Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1922-07-05
he's dead. 1 won't believe It.

he's dead. 1 won't believe It. We
must find him.
AS the men turned to go out, she
commanded, wait, I'm going too
Her mother pleaded in vain for
her not to go, but she was deter
mined, so the men waited. Fifteen
minutes later they were on the edge
of the lake again. 1t was practically
calm now, and the cold had lost its
bitterness. Spreading out, they
swept the entire length of the pond.
Hour after hour they continued the
search, but no trace of Nat could be
found. Just before daylight they
gathered below Squire Browns farm.
The Squire looked up at the outline
of the little farmhouse. A light was
shining from the kitchen window.
poor Martha" he said, in broken
hearted voice, chow can l tell herr
Cheer up, squire" said Parson
Smith, "'twill soon be daylight, and
perhaps we will find some trace of
him. Let us hope for the best"
Come" said the squire, 1--WE will
go up to the house, and have some
hot coffee before searching again.
Mrs. Brown met them at the door.
1--WE could find no trace of him,
Martha" said the squire, in a low
voice Martha already sensed this
,, without being told, and spoke not a
word At the suggestion of the
squire, she made hot coffee, and
after drinking it, the men seemed
more hopeful, until Cal Jones, shift
ing uneasily in his chair, took from
his pocket a fur cap, which he
| handed to the squire.
Hated to tell you out there" he
said, in a sorrowful voice.
Mats cap whispered jeanette
and heartbroken, she turned and
went into the next room.
Martha, feeling too numb to cry
slumped into the nearest chair and
| stared stonily at the cap in Squire
Browns lap.
A minute passed, and no one
stirred In the silence, steps were
heard on the back stairs. Martha
came out of her trance at the sound
of the footsteps. Poor jeanette!
She's been up in Mats room the
room where they spent so many
happy hours in their childhood"
The door swung open, and a
familiar form stepped into the
| kitchen. Silence, dead silence!
Then NAT, Nat, my boy!" and the
mothers arms were around him.
With a glad cry, Squire Brown
| leaped from his chair, and Rugged
both mother and son.
Age must ever give way to
youth" and this was proved when
| jeanette, hearing his voice, ran from
the next room straight into his arms.
mat! Natl" she sobbed. eve
thought you were dead!"
Nat raised his head and looked
around the room in a daze. But
what's it all about?" he asked
Parson Smith seemed to be the
only composed one in the crowd and
he explained everything.
"Now it's your turn to explain,
Nat" said Squire Brown
well, father, l started out as
usual to call on jeanette. A hun
| dred yards from shore l realized it
was foolish toetry to cross, so turned
and came back. You were out milk
ing, and think mother must have
been in the shed tending the sick
sheep. AS I had already eaten my
supper, l went directly to bed"
''But the cap, Nat? How did you
lose that?"
ut blew Off when I turned to come
back, and it was so cold that 1
| made no attempt to- get it."
The searching party arose to go.
The foremost had reached the door
when Squire Brown roared, "Wait
we're goin' to have a little party
here, and Parson Smith will do the
honors How bout it, CALI"
you're derned right, squire. We
got about enough of this foolish
ness
Five minutes later, Parson Smith
pronounced Nat and jeanette man
and wife, then, somehow or other
everyone disappeared and the newly
weds were alone.
MAT" she sobbed, with her head
on his shoulder, ION which side of
the lake shall we live?"
He replied tenderly, IT don't
know, dear, but there's one thing
certain We'll both be on the same
side"