Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-02-12
a-laf.r-
Il Don't Care"

/ Its no bad thing, Gavin, TO MIND
what lther folks say about you. When
you really get to Il don't care, you are in
a bad way. hope, for all you have said
you dinna mean q word o it.
u just mean it all don't care. am
/ going TO say what like, and do what
! like in the future"
Then it's naue o my money Ill give
YOU the day, GAVIN. If don't care is the
road you are for taking, the sooner you
come to the end o. your tether the better
COOL an come to yourself lad" and old
Bailie Irwin took out his bandanna and
threw it over his face.
Don't 90 to sleep, father. till you an
/ swer me question or two. Do you mean
/ me to stay in Forbes's Office much longer!'
'You were entered there for three years
you ken weel if your time is out or no
But, father, he is such bigoted. mar
row, strict old fogy and"
You've been lang finding it out. Gavin.
I'm thinking you may ttole 1t for few
months longer. Stick to your 'greement,
/ lad, like All honest fellow"
But, father, I've got my eyes opened
] lately. and"
/ tHech, wha's opened them? Yon Grief
lasse. eh:
/ Father, Jessie Grief is an angel"
Il wish she was. It's no an i'll wish,
that, Gavin, for any lassie; but I'm think
iug she's far ava from ii yet.
! Gavin Irwin had been two years in Dun
can Forbess house and office, and not felt
his strict rules and d-fa>hioned ways par
iicuarly unbearahle. But q few weeks
/ ago, pretty villa belonging to the Barou-
/ ~ of Grief had been occupied as a sum
+ hr ri..E a
/ her aunt and Miss Jessie had chosen to
cnliven the mouotouy of her retirement
( by paying great deal of attention to the
! handsome Gavin Irwin. Jessie Grief was
one of type of young ladies' peculiar to
/ the last half century, and unhappily in
creasing-a fast, superficial woman, who
thought dissent, doubt and Indifference
+ were the symptoms of intellectual supe-
4 rIorlty. She shrugged her pretty shoul-
/ ders at the most sacred subjects, and smll-
+ ed away the faith of centuries with q pity
50 fascinating, aud SO full of interest, that
! ii was small wonder young, self admir-
/ ing fellow like Gavin should be Impressed
/ and bewildered by her sophistries.
/ He went straight 10 Grief Villa after his
/ interview with Mr.. Irwin, and found a
much more sympathetic listener Jessie
was so kind that Gavin went back to his
/ little room in Duncan Forbcs's with very
! high hopes and very wide ideas. indeed,
As TO the respective position of man md
/ man, though of course, the old lawyer, not
| having been taking a lesson from Miss
/ Grief, was ill-prepared 10 understand him.
I Gavin, said he, kindly, 1.-THE new min
lister has come. | hope you'll like him
better than you have done Mr.. Stirling,
/ lately"
/ hail "a; -ir
| have made up my mind to fish in the
I morning. and have promised to drive out
with Miss Grief in the afternoon"
You'll no max a scandal o that kind
on the Lords Day. Gavin Irwin; forbye
shsming the Old man, your father"
If people choose TO be shamed and
scandalized where they have no call to be,
| that's not my fault, sir There Is no law
| against fishing and driving that l know
Of"
No to speak o the law O God, Gavin,
there's whiies higher law than the sta.
tute book-theres public opinion"
II don't care that for public opinion" and
Gavin snapped his thumb and finger con-
temptuously.
Then you are fool, or worse, an I'm
sorry for them that are kin to you"
Gayen kept his word, and rather osten-
tatiously SO, for he strolled slowly up the
main street of the village, with his rod and
crtel. just as the people were going to
church. He certainly had the satisfaction
of perfectly horrifying them. His drive
with Miss Grief was still greater of
/ feuse.
"A pretty, painted, Frenchifed intidel :.
said Duncan Forbes bitterly; "a lassit
who scorns the kirk, an measures cen the
word o the Lord by her ain small under
standing. Gavin Irwin is courtlng dool
an disgrace, an nae guild lad will sort W
him"
Everybody shared the lawyers opinion
and the young men who sat at the SAINT
table with Gavin gave the offender but the
scantiest courtesy and quite excluded him
from all their little social plans. While
Jessie remained in Campsaile, he did moi
care much; he chose to call it jealousy
and .'envy" and paraded his friendship
with the Baron of Crieff's sister very Of
fensively to his old acquaintances.
But Jessie left Campsaile with the sum
mer birds and flowers, and very soon af
ter this event Gavin's time was out witt
Lawyer Forbes. He was very anxious Il
buy share in the lawyers business, ano
his father was now inclined to please him
But Forbes declined all Mr.. Irwin's of
fers, and plainly told the old man tina
his sons unpopularity would .iniure hi:
custom.
'Our steady folk, We ken, neighbOr, like
q man who walks i the old ways; We ar
a plain bodies, an hae sma' skill O. thest
new philos phies the law of God an Law
o. Scotland are just as much as we can man
age"
Gavin was much hurt and disappointed
! f.;.
company, but no one responded to his ad
yances.
Winter came on, and it was so drear,
that Gavin took the next wrong step. A
good people would not notice him he fel
into bad company ANY one knows hov
rapidly man may travel on his downward
road Gavin soon began ito take glass,
and then, not to care who knew it; "bet
ter men than he got before the wind occa
sionally." He had long ceased going Il
church, and pretty Maggie Lindsey VIII
had dared 70 smile In his face, long afte
her mother and sister cut him directly
had now ceased to notice him, and givel
smiles to Alexander Forbes, his specis
aversion.
The winter passed, and in the spring tn
news of Miss Crien's marriage to Lor'
CLYDE came to Campsaile. 1t WAS . yer.
bitter drop added to his cup, for Gavin ha,
felt sure that Jessie would return will
summer and explain in some satisfactor
manner her mysterious silence; and TO th
loss of this hope was added the spitefu
condolences or the open sarcaSms of 81
who knew him.
He thought his cup was quite full, but
greater sorrow awaited him. One even
ing in the early summer, Bailie Irwil
quietly died in his chair, of heart disease
and the villagers did not scruple to sa
tnat Gavins conduct had hastened his end
No one had kind word for him excep
the new minister, man whom Gavin ha'
always avoided, partly because he was hl
fathers chief friend and conddant, an
partly because he disliked his admonitions
Now, however, they were compelled
come in contact, and Gavin at last did JUS
tice to the good mans kindly nature.
But be took the ten thousand pounds 81
father had left him, and left Canpsaile. .
he supposed, forever. The ministe
thought not.
"He can't sell the house and the twent