The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-02-10

hotter aud more impatient. he kept them
back altogether, and still never allowed
Aunt Augusta to losc sight or thought of
himself
Thus the tiuc passed, until Sim Aver.
i'll having made aud lost aud made again
his twelve thousand dollars among the
copper mines, came home to marry Au.
gusta and settle down
Suddenly one day he appeared before
my uncle Nathan, travelworn and brown
aud shaggy. My uncle received him
with great cordiality.
Sam, I'm glad TO see YOU : said he.
How have you Jared all this great long
time p
Fair to mddliug. Where's Augusta 2
returned Sam.
oh, Augusta She is all right. You
go to the tavern and fix up, and I'll find
Augusta. 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. | don, know when there
has been such n surprise iu Coos before.
So Sam went off with his honest heart
10 fiud razor aud u wash bowl, aud my
uncle Nathan did II very mean thing, Tie
went straight to Abncr Stanton. Alb
uer.' said he, going into the sni'hy, out o.
breath. 'Sam Avrri!l has come, aud you
mast 20 right up aud get Augusta to name
the day, or you will lose her. Iii keep
him out Of the way as long as ! can
Abner dropped his hammer, without
saying word. aud went up tho street,
rolling down bis shrt.-leeves as he went
An hour after Uucle Nathao came home
with S,m Averill
Here is all old friend you will he glad
to see, Augusta, said be, opening the
door pf my auut's woikroon. where she
sat stitching the pocket Ut II primrose.c0i.
ored vest, and looking fresh as hundred
primroses herself
1T is Sam +" sold she family. starting to
her feet aud dropping her work.
1t was Sam. Sam come at last, with
hi- long smouldering love and his tardy
speaking.
You are too late An hour too late.
said my Aunt Augusta, wheu he had told
his erraud East. Il have just engaged
myself to another man.
You haven't done right, Augusta, said
Sam. You belong to me you have al.
ways 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
Il took it you knew my mind returned
Sam. L never thought Of anybody else
| never should think Of anybody else,and
it didn't occur to me that you would Y ou
must marry this person now you have
promised him, Of course. But it isn't
right aud it never will be right
Mr.. Siauton is a worthy man just as
good as gold, clear through to the core.
| have always liked him, and you never
said anything repeated my poor aunt
Augusta i will be your friend, though,
just the same
They said DO more there was nothing
more to be said, and in month Aunt
Augusta and Abner Stanton we're mar
ried Sam Averill stayed till after the
never been heard OF again until to day by
Aunt Augustus family.
He went to California, throwing his
whole life into work his work prospered
and he had come back now with houses
aud lands aud gold and miues-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 Augnsta's married life had not
oeon happy. 1t is very dangerous for "A
uiar to take 10 mean habit temporarily
for it will stick TO hun. aud Abner Stan.
tou'S character nc, er recovered from tne
twist those intercepted letters gave i.
| dou't know what, but something was
always going wrong between them Even
their children proved barriers Instead ol
bonds. As be grew older his natura
ECONOMY aud thrift became stronger ant
stronger, until, Us NY mother sald, 'h'
got 70 clost he could sit, aud seven nor'
like him. on three. cent piece Finally
one day. under some provocation. he tole
Aunt Augusta about the lost letters.
You oughtu't to have told me that
Abner,' said she. You ought not II
have told me. can never forgive you
. She never did. Always after, ther
seemed to be something separating them
cold aud hari aud transparent as Ice, un
, I'll they agreed to live apart. And r
they did until the death Of Mr.. Stanton
Now Aunt Augusta was living surround
:, ed by her children and grandchildren
happy a comfortable.
n Moiber brought down thls the stony c
$ Aunt Augustus life. while Mr.. Averi
: listened, eager aud excited. When sh
!. had finished he Knocked the ashes fror
n his pipe, and starting up, began to wal
the floor.
II Il will start for Portland to-morro
e morning and see what Augusta will hav
e to say to mo- am OF the same mind
IT always was. I've never hankered for
d moment after any other woman, and
IF am as ready TO marry her to-day as eve
| was.
u So the next day saw him on th
d Portland train, gray with years, bl
youthful with expectation.
at This time he did not waste his oppo
ID tunity by waiting to make himself fin
IN but with the grim and dust of trave
#. yet upon him, he went directly to II
ID house Of Aunt Augustus daughter, vii
whom she is living.
D. Where is Mrs. Stanton want TO s,
ut her right away said he, as soon as Il
p. door was opened.
You will find her in here; walk in,
to you please replied the hOusemaid ,thro'
he ing open the door OF the sitting room.
So Mr.. Averill stepped quickly forwar