The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1895-06-25

factory, and she only wished that she
had found it out before"
Until one gray, autumnal evening
Mary and her mother came back from
brisk walk To the village, and found
n stalwart. sunbrownod man sitting
opposite To Miss Abby, by the red
glow of the fire.
The old woman rose up, III an odd,
uncertain way.
Ladies, she raid, fumbliny in her
old suuif-boS, this is my nephew,
Cyrus Dabney-he as ran away from
home twenty-nino year ago come
Michaelmas Day, and We all supposed
was dead. Cyrus, these are the Ia lie,
who are so good rs to visit me here. |
don't quite recollect their names, but.
then. my memory amt rs good as it
used TO be-and after all it don't mat
ter much. Nothing matters much
nOwalaysi'
And Miss Abby sat down and fell
into "daze" again, as if all necessity
for conversational effort were over.
Cyrus Dibney stood Mp "A bronzed,
bearded giant, with dark eyes and SUI.
peril stature.
Ladies', [ beg your pardon!" he
said. "But s'posed when [ came here,
| was coming home | knew nothing
of ali these changes. never could
have dreamed that M cousin woull
let this old creature go to-the town
poorhouse. | don't know who Won
are, ladies, with husky rattle in his
throat, "but | thank you from the
very bottom of my heart for giving
her shelter in her old age And II
money will pay you for it
at will not ~ said Mary, sharply,
rs if the words conveyed slur
"No, / s'posed not" said Cyrus.
with sigh. ''But I've plenty OF
money now. The dear old auuty shall
live like queen all the rest Of her
days, for she was good to me when
all the rest set me down for Il black
sheep I've made my fortune out in
Panama, and I've come home to re-
deem myself"
81 have heard of Cyrus Dabney,"
said Mrs. Miller, gently.
'Aud I'll venture, maam, Won
heard no good of me, >" said the youua
giant, with short laugh. "I'll not
deny that | was wild boy enough,
but there wasn't any actual evil in
me, let folks say what they would.
And now I've come back rich man,
and there's nobody to bid me welcome
home except old Aunt Abby, out of
the poOrhousc."
Ho could not long have made this
statement, however.
All the town was up to bid tho rich
Government contractor welcome to
TewkStown within twenty-four hours.
Human nature is human nature every.
where. But Cyrus Dabney cared
little for the friendly overtures OF the
old neighbors.
Aunt Abby was the only person for
whom he seemed to care, and his great.
est grief was that the old woman T..
fused to leave the old Dabney farm.
house to live in the stately brick man
sion which he built on Prospect Hill.
And theu he asked permission to
deck her little bedroom with the
curiosities he had brought her from the
isthmus, and in tnckinB up draperie3
and arranging shells and old silver
coins he and Mary became friends.
Friends! She never knew that Is
was anything else, until ono day old
Aunt Abby took strange idea into
her head. And Mary, holding II rich
Oriental cord for Cyrus Dabney to
loop into knots for picture frames,
heard her introduce Mrs. Miller TO Il
neighbor as "My guest, Mrs. Miller,
the mother of the young lady that
Nephew Cyrus is going to marry"
Cyrus looked at Mary. Mary
dropped the ball of cord and turne |
crimson.
Mary" he said, "say that it shall
be SO. For / love you-yes, love
youl And / can't live without your
love. Aud and you were good to oil
Aunt Abby when all the world turne /
against her. / sometimes think, Mary,
that You must be like one OF heavens
angels !"
And This was how they became en-.
gagged
They still live in the old farmhouse,
the happiest of married lovers, and
Aunt Abbey firmly believes that they
are all her guests, for TO her the world
stands cternally stlll-the world that
IS so full of bloom anil b,luty to Cy.
rus and Mlry. -Sutur lay Might.