Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-10-11

80.
my abuse she, suddenly burst Into tears,
and instead 81 quarrelling with me, throws
herself into my arms and sobs ont.
~ss"Oh, FredI 20 it was. Oh! never
thought Of that; and told him-I told
him Oh dearl oh dear!"
What did YOU tell himp''
Z told him never wished to see him
again, because he could never do any
thing brave enough to blot out the MEM
DRY Of that dreadful, dreadful day"
"And what did he say ?"
a"He said, You never SHALL oh, Fred,
Fred! what shall doP" ls,sse
"DoP Write and tell him you are very
sorry, and ask him to come back again"
"a piece of sensible advice at which kiss
Helen springs up, dashes away her tears.
says, Indignantly, THANK you, Fred, l
have not quite lost my self-respect yet,
even II your friend has lost his" and
marches off to her own room.
went back to my accounts. and fin
ished them. 80
Days and weeks slipped by. Our house
was hardly empty before was off myself
on visit to the home of my beloved.
Then the hunting season began: the Hall
was again filled with guests, and in the
constant round Of sport, merriment, and
excitement, must confess til At the little
incident conserving Dncie's departure es-
capped my mind. Neither did notice the
change in Helen's looks. and how rapidly
sh~ was losing color. flesh and spirits, till
she looked like the shadow of her former
self. You see, she never lost her pretti-
ness; and then certain little maid was
spending her Christmas with US, and that
in itself was reason for not being partic
,ilarly observant Of other women's appear
ance.
Was it the day before Christmas-evt
that the governor told me Lord de Lain,
had proposed to Helen and been refused
Think so-rm not sure. Anyway, it wa
that day that first noticed the girls white
face, and spoke to her of Ducie. HeI
sweet eyes flashed up instantly, and she
answered, i
would you like to have him here this
Christmas ?''
my dear. you told him never TO come
"Then was wrong, for it is not my
house (hypocritically
"You are mistress OF it, anil III have
no friends here whom the mistress can not
welcome.
my arm, and said. enthusiastically,
.'All your friends are welcome to me
Fred. Please write and ask him at once.
did so. Shall ever forget her face
when the answer came? Mr.. Ducic hat
sailed for the Cape three days before. in
the royal mail steamship lamar.
We all know the end of that good yes
sci: how she encountered hard weather
off the Azores; how she sprang leak
which no pumping day and night could
bring under; how the boats were hoisted
out with just enough seamen to work the
oars, the passengers lowered into them
one by one, the women and children first,
men afterward, in perfect discipline and
order; and how, when all were full, the
captain, standing on the poop-deck. gave
.. the last command to pull away out of the
vortex of the sinking shit and the men
in the boat, obeying, saw,tf gallant ves-
sci, with captain, crew and Officers stand
ing hand in hand, brave and resolute to
the last, settle heavily down into the deep
trough ofthe waves, and disappear forever
from mortal ken.
n All me all English hearts were thrill.
ing with the story in those days. 1t makes
mine ache now to recall it.
The boats reached the Azores in safety
two days later, without having lost .
soul; but 1t was not for months, not til
every inquiry had been made, not till
had gone down to Southampton myself
and interrogated the rescued passenger
one by one, that we heard how, when thu
boats were all but full, and there wa
only one passenger to descend, one of The
crew cried out in despair, "Oh my little
wife and child ?" and the passenger, q
tall, dark. eyed young man, turned to him
and said, stake my place; there is nc
one belonging to me AT home, and had
stood by the captains side at the last mo-
lnent, and waved his hat to his friends in
the boats in a CHEEKY good-by.
found out that sailor. and he gave mt
scrap of paper, which he said the gen.
tleman had torn from his pocket boob
and given to him us he went over the
side. 1t was to Helen, and contained
these words:
God bless you. have earDe., my right to NEE
you agna-in heaven at least.
- .4tta HIP. DUciE."
f Two wears later Helen lett us. to keel
that meeting; and when she was dead
saw the first smile on her pale lips which
had ever shone there since she sent hel
lover away to prove that a man may die
hero's death, though in life he has beer
once coward