Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-11-22

- 014 Vic - y
wondered hs careis'~iy unmarked:
(Which way arc you going, PhuF
Ths young man. who vns already starting
of IT . rapid pacs. resnrnsd- and aid In
low tone
Can't you imsgineT
Tbs older man took his partners hand. and
seemed 70 want To aay somsthing,
What is it, Mr.. TramiAyF asked Phil. for
the silence was some what Embarrassing
. my dear fellow sAid ths merchant, -
man who has just given away his daughter 10
usually supposed 70 have done great favor"
"As you certainly have done" Phil re-
piled
Thank you, for | want to ask one In re-
turn Fathers aren't sole proprietor Of their
daughters, you know Mrs. Tramlay-whcn
you speak To her about the AFFAIR -. Of
course, you will, be as-he Aldo b your
most conziderafs courteous self, won't your
Il big you will trust ms for that. !" said
Phil
Pm sure l can-or could, II you under
stood mothers we'll souie day you may :"
Il have . mother. you know. suggested
Phil
True, but she had no daughters. believe
Mothers and daughters-weli, they're not sx-
actly like mothers and sons Mrs Tramlay
respects you highly, know; but she may not
have seemed rs friendly TO your suit you
could have liked Try to forget that. won t
yout-a and forgive it II Il has made you I'M
coulfortablef
Il would forgive . bitter enemy tonight.
II had one. said the excited youth.
That's right; that's right: Q man has 50
few chances to feel that way that he ought
to improve them all You'll even be patient,
should It be necessary
.'As patient q Job. promised Phil
Thank you'll God bless your said the
merchant, wringin2 Phil's hand and turning
away Phil again started Tho merchant
walked toward the club, stopped after taking
few steps, looked in the direction Phil had
taken, drew bis hat down over his eyes, hur-
ried to his house, entered the basement door,
sneaksd up the back stairway as il he were a
thief, and quietly entered his own room.
which, 10 his great relief. was empty
Mean while, Phil had reached the house and
been admitted He had not to ask for Lucia,
for he heard through the open door Of the
parlor some piano chords which he knew
were touched only by her fingers Lucia did
not hear him enter, and Is he stopped to look
| at her she seemed to 10 in . revery that was
| not cheerful He had never ssen her looking
| 800 plain, he would have said. had she
| been any one else There was no color in her
| face, and her cheeks seemed thin aud drawn
| An involuntary motion startled her. and she
turned, enchanting:
| How you frightened mel"
| ~ wish you might punish me in some way
| for it" said Phil, approaching her.
| ut was late that did not imagine any
one would call" the girl exclaimed
~ was quite busy in the earlier part of the
| evening"" said Phil land needed to see your
father
Business is horrid," said Lucia II should
| think men would attend to it by daylight
Well. | believe papa went to the club
YES. found him
And rs usual, he sent you home for soms
horrid papers Of some kindf
mo, not exactly" said Phil How UNI
comfortable it is 10 have dream dispeiled-
even day dreaml All along the way to the
houss he had imagined Just how she would
hook he could SEQ the flush Of her cheek
through the half mile Of darkness that he had
traverssdi, his path had seemed illumined by
the light of her eyes, yet now she was pallid,
and her eyes had none of their customary
luster, and her mental condition-it did not
seem at all appropriate to the conversation
which he had hundred times imagined and
upon which he had set his heart that night.
Well, he would be patient Faint heart never
won fair Lady
Aren't you little severe on your father
| for his devotion to husineSsf' he ventured to
ask. Out in the country we have an old
saying, Make hay while the sun shines The
sun never shone brighter than now in the
iron business "
YES, know" replied Lucia YEARLY 1T,
luz HING fnr httx sal.
we have that same dreadful saying III New
York"
But it's all for the sake Of women thai
men are so absorbed in business argued Phil
What would your father care for business
| il II weren't for his wife and charming
daughters and younger children' He never
sees iron, imagine. while he is talking about
it, nor even thinks OF the money for its own
sake. Greenbacks and gold and notes and
bonds all transform themselves in his eyes,
suppose. into dresses and cloaks and bonnets
and opera boxes and trips TO Europe and" -
You silly fellow said Lucia, with the
| first smile upon which she had ventured that
evening; Il wonder where you get such no
tons II you don't give them up you will
some day find yourself writing poetry-some-
thing about the transmutation OF railroad
iron into gold. Think how ridiculous tina,
would SEEM
! But when iron attempts TO gild refined
gold-to paint the lily" said Phil, 'as i,
does in your fathers case. Why. 'twonld no
worth dropping into poetry to tell Of At least
one instance where Skakespeare's conclusion
was wrong You know the rest OF the quo
tationf'
Yes, evidently Lucia knew it. for hsr cheek
giowed prettly under the compliment
which. while somewhat awkward, reached
its mark by the help OF Phirs eyes As for
Phil, his heart began to beitself again. whose
heart wouldn't, he asked himself, under the
consciousness of having given one second of
pleasure to that dear grt
You seem to I've in a sermouiziny mood
tonight" said Lucia Il know nv father Is
the best man alive, and supposed you liked
him-a little. but | cant imagine what
should have lmpres11 you so strongly with
him To- night"
( Phil studied the toes Of his boots the tints
Of the patternle>s rug. the design Of the
frescocd ceiling Lucia watched him with
an amused face, and finally said Even you
don't seem to know
Il know" said Phil, slowly, and I'm try
ing to think how to express it properly
Poor fellow how he did despise himself
that what he had hurried there to saw would
not come to his lips properly Such a story
had seemed easy enough when he had read,
in books, Of how other men told it-so easy
indeed, that he had come to have very little
patience with that portion Of novels OF
course he could not tell 1t while Lucia was
Misunderstanding at him. too Perhaps
he could lead conversation back TO the de
sired tone. but no. for just at that instant
Aargie new into the room. exclaiming, he
fore she fairly entered;
"Oh, Lu, isn't it awful Just went across
the room for something, and my DIRE caught
the table cover, and over went an ink stand
on my very. veriest white Why. Phil. I
didn't know you were here"
II wish knew what would take Ink stains
from very, veriest white
"Oh, % do l. What shall do, Lul Do
tell me at once
Perhaps" suggested Pull, with q eieam Of
hope for Margie and several for himself. .'yus,r
laundress can tell
The very thing" aid Margie What q
blessing you arei wish you we're alwayS.
here' Then she dew out Of the room, but
not until she had flung meaning look at her
sister and another at Phil Both blushed, and
Phil felt uncomfortable. but Is be stole . look
at Lucia be mentally blessed Nargie. for Lucia
was no longer laughing. and she was looking
unusually pretty. her eyes, slightly down
cast. seemed a more heavenly blue than ever.
The reason have your father eoodpep
On my mind tonight" aid Phil, breakine
the silence TO ahate the awkvardnem OF the
situation, is because tonight be ha. made
me his partner in business-hs own equal
oh. Philr exclaimed Lucia, her whole face