Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-03-20

TAKING IT FOR GRANTED.
LcoNrrxuED FROM YESTERDAY. /


my Uncle Nathan, travel-worn and brown
and shaggy. My uncle received him with
great cordiality.
"Sam, I'm glad 10 see you 7" said he.
"How have You Jared all this great long
time ?''
Fair to middling. Where's Augusta P''
returned Sam.
"Oh. Augusta She is all right. You 90
to the tavern and fix up. and I'll find Au-
gusta. l will be around in an hour or SO
and call for you. Augusta will be proper
glad TO see you, and SOIL the rest of the
folks. l don't know when there has been
such a surprise in Coos BEFORE"
SO Sam went off with his honest heart
to find a razor and wash bowl, and my
uncle Nathan did 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 right up and get Augusta to name
the day, or you will lose her. I'll keep
him out Of the way as long as can.''
Abner dropped his hammer, without
saying word, and went up the street,
rolling down his shirt sleeves as he went.
An hour after Uncle Nathan came home
with Sam Averill
''lIere is an old friend you will be glad
to see, Augusta" said he, opening the
door of my aunt's workroom, where she
sat stitching the pocket of primrose
colored vest, and looking fresh as hun
dred primroses herself.
sit is Sam ~ said she family, starting
to her feet and dropping her work.
II was Sam, Sam come at last, with
his long-smouldering love and his tardy
speaking.
"You are too late An hour too Late
said my Aunt Augusta, when he had told
his errand east. II .have Just engaged
myself to another man."
"You havn't done right, Augusta," said
Sam. ''You belong to me; you have
always belonged to me, and You ought to
have waited till came.'
"You didn't say anything" returned
my aunt, with little pride. ''How was
to know what you meant? You never
spoke word"
~ took it you knew my mind, returned
Sam. 81 never thought of anybody else,
| never thought of anybody else, never
should think of anybody else, and it didn't
occur to me that you would. You must
marry this person now you have promised
him, of course. But it isn't right and it
never will be right"
|
good as gold, clear though to the core. |
anything" repeated my poor Aunt Au-
gusta II will be your friend, though, just
the same''
They said no more; there was nothing
more TO be said, and in month Aunt Au-
gusta and Abner Stanton were married.
Sam Averill stayed till after the wedding,
and then he went off, and had never been
heard Of again until to-day by Aunt Au-
gustas family. lea
He went to California, throwing his
whole life into work, his work prospered,
and he had come back now with houses.
and lands, and gold, and mines-a rich
man. He had come back to find Aunt Au-
gusta, and learn how the world had Jared
with her. For liz all these years of buy
ing, and selling and getting gain. he had
kept the empty room In his heart that had
once been filled by his love.
Aunt Augustus married life had not
been happy. 1t is very dangerous for a
man to take in mean habit temporarily,
for it will stick to him, and Abner Stan
toms character never recovered from the
twist those intercepted letters gave it.
don't know what, but something was al
ways going wrong between them. Even
their children proved barriers instead OF
bonds. As he grew older his natural econ
omy and thrift became stronger and stron-
ger, until, as my mother said ''he got so
clost he could sit, and seven more like him,
on three-cent piece" Finally, one day,
under some provocation, he told Aunt Au
gusta about the lost letters. '.You ought
not to have told NE that, Abner," said she.
You ought not to have told me. can
never forgive YOU"
She never did. Always after there
seemed to be something separating them.
cold and hard and transparent as ice, un-
til at last they agreed to live apart. And
so they did until the death OF Mr.. Stanton.
Now Aunt Augusta was living surrounded
by her children and grandchildren, happy
and comfortable.
Mother brought down the story of Aunt
Augusta S life, while Mr.. Averill listened,
eager and excited. When she had finished
he knocked the ashes from his pipe, and
starting up, began to walk the floor.
81 will start for Portland tomorrow
morning, and see what Augusta will have
to say to me. am of the same mind / al
ways was. ] never have hankered for
IA moment after any other woman, and
am as ready To marry her to- day as ever
was
So the next day saw him on the Port
land train, gray with years, but youthful
with expectation.
This time he did not waste his opportun
it by waiting to make himself fine, but with
the grim and dust of travel yet upon him,
he went directly to the house of Aunt An-
gusta's daughter, with whom she is living.
where is Mrs. Stanton. want to see
her, right away" said he, as soon as the
door was opened.
You will find her here; walk in, il you
please, !" replied the hOusemaid, throwing
open the door of the sitting-room.
MIR. Averill stepped quickly forward.
Yes, there she sat, stitching away as be-
fore on some kind of primrose-colored
stuff, with her eyes as blac kand bright as
ever. But the primroses were faded in
her cheeks. and she wore cap on her
head.
81 have come for you again, Augusta.
Am too late this time ?" Grid the impa-
tient lover.
L q o.