Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-03-02
OUT G THE
DEPTHS
- BY MARTHA -
h'CULLoCH-wILLIAMS

l ch9ln. nus because young AlanSOD
brought good letters. the very best, to
the rector and Sqm = Clark airs. Brown
gave the garden party where so much
else happened Mrs. Brown had three
girls 10 establish. and. as beaus were
none too plenty. naturally 1t was a rul-
| young man get away from Eastbridge
without a proper experience of their
destinations
The destinations were all very well
until Amy Peters came. Amy was new
or accounted beauty, bat somehow
she put all the set beauties out of court
| ana countenance Behold her mt the
party tripping airily about the lawn,
! with young Alanson at one side, Jock
Iihnan at the other and Billy Corlss
tagging after Ike the faithful watch
dog he was. This while the other
young women had less than beau
| apiece. You will admit it was agra
| waiting. Kate Martin. Amy's best
friend, spelled upon her fingers pie"
as the train Went past her. But Kate
was not in the least angry or Jealous.
She had Bobby Shepherd all TO her
| self, although Essie Brown had done
1 her best to lure the gentleman away.
! let me tell you about Miss Amy"
/ Jock said to the stranger when pres
/ entity Amy was safely enthroned I'm Il
( garden chair. with her court still about
I her. She's nearly the only girl in
I Eastbridge you don't have to court.
I whether or no you want to-
| But you know you always want TO,
/ Jocky. dear." Amy said saucily Billy
CorlisS laughed with the rest. but
I somehow the laugh did not get into his
/ eyes. Young Alanson kept up the
/ game bravely. Can you imagine a
| live man not wanting to- he asked of
! the world in general ANA Billy in par
ticular. Billy put on his most reacc-
tive look. There might be extenuat-
I ing circumstances" lie said diplomat
ically. Amy g2ye him a reproachful
glance and said loftily: ~ suppose.
Billy, your extenuating circumstances
wear frocks. Pray, does ii happen by
any chance that the most extenuating
OF them is named Clarissa Brown
"No," Billy said sturdily. shaking his
I head. But that reminds me that neither
! Mr.. Alanson nor have more than said
| 'howdy' to Miss Clarissa. Jock. you
/ stay here and keep this quicksilver
young person out of mischief while we
scramble through the decent thing"
! You may find us engaged unless you
hurry back" Amy flung after them.
/ Jock laughed aloud. Lets hide" he
said Il know the very place. Won't
! 1t give Billy a jolt to come back and
! find us missingf"
"He needs one good and hard" Amy
said. tossing her head the least bit Il
| have not told anybody else, Jock. but
| I'm going to marry Billy il can ever
make him show himself properly and
| humanity foolish. He's so abnormally
steady going and sensible and settled /
should not dare try to live up TO him
unless knew he had a nice silly streak
somewhere"
II suppose you wouldn't any way
consider me. I'm pretty near all silly
streaks," Jock said dolefuiiy. Amy
laughed and patted his arm, saying:
But you have good sense streaks, too,
Jock, else why should you like me so
well? Wen always be the best of
friends, know"
Bet your bottom dollar on it," Jock
said. hurrying her along. He was max
ing for tumbledown summer house,
thickly overgrown with vines, that
nestled in the very farthest corner of
the lawn. 1t had plank floor, rotten
and crumbly. and a dilapidated rustic
bench along one side-a cool, deeply
shaded nook, sweet with roses and hon
eysuckle. Amy sprang joyously inside
it, with Jock at her heels. AS they
made TO sit down low, hollow reverbera.
tons came up from below their feet
There was dull crushing, giving
away, then before they could cry out q
sliding down, down TO dark, dank, un
known perilous depths.
Five minutes later Billy was asking
anxiously of those about the garden
chair. Where is Amy?" Nobody
could tell him. Presently he spied fan
out in the grass one of her little lace
mitts. Running away from it were
faint footmarks on the warm turf
Billy followed the marks. his face
whitening fast. Jock could not be sc
cruel as to take her neas that old wei
house." he said TO himself-theI
groaned aloud: he had come in sigh
of the well house, where the crumbled
floor told him the tale.
Jock! Amy! Answer me. Oh
God!' he cried aloud. peering over the
crumbling rim into the blackness. ~
articulate answer came to him, bu
was it fancy that down in the deeps
of earth he heard low, gasping means
He sprang upwith shout that brough
the whole crowd budding about him
Mrs. Brown was at the head, weeping
and wringing her hands. They ar,
lost, lostF' she moaned. Nobody evel
came out of that well alive. It's al
ways half full of choke DAMP Tha