Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-03-29


seems as if l was a fool, but L woke
up hoping this morning. don't be-
ieve he is gone. can't, can't"
When baby died-the only one we
ever had-I thought never should be-
ieve it., said I. " But had Job, and
you have your mother and sister,
Milly."
At that she burst into tears and put
her head down on my knee.
"I must tell You" said she. " They
want me to marry Captain Kincaid.
He's courting me. He fell In love with
me the night he brought the news to
Mrs. Captain Rawdon [ was there
sewing and heard it all. Oh, how cruel
to fall in love with poor girl at such a
time And he asks me to be his wife.
And mother and Fanny shall always
have a home, he says, and you know
how poor we are. And they're angry
at me for saying no. And how can 1,
how can I, when my heart is in the sea
with Willie ?"
"Captain Kincaid p 1 said, and I
couldn't say any more ; she took my
breath away. She was Q nice, pretty
girl but the Captain was rich, elegant
and stylish. An old family he came of,
too. It was an honor for Milly More.
"Not just yet" said I, after while.
" Perhaps you'll feel better. He's old, I
know, but he's a splendid man."
"You too p she said. You too
Nobody understands. It isn't as if 1
had made up my mind, like all the rest.
Will will always be living man to my
mind. 1 don't think any one ever loved
Sutm Nobody understands--nobody."
[ kissed her and coaxed her, and I
said no word about her changing her
mind but for all that 1 kept thinking
of it in kind of maze.
Captain Kincaid Such a gentleman
as that! Old as he was, could she fail to
see the honor q?
But when I told Job, says he -
Jerusalem young, pretty girl
like Milly! Why don't he go after some
widder or an oldish gal? Milly is too
young for him. Poor Will What q
pity ! They just suited each other"
l couldn't help it, though. Mrs.
Captain Kincaid would have things that
Milly Moore could never dream of-silk
dresses and velvet cloaks, jewelry and
stuffed chairs in her best rooms, silver
ice-pitcher, if she chose, like Mrs. Cap
tain Rawdon. She might have a carri-
age, too, and pair of ponies. And 1
liked Milly, and wouldn't have envied
her luck one bit, and didn't wonder at
Mrs. More and Fanny.
Once having given meher confidence,
Milly didn't stop, and Mrs. More came
over to talk about it, too, until at last
I fairly up and sided with the old lady
myself.
"Milly," said I, "Will is gone and
you aren't his widow to wear weeds all
your life-not that many do, if they can
help it, it seems to me-and Captain
Kincaid is as good as man can be, and
you'll be happy with him. You can't
help loving him as much as there's any
need to love-"
After that she stopped talking much
to me. She used to give me strange
looks, though. knew all about it. l
knew that her heart was in the sea but
Will was gone, and why should she re-
fuse what Providence offered?
The Captain stayed at the Port three
months, and at last we worried her into
promising to be his wife-old Mrs.
More, Fanny and I. She just gave up
at last.
cit don't matter much, after all, !"
she said. Il must be going out of my
mind, for / never can stop watching and
waiting. I shall die soon, suppose,
whether marry or not.
After that she never spoke of Will,
and Mrs. More told me she was en-
gagged and she wore diamond ring on
her finger. And the day before the
ship sailed she was to marry Captain
Kincaid, SO she might go to Europe
with him.
A year and three months since the
Golden Dove went down. Well, no one
can tell what changes little while will
bring. I used to hope that I hadn't
much hand in it, after all, when I
thought it over, and remembered poor
VIII when he took her in his arms under
the sycamore.
But then, you see, Mrs. More's sight
had failed, so that she couldn't do fine
sewing, and Fanny wasn't of much &C.
SOIlIO, CASODu w lOOh IL do d lldIu
life that lay before Milly. It was good
for her to marry Captain Kincaid and
have rest and comfort, wasn't it 4?
"To-morrow is the wedding" said
to Job. "It's going to be in the church.
Miss Salisbury is finishing my silver
gray poplin. 1t sets splendid. Well
have Ben Barnes in to keep store, and
go, won't we? You'll like to see Milly
off, won't youG"
''I wish it was Will Masset," said
Job.
"Poor Willr' says I, and went on
tidying, though it was Friday, should
be so busy next day. got out my big
paper of sugar, and I got down my ja-
panned sugar box, never empty yet
since that day filed it up. And then
Job sorting the letters, looks up at
time
"Never begrudged you anything SO
much as do that box," says he.
Best thing ever put mail into
This here wooden thing with slide is a
pesky bother"
claw me ?" says I, eff I knowed you
wanted it you should have had it. |
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 filed it up"
SO with that / spread a big paper on
the counter and emptied out the sugar.
1t had packed a little, and came out
in sort of cake There it laid white
and shiny, and on the top of it, whittier
and SIMMER, laid letter--a letter with
ship mark upon it, and this super
scription:
"MIss MILLY MORE,
Anchor Port, Maine,