East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1861-10-15

AFTER the pipe was III, ana drew her easy
chair little nearer the fire, and his own
"Come, sit down" no said pleadingly
otis not late, and when man has beer
knocking about in California and all sorts
Of places, for score of years, he is glaC
enough to get into berth like this, anC
to have pretty woman to speak to once
again"
"Californiai Havo you been in Cali
formal" she exclaimed, dropping into q
chair at once. Unconsciously, she hac
long cherished the idea that Sam Payson
the lover Of her youth, with whom she
had SO foolishly quarreled, had pitched
his tent, after many wanderings, in thai
far off land. Her heart warmed to one
who, with something of Sans looks 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.. Minards' dressing-gown, wearing Mr..
Minards' slippers, and sitting in Mr.. Mi
nards' chair, beside Mr.. Minards' wife,
smoked Mr.. Minards' pipe with such an
air of feeling most thoroughly and com
fortably at home.
"Yes, ma'am, I've been in California
for the last six years. And before that /
went quite around the world in whaling
shipr'
"Good graciousl"
The stranger sent puff of smoke
curling gracefully over his head
ats very strange, my dear lady, how
often you see one thing as you go wan
dering about the world after that fash
ion"
"And what is that?"
"NIen, without house or home above
their heads, rowing here and there, and
turning up at all sorts of odd places; car
ing very little for life, as general thing,
and making fortunes just to fling thom
away again, and all for one reason. You
don't ask me what that is? No doubt you
know already very WELL"
81 think not, SIR"
"Because woman has Tilted them"
Here was long pause, and Mr.. Min
ards pipe emitted short puffs with amaz-
ing rapidity. a guilty conscience needs
no accuser and the widows cheek was
dyed with bushes as she thought of the
absent Sam.
"I wonder how women manage when
they get served in the same way,n said
the stranger musingly, you never meet
them roaming up and down in that style
. "No," said Mrs. Minards with some
spirit, "if a woman is in trouble she must
stay at home and bear it, the best way
she can. And there are more women
bearing such things than we know of, l
dare say"
s"Like enough. We never know whose
hand gets pinched in trap unless they
scream. And women are too shy or too
sensible-whioh you choose for that"
"Did you ever, in all your wanderings,
meet any one by the name Of Samuel
Payson?" asked the widow, unconcern-
edly. The stranger looked toward her;
she was rummaging in the table drawer
for her knitting work, and did not notice
him. When it was found and the needles
in motion, he answered her.
Payson-Sam Payson? Why ho was
my most intimate friendl Do you know
him?"
"a little-that is used to, whom was
girl. Where did you meet himY"
"He went with me on the whaling voy-
age | told you of, and afterward to Cali
fornia. We had tent together, and
some other fellows with us, and we dug
in the same claim for moro than six
months"
81 suppose he was quite well?"
"Strong as an OK"
"And-happy ?" pursued the widow,
bending close over her knitting.
"Hum-tho less said about that the
better, perhaps But he seemed to enjoy
life after fashion of his own. And he
got rich out there, or rather, / will say,
we'll off"
Mrs. Minards did not pay much atten-
tion to that part of the story. Evidently
she had not finished asking questions, but
she was puzzled about her next one. At
last she brought it out beautifully.
"Was his wife with him in California;"
The stranger looked at her with twink
ling eyes.
ellis wife, ma'am Why, bless you,
he has not got one."
"Oh, l thought mean / heard
here the widow remembered the fate of
Ananias and Sapphira, and stopped short
before she told such a tremendous fib
"Whatever you heard of his marrying
was all nonsense, can assure you. |
knew him well, and he had no thoughts
Of tho kind about him. Some of the
boys used TO tease him about it, but ho
soon made them stop"
'Howp
'He just told them frankly that the
only woman he had ever loved had Tilted
him yeats before, and married another
man. After that TO one ever mentioned
the subject to him again, except me-
Mrs. Minards laid her knitting aside,
aud looked thoughtfully into the fire.
lie was another specimen Of the class
Of men / was speaking of. | have seen
him face death ascore Of times as quietly
rs / face the fire. 1T matters very little
what takes me off, he used to say; there
is no one that will shed tear for me
when l am gone It's a sad thought for
"a 30