The Portland daily press., 1873-05-24

au9 Nsth,vood. the talIest girl In Iacktown
enus Sr;iI;ant complexion, an aqulllne nose,
VII, WI. dark eyes, clear voice, ana gay
Syt a violent contrast to MN every way.
, nne on Tacktown Neck, three miles from the
lii1iaae so secluded place that when Matilda
came up to the Shore, as the village was call
ed she telt metropolitan excitement; there
was zest in CHI rch-going and singing-school ::
and stray lecture, or a dance, was lust abso,
Lutte satisfaction. Young Martin had ALWAYS
known her, or thought so, till she burst in
upon all his awakened senses one night ot tb q
singing school; but he had never addressed I y
word TO her. She knew him ouite a. we'll
and mad never bestowed Thought mon him.
-pul many laugh, and alas! did he but
KNOW KNOW she was now laughing at him. Edgar
w ialis was with her, and he was making him
SCH witty at young Martins expense. The
mouse stood in the angle of two streets there
was yard in front, with picket fence round
IT.. Inc side street was dark, crooked ROAD,
with houses scattered along it, and ending IN
broad field which had that very afternoon
been the scene of the performance OF travel
ing circus. attended by Matilda. The wag-
ons were now loading, and from time to time
one of them Numbered by, and turning the
sharp corner by old Martins house, passed
through the main street fronting the harbor,
and so out Of the village. There had been
some fighting among the men, and much saw
age swearing over the heavy loading of the
wagons, till the proprietor who happened to
be partially intoxicated, lost patience, He
struck with his whip at one of the drivers,
who instantly jumped into his seat and,
swearing he would take no more on, dashed
his horses into gallop along the road, The
proprietor sprang into his buggy, and dashed
after him, with the intention Of stopping his
wagon. Martin heard the noise, opened his
window and ran down stairs. As short as
the distance was between the door and the
gate of the little yard, he never forgot the
scene. The harbor below the street lay white
in moonlight, its silver sheet unruffled BY a
single breeze. A wagon lurched round the
corner, and rolled by. He heard a scream,
and saw figure flying over the fence-safe
inside,-Edgar Willis, then he saw buggy
swaying toward Matilda; he cried out in ter
Tor, seized her in his arms and almost threw
her over the fence toward Edgar. Then he
picked up the proprietor, who was thrown
out, but not nearly so much injured as his
carriage and horse were. Amy came to the
door in perturbation, and begged everybody
to come light in, while old Martin hardly
awake to the state of things, murmured that
he guessed New London would have some
thing to answer for arter this. Edgar Willis
declined, muttered something about attend
ing to the proprietor, and, glad to be intimate
with celebrated man, offered him his SER
vices. Matilda, wondering whether young
Martin had observed his cowardice, could not
help altering proverb for lis benefit. 81
have heard" she said ''about people laughing
on the wrong side of their mouth, and now l
am going to laugh on the right side of the
fenceo
II thought the wagon fellow did not see us
and sprang over without knowing it hardly,
Matilda. 1 could have helped you; but, good
gracious, you never could have expected me
to lift your weight over the fence. 1 am not
blacksmith. t,t-
That speech killed all the riches and family
position of the Willis family forever with Ma
tilda. She turned to Amy, young Martin
still standing beside her in silence, and, as
Edgar Willis walked slowly down the street,
said, 81 will go in, Mrs. Pell, for few min
utes. I think your son must be used up, try
ing to put me over the fence. You did it like
lightning" turning her face toward him.
"You see, my son strikes when the iron is
hot" said old Martin. "He did so when he
was in New London" Young Martin put
his hand on his fathers shoulder; the gesture
was enough, old Martin was mum from that
moment.
Mother" asked young Martin, "can't you
give Miss Northwood some refreshment?
"Oh l am so put by! What will you have
"a cup of tea?" s tt& #hEj5.
''Nothing in the world, thank you. Do
you suppose that my brother William will
hear anything from Mr.. Willis, and bring the
wagon for me? / expected to meet him at
Mrs. Miller's about this time"
'Martin might go round with you," said
Amy. 81 am afraid yonr folks way down on
A. LOT Oh
worry, i'll had such a darter out all alone"
The sharp old woman looked at young Mar
tin. and he knew that then and there she had
OWNED his hopeless secret. Matilda, also,
intercepted these chances, and was astonished
and disturbed, Was circus man to be
thrown out of his buggy at Mr.. PelPs door,
that she might discover a secret impossible to
learn otherwiseb What did it mean? Young
Martin, too was miserably fustered; he had
a painful sense of his mean home, the home
illness of his mother. the commences of his
father. Not in this fashion would he have
selected to make Matilda's acquaintance. A
shade fell upon them all. Old Martin got up
for his pipe, also embarrassed. Young Mar
tin, telling him to sit still, found it, AID held
a match for him to light it. Well, it was
something to see this little fellow so gentle,
and through goodness so refined, Matilda
thought, rising TO CO. She held her hand out
to Mrs. Pell, and then kissed her. There
were tears in Matilda's eyes; why, no mortal
could guess. i..e.t
'Shall wait upon you to Mrs. Mller's''
asked Martin, simply.
''If-you please
And the pair walked down the yard. Mrs.
Pell saw with kind of dismay that Matilda's
cap. s'I wish, father, he had on his tall hat"
she said. Old Martin pounded his knee with
his fist, and broke his pipe.
Lord, l used to smash pipes in New Lon
don. But it's no use, Amy, we amt high
enough up in the world for them Northwoods.
Martin must have blowed out his wits with
that darned offclde; he has gone from one
big thing to another, and now it he amt try
lug tie reach up to that six-foot gall
''Pll tell you what he's got to. He put
that gal over our-fence when he thought she
was in danger, when that Edgar Willis jump
ed ever, and left Ter behind him. =
Old Martins cup was full. He could say
nothing, but stared at the fire till Amy be-
gan to be alarmed. Then he said, solemnly,
Suppose I 60 there"
"Where upon arth, father?"
ITO New London, to tell 'em this cercum-
stance, you know. There was man there
who used to advise me on jest SIGH pints.''
Amy put Old Martin to bed at once, with
spoonful ofpicra and gin, and he was him.
self the next day.
Matilda shook hands with young Martin at
the Millers' door, and saying the simplest
thing she could coujure up, told him that
but for his impulse that night she might have
been much farther off-and showed him the
skirt other dress; there was a rent in it
which turned him cold to look at.
eyes," he replied, 81 thought the horse
was bearing down on you when caught you.
Oh, heavensP' and he clapped his hands to-
gether with passion-sI am all gratitude
But you mustn't thank me. Yes you may
but only did what ought to have done for
any helpless person.
"And Edgar Willis?'
she is not blacksmith, and is to be ex-
cused." This was Martins first sarcasm.
''Wel, good night Matilda put out
her hand again; she only felt the very tips of
his fingers, and could not decide whether his
hand was rougher than her fathers. She
was silent on the way home; her brother en-
tertained her with an account of the circus
trouble and upset. He had seen Edgar Willis
with the man that had been turned out Of
his buggy, and he could not tell which looked
the most scared.