Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1924-01-23
LIGHT AT EVENT.DE
BY EUNICE M. GADDAS

| NION EMBER WlluS SnTlekeu ABOUT
~ the old house, and against the
small-paned windows the rain pelted
| increasingly. Miss Abble shivered a
| little as she replenished the fire and
! returned to her chair beside the bed.
| Old Peter was dying. He lay mo-
| tionless In the great four-poster bed,
| as he had lain ever since they brought
! him home from the madhouse, help
| less old man, to the care of busy
niece. During these long months Lot
| tie, Peters niece, had learned to de-
pend on Miss Abbie, as half the village
depended on her in every hour of sick
ness or distress.
Abbie Jane was an "old maid" The
fact was undeniable. Spare Of figure,
sharp of tongue, was Miss Abbie, with
a grim smile that belied the tender
ness of her knOtted hands, long skilled
in nursing. Miss Abbie had mo pa
thence with young ones clutter" If
her eyes softened when she stopped
| to pick up ragged doll or babys
| shoe-there was no one to see
| Miss Abbie's house was marvel of
| neatness, famous for its cleaning ma
| hogany and handmade rugs. No one
, guessed that she would have given 1t
up joyfully for the homeIy shabbiness
| Of Susan Plimpton's cluttered kitchen,
with the cradle in the corner. "A
born old maid" the village called Miss
Abbie, little dreaming of the loneliness
SO sternly hidden, or the supreme bit
terness of the knowledge that she had
never been wanted
Lottie, no more than the others,
guessed that valiantly guarded secret,
! but she had come to trust the kindly,
efficient woman who was her nearest
neighbor. SO it was to Miss Abbie
she came that stormy night of old Pc
ters Sinking spell"
Doctors away she explained, land
I'm going to harness up and go over
TO Hilton for Doctor Pike. No one
shall say that Uncle Peter wanted for
care in his last days. The wires are
all down." she added as she splashed
away through the rain.
Miss Abbie sat by the bedside, her
eyes on the CRAVING face of the old
man, but her thoughts back in the
past with the gallant young Peter she
had known. She had come very near
to loving Peter once. Miss Abbie
sighed.
The sick man stirred, his thin lips
moving In his faded eyes the light
Of madness burned no longer
Abigail dear hearth whispered
strange voice that was not the voice
of old Peter.
Abigail There was yearning in
the tone, cry of passionate longing.
Miss Abbie, strangely stirred, leaned
over him, but the old man needed not
her voice or her touch.
abigail !" Again the word thrilled
through the quiet room. Abigail,
sweetheart Do you hear me? Are
you waiting? | have come back, dear
est At last I have come back to
YOU"
The voice broke, then rang strong.
I'VE have waited long, long. dear
heart The way has been dark, and
very long. If I could have spoken
then the day I caught you there
among the roses! You stood as you
are standing now, Abigail In your
simple white gown, with one red rose
at your breast"
The heart of Abbie Jane gave
great leap. Among the roses, with
young Peter But that had been long
hn Il
spoken-only looked and went away.
He was speaking now, but not to
ner, not to Abbie Jane. 1t was to the
maiden Abigail, the rose maiden, that
he called And Miss Abbie listened,
mute.
IF l could have spoken. But |
knew knew-that I should be mad
There was fire in my brain that was
burning, burning, and I knew There
was a fire in rny heart too, Oh, ADJ
gail! Abigail But l had to quench
it, for your sake, dear. 1t was hard to
be silent, when my whole soul cried
out to you, cruel hard not to speak
the love that near overwhelmed me.
at was love that made me strong,
Abigail For | played the man.
went away, and you never knew.
Thank heaven, you never knew, Abb
gail, that you were loved-by mad
mani
81 went away, and the burning fires
consumed me, eating, eating, into my
heart and brain. But l never forgot
And now | have come back, Abigail,
sweetheart! The fires have burned
themselves out, and I can tell YOU
that love you! Abigail Abigail !"
1t was gone. the wonderful throb-
bling voice that had come, like the
voice of one long dead, from the inert
body of dying man. Old Peter lay
very quiet now. For long time Miss
Abbie sat by his bed, motionless gaz-
ing with tear-wet eyes into the past.
She scarcely knew when the doctor
came, at last, and said that old Peter