Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-11-11

not WITHIN MN, perhaps she might have
known his mother. have heard the story
from her own lips. and was naturally aston
ished and agitated at hearing il again and
from so unexpected a source. But this sup
position did not seem, after all, reasonable
one, when he remembered to have heard his
grandmother who mentioned the subject as
seldom as possible. say that his mothers
husband was a tea merchant, and that she
had sailed with him for China as soon as
they were married.
This grand lady, who spoke such good
English. and wore such rich and fashionable
attire had surely neyer been in that "heath-
en- land" as Tom called it; for the simple
fellow had the idea that all foreigners mi
grating to that far-off region wore OF neees-
sity the conventional pig-tail and loose
trousers of the race with whom they had as
sociated themselves, and Of course spoke a
language to match the same.
II was the evening of the third day since
that memorable sail, and the guide sat alone
upon a large rock tina, iutted out into the
water at a secluded part Of the shore. lazily
trolling for the fish that at that hour often
ventured so close to the beach that their
crimson and gold d-spot,ed sides cleaned IN
tD[Ougn the water Is II IN mock
cry Of the anglers presence and skill.
Tom was a crack fisherman. as everybody
allowed but lust now il was evident that
his mind was more intent upon other things !;
for layiny down his rod al the very instant
that a big ,rou, was abou, to make dart a,
the bait. he drew from his poke, a small
silver coin, and turning i, over and over in
his broad palm, silently regarded i, with
curious. half-wistfuI look.
IL have seen no such piece Of silver money
before. Even the grandames. who have
stocking full of silver. have nothing like
this Perhaps" and a sudden glow sprang
10 his dark face, "it is Chinese cpin."
He spoke the last words aloud in his eager
unconsciousness, and his heart gave a quick
bound as low voice close to his elbow re-
marked, eomposedly:
"Yes, it is Chinese money; but quite as
ynod s;Ix., a. yon, ou.,,er doIlar;, :, IN.
conn,,,-
I, ~. .,, a., ..a 49,
t,,s L., hais -; -, =, - -
,h,, .,.r,-a s.,,o,I,. - -. ,.;.h ~
c,Ir, eolJ h.,,,, - h,, III a.. ., ,h.
,,., ,I;g,,.no.,a =, b., a,,;,,,5a =. ~. l.,raJ
.l,;h,I, ,.,a;,., IN. ,r,,nL ~ ,,;,,,,,,;o 49,
IN, o;.-sb ,dovad ,ha,, ho,, f
The ,o,,rt, ma, .,,r,,d -, !, .,,,,., o,,rs,
.io, b,, Nth ,.,,,n,,n,v x,y, 80 h.r
;.v.i.d b,,j sb. IA. H., l.. L., hi.
~. .,,ol, !, har ,,.,,,I los, .,.r ,or.s
..yon ar. moor and oh.cn,. .he b..,.,,
ah,,,,ly ..nd yo,- d,,ly Es. !. on. ~ ,oI
"a .h;,. yn,, .,,,, ,o,,, ,,ors,, c.,.
doIl,rs \, I'm. ,rd 40 .Iax ,h,, 80 ,,,,h
h. r,o., c.r.fI .no,n,,,,, ,,,,, iii -, -,
nos, r;ddlr a,. b.sore CO.., can hara 80 on,
,,ov IN. comfn,,. NJ , hor. a,d s,..id. NJ
,n,, oxr
II. naJd.j n. had ..,.I, p.rb,.
,h, ,nsuory ~ a c.r,,;, n,;r of ,,ngh;p,
b,,.I .y.s xbos. Io,, ,,.b.. ,Iv,y. s,nc
.hyl, h.n.,,b ~. Ioxn1;yb, in H. own Iar,
L,;,.,r.s. ,o ~, ,,,,b ,b,, hi. s,ra,.,.
=, ,,;,;Io..i, b..ld 49,, h...or. -
,,,I, him s..l TO- ,b, g., ,;,,,. r.,,h,,. !,
Iii ~. Ef, ,,,,-l,, d;.co,,.,,.J .;,h h,s
nu,.lui. Iul; Dut ne maie no repIy IA sufus,
only drew his black hrows TO n deeper frown,
and tapped sullenly with the strange coin
upon the bare face OF the rock beneath She
paused a moment, as If to gather new cour-
age, then went on, resolutely:
Il am rich. richer than you can even i'm
agine, and all have now, and will have at
my husbands death, may be yours as my
own and only son."
For one dizzy moment, mountain. lake.
and shore we're blended in one Wild, con-
fused chaos Familiar things that all his
life he had looked upon With careless, IN
different eys., seemed suddenly transformed
into something weird and strange, and he
trembled and put out his hands gropingly as
one walking in the midst Of great and
sudden darkness that has fallen upon him
without a moments warning.
Even in his bewilderment, however. he
was conscious OF a warm thrill of alial aff.o-
ton that welled up from his honest heart
toward the woman standing there in the
purple twilight, pale but unruified, as If this
revelation were nothing more to her than a
mere bushes, transaction. and he lifted his
ewes in mute appeal. as if to read in that
beautiful face some answering emotion of
motherly love; but in vain. She never even
stretched out her hand to meet the one he
had unconsciously extended while not a
thrill either of Joy or pain disturbed her fair
face, as she remarked, in an explanatory
tone:
If had had children by Monsieur De
foe to inherit his fortune, | should never
have claimed YOU as nv son. as | should
have had nothing to bes,ow upon YOU"
Nothing" he gasped, harshly but she
took no notice of his emotion, excep, by a
slight frown,
"Now-and Monsieur sees it as dove
can do no better than to accept YOU as our
heir. A private tutor and few wears travel
abroad will make YOU presentable, think,
in spite of your early years of obscuri,y and
ignorance. But" she paused for a moment,
as if half ashamed to speak the words, "you
will take our name, and pass with the world
as our adopted son. The fact Of nv early
marriage is to remain secret between US
forever"
The young man lifted his head and looked
sternly into her expectant face. His ewes
flashed. and he drew himself up with an air
and gesture every whit as proud as her own.
while he replied, with bitter emphasis:
IL will never sell myself. even to her who
will not be called nv mother. It's no boy,
madam. but a man, and he will be poor for
ever; but he cares not for you who are
ashamed to call him son."
The poor fellows voice faltered as he
spoke the last bitter words, and leaning his
head against the rough tree trunk as nat
urally as if i, had been the bosom of
friend. tears, such as he had not shed for
many long wear. ran down his bronzed
cheeks. and dropped upon the mossy turf