American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-03-07
CANTON, MISS. SATURDAY, MARCH Z, 1874.

always belonged TO me, and you ought to
have waited till | came"
g You didn't say anything" returned
my aunt, with IA little pride. Glow was
l 10 know what you did mean? You
never spoke IA word"
." | took it you knew my mind" re-
turned sam. L never thought OF any
body else. / never should think of any
body 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"
MIR. Stanton is worthy man; just as
good rs gold, clear through 10 the core.
l have always liked him, and you never
said anything" repeated my poor Aunt
Augusta; h" 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,
i Sam Averill stayed till after the wedding,
and then he went off, and had never been
heard of again till to-day by Aunt Au-
gusta's family.
He went to California, throwing his
whole life into work his work prospered,
and he had come back with houses ard
lands and gold and mines-a rich man.
He had come back to find Aunt Augusta
and learn how the world had Jared with
her. For in all these years of buying 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 a mean habit temporarily,
for it will stick to him, and Abner Stan
toms character never recovered from the
twist those intercepted letters gave it. |
I l. Il
ways going wrong between them. Even
| their children proved barriers instead of
bonds. AS he grew older his natural
economy and thrift became stronger and
/ stronger, until, as my mother said, che
got so close that he could sit, and seven
more like him, on athree-c cent piece" Fl
nally, one day, under some provocation,
he told Aunt Augusta about the lost let
| tiers.
"You oughtn't to have told me that,
Abner," said she. "You ought not to
have told. l can never forgive you"
She never did Always after, there
seemed to be something separating them,
cold and hard and transparent as ice,
until 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 grand
children, happy and comfortable.
| Mother brought down thus the story of
Aunt Augustus life, while Mr.. Averill lis
| tened, 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. l ami of the same
mind 1 always was. I've never hankereo
for a moment after any other woman, and
am as ready to marry her to-day as ever
| l 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 oppor-
tunity 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 Augustus daughter, with whom
she is living.
"Where is Mrs. Stanton? Iwant to see
her right away" said he, as soon as the
door was opened.
"You will find her here; walk in, if
you please, replied the hOusemaid,
throwing open the door of the sitting
room.
Mr.. Averill stepped quickly forward.
Yes, there she sat, stitching away as be-
fore on some kind of primrose colored
stuff, with her eyes as black and bright
her cheeks, and she wore a cap on her
head.
al have come for you again, Augusta.
Am too late this time ~ cried the i'm
patient lover.
The roses came back to Aunt Augustus
cheeks, and the red hot arrows shot out of
her eyes once more.
"Bless us! If it isn't Sam Averill, nose
and all ~ she said, holding up her hands.
txuvn,,t xyt ftrr I,,t 81.
in the night, then the years are past: and
it is only when an old lady mods trium-
phantly at you from the looking glass,
saying, Here 1 am, my dear - or when
children that you have nursed in your
arms come around with the rights and
duties of full-grown men and women, that
you remember one is no longer young at
fifty. But the sight of Sam Averill's
gray hairs and wrinkles were as good as
a looking glass to remind Aunt Augusta
"Sit down, SAM" said she, and let me
look at you. 1t seems like the real old
times to see you once more. You look
wonderful natural, but dear me, how you
have changed! You've grown old as well
as myself"
But Mr.. Averill was not to be diverted
by any side issues.
Augusta" said he, earnestly, al made
serious mistake once. 1t was not a mis-
take about my own mind, however; that
remains the same as it always was Every
woman I've ever seen seemed like a tai
low candle beside the sun when / think
of you. l have made my fortune, and all
want now is you to come and share it
with me. 1t is you, or nobody, just as it
always was"
Maybe Aunt Augustus heart throbbed
little with the old yearning toward the
love OF her youth, but she shook her head
with unhesitating decision as she put out
her hand to stir the cradle where her
youngest grandchild lay asleep.
1t can never be, SAM" said she. al
won't deny that it was all a mistake my
marrying Stanton. He didn't turn out to
be the man l took him for. He proved
contrary and ornery, and besides he wrote
letters in disguise. But that is all over
and past, and can't be undone And nowa
l am in the midst of my children, with
my grandchildren growing up about me,
and am in my right place. I shouldn't
be contented To leave everything and go
of to new country to begin the world
over again, as it were. l am too old an
oak to be transplanted.'
Well, after that Mr. Averill might have
talked till he was at the age of Methuselah.
Aunt Augusta had made up her mind,
and an earthquake couldn't shake it.
So Mr.. Averill went away alone
"Well, Amelia, Augusta won't have IA
word to say to me-" said he, walking in
upon mother and me, as we sat at supper
a few evenings after, mot word"
want to know if that is sop cried
mother, fluttering up after another plate