Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-06-17

Alice comes up the walk. Her pale gold
hair shows bright yellow in the open air
/ her white dress CLEANS, and her little high
! heeled boots make pretty "tack-tack.
! tach-tack. as she runs up and seats her
| self at my feet
Mercy. child, where have you been?'
| eXclaim, passing my hand over her damp
( curls. "lou will have cold, with fever
! Tomorrow. and there is not "A stem of PEN
| nyroyal in the house TO make hot tea for
! you"
! at isn'i ease of pennyroyal tea at all,
nanny" she answers. rubbing her little
| nose against my knee. Il think it will re-
/ quire a dose of thOroughwort at the very
( least. Isn't thoroughwort good for blight
/ ed hopes. nanny, with hot flannel and
/ a good deal of petting:'
/ This smart speech trips glibly forth, but,
under lis staggering. braggadocio air
/ Love. whose name should sometimes be
Z Fine Ears, detects the sigh of a hidden
/ pain. the sob OF wounded heart. quyer-
lng and skulking lest 1t be betrayed by a
quaver OF the fresh, sweet voice.
Where i Beui my dear:" asks
my in. i thought he went with you.
'iie walked Into the village" replies my
Alice. Il left him at the bridge, and came
back 10y the river path. think he will be
here soon
There is moments silence, aud then
the gate clicks again. This time they are
A mans steps that come up the walk
quick. eager, heavy steps. whose music
Fine Ears decides i tangled and out ui
tune.
Young Benjamin'> face i, pale and eager
a he comes up and seats himself by Alice
side.
Have kept you waiting r. he asks. II
went into the village. and was detained A
few minutes waiting Tor TREND at the de-
pot. Here are the evening papers. and he
lays package on his fathers knee.
Times. Tribune. Telegram" SAYS NV
cousin. sorting them over. NO letters :"
NO letters echoes young BENJAMIN.
looking down at his dusty boots Ben i,
six feet Ugh and handsome.
We shall not have the trouble ot an
swering any. then" says hi, father. cheer
fully. However, thought the Rochester
Company would have written about those
trees before now. Remind me to send
them a line tomorrow. Now let Us have
tea
And "lct u, have peace" | supplement.
inwardiy. Tor while we have been talking
sweet Alice had risen, and i, standing with
her back To us. leaning over the rail and
looking into the distant night.
When my cousin Benjamin rises crop
Ing for hi, cane, She runs forward and
slips her hand through his arm, not wait
ing to fail behind and chat with young
Benjamin, as is always her pretty habit.
My cousin does not >ce anything out OF
the way in this action. lie >tumblcs on
with my brown-eyed Alice; but feel the
shadow OF 4 cloud. and inyoluutarilv turn
to look at young Benjamin. lii, face i
serious. and set with certain firmnc>s
ri la. "a
forehead.
lie aud Alice are TO be married this day
fortnight, and do not like these symp-
toms of lovers pout>.
What il anything were to happen at th.>
late day. when everything i in readiness
for the wedding:
My cousin has made over the farm for
young benjamin 10 manage. and pro-
pose to transfer 10 them a considerable
property. which has been lying on interest
Tor year. in the Bank of Universal Love.
-"Property- have you cot proper
ty. mammy: says my cousin, whcu l-tr>t
speak OF IL.
..Ay. million on millions, | tell YOU in
confidence. my dear .friend.-and you need
not all get up aud begin to whisper, saving
that | am not sound OH the money Que,-
ton-it you once make friend, with the di-
rectors of this bank, YOU can draw on il
for Incredible sums. and its promises to
pay are always good. Good VIII i, the
president, Faith i, the cashier. and Trust
the paving teller; while of mess >eugers
you can have your choice between Truth
and Charity. One thing, however.-unle>s
you approach them in the right spirit
your paper Will be accepted at only al i'm
mense discount.
We were rather a silent party at the sup
per table. The tea is good As bolin. water
and pure Oolong can make; the bread i,
sweet and the butter uneXcepiional. But
We dwadled. and finally Alice finishing her
cup says. '.Good-night." She is tired. and
goes to her room.
made little, uneasy remarks about nv
garden, about the strawberry aud ;l>para-
gus beds; vague and >enscles- speeches.
that waste their sweetness on the silent
air. eliciting neither attention nor interest.
Al last young Benjrnln, drawing back
from. tie table, and putting his hands in
his pockets begins TO whistle "Champagne
Charlie"
My cousin turns 10 him with look Of
rebuke ia his fine Old eyes.
"Whi>tling, sir, hrre:" he says.
Young Benjamin flu>hr> rcdiy all oyer
his handsome face.
Il beg your pardon. he replies. gctt!ng
up out OF his chair and coming up close To-
~ The fact j.. | have something di~a-
greeabe to say, and have been hcsitat-
ihg how TO be@tu. But might as well tell
you now that have Il journey 10 make. |
am going west Tomorrow"
| drop my lea-cup. and my cousin. tall
ing back in his chair, SITS helplesSly star
ing up into his sons face. Then he recov-
efs his presence Oi mind.
Going on a journey ey-we,t-to-morrow -
he says. Il don't understand you. Per
haps you have forgotten that you were To
have been married in Il few DAYS"
No sir, | have not forgotten it. | have
told Alice and asked her to wait. and she
is offended: perhaps just as she ought TO
be. She will not be reasonable; but she
must be reasonable. If she is to be my
wife, she must trust me fully and unreserv-
edly."
"What is the cause of this sudden Jour
ney. and how long are you to oe gomez"
asks my cousin. quietly.
THAT. sir. | cannot tell YOU" answers
young Benz amin. Il have a reason for
going, but | cannot at present tell YOU:
only you may be sure. if it were not Sc
rious one l should not 90 nolr. Neither do
| know when | shall come back. | may be
here in time to be married on the day ap-
pointed | hope | may; but if | am not,
our wedding must be postponed. 1t will
be but few days more at the farthest''
well. well:'
My cousin is staggered; he is half angry
half amused. But can see that. through
il all, he is proud of his boy-proud of his
firmness and quiet decision, Once assured
that nothing is amiss. he will trust him
under any circumstances to do what is
right and keep to his work.
Young Ben turns to me
Dear nanny" he says, won't you
talk to alice. must 90 tomorrow, cruel
as it Seems. and she will not see me again
she will not bid me goodbye. l suppose
it is no more than natural that she should
be hurt at my going away now. But all |
have TO say is, that she must trust me, and
believe me when | say that am only act
ing under the spur of great necessity"
So it is all settled. John, the head mao
of-all-work, is told to be ready to accom-
pany his young master to the station at
five O'Clock in the morning, and | go up
stairs to help the lad pack his portman-
fpal