Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-11-30

Oul III e>hN ey't ~
keep it from him. 1t would be awful"
II is good deal worse asking the gov
ernor than asking the girl, especially
such n peppery old party as Captain
marlborough however, I screwed
myself up, enc when Jemima was down
about the place playing on our organ,
and | knew he would be making his
evening toilet by putting on pilot coat.
] ventured TO look in upon him. After q
lew words on ordinary topics such as
how were we both, how was the
weather. l hemmed. and began: Cap
tain am ambitious"
Right, boy-climb as high as you
can"
Cant encourage me too much. cap
tain; I'm ambitious in your direction. !"
boy. you are not going TO sea7"
"No, captain-I-I-I--I aspire to the
honor OF being your son-in-law"
The captain looked me full in the face,
then said:
Have you money!"
D! course hadn't, and he told me to
20 and get it before ,epturing TO aspire
TO the hand OF Jemima.
but, my dear captain"-I ventured
70 expostulate.
Get off my door-stepw
LET me speak for n moment TO Je-
NINA"
"Get of my doorstep"
He accompanied this last instruction
by a thrust which sent me staggering
into the street
Ny affair with Jemima was at an end.
The captain would not listen TO reason
that is, he would not listen TO me.
All the letters wrote to Jemima were
sent back to me. grew weary, packed
up and packed of, with letter OF in.
PRODUCTION 70 firm in China. Well
the fortune was not so easy to make.
but at the expiration OF twenty years
began to think il sufficiently large to
warrant my return to "the girl l left
behind me-" / heard very little from
home. Father and mother were still
Alive, but the captain was dead. They
bad carried him through the corn6elds
one summers day to the little church
yard and buried him there.
Jemima, / understood, lived in the
old b ouse, and was single. So-full OF
emotion. MI ',c tenderness for the dear
girl l had left behind me rapidly re-
viving-off l went, carpet-bag and
everything, just as was, to have the
old vows renewed and sealed in the
usual manner.
A maiden with freckled face, much
sunburned. opened the door. Could l
see Mss Marlborough ? The maiden
did not reply, but. leaving me where /
was, retired to the remote back settle.
ments. Thence l heard the following
dialogue:
"Missus !"
"Well, what is It ?"
Somebody wants you.
"Who is il ?"
"a tat old man, with bag"
I could have shaken the girl into
Jelly.
There was further talk in q smothered
whisper. and then the girl returned,
and. motioning me with her finger,
said:
Come in here, and showed me into
the parlor.
The old parlor, lust as had left it,
neat and trim, the old harpsichord, the
old punch-bowl; but some new things
a canary In . cage at the window, q
black long-legged cat ensconced upon q
chair.
The next minute q lady entered.
Could it bei No, impossible-this pale
faced, sober-visaged lady. with stiff
eurls, and no more figure than clock.
case-could this be my Jemima!
Where was the old luster OF the eyes
where the old bloom upon the checks
where the lips that were ruddier than
the cherryp She lifted up both hands
when she saw me.
"Alfred!"
"Jemimai"
We shook hands; after moments
hesitation we went furthermore in 90
cordance with old times.
My heart sank within me, however,
as / sat down opposite to her, and
thought of what she was. She looked
at mo very steadily. and thought de.
tected disappoin ment in her glance.
1--WE are both changed. Jemima."
You are very much altered" sht
asid.
"You are different" rsspondsd.