The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-11-02
JOEL'S FAREWELL.

I JOEL'S FAREWELL.
When Joel Tykesbury opened the let
ter and read that his step-uncle on his
mothers side had died without near rela.
tives and had left him the comfortable
! sum of $4,000 in cash there was not a
, soul to whom he confided the astounding
news. Close locked behind his compressed
lips was hidden secret that would have
provided the people of Little River with
measureless source of interest for the
! coming winter months.
Joel kept his secret, and no one was
the wiser when he closed the little har-
ness shop and spent several days in New
! York. But when he returned from the
F.! city and proceeded to sell the ntents of
his shop at auction prices, when he pre-
sented the furniture of his bachelor
abode to the thriftless Nichols family,
who lived on the edge OF the village, and
/ finally when the minister dropped word
in the midst of the Ladies Aid Society s
{ Wednesday sociable then Little River sat
| up very straight and took notice.
yes" said Rev. Mr.. Beeman, thought
fully stroking his scanty beard; ''Joel
! says he is tired of Little River, so he is
going to New York to live He seems to
/ feel rather bitter about the way he's
| been. received in our little village. He
SAYS he's lived here fifteen years and he
isn't much better acquainted than when
| he came.
"That's every mite his own fault
then"' cried Miss Fanny Pollard, warm
ily. "He's the most unsociable man in
, Little River. My conscience is clear
about Joel Tykesbury. I've done the
best could to make it pleasant for him
in church and out''
A suppressed giggle from the young
girls in a distant corner closed Miss
Fanny's lips with a grim frown. Her
small brown eyes shot little angry sparks
at the gigglers.
That is very true, Miss Pollard, :"
| soothed the minister peacefully. 81
am sure we have all done our best to
make Joel feel at home in our midst"
! Mrs. Deacon Spinning bit her thread
with sharp click of her false teeth and
folded up the Bingham apron she had
! completed. Seems like III never for
give myself if Joel Tykesbury goes away
from Little River feeling sore about the
way he's been treated. l don't believe
any of you really know just how kind
hearted he is. Only he's dreadful shy,
and it's a setback TO him.
HE was dreadfully noncommittal, "
announced Fanny Pollard, with the air
of one WHO'S treading on familiar ground.
"Many's the time I've sat and ponder
ed what Joel meant when he said such
and such thing"
"Most times l reckon he didn't mean
/ \, oil
fully Il take it Joel was shy. But.
as if he was dead and waiting to be
buried? If Joel Tykesbury don't like
the way he's been treated here he's not
going to stay in Little River for nobody
I'm sorry he's going for | like him.
Once he shut up his shop and came over
and helped Henry get in his hay when it
was threatening storm, and another
time when Linny had the measles he
went clean over to the Ford for DR..
Mitchell and didn't want to hear word
Of thanks either"
and giving away his furhiture-ain 7
that the queerest thing? Is'pose likely
he's going to board when he gets to the
city," murmured Annie Baker.
''Maybe he is going to get married
Now | come to think of it | shouldn't
wonder mite if that was the secret OF
his going. He's going to get married tt
wilder, maybe, and she, having &
houseful of furniture left by her frs
husband, won't have no need for Joel's
things" Mrs. Spinning beamed arount
the busy circle. I'm mighty glad t.
think he's going to get married He's
just the incest kind of man. Hell
make some girl a good husband. I'm
disappointed, though. l kinder hopet
he'd pick wife from Little River"
There was long silence after this
broken only by requests for the "sixt,
white thread" or the "forty black, ,
until at last Mrs. Willowell, at whose
house they had met, announced that re
freshments would be served in the din
ing room, and so for the time being
Joel Tykesbury and his affairs were for
gotten.
Joel himself, having given away hi
furniture and disposed of his business
sat in his lonely room in the best hote
the village afforded and wondered VIVA
,, he would do next.
"I'll shake the dust of this here vii
lage from my feet" said Joel morosel,
cycling his reflection in the wavy miro
with gloomy frown. ''There won't b,
| OHc peTSOl IIdL Will Hiss lie Wnon L II
gone. If I'd been treated decent here
I'd never thought of leaving Little River
1t would have done the village good t.
spend my money here. l could build {
house as fine as Lawyer Beggs and live
on my interest money: The women aim
never noticed me much, and l amt bae
looking Teller" Joel redeemed as he
lifted shy eyes to his reflection in the
mirror. Good looking in spite of the ir-
Irregularities in the glass-thick growing
brown hair, brown eyes, steady and
trustworthy, in their open gaze and YET
with certain difidence in their depths
fine nose and a wide, we'll cut mouth
showing reserve in its frmness. In fact
Joel Tykesbury was handsome man,
and although he was forty years ole
there was not a thread of white in his
abundant hair.
Suddenly he arose and, approaching
the glass, brushed his hair into some
semblance of order. 'I'll 90 to New
York tomorrow night, and now, after
I've had my supper. I'll say goodby tc
some of the folks I've had acquaintance
with"
Ii