Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-04-05

! Il must leave this package at the
dressmaker's, and then-well, there's
really nothing else you can do. thank
you"
You are going to see Mrs. Green?
Wen, I'm going too"
From the dressmaker's they walked
down tile beach road 10 the humoie
house of mourning Excited voices
wc,eac-ca t,:e.ao Ffo~.zy ae'~~.,laoes
We're gathered on the front porch. Mrs.
Green was bordering on hysteria. Tom
watched in interested fashion while
Grace brought order out of chaos.
One by one the useless neighbors took
their departure The children We're
coaxed into the shadow of an upturn
ed boat TO play store with real cookies,
candies and raisins which Grace pro
duced from the depths of her Boston
bag. and Mrs. Green, comforted with
a handage around her aching head and
many kind words, was induced to lie
down. Then Grace picked up the baby
and carried him around to the shady
side of the house. Tom followed, drag
ging big rocking chair in which he
insisted she should sit, while he sprawl
cd in the sand at her feet. In the little
room whose shutters were closed just
behind them lay the man who had Of
ten risked his life that they might
make merry IN the water sorrow
that was not personal fell upon them.
and the man lay quite still looking out
across the dancing water and thinking
of many things.
Suddenly above his head sounded
the soft. melting Zoo" of baby's
voice Without shifting his position,
lest he should break the charm, Tom
took in the picture. The laughing
eyes of the girl We're liquid and ten
der as she watched the baby on her
knees. The dimples had disappeared
and the lips We're curved in serious
sweetness. This was not the girl who
had been sucn jolly good comrade
on fishing and sailing jaunts. This
was the woman he had been looking
for all these years. And to think that
he had not recognized her at once!
Her slender white hand was so
close to his that he could hardly keep
from clasping it. He pulled himself
together and asked in voice that
sounded rather harsh by reason of his
effort at self control:
IF you will do all this. why won't
you help with the benefit up at the
hotel?'
Grace started. She had been won
deiing whether tie little mite in her
lap wocld some day grow up and fight
against the sea for human lives
"Oh. they're such silly things, you
know. Everybody hates you for ask
ing them to pay two or three times
what a things worth, and by the time
you have paid all the expenses the
beneficiary doesn't get very much: be-
sides it would lie two weeks before
the thing came Off and Mrs. Green
needed the clothes and the money now.
| suppose a great many people think
it's very queer but father has always
insisted on my keeping inside my al
lowance. and-weIl-I couldn't help
with the benefit and help Mrs. Green
today" She was foundering along al
most blindly under the fierce light that
| glowed in Toms eyes. And so-and
So
Tom had utterly forgotten what she
wa5 ,;,...aS alb Her hand was ca
re3s.2g the baby's face. The man rose
! on one knee and drew her hand away
from tie chubby cheek. holding it firm
ly in his own.
Grace. dear I'm not half good
enough for you, but do you think you
con,d love me Just Il little?"
| She looked ut him tenderly. Il think
could love you great deal" And
the baby "co1ed" and dimpled as he
| looked at the two heads so close to-
getLer above his own.