Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-05-06
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.J0E,S REWARD.

her head out doors, You Will nave 10 go
over TO Aston to meet Linda's girls. The
bows have gone down the river with Hen
derson, and may not be home till dark,
and / wrote to Linda that we would meet
them there"
The young man addressed looked up
from book he was reading, and asked, a
little impatiently, "why Linda's children
were to be sent there-why weren't they
kept at home? p
A faint smile fitted over the pleasant
matronly face, and all amuses, expression
lurked in the sunny eyes.
cousin Linda isn't very well this sum-
mer," she said. quietly. besides they
live in an inland town, and it is treat for
the girls to come to the sea-board You'll
go?' 50.
20, OF course And he resumed his
reading. Mrs. Clayton laughed a little,
softly to herself, as she busted herself
about her work, and three hours after.
when Joe came in to get ready TO 60 to
the Aston station. some two miles away.
the amused look was still in her eyes.
II suppose this is the last quiet after
noon ! shall get till those e iidren have
gone home again" he said, in a regretful
tone. "You must not let them into my
room. mother, when Pm away. I'll take
care they don't get in when I'm there p
II don't believe they will attempt to,
Joseph, bat I'll tell them," she said. So
berly. II do not suppose you want them
playing with your chest of tools
No; and l can't have them, either" he
interrupted; ''nor ransacking my cabinet,
and overturning the books to find pictures,
as young ones invariably do. They are
eight or nine years old by this time, l sup
pose. remember Linda brought them
here once, and haven't thought of them
since.''
II should think they were all Of ten,'
Mrs. Clayton rejoined. the. merry express
sion deepening in her eyes, ''Supposo
they were young ladies, Joe!' And she
laughed gayly.
They might walk over from Aston,
for all me ~ be answered, shortly, color
ing to the temples, and all over the broad
white massive forehead.
The truth was. Joe Clayton was terribly
bashful wherever woman was concerned.
1t was constitutional, and he couldn't help
it, land didn't want to- he said, with II
little SILVER, when the subject was up for
discussion. as it frequently was. Joe was
splendid fellow, handsome, straight as an
arrow, broad-shouldered, and measuring
nearly six feet, but the merest chit of a
girl would put him to fight. "Twas ever
thus from childhood hour. for the faint
est shadow of a pair of pantalets and
worsted hood on the little mill pond where
they skated at noontide and recess, al
ways sent Joe over the fence and back to
the schoolhouse in double quick. And
when, on rainy days, they all carried their
dinners and played Copenhagen" and
ION the carpet do stand" at noontime,
in the great entry, Joe was in a perfect
tremor OF bashful terror, for if he refused
to play he was no better of, for those
dreadful girls would kiss him without any
proyocatiOn whatever. Poor Joe ! if it had
not been for fear of punishment at home,
he would have gone out and sat in the
rain; and sometimes be did, bearing the
punishment with sort of grim delight
Between him and his twin brothers,
Frank and Robert, there was the widest
possible difference in this respect. They
took to girls as naturally as ducks to wa
ter. Need add that they were therefore
the favorites With not one half of Joe s
good looks. or half Of his real worth OF
mind and heart, they were comtorted
while he was tormented
It is one of the most mysterious anG
contradictory problems that ever attempt
ed to solve, why a shy, difiident man, finds
so little favor among women. He may be
handsome as Apollo, pure, honest, chival
rous, and yet nine women in ten viii
choose some gay. dashing fellow. with
very uncertain morals, but plenty OF as
surance and impertinence. 1t is the only
real argument for the innate depravity Of
the feminine heart that l ever met. II
anybody can give an explanation, they
would confer favor on the subscriber by
communicating. etc.
1t was delightful afternoon, this on
which Joe Clayton rode leisurely over the
grassbordered country road to Aston sta
tion There had been heavy rain the
night before, and the sanded road was
hard and clean, and not the faintest atom
of dust floaied in the soft. liquid air. A
cool west wind tempered the warmth Of a
July sun. and altogether it was perfect
midsummer day.
Joe was an ardent lover OF nature, and
he half forgot ''Linda's girls" in his en-
joyment of the beautiful scenery, for the
Aston road wound round soft wooded hills,
and past still Swallowed ponds, with love-
" river looking out here and there through
the leafy openings-a gloss OF satin on an
emerald gown-and now and then. as tho
road wound up the hill, little glimpses of
the PARKWAY misty sea. Alston-it was
all Aston, only this was the village prop
er-broke in upon his vision, and he came
back to realization OF life and Linda's
girls.
4 II am not sure but ought to have come
with the carriage, he said, CHANGING down
at the light open buggy; but this is SO
much easier and lighter. and the little girls
won't require very large carriage. and
it's not likely they'll have more than
small trunk or small valse'
He was none too soon. for even then the
cars were shrieking and laundering along
in full sight. He sprang out and hurried
along to the side where tho passengers
were getting out and in. He had a vague
idea that he should know Linda's girls in.
stantly he saw them. TO his minds eye
they were slight, rather lreckle-faced, with
very light hair shingled pretty close, and
attired in pink muslin dresses and white
sunbonnets This picture rose involun-
tarily to his mind at the first mention of
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