Ellsworth American., 1875-12-09

eyes fixed upon his face rs lie paused: bu
she could not finish the sentence.
There was only one man working il
the well at the time" said her father. slow
~ and hesltatingly. ''and a stone fell iIrs
on his limb and fastened him down. Rob
crt kcnsett was near, heard him call, aud
went down 10 help hint wouldn't have
been like Robert 10 do any thing else! lie
had Just succeeded in getting the old man
loose, when some men above called to him
TO come up 1t once. But 1t was too late
they had scarcely spoken before the whole
thing tumbed in. I'm going down there
| now"
Come in, kczzie. child" said Aunt Ra-
chel. tender!y; and the girl obeycd. sink
ing down on a chair by the stove. cold and
| shivcring on thar warm August evening.
She was not one Of those fortunate ones
! upon whom unconsciouSncSs falls easily,
| shutting ont for the time all sense of pain
and terror kcenly alive. were reason,
| thought and memory, as she sat there, her
4 head upon her hand. Aunt Rachel moved
| about quietly. stealing plying glance
now and then at the avcrted face. longing
| Ia some way TO tighten the terrible burden
oi sorrow, which her woman's heart told
| her She must calmly understand, not speak
| or Her own heart was sore too that
| Nihf' hIptH'ilN HtdTI lIltL HaI ibng ago
! opened to give Robert kcn-ett place A:
/ that had seen into what the childish init
macy was ripening, aud had grow to look
| upon the brave. noble-hcarted Robert a.
krzzic's husband of some day. lon. before
| the girl herself had dreamed Of such n
| thlug. She l"nged 10 tell her this now: TO
/ let her know how well she understood and
sympathzed with her great anguish. But
the sorcst pang that ranked in that young
heart >hc dld not even guess. She could
not hear the words that sounded 20 plaln-
ly Ia kezzic'> ears
~ ou called his love chain 10 bind YOU
here; YOU wanted 10 be free, aud God hl>
given you your wish.
III" hrd never thought 81 this. IN an
her selfish dreams OF pleasure aud pride
she had ,tiIl planned that they shonld BE-
friends Ia the o.dcu way. What would her
life be tp her with Robert kcn>ett zone
out % il forever? What to her vas i world
that did not hold him anywhere? Empty
-dc-niatc, on, il she could ouIy fprgrt
the wild, ioolish-nay. worse than that
the mad. wicked thoughts that she had
been chcrishu- all day She fcll Ike a
murderer now. with Just their burning
memory.
slowly the gray OF twIight derpcnrd and
darkcurd and the star, came out. IL was
- terribly quiet; no one came 10 bring
tu"n any word, and the suspense grew IN
tulrrAb!c.
Let Il, 20 down to TIE MILL Aunt Ea-
chcl, Just for 4 little while. to SO, il Hc
can learn anything" -hc pleaded. 1T
sc-u, % dreadful staying here"
And Cad % have her speak Ill last, Aunt
Rachel consented. There were many thcr,.
before them. Men digging steadily and
rapidly. while others stood by. ready 10
taAe thctr places a. fast a, they gtcN *
hau-ici. that the work -huulI not stop ipr
moment. There were women. eager AIM
ANXIOUS, gathered in little groups, and
talking .H low voices. 4 little apart from
the others ke4Lie SAW the wife ana dAugh-
ter oi he cid wcll-il.grr, aud. lust beyond
thrm. the pate fArc OF Robcr krn-ctf'-
m0thrr. She did not 20 to hcr-whaf
could ,he ,ay: She at down upon large
stone, where She could watch thu bu.y
worhmon, only hoping that no one would
notice or speak 10 her.
The whole scene seemed 50 strange and
nnrcal-thc old mill lying in grim, dark
shadow nu the riycr bank tie steady
workers bonding To their toll, as for lie
Or death; aud the circle OF men around
them holding up lanterns aud ilaring
turchcs-she might have thought i, all
some terrible dream but for the crush
ing weight At her heart aud the mothers
Mhtc, ,tlil face. Poor mother. Something
10 her look brought back that other face.
little Ike hers, rs keZzie had seen il that
morninI-only TINT morning, was Size
blind. mad that she had parted from him
- c"ldly, speaking not one tender word /:
She had promised 70 answer him to-mor-
row-to-mOrrow She might answer A.
she would. be- would never, never hear
her
After time the moon showed is glit-
tcrinE rim above the h,ll-tops. on the op-
po>tr eide of the river, rising higher aud
higher until IL light took, in part, thc
place OF the torches. Aunt Rachel had
gone q speak with Mrs. kcnsctt, aud
heZLie, with no one to watCh or question
her, rose and walked away. She gained
the side of the mill. and, concealed by ue
shadow, paced slowly 10 and fro. The
spot wa~ familiar 10 her. IL va, i pretty
quIci place, the riycr-bauk around the uli
Mill. aud had been iavorite walk OF her,
always sac had been there often with
ROLert, too. Only the other day they h,d
-tood together "A little farther up the bank
10y the old well, and he had pOintrd out lh..
new one To- her.
She startled then with 4 quick thought.
lie had told her something OF "a pipe that
connected the two-thc old well aud the
ne" one. She turned aud walked rapidly
Ia the pot where they had stood. There
wa, no enc 10 notice; all were too bu-y at
"A Iulc distance from her. She kucrlcd
down by The opening. that was parity Gov
cred with boards, and bent her head to list
eh. All was still for a moment; then She
heard OF fdnclcd she did, Il low moan.
''oh. Robert, are you living: Can YOU
hear me- putting her mouth close to the
opening. speak 10 me. darling. Just one
word" she cried, in the passionate way in
which We say such words over new-made
graves
Again she listened. long and eagerly.
but there was no answer. no sound and
she turned sadly away. Aunt Rachel was
looking tor her.
Where have you been. keza:" she
asked. Hadn't we better 20 home now i.
We amt OF no use here"
True, 1t Is of of no Use to stav." kez-
zie replied, sadly. There was nothing To
wait for or to hope, she thought. As they
walked slowly homeward
The long hours wore YEARLY away.
hezzle sought her room, and pressing her
aching head upon its pillow waited, sleep
| less and fearless. With the first gray dawn
| OF morning her father came. She heard his
step and ran TO admit him. He met her eyes
ami answered their question before she
could put it into words.
Yes, they have found them. Robert i
| living"
Not dead. But he is hurt-dying 2" she
| questioned. the pallid calm of her lips sud
denly breaking into IA quiver
Not dying. no; he is hurt, but not dau.
gerously. He will live KeZzie. But poor
Milman must have been killed instantly
l shall never forget how his wife looket
when he was taken out. Poor creature
She never lett the spot the whole nigh
through. The farmer turned away with ,
sudden moisture IN his honest, kindly ewes
Aunt Rachel had heard his voice, All,
came down; and leaving them together
kezzie stole back to her own little room
OF that hours thoughts and feelings. it:
penitence. gratit"de. and solemn awe. VIII,
can writer When the sunlight, streaming
In at her window. aroused her. 1t was will
thankfulness too deep for words that sh
remembered 1t was upon the old. swee
lite, with its quiet home duties and pleas