Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-06-19

lie was never intrusive win MS love, but
he made aunt Augusta conscious of II ev-
cry step she walked and with every breath
she breathed. 1t was below her, above her,
and all around her. He ofteu brought her
letters from Sam aud carried hers for him
to the Office.
"All things are fair in love-" said he 10
himself So now and then he forgot TO
mail, or to deliver one, dropping il in the
fire instead. At last, as his love grow hot
ter and more impatient, he kept them back
altogether and still never allowed aunt
Augusta to lose sight or thought of him
self.
Suddenly one day Sam appeared before
my uncle Nathan, travel worn and brown
and shaggy. My uncle received him with
great cordiaity.
"Sam, I'm glad 10 see you p said he.
"How have you Jared all this great long
timer"
"Fair to middIing. Where's Augusta ?"
returned Sam.
"Oh, Augusta! She sail right. You go
to the tavern and fix up, and I'll find Au-
gusla. l will be round 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't know when there has been
such a surprise in Coos before"
So Sam want off with his honest heart TO
find 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 cam"
Abner dropped his hammer without say
ing a word, and went up the street rolling
down his shirt sleeves as he went. An hour
later uncle Nathan came home with Sam
Averill.
"IIere's an old friend you will be glad to
see, Augusta" said he, opening the door Of
my aunrs workroom where she sat stitch
ing the pocket Of a primrose coiored vest,
and looking as fresh as hundred primros-
es herself
at Is Sam" said she faintly, starting to
her feet and dropping her work.
1t was Sam. Sam came at last, with his
long smouldering love and his tardy speak
ing.
"You are too late, an hour too late," said
my aunt Augusta, when he had told his er-
rand East. ~ 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 10
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
a word"
81 took il you knew my mind" return
ed Sam. ~ never thought of ANYBODY
else, never should think OF anybody else
aud 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 ii never will be right"
"Mr. Stanton is a worthy man; Just a,
good as gold clear through to the core.
have always liked him, and you never said
anything" repeated my poor aunt Angus
Ia; II will be your friend, though, Just the
same"
They said no more; there was nothing
more to be said, and in a month aunt Au-
gusta and Abuer Stanton were married
Sam Averill stayed till after the wedding
and then he went Off, aud had never been
heard of again until to- day by aunt Au.
gusta's family.
He went TO California, throwing hi,
whole life into work biS yrorl, ,rosporal
and he had como back now with houses
and lands, and gold and mines-a rich man
He had ccme back to find aunt Augusta
and learn how The world had Jared will
her. For in all these years of buying anC
selling and getting gain, he had kept tn,
empty room in his heart that had once beer
filled by his love.
Aunt Augusta's married li.o had no
been happy. 1t is very dingernus for
man to take in mean habit temporarily
for it will stick to him, and Abner Stanton.
character never recovered from the twis
those intercepted letters gave it, dom
know what, something was always going
proved barriers instead Of bonds. As h
grew older his natural economy and thrift
became stronger and stronger, until, as IN,
mother said "he got so clost he could sit
aud seven more like him, on three cen
piece" Finally, one day, under som
provocation, he told aunt Augusta abou
the lost letters. "You oughtn't TO have tolC
me that, Abner," said she. "You ough
not to have told me, can never lorgiv
you."
She never did. Always AFTER there seem
ed to be something separating them, COLI
and hard and transparent as ice, until a
last they agreed TO live apart. And so they
| did until the death of Mr.. Stanton. Nov
aunt Augusta was living surrounded b,
her children and grandchildren, happy an
comfortable.
Mother brought down thus the story c
aunt Augustus life, while Mr.. Averill lis
tened, eager and excited. When she ha
finished he knocked the ashes from hi
pipe, aud starting up, began to walk th
floor.
"I will start for Portland to-morro'
morning, and see what Augusta will hav
to say to me. l am of the same mind a
ways was. I've never hankered for me
ment after any other woman. and l am a
ready to marry her to-day as ever was"
So the next day l saw him on the Por
land train, gray with years, but youthlr
with expectation.
This time he did not waste his opportur
ity by waiting to make himself fine, br
with the CRIME and dust Of travel upo
him, he went directly TO the house of Aur
Augustus daughter, with whom she is liv
ing.
"Where is Mrs. Stanton. 1 want to SO
her right away" said he, as soon as th
door was opened.
"You will lind her here walk in, II yo
please" replied the housemaid, THROWN
| oman Iha door of the siiIinp- rnnm.