Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1879-10-16

red house on the road to Woodbury.. you
remember. Well. he never goes TO church,
and he never loved a human being In his
life. Now don't think Farmer keep-why,
Grandma Dean, how do you do:'
The lady whose entrance put this sud-
den period to my cousins peroration. came
slowly toward the rocking chair. Cora
drew it out tor her. She was the Oldest
lady 10 the village. The hair under her
cap. white as hillside snow, had imprison-
ed the sunshine OF fourscore and ten sum
mers. but she still retained much OF the
physical stamina which with her active
temperament had made her so vigorous
woman for many years.
whats that you're saying child, about
Farmer Keepir said the old lady. with
pleasant smile. as she pinned her knitting
sheath TO her waist.
..why. was telling Uncle Charlie what
a cold hard man he is. You've always
known him. Grandma Dean, and now did
he ever do a good thing or love anybody
10 his lifeg'
"Yes, he loved a girl once, think re-
member"
Farmer Keep loved a girl once'" re
peaicd Cora with half contemptuous aud
wholly skepiical curl of her red lips.
shes forgotten" she added. In an I'M
dertone. to Uncle Charlie and me, for
Grandma Dean was slightly deaf.
"No, haven't forgotten, neither, she
said, placing her hand on Cora's hair. 81
have held Lucy Reid on my lap too omen.
and rocked her crsdle-poor little mo'her-
less thing too many times TO have ior-
gotten
Cofa's look OF Incredibly was giving way
to one Of curiosity.
GRANDMA Dean, won't you tell us all
ahout iii Jennie aud | will sit down on
the stool. aud | know by that look In L ncle
Charles eye, he wants 10 hear II too.
Come. let the flowers go, Jennie" and my
viyacious cousin established herself a. the
old lady's iect
Grandma Dean slipped the yarn around
her little finger and commenced:
Let me sect cannot be more than
foriy-lwo years this summer since justin
Keep came up to Farmer Reds to let him
self ont for the harvest boy through har-
vesiing.
The Reid house stood liitle this side OF
stony creek There Is nothing len Of Il
now except the chimney and Il looks out
gray aud bold from the grass all abOu, Il ,
bat forty years ago Il was 4 fne place, with
liacs In front, aud the hop vines running
all around the back.
Lucy was hardly three weeks old when
she lost her mother. Her father never
married again. and the child grew up there
In the old home as fair aud sweet a. the
flowers that clustered about Il.
She was nearly hfteen years old when
Justin came that summer. lie wa. shy.
strange sort OF lsi. and the neighbors
said that Farmer Reid would never get the
salt for his porridge out OF him.
He'd been bound out until he was ls 20
4 -. 4 4.
relation 10 the world he knew of. nor de
cent suit of clothes when he came 10 Farm
er Resl's house. But for all that Justin
proved a smart likely boy. and the farm
.r. who somehow was never very before
haudcd- always thought his wtfe's sud
deu death hnri him-fUund that Justin was
real prize.
AZ arst he was gloomy an silent, doing
his work and taxing little notice Of
anybody. But he couldn't stand It long
s-f-." lacy. w9gidnt I iise S2 have ,aaes
thawed out.
She was lust like 4 bird around the old
plsce. singing from morn I'LL night. and
her blue eyes. that were 50 like her moth
ers seemed To be sending ont one laugh.
and her lips another. | never wondered
her father dotted on her IS he did, aud Of
before she tried TO make friends with him.
Poor fellow IL must have seemed very
strange To him AZ af,t. for do not believe
that anybody had ever given him kind
word until he came 10 Meadow Brook.
But he male ladders for her flower vines
10 run on, and got shells for the borders,
and propped up the dahlias, sud dad 4
thousand other things which tooN them out
In the garden after supper, and which made
them the best OF friends.
Lucy had a playful. childish way about
her that made her seem much younger than
Sue was; then she was small of her age,
SO that at fifteen she did not seem bit
older than you are, Cora
Wei. she rode on the top of Justin 5 hay
cart, and helped him husk corn In the barn,
and pretty soon the farmer noticed a Change
In Justin.
He got him a new suit OF clothes, and
his face lost It's down look. and after hsr-
yesttny Farmer Reid made him an offer To
tArry all winter.
80 Justin stayed With the farmer four
years. Then he had a good Offer some
where 10 New lork State, and concluded
to stop for the winter only.
Lacy Reid had grown into a Young WON
an by this time, aud a hand-Oncr Que.
children. these din eyes never looked upon.
| don't kLow how 1t happened. for Lucy
might have had her picA among the boys
for miles around but somehow she took 10
Justin; aud when he left they were en-
gagged 10 be married one year from that
time"
why. Grandma Dean! YOU Amt going
To stop now" cried Cora. in alarm Tor
the old lady had land down her kniiting.
NO. my child" she said, moving her
spectaeles aud wiplng her eyes; but the
rest Is a sad story. aud | must hurry over
it. / don't exactly know how IL happened.
but that winter Lucy's father got into
terrible lawsuit with Squire Wheeler.
rhxre was some faw in the title. and the
people said IL was plain that The old man
should let the homestead 90.
They said, too. he'd never survive it.and
better perhaps he never did. than kept IL
as he did; but one day Squire Wheeler. to
all the neghborhood's astoDishment rode
over to the farm.
What he did there was never exactly
known. but in II little while il was rumored
that the suit was withdrawn, and next
spring Lucy Reid was TO be married To his
son. Stillmau Wheeler. And SO II wa.
One bright March day, she went 10 the old
church yonder and gave herself TO him.
He was good-l0Osing man. but never
always thought that IL was his fathers
money more than anything else that kept
him up"
..But Justin, Grandma Lean-what be-
came OF him?'
There Is q dark look about the whole
matter. Lucy was made the victim OF
some terrible fslsehood. | never blamed
her father, for the losing Of the homestead
seemed completely 10 shslter him.
1 only know that Squire Wheeler and his
son were at the bottom OF IL. and that Lucy
Ried went TO the altar believing that JUS
tln had been false TO her.
Dear me, how dresdful!-did he ever
come back?"
Yes. the next May. Lucy had been q
wife two months. Justin had not heard OF
her marriage. She WAS a. home visiting
her father. When she first saw him she
fell down like one stricken with fit. But
he carried her into the house aud there
learned all. Both had been deceived.
IL was terrible scene the old front room
witnessed Justin swOre vengeance, and
|, was not TIL, With clssped hands and
streaming eyes, the young wife knelt TO
the only man she ever loved, and pleaded
49, -