The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-10-28

nothing serious, you know, if he gives me
time-but want to be free of him quite, in
order to 60 to Australia"
''Austraiar'
eyes. There's nothing TO be done here. /
don't know what business is coming to
can't think. But never mind that; this is
the point; if you will marry Farmer LoVill,
he offers to clear off the debt, and there will
no longer be any delay about my own mar
and there's an end ont"
'What, and leave me at home alone?'
eyes, but a married woman, OF course.
You see the children are getting big now.
John is twelve and Nathaniel ten, and the
girls are growing fast, and when am married
again l shall hardly want you to keep house
for me-in fact, must reduce our family as
much as possible. So that, if you could
bring [your mind to think of Farmer Lovill
to me after having the trouble and expense
of bringing you up. If can in that way
edge out of LovilPs debt I shall have nice
bit of money in hand"
"But Oswald will be richer even than Mr..
Lovill," said Agatha, through her tears.
eyes, yes. But Oswald is not here, nor is
he likely to be. How silly you be-"
"But he will come, and soon, with his
eleven hundred a year and ALL"
81 wish TO heaven he would. Pm sure he
might have YOU"
"Now, you promise that, uncle, don't
you?' she said, Frightening. eff he comes
with plenty of money before you want to
leave, he shall marry me, and nobody else."
Gay, ifhe comes. But, Agatha, no non.
sense. Just think of what I've been telling
you, And at any rate be civil to Farmer
Lovil. If this man Winwood were here and
asked for We, and married We, that would be
a very different thing. do mind now that
l saw something about him and his doings in
the papers; but he's fine gentleman by this
time, and won't think of STOPPING to girl
like you. So you'd better take the one who
is ready; old mems darlings fare very well as
the world goes. We shall be of in, nine
months, mind, that Pve settled. And you
must be married woman before that time,
and wish us good-by upon your husbands
ARM"
"That old arm couldn't support me-"
"And if you don't agree to him you'll take
couple OF hundred pounds out of my pocket;
you'll ruin my chances altogether-thats
the long and the short of it,"
Saying which the gloury man turned his
back upon her, and his footsteps became
drown in the rumble of the mill.
Nothing so definite was said to her again
on the matter for some time. The old yeo-
man lowered round her, but, knowing the
result of the interview between Agatha and
her uncle, he forebore to endanger his suit by
precipitancy. But one afternoon he could
not avoid saying, "Aggie. when may speak
to you upon a serious subiect"'
"Next week." she replied, instantly.
He had not been prepared for such ready
answer, and it startled him almost as much
as it pleased him. Had he known the cause
of it his emotions might have been different.
Agatha, with all the wOmanly strategy she
was capable of, had written post haste to o.
valid after the conversation with her uncle,
and told him of the dilemma. At the end Of
the endiof the present week his answer, if he
replied with his customary punctuality, would
be sure to come. Fortified with his letter
she thought she could meet the old man.
Oswald she did not doubt.
Nor had she any reason to. The letter
came prompt to the day. 1t was short, ten
der, and to the point. Events had shaped
themselves so fortunately that he was able TO
say he would return and marry her be-
fore the time named for the family's depar-
ture for Queensland.
She danced about for joy. But there was
a postscript to the effect that she might as
well keep this promise secret for the present,
if she conveniently could, that his intention
atha knew thas he was rising and aristo-
cratic young man, and saw at once how prop
err this was.
So she met Mr.. Lovill with simple fiat
refusal, at which her uncle was extremely an
cry, and her disclosure to him afterward Of
the arrival of the letter went but little way
in pacifying him. Farmer Lovill would put
put in upon him for the debt, he said, unless
she could manage to please him for a short
time.
81 don't want to please him." said Agatha.
SIT is wrong to encourage him if I don't
mean it.'
"Will you behave toward him as the Par
son advises you"'
The Parson! That was new idea, and,
from her uncle, unexpected.
II will agree to what Mr.. Davids advises
about my mere daily behavior before Oswald
comes, but nothing MORE" she said. ''That
is, will if you know for certain that he's
good man, who fears God and keeps the COM
mandments."
"Mr. Davids fears God, for sartin, for he
never ventures to name Him outside the pull.
pit; and as for the commandments, tits
knowed how he swore at the church restor-
ers for taking them away from the chancel."
Uncle, you always jest when am seri-
ous."
''We, WE'LL at any rate his ADVICE on a
matter of this sort is good"
''How is it you think of referring me to
him?' she sighed in perplexity; ''you so
often speak slightingly of him."
"Oh-well," said Humphrey. with faint
ly perceptible desire to parry the question, Il
have roughly spoken about him once now and
then but perhaps I was wrong. Will We 60 ?"
eyes, don't mind" she said languidIy,
When she reached the Wears study Agatha
began her story with reserve. and said moth
ing about the correspondence with Oswald;
yet an intense longing to find friend and
contidant led her to indulge in more feeling
than she intended, and as a finale she wept.
The genial incumbent. however, remained
quite cool, the secret being that his heart was
involved little in another direction-one,
perhaps, not quite in harmony with Agatha's
interests-of which more anon.
$50 the difficulty u.s." he said to her, chow
to behave in this trying time of waiting for
Mr.. Winwood. that you may please parties
all round and give offense to none."
Yes, Sir, that's it," sobbed Agatha, Won
dering how he could have realized her posi-
ton SO readily. ''And uncle wants to 90 to
Australia"
'One thing is certain" said the Vicar:
s''you must not hurt the feelings of Mr.. Low
ill. Wonderfully sensitive mana man I re-
spect much as godly doer."
''Do you, Sir?" -r..
II do. His earnestness is remarkable
eyes, in courting."
''The cue is: treat Mr.. Lovill gently-gent-
ly as babe! Love opposed, especially an
old mans, gets all the stronger 1t is your
policy to give him seeming encouragement,
and so let his feelings expend themselves and
die away"
''How am 1 to act? To advise is so easy,"
'Not by acting untruthfully, of course.
You say your lover is sure to come back be-
fore your uncle leaves England"
81 know he will.'
''Then pacify old Mr.. Lovill in this way:
Tell him you'll marry him when your uncle
wants to go, if Winwood doesn't come for YOU
before that time. That will quite content
Mr.. Lovill, for he doesn't in the least expect
Oswald to return, and you'll see that his
persecution will cease at once.''
Yes; I'll agree to it," said Agatha
promptly.
Mr.. Davids had RETAINED from adding that
neither did he expect Oswald to come, and
hence his advice. Agatha on her part too re-
Trained from stating the good reasons she had
Tor the contrary expectation, and hence her
assent. Without the last letter perhaps even
hnrf fail 1,or