,
who joined Jack and his friend on the piazza
1t was a brilliant moonlight night, and the
'ilvery light made the lake seem lovelier than
ever; some mad impulse induced Jack, who
had already taken possession of Maggie, to
propose row on the water; and, as there
we're no objections made, Mrs. Campbell re-
firing into the house, after charging them to
be careful, they started for the boats. The
girls were in high glee, and, when Jack pro-
posed that they should go in separate boats
md have race, they willingly consented; so
Jack took Maggie in one boat, while Tom and
Ter sister entered another, and they pulled
rom shore to stake which was racing-poin
md then the two young men bent to their
though Tom, being the taller, had
the longer reach.
The usual racing-distance was a mile mark
ed by buoy floating on the water, and both
hard for a victory. Usually, in
such contests, jack had come off conauerer:
but this night he gradually fell behind and.
when about two-thirds of the distance had
)een passed, the other boat then leading him
lbout three lengths, he stopped pulling, UNI
shipped his oars, and folding his arms, sat in
ilence, while Toms ironical cheer sounded