The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-08-02

iiieu said, LOT LIE mad talent ana inni5n tlAi
friends ct headquarters. OF course they
counted mostly on them-and all the bosses
made deal of fuss over him. thinking that
he'd maybe give his friends q boost
when he got chance by-and-by.
But for all that Mr.. Owen never put
on airs or seemed to think himself
above the rest of US, and many a time have
seen him sitting among the quarrymen after
work hours talking or singing to them out
III the moonlight among the piles of rough,
white stone. never thought he set much
store by me, though he was very kind to all
of Us. / was a wild slip of thing. just
about - them with the manners and speech
of the quarry people l have honestly tried
to improve myself since then, and while
haven't succeeded very we'll, still think I'm
not quite the Bab of the old quarry days
and looking back at It all now, think my
civil engineer must have had queer taste!
OF course | can't blame you for thinking 8 4,
too, but don't think it was quite polite to
let me find il out"
Bah put the finishing stitches, shipped of
the tread, and having seated herself again,
with her strong. shapely hands clasped upon
her knee, con tinued:
The stone track was finished at last. and
the men made ready to go the next morning.
Mr. Owen whisp red that he wanted to speak
to me alone that night before he left, so
kins' pasture at sun down Mr.. Owen went
with me, and on the way he said that he
wanted me for his wife. ] thought he must
be joking, and laughed at him at first, but
afterwards he was much in earnest that
felt it was true, and / was sorry, for
knew that wasn't fit wife for the likes Of
him. But he talked long time, AMI said he
would send me to school, and when he had
worked his way to good position AMI had
finished yCa bxa ia1
He oven promised to take care of the old
folks-aud finally / said yes and he
seemed pleased and kissed me ever so
many times down by the pasture fence.
Thompkins boy was there getting out his
fathers brindle COW, and / was dreadfully
put out for fear he saw us, but Mr.. Owen
only laughed and didn't seem to mind a bit.
THE next morning early he was gone.
The last thing he said was something about
me belonging to him now, and lie put this
chain and locket with his picture ia it
around my neck and locked it with a little
gold key that hung on his watch-chain-
That was over six ears ago. and L have
mover taken it Off i He had not
been gone week before granny fell sick,
and three days afterward she was dead.
Just before she died she told me about-my
mother
"Was not your mother q good woman"
Miss Louise demanded, searching Bab's tell
tale face and drawing her own conclusions
and her feccy skirts away the least bit in
the world.
"She never was married, if that is what
you mean, though I've seen n many as were
married that we're no BETTER Bah replied,
defiantly.
II had a little twin sister, granny said,
but she gave her away to some real rich
PEG. lie, and never saw her any more. So
she will never be made unhappy as / have
been. Wen, granny died, Is | have said
and they buried her in the little green field
back of the quarry, where tho poor people
lie, and after the funeral 1 began to think of
Mr. Owen and of my poor mother. What
would he think If he knew? Finally, Imade
up my mind what | ought to do Gran'dad
hadn't seemed quite right in his head ever
since granny diei. and when | asked him if
he didn't think it would BIS a good plan to
give up quarrying and go west he seemed
pleased with the idea. l had seen in q daily
paper an advertisement for a bridge watch
man on new railroad, and l wrote
in gran'dads name applying for the
place. | was successful l have always
thought it because / was trying to do
what was right-and soil our little hand
full of furniture and left the quarry, and
nobody knew whore we had gone or why.
The night before we left ! wrote Mr. Owen
a little note telling him / could not marry
hint would be wrong. Then we came on
here. Gran'dad nettei him seine and
watched the bridge. Gran'iad and tbs
bridge are all I have left"
"Did your Mr.. Owen never mako an effort
to find you again." Louise asked.
81 think SO. | saw an advertisement for
Us in q paper that some one had droppei
from "a car-winiow one day. That was
about three years ag>. l burnel the paper
for fear gran dad might see it. There is no
one here who knows our right name They
call it Gaskell instead Of Haskell, and poor
Grandad is too deaf to tell the difference
But [ often hear of Mr. Owen, for he has
worked his way up the usei t. say
he would, and sometimes | have wondered
if he cared very much when no couldn't find
me-"
'YOu could not have cared very much for
him, or you would not have given him up
easily," said Louise. Inusiugly
Il tried not to think OF myself Bah re- |
piled quietly; land | pray every night that
he may find the happiness he deserves |
thought it would not be very wrong to wear
the lociet; know that he is not-not mar
Louise clasped her hands together to still
their trembling, AMI Thought Of something
Owen Raymond had once said to her-a |
few broken words about a lost love of his |
boyhood, To whom she bore q strange, puz |
cling resemblance that had attracted him |
the first time they ever met And this will |
handsome girl was the lost idol Why
Owen himself was over in the woods with /
the merry party yonder Suppose he should |
como in search of her and discover Bah! !
Louise grow faint with dread Sho lad felt |
80 sure OF him lately; she could not you'll /
not loss him now! She must be cool Gnd |
brave the danger might be avertoi
A little old man who had come shutting
around the corner of the house raised his .
lin eyes to her face and started hack with
dazad, half-frightened expression.
Minnie, my little gri!1 he falterei, hold
ng out two thin trembling arms toward her
"'Tis young lady who came with the
picnic party, gran'dad, dear. Go inside
cow and have bit Of a smoke" Bah sail
oorhiuolv Don't Won mind him miss