Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-01-20
Bill.
BY FLORENCE Z. ALLEN.


some bovish face and ringing voice which
had been wont TO tighten the gloom of the
quiet house had gone, the old man had adj
mitted no one else into his life. or heart.
tust three years ago he had looked his
last upon the young fellow, whom. ''ior
Amy's sake" at first, and then tor his own
sake, he had given the one warm place in
his heart, and loved and cared for most
tenderly. just three years ago-and hard
and stern as the old man was. he had
missed him terribly-and tonight, sitting
there with the gloom of the silent room
settling down upon him thickly he thoug ht
OF Rex" until the are burned low and the
wee sma' hours" were at hand.
He wondered if Rex's wife chow strange
it seemed to think of the boyish young fell
low with a WIFE,, was really As sweet and
lovablc As Rcx-poor foolish boy had
said: he wondered If ReX's home was a
pleasant one-ii Rex himself was happy
And then the old anger ros upin his heart
that he. for whom he had cared so much
should have turned away from him for the
sake of q stranger.
You must choose between u.s. he had
said on that last night. land If YOU choose
her-take her and never let me see your
face again" And Rex, pale and proud,
had turned away without word, and leit
him.
That was three years ago-and since
then there had come no word from the boy.
He seemed 10 have dropped out Of the
world entirely-his name was never men.
toned IA his uncle's house; and his uncle
seemed to grow sterner, harder. and more
silent than ever. now that his cheerful IN
fuencc was gone.
Tonight, however. il had all come back
agau-and the old man. reading over and
over the letter which he had received that
day. said sternly to himsclf-'.He chose
between US. Ill never forgive hm-but
the child i not to blame" And the next
day a letter was sent to Stockbridge, con-
tanning just these words:
Willie is sentimeutal-cal the child
Bill, and I'll look out for it,"
From that day Ralph Hazleton had an
object in liic-hiS money had new value
to him now for some day Bill would have
the spending Of IT," and often, as he sat,
apparently engaged in ab>truse ealcula-
tons he was in reality thinkiH. OF "Bill'
and Bills" future.
Not that he ever thought of him Is lit
tie cEild-no. indeed. he was too grim an
Old bachelor Tor that-it was always as a
new edition ofthe old-time, gay, handsome,
Reckless Rex, that he thought of him. lie
/ had the Old room frightened and kept IN
order with vague idea OF having the boy
down some time during his holidays But
| one time, Just a lie was on thc point OF
sehdihS Tor hlul. a letter came from EeN'
| containing the Information that the youn.
nero was, Tor tue time beng. lald low with
! an attack OF the measles and so II was CIV
Ell up. Boys are noisy, said Ralph. II ]
wait ihtii he gets littie sooered down.
, out the months grew 10 years, anu sun, al
though Ralph Hazelton sent occasional
cheeks TO MS nephew, accompanied, al
ways, by TWO words, "ior Bill, he mad
never seen him since the day ne had quit
ted his house nor had he seen the son FOL
whom ne was planning and working 50
earnestly.
| 10 busy, money-maAins man Ike
Ralph Hazelton, the time passed quickly
every moment was so ocrowded-and II was
not until an attack OF sickness compelled q
season OF rest, that he found an opportunl-
ty TO think quietly and then sudden realI-
zatlon OF the night oi time startled MIN.
by all mat 5 good he exclaimed one
day during his convalescence, after little
| process In mental arithmetic, that boy !
eighteen years old. Eighteen years old
and buried IN little country town all TINS
time. He'll not be a bit like hI> father II
this goes on. Rex was city-bred. and
fellow that Bill ought 10 be, I'll send fot
the boy to-day-it's time he saw little OF
the world. And that day message was
despatched, containing these peremptorS
| words, Send Bill at once. Briggs Will be
at the depot
Four days later.on dreary. rainy morn
| ing, Ralph HaZelton sat awaiting the arri
val Of his young visitor. He knew he woulc
come to-day,for Rex had sent word to tha
effect. The train was due. Briggs hac
gone to the station, and Ralph HazeltOr
was nervous-actually nervous.
Ii had occurred TO him ut this lac moment
that perhaps Bill was not exactlya "a he hac
imagined him. Perhaps he was not lik,
Rex at all-children 90 not always resem
bic their parents. Perhaps he was awk
ward. conceited and dlsagreeable.
Ralph sroaned IN spirit. III he's don
key, said he.savagely, Ill send HIM baci
tonight. And then there was a sound o
carriage stopping at the door a little rustic
anu coiiiusioi, Ill tiie mall anu 'heh hriSs'
appTaieu ppe, d. ~ tiie uooi W
mas ne coule' ue,naiiueo the linpa
t,enl ,t Seh',e'iaH: nc ilhe ms ia'ler
"ieie is ne ou IiiiPuuci' oiu raven
why uoh you answer 'le
bil9s> o'u.n..lhy soieniii Nlsage wa
,iSn'eneu W siiuI sil,ile Eyes 'mdh
kleu, ana ne couSheu ueprecatihgy. ln
iyouu@ persoi-he oegah' ouI MS inaste
hterrup'eu nun nelcey.
ho ta.ght "a, you 70 can my relati.e'
peason'' y, say sen''eniah' Vi ie''e III
"ou9v'
ne young sehtleniah, saiu bilgss-
must say s'-"'iici uoh WISH u
b., o,, .. ,,u,. :.
naiPh ononeu "l., ahSei. "ny Il
NE ne co'niiiehceu.o nriSss nastehe'
~ eohuense MS inioriia'ioh ih'o '"'
"oluS
m nere, anu ueparteu hasIhyI
:, ,ho tneie was ruse.e ~ .ne nan,a lltele tal
a. ..e ep,', .neh II ;,H nwIns opeh,ahu VI
nJ u ntaa ~; s.oo 80 D., tn neA unuo eyu
% and s;,h s,heu au nnn, WIN ha neA merry sum
an and r.snad Ia an ;nto M ueau' Uniy soiuene'
Ana e, omeu aI.o 1s"eG.' siliish ioteliiies i
onnsa, sJuns m iauymonusnlnS .,s;nh anu VIII sn,