Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-09-26


supper, but they sat down in tn,
porch, and the younger waited for ,h,
elder to speak. Presently, the dea
con said
You were five years old when vonl
Mother died and left YOU an orphan
III hadn't taken YOU, the selectmer
would have sent you to the poor
house.
Il know that replied Jim. You
took me and treated me like a son
God knows what for. I've done yor
little enough good
You're twenty-seyen years old now
Twcnty-seven and thirty-seven. Near.
ly forty years ago l was engaged to be
married toyour mother, but she chang.
ed her mind and married your father. |
never blamed her She found she
didn't love me and did love the other
man. 1t was a great deal better tha,
she should have told me the truth as
she did. No. never blamed her.
wanted her TO be happy, and | WASH,
going TO stand in the way. When she
was left a widow I'd have helped her il
cold, but she was too proud to take
help. When she died | couldn't see
her child suffer, so | took you to be my
son. You've been all son should be
TO me James, though yau are not as
good man as | hope TO see you. 1t
was hard to bear when found that the
Iirl loved. better I'm afraid tha,
ought to have loved anything worldly.
had turned away from me. All these
forty years the pain has not left me.
Well, do not set your affections on
Things below. | disobeyed that law.
and suffered for il.
And she married:' cried the younp
sailor.
NO, not set. but she will be next
week
Who is he.
a Boston man; Cap'n Williams.
She met him AZ her aunts down in
Marblehead last summer. He has a
schooner that runs TO the West Indies. ;
James rose up without speaking and
walked rapidly to the gate. The dea-
con followed, and laying his hand on
uls ann sand, You won't h. violent,
james she thought YOU were dead
she d--'t traitor. replied he
huskily, aud with a marked disregard
Of gender. Don't talk to me now. /
can't stand Ill; and tic strobe rapidly
away.
lie went strrigAt toward the house
where he had courted, ana As he
thought, won the prcttiest girl in all
DeNtervi!le. Fortunately, it was a
half mile distant. and before he reach. .
ct It he had grown somewhat cooler.
Instead OF pursuing his way he abrupt
Is turue,l, when nearly within 81 ght Of
the house, and taking narrow lane
went toward the rocky bluh that form
ell thc iron coast beyond the little har-
Dor. Here he had parted from her
three years ago, and lie remembered
how she promised through her tears TO
wait for him forever, if need be, until
he was in position 10 marry. For
ever had been less than thirty-six
months. Jim made that brief arith
metical calculation and swore audiblv.
lie ncared the rocks and felt me
chanically in his pocket for the tobac-
co which habit had associated with mo-
ments Of strong excitement. lie had
found 1t and was IN the act of opening
his Katie II cat oil a proper INSTALL
ment, when he caught sight of light
co!ored dress behind a crag He shut
the knife suddenly, and strobe on. In
another moment he had met her.
'Oh, jim Is it really you:' she cried
II me sure enough he answered.
but did not offer 10 take her hand.
4 thought You were uead. Upon
my soul did. And you're alive vet.
on got over my beln' dead. AMI
guess You'll get over my being alive.
I've seen the old man,
How glad he must be to see you.'
lie told me you were going 80 he
married, It's true, | suppose
i suppose it is
Jim turned away and looked steadily
out at sea-
i know you're angry with me- She
went ON pleadingly, but everybody
thought you were dead. 1t was very,
very hard for me to give you up (Jim
laughed grimly.) bat never expected
to see you again. I'm sure you'll like
Captain Williams. lie knows | used
to know wyou,-knows all about it-and
he'll be very glad to hear you're alive
and well.
Jim turned and his eyes blazed at
her through a veil of mist. I've been
bad man, but you could make me
different. turned over a new leaf AT.
ter was wrecked in the pacific, and
said Id make myself fit to be your hus-
band. Fit, by to be the husband
Of woman that couldn'; keep her
word with Inc for three little years.
D---n, you you've ruined me now,
body and soul and I'll make you re-
pent it 10 the last day ofvour life. You
have seen me for the last, but YOU and
your husband will hear from me vet
before die" And he rushed away j.,
leaving her crying and clinging trem-
bllngly to the rock against which she
leaned.
Crying and trembling, but still not
little elated. Here was man near
ly mad because of her. He had de-
nounced her. and rushed away almost
precisely like an actor she had seen at
the Boston Museum, only the latter
used much nicer language. Indeed,
the whole affair was quite like a play.
And Jim was really going to ruin be-
cause she would not marry him. '.How
delightful-dreadful mean" she mur-
INJURED, as she thought that no other
girl in the village had ever ruined a
man. So she presently went home in
excellent spirits. and when Captain
Williams walked over from the hotel
where lie was staying to call on her
that evening, he thought he had never
seen his innocent. bright little oirl