The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-02-04
HAPPY AT LAST.

The story was this. Capt. Crocke
returned home from his last voyage
rich, and built him handsome house
Then the captain cast favorable ey
on Abby Fowler, and in his choic
evinced excellent judgment, as Rocky
beach boasted not of her superior
The most surprising thing was Abb!
refused his suit point blank.
Then the rich i'm his wrath wooe(
and won pretty Deborah, the milliner'
daughter. s.s' . .E...
Abby Fowler, school mistress, stood
before the glass in the sitting-roon
tying her yellow bonnet strings anC
preparing to attend the wedding.
"You be the first old maid in oul
family" observed her grandmother
pulling down her spectacles from the
false front to the bridge of her SHARP
old nose. "If only had my money
back, could leave it to you. / dare
say you'll need it yet. Deary me
them thieves!" .4lt.1
Passing along the villags sire, It, the
school mistress ran the gauntlet OF
public comment. "Abby looks mighty
solemn over the weddin.' Guess she's
sorry she refused him." commented
Rock beach, with one voice.
The wedding was over, and Abby
Fowler sought her own chamber, and
took bandbox from the cupboard. A
faded daguerreotype and packet OF
letters were enshrined in this homely
receptacle. All me! little consolation
even here. These relics belonged to
Albert Marshall, lover of her youth
| who had Tilted her. At least she
could be faithful to the memory of hel
dead love.
While the captain and his bride
were Jaunting away in the stage.
coach on their wedding journey, Abby
Fowler was fighting her own battle in
her little room. She sat with hel
elbows on the sill of the window
through which her longing eyes had
searched hungrily for wider horizon
many years. She was trying to face
her future bravely but strive as she
would to paint it in vivid colors, she
could find only pale, neutral tints on
the palette of her Imagination. II
looked blank enough, certainly. The
first bloom of youth, which glorifies
the plaincst face, had vanished for.
ever.
A tap on the door disturbed hel
meditations, aud pale, thin woman
entered. =
"1'm glad 10 see you, Desire" said
Abby. t''
"Thought I'd just look in," returned
Desire. ''o'' en-
Then there was silence, Abby com.
pretending that the others reticencs
was delicate expression of sympathy
A quiet. gentle woman, who did the
village dress-making, gliding like 9
shadow from house to house-by
sheer force of contrast Abby's meek
satellite. '-''
"Hopeful has gone to live in Wash
ington." -
"Well, she slighted us long ago."
"She is keeping house for her cousin
Albert's wife died last year, and he il
a Senator now, you know"
Abby made no reply. Albert's wifi,
dead! Albert Senatorl Cruel, de.
ceitful, base, he had been, yet she lik
ed TO hear of his prosperity. He
head grew confused, and her fac'
| flushed. '@''. 't at~2 &
81 believe that Hopeful loved Albert
herself, and made mischief" pursued
Desire. musingly. "She married, tc
be sure, and Is widow" tii-
sThen the mischief makers prosper.
retorted Abby. tH ".'- @-V
Albert Marshall was the love of hel
| youth. Over the sterner duties of tn,
academy had aoated rosy cloud
flowers found their way slyly between
the pages of solemn dictionaries
brown eyes and blue sought each 9th
er with a growing, sweet intelligence
Handsome Cousin Hopeful pouted
but Abby was Albert's sweetheart
Never to be forgotten the day whel
the young man went to seek forum
in the West! She stood again at tn
gate beneath the perfunled shade O
the lilac bushes, with the hot, dusty
road beyond, and Albert looking bacl
wistfully. Then followed visit, ,afte
the lapse Of year, from sedat
young man, conscious of beard, to
dcmure maiden, mindful that her mus
lin gown was "done up" for the occa
sion, The visit left her engaged, 10
Cousin Hopeful no longer watched
having gone to live in the West, ,wher
she married. ........
Abby's heart was blithe. She san
as she worked, for the future glove
with sunset hues. Then came stiff
ambiguous letter, answered prompt
with pride; then long, sickenin
silence. What did it mean? ]
meant that Cousin Hopeful, if not 10y
ed herself, would poison the mind {
alover far away. If Albert weul