Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-04-07

me! how stupid"
The last remark was neither addressed to the
stranger nor to the dog, but to herself She
had forgotten that the little stand was not
empty-and there was no room on it for the
things she held.
"Oh, LII manage it, said the guest, gather
ing up paper, candle, apples and spectacles-
(it was not without little pang that she saw
them in his hand, for they had been the Dea-
cons and were placed each night, like the
arm chair, beside her)-and depositing them
on the settee.
Give me the table cloth, mann; 1 can
spread 1t as we'll as any woman. I've learned
that along with scores of other things in nv
Wanderings. Now let me relieve you of those
dishes; they are far too heavy for those little
hands the widow blushed0 ''and now please
SIT down with me, or cannot eat n morsel."
81 had supper long ago, but really think
can take something more, said Mrs. Cobb,
drawing her chair nearer to the table.
"of course you can, my dear lady-in this
cold autumn weather people ought to eat twice
as much as they do in warm. Let me give you
piece of this ham-your own curing, dare
say"
"fes; my poor husband was very fond of it.
He used to say that no one understood curing
ham and drying beef better than II
HE was most sensible man, 1 am sure |
drink your health, madam, in this cider
he took long draught, and set down his
glass.
" 1t is like nectar
The widow was feeding Bowse and the cat
(who thought they were entitled to a share of
every meal eaten in the house, and did not
quite hear what he said. 1 fancy she would
hardly have known what nectar" was-so it
was quite as we'll
" Fine dog, ma am-and very pretty cat ="
They were my husband 8 favorites, and 2
sigh followed the answer
"Ah-your husband must have been a very
happy man"
grew hurried
is there anything more 1 can get for YOU,
sir ~ she asked at last
Nothing, thank you, have finished ;,
She rose to clear the things away. He as
sisted her, and somehow their hands had
queer knack of touching as they carried the
dishes to the pantry shelves. Coming back to
the kitchen, she put the apples and cider in
their old places, and brought out clean pipe
and box of tobacco from an arched recess
near the chimney
My husband always said he could not sleep
after eating supper late, unless he smoked, !"
she said Perhaps you would like to try it,
NOT II 1t is to drive you away" he an
swered, for she had her candle in her hand.
On, mo- do not object to smoke at all"
ton about '.propriety" troubled her, but She
glanced at the clock and felt reassured. It was
only half past nine.
The stranger pushed the stand back after the
pipe was lit, and drew her easy chair a little
nearer the ire-and his own
Come, sit down, he said, pleadingly. "It's
not late-and when a man has been knocking
about in California and all sorts of places for q
berth like this-and to have pretty woman to
speak to once again"
California Have you been in California;
she exclaimed, dropping into the chair at once
Unconsclously she had long cherished the i.ea
that Sam Payson-the lover of her youth-with
whom she had so foolishly quarreled, had
pitched his tent, after many wanderings, in
that far-of land. Her heart warmed to ono
who, with something of Sans look and ways
about him-had also been sOjourning in that
country-and who very possibly had met him
perhaps had known him intimately, At that
thought her heart beat quick, and she looked
very graciously at the bearded stranger, who,
wrapped in Mr.. Cobb's dressing gown, wearing
Mr. Co6b's slippers, and sitting in Mr.. Cobb's
chair, beside Mr.. Cobb's wife, smoked Mr.
Cobb's pipe with such an air of feeling most
thoroughly and comfortably at home,
"Yes, ma'am-I've been in California for
the last six years. And before that went
quite round the world-in a whaling ship;
Good gracious
The stranger sent puff of smoke curling
gracefully over his head
cts very strange, my dea- lady, how often
you see one thing as you 60 wandering about
the world after that fashion,
And what is that2''
Men, without house or home above their
heads, rowing here and there and turning up
In all sorts of odd places, caring very little for
life as general thing, and making fortunes
just to fling them away again-and all for enc
reason. You don't ask me what that is? No
doubt you know already very we'll"
Il think not sir
a hos ~.
Here was long pause, and Mr.. Cobb's pipe
emitted short puffs with surprising rapidity A
guilty conscience needs no accuser and the
widows cheek was dyed with bushes as she
thought of the absent Sam.
Il wonder how women manage when then
get served in the same way" said the stranger
musingly? You never meet the1s roaming
up and down in that style
mo, said Mrs Cobb, with some spirit-'sif
woman is in trouble she must stay at home
and bear it the best way she can. And there's
more women bearing such things than we knew
of, dare say"
"Like enough. We never know whose hand
gets pinched in trap unless they scream
And women are too shy or too sensible, which
you choose, for that"
did you ever, in all your wanderings, meet
any one by the name of Samuel Payson?h asked
the widow unconcernedly. The stranger looked
towards her-she was rummaging the drawer
loI nof huittiuS WOTk, ana QlQ not notice him.
When it was found and the needles in motion,
he answered her.
"Payson? Sam Payson2 Why he was my
most intimate friend. Do you know him ?"
"a ittle-that is, I used to, when 1 was a
girl. Where did you meet him '''
He went with me on the whaling VOYAGE
told you of, and afterwards to California. We
had tent together, and some other fellows
with us, and we dug in the same claim for
more than six months -
i suppose he was quite we'll 20
Strong as an OK, my dear lady"
"And-and happy" said the widow, bend
ing closer over her knitting
'Hum-the less said about that the better,
perhaps. But he seemed to enjoy life after q
fashion of his own. And he got rich out there,
or rather, / will say-well off"
Mrs. Cobb did not pay much attention to
that part Of the story. Evidently she had not
finished asking questions. But she was puz-
zled about her next one. At last she brought
it out beautifully.
WAS his wife with him in California ?''
The stranger looked at her with twinkling
eye.
Ills wife, ma'am? Why, bless you, he has
not got one,'
''Oh, thought mean heard"-here the