The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1872-10-23
ABBEVIILE, G, WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER %.
20 to Europe with him.

60 to Europe with him. :. =
: A year and three months since tn,
, Golden Dove went down. Well, M
, ono can tell what changes q LITTLE
while can bring. I used to hope thai
, I hadn't much hand in it after oil
j when 1 thought it over and remem
bered poor Will, and how be took hel
In his arms under the sycamore.
4 But then, you see, Mrs. More'G
sight had failed, 80 you see she
couldn't do fine sewing, and Fanny
wasn't of much account except tc
look at. 1t was a hard life that lay
before Milly. It was good for her tc
marry Captain Kincaid, and have
rest and comfort wasn't it?
"To-morrow is the wedding" said
I to Job, sits going to be'in church
Miss Salisbury is finishing my silver
gray poplin. It sets splendid. Well
have Ben Barnes in to keep store,
and 60, won't we? You'll like to see
Milly off, won't you ?"
II wish it was Will Masset," says
Job. ~
"Poor Will" says l, and I went on
tidying, though it was a Friday. l
should be 80 busy next day. / got
out my big paper of sugar. and I got
down my japanned sugar-box, never
empty yet since that day I filled it
up. And then Job, sorting the let
ters, looks up at me.
"Never begrudged you anything so
much as that box" says he. "Best
thing ever put the mail into, This
mere wooden thing with a slide is a
pesky bother"
"Law me-" says I, "if I'd knowed
you wanted it, you should have had
it. I didn't think you had any plan
in it. Jest stick 'em anywhere, I
thought you would. I'll empty the
box; I've got one that'll do. And
I'm glad you spoke before I filled it
up"
So with that I spread a big paper
on the counter, and emptied out tbe
sugar. no az
1t had packed a little, and came
out in a sort of cake. There it laid,
white and shiny, and on top Of it,
whittier and SINNER, laid o letter--a
letter with shipmark upon it, and
this supersciption.:
"Miss Milly More, Anchor Port,
Maine, UEited! States of America" ~
+ Three months ago-poor stupid !
I had emptied my best coffee crushed
in upon it, and there it was.
Three months ago she had come
down to me and asked for letter,
and I'd have given more money than
there was in the till, to have dared to
tear that letter open on tho spot and
read it, though knew the hand was
Will Massett's. 49,.
"This can't watt says I.
"No,"' says Job, "it can't, with that
wedding coming off tomorrow"
Then I stopped and thought. let it
lie until it is called for, ane she'll be
Mrs. Captain Kincaid, with her silks
and her velvets, aud her fine house,
and her carriage, all the same. ,
This comes from q shipwrecked
sailor, poorer now than when he went
away. -
"Perhaps I'd better wait until the
wedding is over, Job," said 1:
And my old man came across the
room and put his arm about my
waist. ~r,s-g. -,
"Nancy," says he, "you and was
young folks. once. I used to think
something was better than money
and the doings then. And though
we old folks may geta little hard
though to be up in the, world seems
50 much, and all that old sweetness
so silly, why, it will como back some
times. You remember how he kissed
her under the sycamore and-Nan-
cy we couldn't wait until after the
wedding, either of us" - g4.
1 put my arms about Jobs neck,
and | kissed him; and then got my
sunbonnet and ran over to Mrs.
More's.
Captain Kincaid was there. I
stood at the door with my letter be-
hind my back.
"Won't you walk in ?" said Mrs.
More. ''.1
I-I haven't time," said I. otis
only an errand. It's little singular.
Milly, there's a-a-'' i s.,.
"My letter my letterl'', cried Mil
ly. at has come at last ?''
How she knew it, Heaven knows.
She hadn't had glympse of it.
1t was the old sailors story: ship
wreck, a deserted island, wretched
months spent in hoping for succor,
and q sail at last. he would be home
in three months.
"Three months!" said Milly. "Oh,
how can l wait" ..u
And then says l: =
"Milly, forgive poor old stupid
goose. That letter has been lying
under my best coffee crushed three
months and day. And there's
vessel in the offing now"
So it was Will, after all; and Job
and I went to the wedding with hap
py hearts. And no need topity Capt.
Kincaid either, for he married Fanny
More before the year was over.
Tur Ho.fp op ArryANDpp HAM,