Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-04-12
Gales ano skettbes.
HOW MY FORTUNE CAME.

Continued from Yesterday
"Dead?" repeated. How can Rob-
ert be dead ?"
He looked at me pityingly. You have
suffered, | see; and now it is too late to
hope. Poor child! And vet, he added,
what is your hurt to mine, who am old ?''
"Oh. Mr.. Tremaine. | tell you truly
when say that you have given me no
new grief. The cup that is full can hold
no more and Robert is no further removed
from me than before Life sundered us
cruelty, death has made him wholly mine.
Your grief is greater for the weight of
mine rests on YOU.
II pray You be merciful, . he said.
And |, in my pity for his gray hairs and
his desolate old age. gave him my hand
in forgiveness and kindness.
1t seems that Robert had taken passage
for home; the steamer and all on board
were lost or supposed to be.
4 year went by Judge Tremaine was
still my neighbor and had begged that he
might be allowed to be neighborly. He
was siXty-five years old, and was twenty
eight And the little kindnesses he offered
me | accepted, because it made him feel
less burdencd by his grief and mine. At
least | thought so, and when one dav he
asked me to marry him. my surprise was
beyond measure. Ii was only exceeded
by my indignation.
'Marry YOU BE your wife,
''les, Margaret | mean it: be nv
wife. will be Il tender, loving husband
to you; and though it may seem to YOU
in your youth, a mockery for me, with my
gray hairs, to talk of love. | tell you truly
that | do love you; and could make your
life, which has been defrauded of its best,
rich and grand and beautiful
For moment, for wild moment, did
suffer myself to stand on this mountain of
temptation; did suffer myself to see the
kingdoms of the earth, in their beauty and
glory pass before me-
Only for a moment. Then flood of
memories swept over me, memories so
sweet, so sad. and so overmastering. that
the present was swallowed up, and stood
in the dear past and heard Roberts
voice, and looked into Roberts ewes.
Then said. as tenderly as could, Il
do not mock your passion nor call it un-
real. nor do | fail to see what YOU could
do for me. but remember what YOU have
done. and remember Robert God help
him When | forget him, shall have
forgotten all earthly things"
And so that was ended.
Two weeks later. as | passed, early in
the morning. saw Grape swinging on the
door of the Tremane mansion. Judge
Tremane had suddenly died the night be-
fore. sudden stroke, the doctor said,
for he had seemed in excellent health only
the day previous.
had not seen his face since the dav he
turned from my door, and then it wore n
look sad to see on the face of an old man.
Grief, remorse, and the hurt look of one
who had failed to the utmost.
But death had touched him with its
blessed restiulness and he lay ut last
peace crowned.
One must have little soul who can
stand by the dead and say over the sense
less clay, Il hate YOU. | remember all
the evil YOU have done and will remem-
ber" felt only pity and forgiveness for
the man who had passed beyond the need
of either.
A short time atterward the will was read.
1t was found that all of his possessions,
houses, lands, bank stock, and all, were
left to me, whom he named as his '.loved
and respected friend, Margaret De Ruy-
ter.
"Truly the mills of the the gods grind
slowly. but they grind exceeding small"
Others marveled at the strangeness of the
will. |, who knew what they did not,
recognized the justice of it. Had Robert
lived it would have been his and now il
was mine, for should have been Roberts
wife.
1t made me glad that he made this ac-
acknowledgement of his wrong. | said in
the beginning of this story that always
expected to he rich, and this was the way
it came; and having passed through so
much it was not strange that the first
thought that came to me was of the relief
from some duties and petty economies that
it would bring.
1t was the thought of the negative good
Continued on Fourth Payc.l