Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-05-17
NO. III.
Gales aud Sketehes.
For the Kennebec Journal.
ADAMS STORY.
BY CONSTANCE STERLING.

My name is Trot-Adam Trot. Not a
very prepOssessing name, | will admit,
and perhaps you would not think me a
very prepossessing person. But | have
an income much too large for any one in
dividual to expect to spend, and conse-
quently never spent it. If had been
addicted to horse racing. gambling or
drinking | might have contrived to spend
it very easily. But from my youth up
have been saving and economical, and
have always been told that had an excel
lent head for business Ny two sisters,
Johanna and Louisa, are thorns in my
flesh. They mean TO be kind to me no
doubt, but their principal thought in life
is how to watch over my interests best and
see that am not snapped up by some de-
signing female. My housekeeper, Mrs.
Dobbs, is lady chosen by Louisa after q
long and careful search. My sisters new
er let me alone when had Mrs. Sparks
as my housekeeper. was tormented first
by Johanna and then by Louisa. They
thought her too young, too smart and good
looking. and said the next thing l knew |
would be snapped up by her. So Mrs.
Sparks had to leave, much to my secret
regret, and Mrs. Dobbs sixty years of age,
stalled. | bore the affllction well, having
during the forty odd years of my life
learned how to bear the transitory ills of
life and give no sign. Johanna had four
children and Louisa six. l used to take
dinner with them on alternate Sundays
and listen with becoming patience to the
sins one had to tell of the other.
grew very tired of this life after awhile
and almost wished would be snapped up,
provided the designing female was young
and pretty. Anything for change from
grim Mrs. Dobbs, and having no COM
Portable fircside frightened by womanly
presence.
Ii was in the month of February that i
concluded to go to Birkdale on business OF
some Importance. | believed | could
transact it much better myself than il
should intrust it to Sniikns, my head clerk,
and, as events turned out. | was very glad
| had come to such wise conclusion. l
had to go some eighty miles in the railway
carriage. and then ten miles by stage in
order to reach Birkdale, which was in
very sequestered part of Yorkshire. When
| reached the end of my journey by
rail, | found that the only other
passenger to take the stage was q young,
delicate lady, whose timid manner and
nervousness betrayed that she was unac-
costolned to travelling. 1t was showing
hard when the stage started, and the driv-
er looked very doubtfully at the sky, and
shrugged his shoulders.
"ll's a chance If we reach there he
| said as he sprang up to his seat and
whipped his horses 1t looks as if we
were to have drifts bigger than the
coach"
| 80, must reach there" said my COM
panion, turning to me, nervously. "Do
you think il will take us very long, sir Pr
with an appealing glance from her big
brown eyes.
| I'VE ought to reach Birkdale in two
hours" | replied, but it is showing very
hard" The young lady said no more,
but gazed anxiously out. pulling her
shawl closer around her; and | then no.
ticed that she was very poorly dressed.
| "Can you tell me the time P" she asked
presently. -s..
1T is five O'clock" | replied, after
| glancing at the huge repeater which had
been left to me by my father. and which l
carried in preference to one OF newer
make and style.
at is growing very dark" said the
young lady after an interval OF silence.
and seems to me showing harder than
ever"
The stage had been laboring along very
slowly for the past half hour, and a few
moments after the last remark of my fair
companion, it came to dead halt.
Whats the matter, driver P' | asked.
Cant 90 on. sir, >" he replied, 1.-THE roads
are so drilted the poor brutes can't strug-
gle through 'em. | knew Almost how it
would be wh,n we started, but l was
bound to start or I'd have lost my place"
"But what shall we do ?" / asked.
There's a house just to my right here,
and if you'll help the lady out, we'll get
to it," he replied.
As | have before said, we were in the
most sparsev settled portion of York
shire, and houses were few and far be-
tween. | assisted my young companion
in misery out of the stage, and the driver
nnhtched the horses and bade US follow
him.
We managed to do so, though it was
hard work, and the man had some difficult
ty in finding the house. for there was no
| light to serve as beacon and we were
blinded by the driving snow. At last we
came right upon large, old fashioned
mansion, but to our dismay found 1t was
| nul luutOlttu lHt utlftI III uuSt
have been vacated very recently, for he
had been there only week previously
and the family had been there then But
we had to do the best we could The driver
whose name, by the way, was Bob Harris,
broke open a window. and we got into
the house. | staid with the young lady
while Bob put the horses in the barn.
had some matches in my pocket. and
Immediately struck one. 1t lasted long
enough for me to find piece of stick
which | lighted. and followed by the
young lady, began tour of investigation.
The only furniture the house contained
was very dilapidated sofa which stood
in what had evidently been the family sit
ting room. Bob came back while we
were prospecting. and taking our light
went into the cellar and brought up his
arms full OF sticks and shavings which he
piled in the open CRATE, and we soon had
a cheerful fire, which was great comfort
to us, for we were all thoroughly chilled
through. Then Bob sat by the fire, on
ICeutinued IN fourth pa9s,I