Daily Kennebec journal., 1880-11-12
MORNING NOvEMBE No aes
NO. 26s.
Gales ano Skettbes.
A BITING TEST.

obSNutCo itt HuiSt- i<tuE AN0ShNs Va WauN
swept sand plunging downward into the
salt bosom of the ocean. rising upward
toward a girile of scrub oak and dwarf
pine. stretching miles inland. Midway.
in the open space. stood n small cottage
somewhat removed from the lonesome
road. Now to look Mt it you would have
thought il a very common SORT OF building;
perhaps its bare outline and aingy hue
would have seemed even ugly !; but there
is a story told of il which invests its plain
ness with the sanctity of a great love and
noble sacrifice. And thus il runs:
Ten years ago its owner. under a stress
of financial diiliculty-a not uncommon
experience in the life of a man who was
never known to earn doi,ar-its owner.
say. advertised for city boarders. One
person applied, deluded doubtless by the
advertisement. which menIioned n host OF
luxuries, extant nowhere, except in the
writer's imagination. This person was
lady, and her name was Florence Con-
stance Pommerv.
She was beautiful. She was Il. She
was likewise an aristocrat. You could
not have mistaken the naughty carriage of
the classic head, or the scorniul curves of
the lip. OF course she was scornful: was
she not Florence Constance Pommeryp
As she descended from the carriage
she cast disdainful glance at the humble
tenement. and murmured with a tone of
resignation. 80 be it. have chosen my
lot. 1t is destiny"
Florence Pommcry had escaped from
the designations of her city home TO rest.
She was tired ofthe dizzy pleasures of the
great city. She was tired of her swarms
of lovers-for who could see Florence
Pomnery and not fall wildly ii love with
her? She was tired of life. This young
creature had drank at the golden cup until
its bitter dregs had poisoned her peace.
She was ennuied; she was loved 10 death.
One Night. after ball. at which she
had scornfully rejected the offers oftwenty-
one wealthy Adonises. she made great
resolve. She would resign all. She
would fly into some scqucstered nook and
seek contentmcnt in the still haunts OF
nature.
That was why she was here. Yet even
here her fame adpreceded her. She had
not been sequcstcred here in this settled
nook two days before each train brought
down swarms of lovers to sigh Mt her
feet
They llocked about her humble retreat.
They sent in passionate notes by the cow
boy. They bosought her TO see them but
one moment-which moment was to be
cherished forever in memory. They
gathered under her windows at night. and
sang melting songs; even if il rained,
and it always did.
But she was inexorable. Those who
had hearts TO break. broke them forthwith.
Those who had not. smoked on on the
back piazza and bidcd their time. glaring
hatred from their Jealous eyes at one an
other.
One gloomy evening she stood before
her mosquito-barred window looking
drcamily out into the world of rain and
mist.
She was thinking of the past life. Of the
dolciul future. She was longing for some
one To love her. some noble breast upon
which the queenly head might rest in
trustfuness and be at peace.
A doleiul sound, like distant thunder,
rose from beneath and aroused her from
her meditation with lips apart, and figure
poised in the graceful attitude of an ante
lope about to spring, she listened. II
was but her lovers quarreling upon the
back porch. Her rose-leaf mouth
wreathed itself into bitter smile.
Quarrel, gentlemen" she mnrmured.
with n smile of dsdain, 'beat, kill each
other if you will. I shall not come down.
Mercenary wretchcs,' she continued.
grinding her pearly teeth, Iii il not my
fatal beauty that you love. it Is my gold.
not this soul, more lovely than the face
which you would possess, but my bank
stock and railway shares. All, ah
know YOU Knaves. fools 80 With her
ieweled fingers clutched in the dead gold
of her black hair, she sank down upon
the lounge. and breathed heavily
While she sat so the sound of footsteps
upon the gravelled walk caught her ear.
There was something in the measured
tread that set her heart beating violently.
She arose and pressed her face against
the mosquito bar again to see whom it
might be.
A tall. stately form stood below, fig
ure elegant in shape. patrician in every
movement. A top of it was n head OF
classic mold, face perfect in its naughty
contour.
His clothing was poor What of that?
The short panta,oons, high boots ard
wafer. soaked hat rather exhibited than
disguised the aristocratic bearing Of tie
man.
The woman's soul went out to him in q
great wave of pity that was akin TO love.
She uttered an involuntary siga. Faint as
it was. the quick ears OF the stranger de-
tectcd it. and he raised his eyes to the
window. For an instant he seemed thun-
derstruck at the fatal beauty Of the girl.
then he seemed to recollect himself. and
bowed until the WIDE brim of his hat
trailed in the mud. That courtly rever-
ence seemed 10 her full Of godlike grace.
In a full tenor he said:
MADAM. be good enough to come down
and investigate those apples which have
to SELL
There was a scornful ring in his manly
tones, that told too well how he despised
the mean occupation OF a peddler. which
some ill-fortune had reduced him to- In
spite of her newborn emotions, the pride
of all the Pommerys flashed into her beau
tiful eyes. How dared he address her so
| She glared around her like an enraged IT,
gress. in search of some missile to hurl at
the daring intruder's head. Her hand fell
mechanically upon an unabridged diction-
ary. mo, no. she muttered, how then
could spell my letters ?''
Then came the sweettoned voice again
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