Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-09-12
Gales and Sketfhss.
For the Journal.
AGATHA RAY,
By FLORENCE II. BrRNEY.

Mrs. Camp.
''She is worn to a shadow" said Mrs.
Hunt.
why on earth does she cling to the
fellow ?" asked Mrs. Hayes, angrily. He
doesn't appreciate it, and she is killing
herself"
The three ladies were speaking of
Agatha Ray, the wife of Captain Damon
Ray, the handsomest and the widest man
IN the garrison town where his regiment
was then stationed.
Agatha deserved their pity. Hers had
been hard life. yet she never COM
planned She always had cheerful smile
and pleasant word for every one. Per.
haps those she smiled on never thought
that the full, red lips could quiver with
grief, the large, hazel eyes overflow with
tears. Yet she had enough to cause her
to shed many and bitter ones. Let me
tell you about her life.
She had been the only daughter of 4
rich Norfolk County squire, and had had
every wish OF her heart gratified, every
luxury surrounded her life, everyone loved
and praised her. How happy her life
was! She did not know the name Of
care; the future stretched out before her
broad and fair, and her eyes saw only the
oeauty and glory OF lie. Then she had
met Damon Ray, handsome, fascinating
military man. For all girls there is .
mysterious charm in gilt buttons and epau-
lets, and Agatha was not different from
other gin Is oi her age. She was hattered
and pleased when handsome Damon Raw
paid ner particular attention at the county
oall, and when. after meeting her four
lines on four distinct occasions, he made
her an offer OF marriage, she had accept
ed IL In futter OF grathed delight.
Poor girl she had placed Damon upon .
pedestal, and worshiped him blindly.
What did she know of his character aud
habitsP his ability to make good bus
bandP the depths of his hearth Ii she
had known that that heart had no depths,
| hat 1t was false and shallow, she would
ave been spared all her after sorrow.
| But she thought only of his handsome
| iace, and that he was her first lover. She
| had lived retired lite, and she was not
quite seventeen years of age. 30 her
chances OF other lovers had been few.
Damon had won an untried, inexperienced
heart, hut one that was very constant.
However, he didn't appreciate that. Old
Squire Arden had been very much taken
by surprise when the handsome captain
| came 10 him to ask his sanction to q mar
riage with Agatha. But when the first
surprise was over, the father vowed that(
| he should never give his consent to the
match. Agatha was nothing but child;
she had not seen enough OF life yet, and
had had no experience to qualify her to
make choice. More than all. she was
| destined to marry her cousin, Oliver Ar
| den. the only son OF Squire Arden's only
brother. All very good reasoning, but
| when did lovers ever listen to reason p
| Agatha had seen her cousin but twice
she had been told nothing of the plans
| which had been made tor her by her father
and dead uncle. When her lover told her
| what her father had said, she burst into
| ears and said she would rather die than
be the wife Of her cousin; that he was
| old and ugly, and she cared nothing about
ket ping The money in the family. She
went TO her father with her tears and
pleadings, and the old man. who had
never gwen her cross word In his life
before, shut her up in her room, telling
her that she should stay there until she
acted less like a foolish school girl.
| That night carriage stopped outside
| Squire Arden's hawthorne thicket at elev-
ell . clock Forth from under the sheltering
branches OF a clump OF oaks, crept 1.-THE,
1
with heavy shawl about the shoulders.
entered tho carriage, was clasped in the
arms of some one already inside, and
driven away. The next day every ybody
IN the neighborhood knew that Agatha Ar
den had eioped with the handsome cap
tain, and that her father had vowed never
10 look upon her face again.
| The young girl had cried during the
whole OF the marriage eemony that
made her the wife of the man she had new
er even heard of six weeks before. She
could not forget ner iathei's unvaried
kindness 10 her; she could not help won
dering If he would forgive her. Now that
1t was too late to retract the step she had
taken, she rtpenled taking it. Why had
she not waited lew mUnlnsP Surely, at
ter her father saw how noble Damon was
he would have consented to the marriage.
And then the ex.ou's wife whispered 10
ner that IL was bad omen to be- married
ia black Poor Agatha the first day OF
her new lite was Que OF misery.
1t had been shock tu Onver Arden to
hear ot his cousins hasly marriage. He
had loved her, and more tnan that he had
been worthy oi her. ln spite OF Agatha's
verdict he was neither OLD nor ugly. de
was thirty, and though not u handsome
man was very lar from being bad Look
ing or AN ugy one. lie did not have Cap
tain Rays regular features, glossy curis
and iauilless hands and feet, but he would
have made Agatha u tar better husband.
He had gone at once to his uncle a. soon
as the news oi Agatha's hight had come
10 hun, aud pleaded IN behalf of the cui-
prit, but The old man Was oodurste. and
vowed tnat he would never LOOK on his
daughters lace again, nor should he leavu
her one penny ot his property. Three days
later he mad AN attack VI paralysis, aud
then made his will, and he made IL IN ia
vor OF his nephew, Onver Arden. and
Agatha's name WAS not even meDtioned.
| Ihis would have been terrible blow
to Captain Ray II he had known VI 1t, but
fortunately ior Agatha. he did not hear It
then. 40 say that Damon Ray had not
been pleased with the irsshnsss and puri-
h.. k.A