Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-12-30

1 Iustt aitSt ttt UNUSUAL
the day. More words of Pinkham Sisters
began TO press back, and the soft look began
to gather in Miss Marigold's eyes once more
How close they were drawing again. those
days SO long gone by. Just as they had
done in the morning. only with such a
strange tenderness added in their touch
Miss Marigold closed her eyes and leaned
her head upon her chair as if she felt
caress. And so, as the twilight deepened
the present hour still more grew dim, and as
If the years between now and then were
blotted out, Miss Marigold seemed to her
self girl again. How soft and delicate her
cheek was how long, and soft, and golden
her hair, and how lightly she breatheof as
some one bent over her and whispered many
things.
Jack, Jsck-a,-a-Pinch she said. and
stretched out her arms in the dim light.
Then starting up. she shook the red cushion
into shape again with a little spai.
| why. this will never do She exclaim-
ed do get light, Miss Marigold, and find
out the longitude of Zanzibar SO unin-
ielligent,' 90
But just as she was taking the match in
her hand, there came another knock at the
shop door, and Miss Marigold was startled
again.
"A second time =" she said. $50 unus-
ual on such day
| Nevertheless seeing tha, there was still a
little glow of sunset on that side Of the way,
she veniured TO step to the door and open
| it.
Not the tight-waisted calico this time, but
a tall stranger, his face much concealed be-
tween his hat and a handsome curling beard
Of iron-gray.
Il beg your pardon. he said, a. he raised
| the hat slightly. Il don't know that YOU
attend 10 sales to-day don't know that
ought to ask YOU
''Oh yes. sir" said Miss Margold. with
her own smile, III there is anything really
required : and between that moment and
taking her place behind the corner she had
arranged in her osn mind the whole account
| OF how he had come in town with his wife
for Thanksgiving. and how they either lived
where they could not make purchases, or
how some accident had befallen her since she
came in.
| The stranger hesita,ed a moment; but
/ Miss Marigold was accustomed to see men
do that, when they forget the name Of the
article they were sent for.
| Handsome eyes" thought Miss Mari
Z ~Na.f vi bAA NhsA skIiA-t luElii LEtA
gave her, and how steady they gaxed into
her own
What is that in the window ?" he said.
Ribbon That Is what | want"
Yes, SIR said Miss Margold. did
she send a sample ?" and she reached her
hand half over the counter to receive il.
! NO. said the stranger, I'll take it all.
/ Then. seeing a startled look on her face,
! r.fla h.s H.. y. L
a dimlnution of her stock, he added. Never
mind. Give me any Of the pieces. And
what are those Feathers ?"
/ Miss Marigold silently placed the box on
the sounter. Her little vision Of the happy
Thanksgiving party had vanished.
| "Oh dear. - she said to herself I'm
afraid he is going 10 a masquerade"
| I'll take these" said the stranger, and
- He looked about for some further
! purchases, and seeing nothing but rows of
boxes, whose contents were past his divn-
ing, he turned his eyes towards the bonnets
/ upon the frame, and added quietly, "One Of
| these"
/ The masquerade became nullity in Miss
Nangold's mind, and the fearful thought OF
escape from the lunaiic ASYLUM was Just
/ ready 10 take It's place, when the hat was
suddenly lifted from over the eyes. the hands
stretched toward her, and the very tone, she
had just been listening to in the red-cu,h-
!oncd chair, cried gently and SLOWLY, Mari
gold Gold Mary ?"
Wha, Miss Marigold felt or did then, she
never knew; only in an instant he had
pushed away the boxes, sprang acros, the
counter. and lifted her over to the little
| chInz covered sofa in the back room. Then
she did not know anything for a little while,
and wheh she opened her ewes the hand
some face was bending over her. She
reached out hand and touched it. Jack
Jack alta Pinch :" and a smile such as Pink
ham Sisters had never seen spread over her
own.
That evening they were astonished in
their turn BY a knock at their door. aud
when they saw Marigold come in, leaning
on tall, strong arm, they experienced
shock that displaced Miss Pinkhams plum
colored bow so far as TO reveal an edge Of
the thin spot. and Pinkie. for the first time
IN her life, was started of her relative
breadth IN the carpet.
Dear friends" said Miss Marigold. Il
| could not help coming to tell YOU. | kne.r
you would like to hear that Jack was not
lost, after all; it was only and how he
has found me again and my cup runneth
| over, as 1t always has. SO wonderful the
way am always led So many mercies.
And was ever anything so fortunate" she
whispered in Pinkham'- ear, las the wav
was preserved from eating onion to-day
Scritners Monthly.