Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-05-07
1aits aud Sksffhfs.
WAIT 4 LITTLE.
CConsinueo from yesterday. }

lou re SoOu. UrAsc RiIls tn1t you 10
mother'd be proud of this day. if she were
alive, Miss Tessie." she cried land
Heaven bless the day that you found me
out, for / need your bright face sorely. !"
i And now Tessie went out by the day
giving music lessons She made acquain-
tances. found variety, kept herself intact
from the world. She had a strange JOY.
which she hardly understood. when people
complimentedhe her on her beauty. her grace.
her tact In these directions she had ad-
vanced much. She was an elegant and
intelligent girl, very different from what
she had been. and she knew it.
i Musical people cultivated her. She
went out. and Aunt Gale constituted her.
self q sort of dragon, and was always on
hand to see her home.
Miss Tessie Verney's maid" people
called her, though Tessie said
"She is not a servant but an old friend
with whom live"
i Where Miss Verney lived no one knew
for long time, and Mr.. Thorne. meeting
her repeatedly in society. followed her
home at distance unsuspected, and learn
ed the place of her abode.
1t was small. old house, in narrow
street, but the neighborhood was quite
respectable. and Aunt Gale had paid for
it out of her savings, and the means left
by her sailor husband and in it Tessie
WAS secure.
He made business an excuse and called.
But the girl in the low, old fashioned par
low. would have none of him.
Her time was fully occupied-she could
undertake nothing in the way of his pre-
text and baffied. bewitched. and determ-
/ ..,Is
again and asked her hand in marriage.
''Do not be hasty. / have fortune ;you
can adorn it," he said looking into her
cold, exquisite face
"You are going to refuse. but wait and
let me come again. Give yourself time
to consider
Tessie consented to this. though her de-
csion she knew to be unalterable, even
when Aunt Gale wavered.
'Marriage-he offers you marriage.
child! Well. that is an honor: and he is a
very rich man. You tell me. Perhaps it
would be wisdom to accept. You say no?
| Tell me why ?'
! 81 knew good man once. am indif-
ferent to all Others" Tessie said quietly.
And the proud Mr.. Thorne received the
politest of dismissals. The year passed,
and another and another. 1t was five
years since Tessie, a shy girl of sixteen,
had run away from Alan Dunleith and
his pity.
Three months later she heard of her
uncle's death. He had left her none of
his little property. He had never intend
ed to. She was not disappointed. She
had been glad to find that the world was
wide enough for both. She was far hap
pier now. She and the strong old woman
mutually benefited each other. The lat
ter was shrewd and faithful. The young
girl with her beauty her music, her future,
enriched her life. She was proud of her.
loved her, aud Tessie returned her affec-
ton. She filled the stiff, still old rooms
with music, books and flowers. The small
paned windows were hung with vines.
Dingy as the house looked without, it was
bower of living green within.
I'D never have patience to tend, an fix
the flowers myself. but I like to see
them, Tessie," the old woman would say,
One day. from the cavity of blue delf
teapot, on an upper shelf of an unused
closet, she produced a package.
Look at these, dear. They're some
seeds my old man brought from Japan
years ago. l don't know what they'll
make-poses of some kind"
"I'll plant them and see," replied Tes-
sic. looking at the package of queer,
three cornered brown things.
She put them in pot and watered
them.
These seed are old They are like nv
| hope, and will hardly bear fruition." she
mused. She watched anxiously to see
shoots appear. ''If the seeds grow, | will
take courage" she said to herself. She
still loved Alan Dunleith, and hoped again
! to meet him. If she met him now, per-
haps-perhaPs there would not be so
much dissimilarity.
On the 18th day, pale. pearly shoots
broke the earth and quickly took on
tinge of green. A color like the rose
came into Tessie's cheeks at the sight.
Day by day the trail things grew, over
running the pot with may foliage and
great buds.
"See what large rich buds. Aunt Gale,
and think they are going to bloom into
some bright color"
You think more of that plant than of
all the Others" answered the old woman,
looking at her mysteriously.
Tessie bent closer. Yes, the buds
sheathed petals of red.
She came down late to breakfast the
next morning, but she had hardly seated
herself at the rich repast before she sprang
up. nearly overturning her cup of choco-
late.
A wonderful glow of scarlet irradiated
the window. Five of the buds had opened
The flowers were of marvellous beauty, of
pure. glowing color, velvety in texture.
wide and perfect. Already people had
gathered in the street before the window
TO gaze at them.
Five" mused Tessie. II wonder if
the number has a significance ?''
Every day the flowers multiplied, until
they dropped in cascade of fire toward
the pane.
One day gentleman, passing hastily,
caught sight of them and stopped. Then
he turned and rang the door bell Aunt
Gale answered it. The beautiful plant in
the window, it was very rare one, which
he had tried for years to add to his collec-
tion. Could he purchase slip of it?