Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-05-28

what she had her heart 8Ot on.
"These things was a runnin' through
my mind, how they'd all take It and
whether OF no the old folks wouldn't be
pretty well upset, and 1 didn't say
much.
"' You don't seem TO be very glad TO
see me, says he, lOOkin' kinder hurt.
Il 'spose was a scamp, when was a
youngster, and annoyed folks a good
deal with my capers, says he, but I've
had plenty of trouble 10 stiddy me
down.
"'I never found no fault with your
capers, Bart says l, no more'n /
would with young colts kiclSin' up his
heels. There want never no real wick
edness in 'em.'
"And then he told me all about what
had befell him; how the Dirigo had
been wrecked, and all hands lost but
him and another feller, who was picked
off'n a raft and kerried to Australy. He
got into trouble there right off, along o.
this feller bein' pooty wild, and got into
jail. Arter that he was kinder shamed
to come home, and he went to sheep
farmin', and made considerable money;
and all of a sudden he was took with a
longin' to see his folks and his home.
He'd been nigh upon year comm
home, alongo' hevin' his plans upset in
all kinds o. ways.
"He had plenty o. time to tell me all
the perticklers, for the wind was con-
trary, and 1 had to tack six or eight
times runnin' over. We walked across
the parster to Dead Mans Pint, and
straight into the old Cap'n's house. l
was little afeard, but l remember
hearin' that Joy never killed nobody, so
thought I'd resk it.
Mis- Aminidab, she was standin' in
the settin'-room door when we walked
in.
"'Motherl' says he, turnin' red and
white all in q minute, and his lip trem-
blin'. 'Mother!'
She fetched a screech, Mis- Amin.
dab did, that they might a heard over
to Porkerpine She throwed her arms
around his neck, and tainted clear
away.
"The old Cap'n he was nigh about
crazy. He was dretful apt to git things
mixed up at his best, and now he seemed
to know one minute that twas Bart, and
the next he'd think twas little Elbridge,
his first wife's boy, that died when he
was three years old, more'n fifty years
back.
"But Mis- Aminidab We fetched
her to in few minutes, and didn't she
stand up straight and harnsome, and a
color come out on her cheeks that l
hadn't seen there since she was a gal.
She grew ten years younger in the ten
minutes that see her.
"It came over me, all to once, that
my room was better'n my company at
sich a meetin' rs that, and was startin'
to 90, when ! see Garafely comm. I
couldn't help stayin' to see how she'd
take it. If / be an old bachelor l like to
see young folks set by one another, and
knowin' as l did how that gals heart
had been sot on Bart Ramsdell's memo
ry all these years, wanted to see how
happy she'd be to see him alive and
we'll. She come along into the sittin'-
room, lookin' jest as kinder droopin' and
patient as ever.
"When she see him she looked
straight at him, and she turned kinder
pale.
"'Garry,' says he, jest as he'd spoke
W DAo lIAOtllGls NdllNg hOll YOU
know meP And he held his arm out to
| her.
"She kept CROWN whittier and whittier,
but she stood stock-still, and she looked
straight at him. Them near-sighted
eyes of hern seem as eff they'd look
straight through you sometimes.
$50, Garry, you amt got mother:
hearth says Mis- Aminidab, kinder re.
proachful
"'He looks like Bart-but he ism
Bart!' says Garafely, and she spoke uT
pretty decided.
$50 Garry, 1 didn't think you woult
forget mel says he, terrible kinder SAD
and dreproachful. 'Don'tyou remember
once when 1 dressed up in Gran'thel
Bartlett's clothes and put on a white
wig and beard you knew me right off
| though none of the others didn't, anC
you said nothin' couldn't never change
me so as you wouldn't know meP'
"That kinder seemed to convince her
as well it might.
"'Is it really you, Bart?' she says
tremblin' all over jest like a leaf. q
can't make it seem so. I feel as eff
was dreamin'.' But she kinder draweC
little nearer to him, and he huggeC
her up, and gin her kiss. She laiC
her head on his shoulder, and bust ou
a cryin', and Icalkilated I'd better CONF
away.
"Before night every body on the Isl
and knew that Bart Ramsdell had comC
home, and most every body had seer
him. Opinions was divided, as opin
ions generally is. Some thought he'C
changed but dretful little, and somt
couldn't see skurce any resemblance tt
what he was when he went away. SOmC
said his eyes had grown lighter, and i
kinder seemed to me that that was WHY
/ couldn't make him look exactly nat
eral. Bart's eyes was a ruther dark
brown when he went away, and nov
they was more gray, with a greenisl
look to 'em sometimes that l couldn'
remember as ever see in 'em when hC
was boy. But he said he'd had trouble
with his eyes, and been doctorin' OF
'em considerable, and that along will
the change of the climate had faded OF
'em out.
"But his mother she wouldn't allow
that they was faded out She was on,
of them that couldn't see as he'd altered
skurce any, and he kinder seemed t.
resent it ef any body said he had. II,
was dressed up dretful smart, and hi
swelled round considerable, and let OF
that he had a sight of money, only i
was where he couldn't get at it jes
then, and the old folks they was terri
BILE proud on him.
"GarafelyP Well, she seemed t,
take it kinder Gurus. She didn't seen
to chirk up a mite, and folks was all
| tnllrinl md 60 rini She wa inf nrlnd To 90