Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-07-09
ONE LOVE OF HIS LIFE.

Journal o. Edxcafion
ONE LOVE OF HIS LIFE.
An Old gentleman, leaning forward with
bis hands claspei over gold beaded cane,
was seated In q summer house situated upon
the grounds OF hotel a. a fashionable water
ing place He was in . corner hidden By
dropping vines, and his face expressed deep
and apparently painful thought The 70
frain of his sad musing was:
''Ouly one person il the whole world TO
love me, AMI shall LOSE even that love nowT
On tne other side OF the summer house. di
vided from the side the Old gentleman occu-
pied by rustic partition, two saiies, young
and fair, rustled in, and taking out soHe
fancy work settled down for a chat
One was tall and dressed in pretty COS
tune, that was at once youthful and ma
tronIy, the other was petite, blonde, and not
more than eighteen. Mrs. CORTLAND spoke
first
"Embroidery, Alicer she said. "A hand
kerchief corner For your troasseaun
Yes and the sweet voice faltered, while
a burning blush crlrnsoned the fair cheek is
il not prettyf
Very. want To talk about your pros
poets, child Your Aunt Marcia tells me
you are making u splendid match"
DID shei think 50, Blanche. Malcolm
Is 50 hottie and good and true Christian
But your aunt tolls me be is the favorite
nephew Of the great oil merchant, Hiram
Bates, whose wealth is something enormous
You have only TO help him play his cards
well, and he will probably be heir :oe mag
nj farsrY.. Rnt what aif< won't Won
look as il was telling you q piece Of news"
II thlns Aunt Marcia has been miSin-
formed, that IS ALL
Then he is not Hiram Bates nephewl
Il never heard him speak OF a rich uncle,
and am quite sure he has 10 hope Of inher-
ting money. He has good salary. and my
little fortune will buy and furnish a small
house, We can make comfortable, and,
hope, happy home"
Did he never speak to you o. his uncleF
Not Of u rich uncle He has told me OF
lans uncle, lis mothers brother, who has
been very kind TO him, given him his educa-
ton and a start IN business. He always
talks OF HIM with the deepest love and pity"
Pity"
He ilfers tortures from the effects OF u
fall TIT h"5 lained him for life ami often
causes tim weeks Of agoniziug pain. Nal
colin tells iiie with tears in his eyes of his
fear Of losing this dearest friend and kind
uncle. and think lie hopes may To useful
soTettll, i'll n. sing him"
II woni l. 4 is the sameF
The oil man leaning upon the cane was
thinking;
Can be Il ei Does Malcolm think SO
little Of my L 3uey. that will be his, that be
has never en mentioned it to his promised
wife Can i; ie that shall gain n loving,
tender niece, J. ,ead Of losing my nephew,
wnel ,lcolm tnarriesT
Loving hi, .'hew so deeply, Hiram Bates
bad felt Il pain at the news Of his be-
trotAal. He u 4 never seen Alice Hunter,
but he knew Sic had been brought up in a
circle Of f;.sa.tu and was the orphan niece Of
one of socicty's gayest votaries Mrs. Marcia
Hayden, He ascertainei by inquiry that the
young girl hal Inherited $4,000 from her
father and that her winters were spent with
her Aunt Marcia, her summers with maiden
sister OF her father She was quite belle.
though only ia society one season, pretty and
accomplished, and the old man groaned in
spirit over his nephew's choice
a belle, and with a head fun Of fashionable
frivolity. he was convinced that the girl had
been won lay the prospect Of Malcolm's heir
ship to his own fortune He had seen in the
future his nephew cstranged from him by the
influence of a dressy, empty headed woman,
or, still more appalling, his nieceto-be max
ing false protestations of affection, with q
hope of winning golden favors.
W bile he unused upon the conversation he
had overheard, the sill very voices Of his young
neisAbors Il sounding beside him, there
was sulden crash, something struck him
upon the head and he lost Consciousness
Cries from the summer house. from groups
Of people collected in the grounds, br' light a
party of men speedily to the spot lie rot
ten posts supporting the roof upon one side
had gwen way and the side and roof had
fallen in Mrs CORTLAND and Miss Hunter
were buried under the fallen timbers the
doorway being completely blockaded but
were unmjurel Not so the Old gentleman,
who had been their unsupported listener. He
was taken out palid and senseless.
Nobody knew him He had come by the
morning train, had taken breakfast but no
room, and asked tho hour for tho return
/ train. A surgeon summoned speedily as
/ possible announced broken arm and injury
to tho head, making a likelihood Of long,
( tediOu illness, There was some animated
| discussion, some suggestions Of hospital, a
search through the pockets Of the uncon-
scious victim, resulting in the discovery Of
small sum Of money, but no letters, papers
or cards, and finally n desertion Of one and
7 another, each going his or her way. with the
comforting reflection:
lit Is none of my business
/ But when they had all deserted the in
Jurel man the surgeon, still busy binding up
liS arm rs Re lay upon bench brought from
snc ruined summer house, felt light touch
on his hand and looked up, to see little
/ lgure in mourning, with sweet face, very
I pale.
I Can help YOUR Alice Hunter asked
NO, child. not now"
"What viii they do with himf
II suppose he must go to New York
hospital"
But the rde-the journey"
will cause great additional suffering, per-
haps result in leath."
Doctor, will they keep him here if he u
paid forf
Certainly, but there Is not money enough
about him TO pay his board a week
Il viii pay Itr
| "You!a
| Yes VII not let him die for want Of
MONEY / have. fer-and her lip quivered-
'ha looks Ike my dear father vino is dead!"
"Hn-ycs Here come tho fellows to
carry hi'l tpthe station. think will have
him tI.oa to the little cottage where | board
1t VIII cost less and be more quiet
Mrs. Cpurtlaud declared Alice was outrag-
Ing the prorrleties most dreadfuly when the
young elrl went to the cottage and offered
her services As nurse to the doctor. but Aunt
Sophie slie,.ccd comment by moving her be-
lonSiuss from tho hotel TO the quiet boarding
house, al the doctor found he had valuar
! bic nS, Il MT