Oakes weekly Republican., 1894-05-25
A TRANSPORTATION.

81 wonder what ever became of that
young Joe West brooke" said Mr.. Heath,
one of the merchants of Quintonville,
raising his eyes from the paper he WAS
reading one afternoon and looking
questioningly at his wife.
"Oh, he never amounted to any,
thing, of course. How could hc?" an
swered Mrs. Heath, prim, middle
aged lady. "But what started YOU
thinking of him? 1t has been over
seven years now since he ran away
from his old uncle"
"Why, | read i'll the paper that old
Hiram Dunstone is in failing health
and | wondered who'd be coming in
for the property"
"Well, Joe Wcstbrook won't; YOU
may set your mind to rest on that
point" responded Mrs. Heath, briskly.
Uncle Hi is too sharp 10 throw his
money away on q scapeeoat Our
Julie used to be awfully thick with
Joe one time and l feared she might
get taken in by his amiablc ways, but
she Tilted hin. and he went away soon
afterward."
She glanced at her daughter as she
spoke, but Julia, looking extremely
pale and thoughtful, said nothing.
Seven years before, this very month,
on this same portico, Joe Wcstbrook
had asked her to be his wife, and
though she loved him she had assumed
4 veil of Indifference.
81 like you, Joe, in q way" she said,
"hut you must not ask me TO marry
you. If you care enough for me to
become ambitious and 90 to work with
definite aim to make something of
yourself it might be different, but you
are far too easy-going and needless Of
your own welfare 10 win my love-"
She thought he would accept her re-
proof in his good-natured way and vet
be spurred on to active cXertion and
it thrilled her with genuine hope when
he replied on turning away: IF you
wait long enough, Julia, will become
the man you want me TO be-" but the
next morning he disappeared from the
village without word of farewell
None could have remained truer to
love than she to the love that had
never been confessed, n love that she
had long since come to feel was Il hope
less one.
A few weeks pass. The o'clock
train one afternoon comes slowly
winding around the curve into the vii
lage and stops at the station. A gen.
tleman dressed in black. with a small
gripsack in his hand, alights. He is
perhaps 80 years of age, but his fore
head is lined W.lh burrows, indicating
that he is q man of affairs. He halls Il
hackman and is driven to 4 hotel, while
the curious bystanders inquire among
themselves as TO his identity.
Their curiosity was soon satisfied,
for the next morning the whole town
knew that Joe Westbrook had returned
and that lie had come for the avowed
purpose of proving his claim as next
of kin to old Hi Dunstones property,
and all were on the qui vive with in
terest to observe the great change that
rumor said had taken place in his
character and appearance.
Mr.. Westbrook met his old acquaint-
ances with cool reserve, utterly at va
rance with the vivacity and good
humor of the old, frolicsome Joe.
He responded to few of the nuAier-
Gus invitations that were sent him,
but called on the Heaths Mr.. and
Mrs. Heath were agrccably surprised
at the transformation and received
him most cordially. Such successful
man as Mr.. Westbrook, they debated,
would make 4 fortunate match for
Julia, and they were very polite in
their efforts to please him.
Julia felt her heart sink like lead
when she took his white, transparent
hand and looked into his cold, calcu-
lating eyes.
Julia" said he, after they had been
in each others society for time and
he had outlined his past career and
future plans, "you see l have become
ambitious"
Eyes" she said, Il think you have,
but do not let it absorb your sympa-
thy for others"
His answering smile was an enigma
that she could not unravel, and he
went away leaving her in doubt
whether Mr.. Westbrook in becoming
ambitious had not also become heart.
less.
The week went by and Mr.. West.
brook had done a vast amount of work
helping the administrator in clearing