Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-08-04
Gales a1o Skftfbes.
POUND IN TaE FIRE.
By ETHEL LYNN.
CHAPTER |


MIXED, and the men are busy gettin' the
hay in. I'spect there II be rain to-morrer.
Send her out right off.
Marthy turned with troubled look to
answer, but Squire Van Vleet had gone.
An iron pan with long handle was bal
anced in front OF the wood fire at sucl an
angle that the puffy short-cakes should
grow golden in the glow, and the house.
keeper was watching their welfare most
earnestly. so she called, Kitty Kitty"
expecting to hear the clear ring of young
girls voice answering promptly, Yes,
Auntie.'' az she had done so many times
before.
But there was no sound except the tick
Of the clock, and the voice OF the cat, who
woke up from her napto ask why she was
disturbed; SO with one more glance Of
solicitude at the shorf-cakes, Aunt Martha
went In search Of the absentee.
Up and down the kitchen stairs went the
busy feet Out in the garden among the
pinks and peoples and sweet marioram,
down by the spring. at the elm-.rec's foot.
went Aunt Martha, bare-headed and wor-
ried. Then she came back 10 the house
for her huge telescope sun-bonBet. which
she wore at an angle betokening great
ui-luletuut Oh SOUL w TN DIt ilDEt tWisA
at the long handle, and one glance Of dis
trust at the cat, who more than once had
upset the centre Of gravity thereof. she
went across the lot TO nefghbor Falen-
tines.
1t was useless quest. The patient
cows, after long waiting. were milkedby
unwonted hands. and Squire Van Fieet
sat down and rose up from a tasteless
meal. lie looked over the little gate. and
along the dust road, bat saw nothing of
the waDderer. ts4s
Seth Valentine came over, ostensibly to
borrow an ox-yoke for the morrow. but
he foitered by the gate a long time after
the request had been granted. and gath
cred spears of tall timothy to try their
strength.
He lifted his hat from his forehead.
banded with white underneath for protec-
ton. and turned his face from the squire
as he said.
Miss Kitty amt home yet ~
mo. she amt home. Seth, and Marthy
and me Is gittin' skcart about her. She
never staid out so afore. | hope no harm
has come to the child-for we hev set ter
rible store by her-ever since her mother
seq. when she was Almost gone You'll
be good to her. won't you, Abram?' and
the little creetur put her arm round my
neck and went to sleep. I've tried to do
my duty by her ever since, but | don't
rightly know how SIGH young girls ought
to be brought up. and I'm afraid she amt
right happy ! git her new bonnets aud
ribbons. and I've give her a COW for her
own. but she don't look contented like
She amt been right chirck since that show
was round a month ago"
He paused and kicked away stone
from its earthly setting. while Seth stood
with arms folded together. his strong
fists knotted close. and his heavy eye
brows drawn in pain.
1--WE been afraid" and he laid a hand
that trembled, for all It's Drawn. on the
young mans shouder.-'Iveb been afraid
that she was a leetle took with that Teller
that played the banjo,-great big black
eyes and monstache lie was here last
summer. and told a story about being a
gentleman son then. lie came and sur
renaded her. and sung lot about
his heart was breaking. and his
light gittar. and all SIGH stuff. l wouldn't
b'leeved him n minnit; but girls is so
queeri so dreffu queer II some big
eyed Teller tells 'em he's goin' straight
down to destruction if they won't have
him. why. they'll go through fire and
water but what they'll marry him. instead
of takin' TO a good stiddy Teller already
saved. Queer. amt it. now? What dye
think. Seth ? DO you think. she's run
away with him ?"
'Oh'" and Seth pulled at his cravat as
though it choked him; don't ask me,
Uncle Abram. He had best keep out of
my way, that's all
Aunt Martha came out at the little hall
door, with her sun bonnet almost on the
tip OF her poor little nose. red with crying
Her lips trembled so that she could hardly
speak. but she held out little tear-stain-
ed note In kitfy's handwriting. smelling
OF lavender and rose-leaves, as all Kitty's |
treasures did toward the two men.
Uncle Abram grasped It aud tried to
read 1t. but the tears came so fas, that his
glasses were Of no use. and he held it out
TO the young man
''Rcad il. Seth I can't"
DEA. UNCLE AND AuNrH IL hope YOU
will forgive me sometime for leaving YOU
to marry Louis Fitzgerald He is a
gentleman and will be well of by. and by.
and when we are house keeping / hope
YOU will come and ere US. | cannoG give
him up. hut have cried all day. tAiukng
ofmy kind friends whom | will leave be-
hind. Tell Seth that-neyer mind. he
won't care for any word OF mine now
BY the time you fluid this shall be
KITTY FITZGERALD.
"Oh. Marthy to think that she's gone
of with that BLACKBOARD. oh. poor little
creetur' II I'd seen her layin' in peace
able grave in the churchyard. with the
strawberry blossoms and cowslips over
her. wouldn't said but what the Lord
did right: but now its hard to see his hand
ut all it pears more like Satan's doin's.
that's fact"
"Abramr' Aunt Martha spoke softly.
but one word it was enough.
They did not notice when or how Seth
Valentine left them. as he stepped heavily
AWAY and out at the little gate. Nobody
knew how he spent The long night. Sight
ing as he might his battle against despair.
for he had loved the girl very dearly.
A little package OF letters were burned.
but tress of soft brown hair was laid
softly away beside a RUG he bad hoped to
see her wear as n troth-plight gift, and
that was all. The grass was cut. the grain
was stacked. the clover sown and reapcd.
and all went on as usual
At Squire Van Vleet's there was a
hush for a while, as though \ death had
AL al. Al L..