Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-06-27

Hn,pkins halted and called for cigar
loolzin fer some mo-, they tell me. You
might ride up and find out from her her.
self.
"BI'eve I will! How far is it?"
''Pretty good piece. All of 10 mile, I
reckon. It's way up on the aidge of that
thar old furnace tract that's been in law
so long nobody knows who owns it. "
"Overtons claim, dye mean? Tell
me, now, didn't young Overton, him
that's dead, marry this Mrs. Towhley's
daughter"
"No-sister. Miss Dares they was,
and so different. Overton' wife pretty as
er picture The other-well, she's ugly
enough to chaw wool with the burrs in
it,"
"Say, you want ter keep me from goin
ter see her, but I'll risk it.
"Reckoncd ye would. Ye amt no
flowerin vine yerself.
you've told me heap but that's
worth all the rest" Hawkins shouted
over his shoulder as he rode away,
though i'll truth he had known we'll ev-
erything that he had heard and had
talked with the man but by way of
bringing his new purpose to a keener
edge
He had talked to the storekeeper in
his own way, fallen into his drawling
idiom as though to the manner born. Not
in such fashion would he greet Mrs.
Townley. To say the truth, he was
rather familiar with that lady, for her
house had sheltered the syndicate's met
allurgist whose report had opened SO
wide the purse strings of his employers.
Naturally Hawkins had seen a good
deal Of him and Of his landlady, so much
indeed that he wondered not little how
he had ever allowed himself to overlook
her close relationship to Dare. 1t was
close, Notwithstanding Dare's mother
was but half sister. Mrs. Townley
was, after her grandfather, the girls
nearest relative and certainly ought to
rank as her most proper guardian.
Mrs. Townley i'll her own person pro-
per was one of those women who just
miss being beautiful, brilliant, fascinat-
ing. and go through life soured with the
knowledge Of the narrowness of their
failure. She was tall, rather thin, with
big, brilliant eyes that lacked only color
to be magnificent, fine pale skin and
well cut features. She held herself well,
too uprightly indeed for grace There
was something wooden in her straight,
myiclding figure. She had made an
ambitious marriage, to find in six
months her husbands fortune take
wings. If thereafter life went rather i'll
with the couple, who could wonder? In
fact, jars were inevitable But they We're
decorously hidden till death made an end
Of them. Even then Mrs. Townley put
on Grape and bombazine as became q
grieving widow, though from the minute
breath left her husbands body her soul
had been chanting, Free, free!"
Hawkins found her alone, and the two
talked long and low together. TWAS al
most dusk when he came out upon the
long front piazza and looked about him
at the evidences of former grandeur and
present decay. Mrs. Townley's glance
followed his with q sort of acid uuick-
hess her Up curled family as she said,
still in a hushed voice:
Il will do my best indeed lean think
of nothing would not do to change all
this. And think we shall succeed. Fate
even must be tired of making me its
football :"
IF we do, and have no sort of doubt
of it, your dark days are over for good
and always Hawkins said, pressing her
hand in farewell Besides it's really
your duty. You certainly owe SO much
to your sisters child
"Oh, no doubt'' Mrs. Townley said,
her lip curling still more, though /
fear, Mr.. Hawkins, neither of us would
see 1t that way if our virtue was. to be
Its own sole reward .