Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-05-16

Augusta, bearing down the heaYN
pressing-iron upon her seam a,
though she were trying to crush the
life out of something
In less than a week Abner Stan
ton called again. He thought per
haps Miss Augusta didn't know the
swamp pinks were out, and so he
brought her a handful that he got
on the way over from CoweSett.
Augusta had a weakness for flow.
erS-she and my mother are alike
about that-and she put cluster OF
the blossoms in her hair at once, and
another at her throat, while Abner
Stanton looked at her with admira-
ton in every hair Of her head.
'If you were a sister of mine, you
should always sit in a rOckingchair
and wear swamp pinks!'' said he.
"Abner Stanton is most excel
lent man." quoth Uncle Nathan,
when he had gone his way, "an es-
quire and a head man in town. He's
all wheat and no chaff. He'll make
first rate husband, and the girl who
gets him will get prize"
Augusta made some fierce clip
pings with her great tailor's shears,
but she said nothing, and presently
went up stairs to answer Sam Aver
ill's letter.
The next day Abner Stanton call
ed to see Uncle Nathan on business,
and she sent her letter to the office
by him. So the months drifted
along one after another, like PIC
lures in magic lam ern. Abner
Stanton came often on one excuse or
another, or on none. He brought
flowers and berries strung on grass,
and sweet flag root and birds eggs.
He was never intrusive with his
love, but he made Augusta conscious
of it every step she walked and with
every breath she breathed. 1t was
below her, above her, and all around
her. He often brought her letters
from Sam, and carried hers for him
to the office.
"All things are fair in love-" said
he TO himself. So now and then he
forgot to mail or deliver one, drop
ping it in the fire instead. At last
as his love grew hotter and more
impatient, he kept them back alto
gether, and still never allowed Au-
gusta to lose sight or thought of
himself.
Thus the time passed, and Sam
having made and lost and made
again his twelve thousand dollars
among the copper mines, came home
to marry Augusta and settle down.
Suddenly one day he appeared
before Uncle Nathan, travel worn
and brown and shaggy. My un-
Gle received him with great cordi-
aliLy.
"5am, Pm glad to see you," said
he. How have you Jared all this
great long timer"
''Fair to middling. Where's Au-
GUSTAV" returned Sam.
"Oh, Augusta? She's all light.
You 90 to the tavern and fix up, and
I'Il find her. l will be round in an
hour or so and call for you. Angus
ia will be proper glad to see you,
and so viii the rest of the folks. l
don't know when there has been
such in Coos before.
So Sam went off with his honest
heart to find razor and a wash
bowl, and my Uncle Nathan did Il
very mean thing. He went straight
to Abner Stanton. "Abner," said
he going into the smithy, out of
breath, 'Sam Averill has come and
you must go and get Augusta
to name the day or you will lose her.
I'll keep him out of the way as long
as I can"
Abner dropped his hammer with
out saying word, and went up the
street, rolling down his shirt sleeves
as he went. An hour after Uncle
Nathan came home with Sam Aver
i'll.
"Here is an old friend you will be
glad to sec, Augusta" said he, open
ilg the door of my aunt's work room,
where she sat stitching the pocket
of a primrose colored vest, and look
ing as fresh as hundred primrOses
herself.
"It's Sam!" she said family start
ing to her feet and dropping her
work.
1t was Sam. Sam come at last,
with, with his long smouldering love
and his tardy speaking.
"You are too late! An hour too
Iate," said Augusta, when he had
told his errand East. ''I have just
engaged myself t. another man."
"You haven't done right, Angus
ta," said Sam. "You belong to me;
you have always belonged to me,
and you ought to have waited until l
came"
"You didn't say anything" return
ed my aunt, with a little pride. elbow
was | to know what you did mean?
You never spoke word"
81 took it you knew my mind" re-
turned Sam. 81 never thonght of
else, and it didn't occur to
ne you would. You must marry |
his person now you have promised |
hin, of course, but it isn't right, and |
t never will be right. .
"Mr. Stanton is a worthy man;
ust as good as gold, clear through |
% the core. have always liked |
lim, and you never said anything"
my poor Aunt Augusta; 81
will be your friend, though, all the
same"
They said no more; there was
nothing more to be said, and in a
month Aunt Augusta aud Abner
were married. Sam Averill
stayed till after the wedding, aud |
hen he went off, and had never been
heard of agiin till to-day by Aunt
family.
He went to California, throwing
lis whole life into his work; his !
business prospered, and he had come
pack with houses and lands and gold
md mines-a rich man. He had
;ome hack to find Aunt Augusta,
1 kaNma rasN