Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-10-31
Confined from frs, page.l


What, Heber ~ his mother exclaimed.
'Hone7 Not going"
Il cannot stay ~ he cried, and then she
knew s,,s1g
-sss Abel and his wife. still singu'arlv IN
suspicious. seeing not themselves that
which was plain to all others. surprised.
curious and agrieved. left Abiugford with
out seeing him.
Many changes took place before they re-
turned, Of which they knew not They
wrote repeatedly to him. but never re-
ceived a reply. Within the first three
months of their absence Heber's mother
died. and before another three months
had elapsed his father followed her, and
he was left alone in the world.
Scarcely had the grass began TO grow
on the grave last made, when a demand
was made upon Heber for the remainder
of debtof another man, for which his
father had become responsible, and which
had been weighing him down for a
number of years.
e. He looked the claim square in the face.
1t was a legal but hard one, and of such a
magnitude that even with a prudence that
would almost be deprivation. it would
cripple many of the years of bis life. He
made the wise decision.
81 He himself was not bound nv the gener-
ously -meant but ill-considered act of his
father; the property that had been left
was BIS. Let that 90 as fars it would to
the satisfaction of the demand; he would
seek another home. He had no ties to
bind him to Abingford.
The decision and the return of Abel and
his wife were almost simultaneous.
The first inquiries of the wanderers
were concerning Heber, and within an
hour after their arrival they drove down
to what had been the Ayres homestead.
II was closed. looked barren and desolate.
and a notice was fastened to the outer
door announcing that the property was
him pass hurriedly on the opposite side
for sale on judgment.
90 No one seemed to know what had be-
come of Heber.
One day, however, some two weeks
ythereafter, Abel looking out from the win
dow of his bank, was sure that he saw
of the way. .-Lalt..
r. Hastily. even without his hat, he rushed
to the door, The figure, which he now fully
+ recognized, was far in the distance, and
moving rapidly. 1t was useless to call or
attempt to overtake it. Putting his
hand in the breast pocket of his coat. Abel
took therefrom bundle of letters. select
ing one which. by its rumpled appearance,
gave token that 1t had been prepared and
lain with the rest a number of days. The
envelope bore only the name:
''HEBER AYERS"
Abel called boy TO his side.
"Do you see that tall p. he asked
mp the street there, just by the first house
above the tannery ?"
The boy leisurerely looked as directed,
and just as leisurely answered:
"Ye-es.r
SWELL then." continued Abel. "twen-
five cents to you when you come back and
tell me that you have put this letter safely
in his hands. Depend upon it, | shall
hngw il youdon't.' AZ
4 The boy pricked up his ears at the men
tioq ofthe money. seized the letter, and.
with whoop. sprang into the middle of
the street. g. r
Abel watched him for moment as he
went on at pace that can only success
fully be reached by bare feet underneath
brief legs.
In a few moments the boy returned,
painting with his effort, and got his TWEEN
" five cents.
Heber-for it was he opened the let
ter, and. seeing the familiar handwriting.
his eyes became so blurred that he could
. scarcely read. The words were few but
strong:
"DEAR OLD FRIEND--Why do you shun
us? We love you as much as in the days
gone by. Come to us. Our hands aud
our hearts are open to you. That which
have, as II has always been. is as much
yours as mine. Rose is almost sick be-
cause Of Your actions. Come to us.
And TO make il all stronger, removing
every doubt of its perfect sincerity and
unanimity, il was signed with two names
ABEL. RosE.''
aCortinued Tomorrow