The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-12-24

Jack, but of late years l have laid hv for
rainy day notwithstanding. This il
my only daughter (adopted), and Won
can't produce deafer nor a dumber
Teach her the most that can be taught
her in the shortest separation that can
be named, state the figure for it and
am game to put the money down. I
won't bate you a single farthing, sir, but
I'll put down the money here and now,
and I'll thankfully throw you in pound
to take it. There!" The gentleman
smiled and then: "Well, WELL" says he,
81 must first know what she has learned
already. How do you communicate with
herr" Then showed him, and she wrote
In printed writing many names of things
and so forth, and we held some sprightly
conversation, Sophy and me, about
I'ttle story in book which the gentle
Nan showed her, and which she was able
II read. ''This is most extraordinary"
says the gentleman; sis it possible that
you have been her only teacher 'I
have been her only teacher, sir" says,
''besides herself" "Then," says the
gentleman, and more acceptable words
was never spoke to me, you're a clever
fellow and good fellow" This he
llakes known to Sophy, who kisses his
hands, claps her own and laughs and
cries upon it.
We saw the gentleman four times in
all, and when he took down my name
and asked how in the world it ever
CHANGED to be doctor, it come out that
he was my own nephew by the sisters
side, if you'll believe me, to the very
doctor that / was called after. This
made our footing still easier and he says
to me:
''Now, Marigold, tell me what more
do you want your adopted daughter to
know?'
81 want her, sir, to be cut off from the
world as little as can be, considering her
deprivations, and therefore to be able to
read whatever is wrote with perfect ease
and pleasure"
'My good fellow" urges the gentle
man, opening, his eyes wide, "why, 1
| can't do that myself"
took his joke and gave him a laugh
| knowing by experience how fat youfall
without it) and l mended my words ac-
cordingly.
"What do you mean to do with her
afterward?' asks the gentleman with
sort of doubtful eye. ITO take her about
the country"
SIN the cart, sir, but only in the cart.
She will live private life, you UNDER
stand, in the cart. should never think
of bringing her infrmities before the
public. Wouldn't make show for any
money"
The gentleman nodded and seemed to
approve.
WELL" says he, "can you part with
her for two years.
ITO do her that good? Yes, sir"
''There's another question" says the
gentleman, looking toward her-''can she
part with you for two years."
don't know that it was harder mat
ter of itself for the other was hard
enough to mel, but it was harder to get
! over. However, she was pacifed to it
at last, and the separation 'twixt us was
settled. How it cut up both of us when
it took place, and when left her at the
door in the dark of an evening, l don't
tell. But l know this, remembering
that night, shall never pass that same
establishment without heartache and
a swelling in the throat; and | couldn't
put you up the best of lots in sight of il
with my usual spirit--no, not even the
gun nor the pair of specialization five
hundred pound reward from the secre-
tary of state for the home department.,
and throw in the honor of putting my
legs under his mahogany afterward.
Still the loneliness that followed in
the cart was not the old loneliness, be-
cause there was term put to it, how
ever long to look forward to; and be-
cause l could think, when l was any
ways down, that she belonged to me and
belonged to her. Always planning for
her coming back, l bought in a few
months time another cart, and what do
| you think | planned to do with it? I'll
tell you. planned to fit it up with
shelves and books for her reading, and
to have a seat in it where could sit and
see her read, and think that l had been
her first teacher. Not hurrying over the
| job, had the fittings knocked together
in continuing ways under my own in
spection, and here was her bed in a
berth with curtains, and there was her
reading table, and here was her writing
desk, and elsewhere was her books in
rows upon rows, picters and no picters,
bindings and no bindings, gilt edged
and plain, just as / could pick 'em up
for her in lots up and down the country,
North and south and west and east,
Winds liked best and winds liked least,
Here and there and gone astray, Over
hills and far away. And when l had
got together pretty well as many books
as the cart would neatly hold, new
| scheme came into my head, which, as it
turned out, kept my time and attention
good deal employed and helped me
over the two years stile.
Without being of an awaricious tenn
per, like to be the owner of things. I
shouldn't wish, for instance, to 60 part
ners with myself in the Cheap Jack cart.
It's not that mistrust you, but that I'd
rather know it was mine. Similarly,
very likely you'd rather know it was
| VOurS WE'LL A kind ~ q iaa1orexx Ia