The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-07-31
A Rare Case.

Matue story was simple enough. The
orphan girl OF former servant in a wealthy
Ianiiy, Matte had shared the lessons and
The play OF the younger daughter of the
house, until time came when If was con-
venient to turn. the humble COMPANION
adriit TO work for herself. 1t may have been
piece OF the ill-luck his neighbors ascribed
to Drew, that it should have been TO his
farm the girl came as help to his sister. or
II may have been piece of his good nature
tnat made nun agree to take under his roof
the pretty lass, unframed for service and
educated far above her station.
OIewS widowed sister, Mrs. aankes, who
iiVeu WIN MIN, and whose child it was Mat
Tie haf come to nurse, amongst other duties
700 numerous to mention, for there was but
one servant kept,-Drew's sister exclaimed
IN despair when the farmer brought home
the young, lady-like, delicate looking girl
,r we want strong, Woodworking lass
inns one does not know her right hand from
ner ie1t. She is as good as lady, or as bad
ana has never MIXED a COW in her life
here?' W 'i'his nei
"Ah! that's just my luck; well. we must
40 the best we can with her. If the steward
nad never mentioned her to me, now-but
tnen ne did mention her, and here she is. -
IEere she was, and there she STAYED. Ant
to learn, willing to be taught, grateful for
Tile real kindness she met with Matte was
soon the best hand at milking for miles
around, soon devoted to the baby. Three
years passed away quietly and then came the
romance of Mattie's life.
She was twenty that summer. and Adam
Armitage, grave man, was fully ten wears
her senior. A great traveller, 1nembtr of a
woria-renowned scientific society, student
and dlscoverer, he was between two scientific
expeditions, refreshing heart and brain by a
walking tour through the home counties.
Adams walking tour ended at the farm
prev nad taken only year before, and the
dweliing-house it had been found more con-
SellenI 10 innaplt than the smaller building
on the land close to the road, Mr.. Armit.
age found the pure air of the Downs good
ior him.' de made friends with all the fam
lily. 10 Matte it was delightful to meet
once more one with all the tricks of speech
ana manner of the more refined society
among which her youth had been passed
Little Harry followed this new friend wher-
ever ne went; Harry's mother called him a
I'LL I'LL u 'o: peasant gentleman; the farmer
They all missed him when he went awav
Mattie most OF all; but the following sum-
mer saw him there again, welcome old
irisnu TINS time and no strangerl
DreW, Keen observer of all that went on
around MN, was not so much taken bv sur
prise as MS sister was, when one nay toward
tne END OF this second visit Adam and Mat
Tie were both mysteriously missing,
STRONG armed country lass made her appear
ahce pe1ore night She was the bearer of
note from Matte, confessing that she and
mr.. Armltage were married, and hoping the
servant sent him might supply her place so
that no one would be inconvenieaced. Drew
mlgnt shake his head and look thoughtful.
put Mr.. Armitage was his own master. and
IL was not the first time a gentleman had
married country lass. Besides, the deed
was done and past recall. They had gone
quietly to one OF the churches in the town.
from whence the sound of bells foated up to
the farm, and had been married by special IL
cense. Adam Ehadi taken a lodging for his
pride, and there they passed one brief,
prignt week OF happiness, then one morning
walked quietly back together. Matte
Dlushlng and smiling and looking SO lovely
ana ladylike in simple dress that she used
70 wear before she came to the farm that
they hardly knew her.
ADAM explained that he meant to leave
us wie Ior Two days-no more-in the care
OF her old friends; at the end of that line he
would return to fetch her. There were ar
rangements to make with regard to the sci
ehunc expedition about to start Immediate
~. IL would sail without him now. but il
Dehooved him to do his best that his Mace
shouid be as well filled as might be. There
was also his mother to see and prepare for
receiving Matte. f'''o -o'
Matte walked little way with her hus-
pana ana the farmer, along the breezy up
ianas, ana then Adam sent her back and
~, nasIened ms own steps, in the direction of
When ne came again, he said laughing. that
IL would be from B. station. and
that he would drive in fv through
the otonedene gate and along the track, the
only approach to a carriage road leading to
the farm w
Matte went away smiling, as he meant
she should do, and only paused now and
then 10 look after the two men as
long as they remained in sight.
1t was natural that she should feel little
afraid OF this unknown lady, Adams moth
er, but that fear was the ohly shadow on
Mattles path. 1t was an idyl, poem, as
true love story as the world had seen, that
mad written itself here in this out-of-the-
way spot on the lonely Sussex Downs.
On the third day they might look for Adam
to return, but that day passed, and many
another, until the days were weeks, and the
weeks montns, and he neither came nor
wrote. Matte remembered how when she
had turned to look back for the last time
upon that homeward walk, she had seen his
inquire distinct against the sky for one in
slant, and in the next lost it entirely as he
passed out of sight over the swelling line of
nils. just SO she seemed to have lost him
in one instant out of her life. And yet she
never lost faith and trust in him-never
ceased to watch for his coming again.
Drew, after time, either goaded to the
step by his sisters loud-voiced arguments.
or prompted to it by his own sense of what
was due to Matte, not only took pains to
ascertain that the marriage was real enough,
but the further pains of searchingl for and
finding the address of Adam Armitace i'm
London. 1t was strange how this girl and
her former master both trusted Adam in the
face OF his inexplicable silence; in the face
OF even more ominous discovery made |
by Drew when in town-the discovery that
he had never mentioned Mattie's name to his
mother, or alluded to Matte at all. Asfor
Adam, Mrs. Armitage had declared that he
was not with her then, and that she could
not give an address that would find him, an
assertion that confirmed Matte in the idea |
that he had started on those far away trav-
els he had so often spoken of to her.
AS autumn passed and the evening grew |