Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-04-04
A SHANTY ROMANCE.

linus spoke 1llstTtSs llatsuiiinIs, sthfrIiuk Ii
the doorway OF her cabin among the rocks OF
Shantytown, where lean and hungry goats
clambered and cropped the scant heritage.
Mrs Maguinnis was the sole boss" Of this
humble abode There had been a Mr. Ma
guinnis, "a bad lot" as the neighbors would
have told you, but one fine morning he left
home never to return. and several days later
the Last river gave up all that was mortal of
Tim Msguinnis.
A shrewd business woman and a frugal
body Mrs Maguinnls had q purpose in saw
ing her capital, much or little as it may have
been She had q daughter Mary Ann by
name who lived at service with one OF the
most rispictible families on the avenir,' as
the mother often told her circle Of ar4uaint-
ances
Being a dutiful girl, Mary Ann lad a filial
regard for her mother, but she very naturally
felt that it i'll became one Of her station to be
seen too often in familiar chat with the old
apple woman ut the corner But Mrs. Ma
guinnis did not lack company when she sat
beneath her white cotton umbrella and dealt
out fruit of remarkable glossiness The la
borers going to and from their work all had
IA CHEEKY word for her. Dapper young clerks
and portly old merchants stopped TO chaf
with her about the state Of trade and the
Mrs. Maguinnis quick at repartee, and
could hold her own with the best of them.
Sometimes well known broker, who lived
not far from the apple stand, would linger
there awhile. and then there would be sundry
winks and whispers and mysterious refer
ences to 1.-THE stock, all Of which limited at
some treasured secret. with which you and
have no concern.
Among tho customers Of Mrs Maguinnis.
she h;.1 one especial favoritc. Tom Kelly
was his name, and he worked in the great
machine sLop hard by A civil spoken and
good looking young fellow he was, with curly
hair and frank ccuntenance. Many q
kindly act he had performed for the widow,
and once. when on an errand to her cabin, he
had met Mary Ann and had straightaway
fallen head-over-ears i'll love with her. For
the past six months he had been most assidu-
Gus in his courtship Mary Ann was really
very fond Of Tom, but she was bit of q firt
in her way, and delighted in keeping him on
tenter hool,s. Besides, there was . certain
Jimmy Dolan, bartender at Alderman Gil
hooly's guided gin palace" who was not in
sensible to Mary AIMS charms, and who was
very pressing in his attentions to her.
The widow threw the weight Of her in
fuence i'll Toms favor. But Mary Ann was
fond of gay society, and while she treated
Tom with a certain coquettish kindness she
saw fit TO accept many an invitation to balls
and parties from his rival. And So matters
stood at the time Our story opens
Now, Tom Kelly was something of me-
chanicai genius, and often when his hands
were busy tending his machine no was cud-
ceiling his brains to contrive some improve
ment in this or that piece OF mechanism. For
some time he had been devoting his spare
hours to the invention Of an apparatus which
he firmly believed was destined to fill long
felt want. If he only had the means to build
machine, if he could only oEce put it to .
practical test, if he could demonstrate its
worth to the manufacturer. then tidy for
tune lay within his ;;rasp Alas, there were
many ifs that they formed q strong bar
rier in the way Of the young inventors sue
ccss
Tom had often discussed his plans with
Irs. Mas,uinnis and he found in her q warm
sympathizer. Not that the good woman
knew tho difference between piston rod and
fy wheel Every machine was the same to
her-an undesirable part of a mighty and
mysterious whole. But ignorant as she was
Of mechanical principles, Tom was very
grateful for her words Of encouragement and
her expression of confidence in his schemes at
times when hope with him was at low ebb.
One morning when he was passing the
apple stand on his way TO the shop the widow
hailed him.
How do the invention git ont" she asked
"Oh. Mrs. Maguinnis," cried Tom, 'if I
had little money I'm sure I'd make 20 Of
it, and then I'd sell patent rights. and then
then I'd have enough to begin housekeepin',"
blushing at the bare thought of the happy
possibility.
And how much money might there be
needed urged Mrs. Maguinnis
"A thousand or two thousand dollars, and
his face heightened desrondently.
Mrs Maguinnis fell into a reverie, which
lasted so long that Tom began to think she
had forgotten the subject, and several would
be customers left the stand in despair Of be-
ing waited on.
"Yez have no work tho morrow after
noon" she said finally: why but yez come
up to the house and tell me all about the ma
elmer
So Tom promised The next afternoon
found the two il tlo widows cabin. bending
over table on which were various diagrams
and pieces Of mechanism: Tom eagerly point
ing out the merits of the apparatus, describ-
ing how this wheel here moved that wheel
there, and how screw in this place con-
trolled something somewhere else doubt
explanation; but she listened intently and
kept noddiny her old head sagcly, and when
he had finished declared emphatically that
the man who couldn't see that the invention
was worth its weight in gold had no since
at ALL bad luck to him.
"Mebbe | know somebody wild money to
invest, she continued, while Tom stared won
deringly. Anyhow come again a Tuesday
And leaving him still in state of wonder
ment she babe him good evening. with the
parting injunction recorded ut the beginning
Of the story.
For the next few days the apple woman ex-
hibited q seriousness quite at variance with
her usual lightsome mood. and when at length
her broker friend made his appearance at the
booth an earnest colloquy took place.
Inventions are risky things, Mrs. Maguin-
mis-" remarked the gentleman.
Some of thin is and some Of thin isn't"
replied Mrs. Maguinnis sententously.
We'll, it is your money and you must do
with it as you think best, said the broker
What she decided to do must be Inferred
from what followed. Certain it is that when
Tom raped at her door Tuesday evening she
drew him inside and thrust a pile of bank
notes into his hand.
Take thin, me lad, g she said, but don't
tel q twin soul about it, Taste Of all Mary
Ann
God bless you. Mrs Maguinnis," cried
Tom, his lips trembling and his face alter
natsly flushing and psing. And it's Mother
Maguinnis hope III be ca1lin' you in . few
months and givin' you a hearty kiss at ths
wsddin"
Go long wild yez, We spalpeenl- was tbs
good woman's reply, as she pushed him to
the door But she gave one or two suspicious
snifs as she filed her tiny tea kettle and st
it over the fire
Mrs Maguinnis was not the woman to set
from hasty impulse She thought slowly and
acted with caution. But her decisions once
made were not to be shaken and in this case
she was serenely satisfied with what she bad
done
Everything went on the same as beforA
She saw Tom as be went to his work with
brisk step and a happy light in hisey Very
busy be was, and had only time to exchange
CHEEKY Good day" with his benefactrsaL
And then one morning he failed to appear.
The next morning Mrs. Masuinnis scanned
the long stretch OF street with anxious eye
hoping that every blue shirted figure in the
distance would prove TO be Tom but he cana
not The third morning she ventured to All
one of the workmen at the shop concerning
her young friends whereabouts All he knew
was that Kelly had given up his job Four
days, five days, . week. two weekx panssd
and still no Tom.
ssWhaf do yns, think ~ aid Msrv Ann -