Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-02-02
1aiIp StnRrbrt SournaI,
ROMANCE or A BARNARD.
CONCLUDED FROM YEsrERDAr.l

III clbiAiN alNNi hbV" "aA "SON
il. I've been setting my eel trap; and
what do you think-she met old Thorn
ton"
Ned
She did indeed. And whatll you say
to that mans cheek. lie up and spoke to
her,
"Oh. how. Ned Before you"
Fact! Before? No. indeed; ! lay
low said Ned, with chuckle But,
bless you, they wouldn't have seen me il
had stood high"
For shame, Ned Oh how could you
and Aunt Helen!"
Guess you'd have been no better in my
place." said the inscriptions boy. But
there, that's all. If ! couldn't listen, OF
course you can't"
''Oh. now Ned, please" we all eho-
rused together.
well. then. He stood straight before
her. Helen said he, have You forgot
ten meP' and she began to turn white. Il
have had time enough, Sir said She"
''Oh, you ought not to have staid, Ned y
You may find out the rest by your
learning" said the offended narrator. Il
should like to know how l was going to
leave. Only I'll say this. that if Aunt
Helen would marry old Thornton to day
She wouldn't touch him with walk
ing-stickT"
To our amazement, on the very next
afternoon who should appear al our gate,
with his phaeton and pair, but Mr.. Thorn
ton and who, bonneted and gloved and
yelled. shoald issue from the door, to be
placed in that phaeton and drive of with
him, but Aunt Helen. Ned chuckled;
but the rest of AS could do nothing but
wonder. "lias she gone to be married p
we gasped. And LII and Harry began to
cry.
"Wel. Iii tell YOU" said Ned, in mer
cy. "iIe said there'd never been day
since he left her that he hadn't longed Tor
what he threw away"
''Oh, how wicked
''She told him so. very quietly and Sc
verely-l tell you Aunt Helen can be Sc
vere-and TO be silent on that point. For
ever P said he. And ever said she. 1T
is impossible said be. And then he went
over, one by one, a dozen different days
and scenes when they were yet;;igg sI.d
il ever fellow felt mean, | was the one"
II should think you would we cried,
with one accord.
Now look here returned Ned. "If
you want to hear the rest, you keep that
sort of remark to yourself. Ii was too
late for me to show myself, any way. And
I'll be blamed If I'll say another word if
you don't every one acknowledge you'd
have done just as did"
''Oh, Ned, do tell the whole That's 4
good boy"
well she just began to cry-l never
saw Aunt Helen cry before. And then it
seemed as if he would go distracted ; and
he begged her not to cry. and she cried
the more; and he begged her to marry
him out of hand-I know just how to do
it now; only it doesn't seem very sue
cessful way-and she shook her head and
he implored her, by their old love, he said,
and she wiped her eyes, and looked al him
and gave a laugh--a hateful sort of laugh.
Our old love said she. Then said he
if you will not for my sake, nor for your
own sake, nor for the sake of that old
love, marry me for the''sake of the mother
less children who need you more than chill
dren ever needed a mother yet. and who
who are driving me crazy Aud then
Aunt Helen laughed in earnest, a good,
sweet, ringing peal and the long and
short Of it is that she has driven up to
the Thornton house to-day, to look at the
cubs and see what she thinks about them.
Mayb be she II bring them down here--she's
great on missionary work, you know"
well, declare !" was the final chorus.
And we sat in silence good half hour;
and by the time our tongues were run
ming again, Aunt Helen had returned,
and Mr. Thorton had come in with her
and sat down upon the piazza step at her
feet, but not at all with the air OF an ac-
cepted lover--much more like tenant of
Mohammed's coffin, we thought. And, as
| began to tell you, we were all sitting
and swinging there when Aunt Helen ex-
claimed about its being scene of domes-
tic comfort. AS she sat down, the big
black Cochin hen came to meet her, and
Aunt Helen threw her bit of water
cracker. supply OF which she always
carried about her, nowadays.
why, where's your husbands? ~ said
she 10 the hen.
There he is,' said Ned. Hes been
up alone in that corner of the grass the
whole day, calling and clucking and in
viting company but the rest haven't paid
the least attention to him, and are picking
and scratching down among the cannas."
"Oh, but he's been down there twice.
Ned" cried Harry, land tried to whip the
little bantam, but it was a drawn battle"
well, he ought to have little vaca-
ton, and scratch for himself while,
said Aunt Helen. "lie has picked and
scratched for his hen and her family in
the most faithful way all summer"
And SOS the baby" said Ned. The
bantam's the best; he's taken as much
care of the chickens as the hen has any,
way and he never went to roost once all
the time his hen was setting, Mr.. Thorn
ton, but sat right down in the straw beside
her every night
"A model spouse" said Aunt Helen.
They are almost human said Mr..
Thornton. And so we sat taking till the
tea bell rang, for Mr.. Thornton was going
to stay to tea. he boldly told US; and we
saw that he meant to get all the young
people on his side by the way he began
TO talk TO Ned about trout and pickerel,
and about deep-sea fishing; bat when he
got to eel traps, Ned's face was purple,
he blessed that tea bell. | fancy. How
ever, Mr.. Thornton might have found that
1t wasn't so easy to range the young peo-
pie on his side, il he had made long
continued effort. We enjoyed romance