Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-02-17
NO. AZ.
Talss aud Sketehes.
THE SHADOW OF THE DOOR.
Continued from yesterday
nv

| "a uiy VI lWo pdSSeu Uy Wuen DemptOn
had occasion to drive to ''Spicer's Store"
as it was termed-the centre of business
and gossip to the whole neghborhood.
No one would have thought from his
| appearance and manner that ANYTHING un-
usual had happened, or that he had any,
thing but the tenor of his ordinary life be-
| fore him. He returned the greetings of
the few persons when he met, and then
went through the process which had been
the uniailing astonishment of the lockers
on ever since he first came among them.
lie had few purchases to make, and he
| made them at once and was done with it.
Any one else would have drawn them out
into half days bargaining What a
waste of opportunity
| In one respect he departed from his
| usual manner. He mentioned that he was
| preparing to receive his wife's BROTHER
which, as he had never volunteered be-
fore statement about his own affairs,
made marked impression. Not much
was said. indeed; simply that Mr. Elsey
was coming with view to settle" in the
neighborhood but what he would do
when he learned what had happened.
| Dempton could not foresee.
| This was all that was made known of
the circumstances of Elsey's coming, ex-
cept what the neighbors saw with their
own eyes. Dempton drove past one day,
having with him a slight built, delicate
looking man, respectfully attired, whose
detected air was fully accounted tor by
the dreadful news he had so lately heard.
Those easy-going people took their ex-
elements mildly. but Mrs. Dempton's sud-
den death had reused them to a keener in
terest than usual in all that pertained to
her husbands affairs. On the day of her
| funeral, when his house was necessarily
| thrown open, much speculation had been
started by the unfinished condition of the
upper part. 1t was now concluded across
the counter of Spicer's store that, with the
articles he had lately bought, Dempton
would fit up a sleeping-place for the
stranger" up stairs, and probably, if the
latter remained, would finish off room,
for which, it had been noticed, there was
| abundance of unused materials. This con-
fjecture received confirmation not long
aiterward. when sounds of hammering
/ came over to the public road, and the fig
ures of the two men were seen as if busily
at work. With which incident the record
up to this period in the history ends.
| a month more went by. The spring
| opened slowly. There were frequent
| rains, and the roads were bad. Dempton
had been seen now and then in his wagon
with Elsey, and once they attended the
nearest place Of worship, exchanging a
few words with the neighbors as they went
in and out. There was nothing in this to
excite comment, as the one was a stran-
ger, and the other an unsocial man; and
they might both be reasonably credited
with special reserve, in view OF the late
| painful accident
But one day Dempton appeared, with
horse and wagon at the store, unaccom-
panied by Elsey. Less sparing of his
words than usual. he took occasion to say
that his visitor had left. He had wished
to 90 up into Virginia, and had started
before daylight the day but one before. so
as to catch a conveyance on road at some
distance to the north
One Dick Pender. who happened to be
present here struck in with
why, that was you. then, Squire,
comm across the creek t'other side of my
house just after sunrise. Twas wonderin'
what brought you there so early"
Yes" said Dempten, 1--WE started
soon after o'clock, the roads were so
deep; but made the distance over to the
Corners in pretty good time, and came
across a man there who belonged over
toward Wilkesvlle, and he was on the
way home. He agreed to carry Mr. Elsev
right on to Wilkesville. and as that saved
a good deal in distance, Elsey got in with
him, and | turned back. got to the
creek, as YOU say, Mr.. Pender after sun
remember thinking you had oversight
yourself. from the way in which you shad-
ed your eyes, as if the light had taken you
by surprise
This was not only more than any one
had ever heard Dempton say before, but
the only instance in which he had been
known to attempt pleasantly. A laugh
went round at Pender's expense, who,
under the circumstances, felt rather flat
tered by it; indeed, it figured largely in
the accounts he aiterward gave of his
share in this history. At the same time,
every one noticed that Dempton spoke
with unusual freedom, and even with an
approach to heartiness that seemed forced.
Elsey was coming back, he told them,
probably to remain; but his sisters death
had somewhat disturbed his plans, and
required his presence at his former home
on business. On his way thither he
thought he would take a look at the up
country of Virginia, for which he had
always had something OF fancy. Mean
time, he Dempton] meant to finish the
house, for he was confident of Elsey's re-
turn, and wished TO have it as eomforta-
BILE as possible. lie was about to plaster
the rooms up stairs, and came to the store
now to procure something he wanted for
that purpose.
All this was naturally said, and excited
only the attention such particulars always
gain from such people as he addressed.
No remark was made upon it after he left
except of surprise at his coming out
quite socable." The incident was told
and retold till interest was exhausted, and
everything connected with Dempton had
fallen into its usual train.
One pleasant evening not long after
group was collected at the store, on the
outskirts of which hali-dozen negroes
shifted round ready to put in guifaw as
opportunity offered. Some one happened
to mention Dempton's name, when Nep,
hs.a Il.