The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-06-15

change with q qui1Eical smile PLAYING
arOUnd bis. lips. He was tall, we'll form.
ed man, with bold but handsome face,
sunburnt and heavily.besrded, and look.
ing anything hut delicate, though his
blue eyes glanced out from under q fore.
head ~ white % snow. He looked around
the kitchen With AmischievOus smile, and
stretched owt his feet before him, decora-
ted with the deEGnct Bdnilace's slippers.
Upon my word this Il stepping into the
old mans shoes with vengeancel And
what hearty, gOOd.humoFsd looking wo-
-ssaR- As-sSlLKind- -kiatsAAaWd-A he
leaned forward and stroked the cat and
her brood, and then patted old Browse
upon the head. The widow bringing in
sundry good things, looked pleased at bis
attention to her duub cat and dog.
Its u wonder BOwse does not growl; he
generally does il strangers touch him.
Dear me, how stupidl'
This last remark was neither addressed
to the stranger nor to the dog, but to her
self She had forgotten thai the little
stand was not empty and there vas no
room on It for the things she held.
oh, Ill manage it, said the guest, gath.
e,ing up paper, candle, apples and specta-
cles, it was not without little pang TINT
she saw them in his hand, for they had
been the landlords, and we're placed each
night, like the arm chair, beside her, and
depoSiting them on the settle.
Give me the table cloth, ma'am. lean
spread it as well AZ any woman: | have
learned that, along with scores of other
useful things, in my wandering. Now,
let me relieve you Of those disheS-they
are Ear too heavy for those hands, The
little widow bluShed. And now please
sit down with Inc, Or cannot eat a NOR
SELL
4 had supper long ego, but really I
think ! can take something mOre,' said
Mrs. MiRsrds, drawing her chair nearcr.to
the table.
OF course you can, my dear lady in
this cold autuHIn weather people ought to
eat twice M much as they do in warm.
Let inc give you q piece OF this ham, your
own curing, | dare say
Yes; my poor husband was very fond
OF it. He used to say that no one under
stood curing ham and drying beef better
than H.
He was n most sensible man, am
sure. drink your health, ina am, in this
cider
He took long draught, and sat 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, J
and did not quite hear what he said. |
fancy she would hardly have known what
nectar was-sO it was quite as well.
Fine dog, ma'aln, and very pretty cat.
They were my husbands favOritcs :
and sigh followed the answer.
'Ah, your husband must have been O
very happy man.
The blue eyes looked at her so long that
she got Hurried.
is there anything more I can get for
you, sir, she asked ut last.
Nothing, thank you; Thave finished.
She rose to clear the things away. He
assisted her, and somehow their hands
had q 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
then brought out clean, pipe and box
Of tobacco from an arched recess near the
chimney.
Ny husband always said he could not
sleep after eating supper late unless he
smoked, she said. Perhaps you would
like to try it YOURSELF
mot II it is to drive you away he
answered, for she had her candle 10 her
hand.
oh, no; do not object to smoke at
ALL She put the candle down; some
faint suggestions about propriety' trOu.
bled her, but she glanced at the old clock,
and felt assured. 1t vas only half past
nine. . .,t, ...
The stranger pushed the stand back
after the pipe was, lit, and, drew her easy
chair little nearer the fire, and his own.
Come. sit down. he said pIeadingly ;
its not late, and when 1 man has been
knocking about ia California and ell sorts
Of places, for score of years, he is glad
enough to get into berth like this, and
to have pretty woman to speak to once
again. ''
California; Have you been in Cali.
forniA Y she exclaimed, dropping into q
chair at once. Internationally, she had
long cherished the idea that Sam Payson,
the lover Of her youth, with whom she
had so fOOlisbly qUaFTeIed had pitched his
tent after many wande,ingsiN that far. of
land. Her heart warmed to one who, with
something OF Sans looks aud ways about
him, had Also been sojourning IN that
country, and who, very possibly, had met
hiW-perhaps had known him intimately
At that thought her heart, beat quick,
and she looked very graciOusly at the
bearded stranger, wrapped in Mr.. Min.
ards dressing gown, and wearing Mr.
Minarda' slippers, and sitting In Mr.. Min.
ards chair, baaide Mr.. Minards' wife,
smoking Mr.. Minards' pipe, with such an
air Of feeling most thoroughly and com.
fortably at homel " ; 49,.
'Yes, ma'am, I've been in California fol
the last six years. And before that went
quite around the world IN whaling ship.
Good gracious! r
The stranger sent a puff of smoke curl.
ing gracefully over bis head.
It's very strange. my dear lady, how
often you sec one thing a. you 70 wan.
dering about the world after chat fashion.
And what is thatl' ,f so
Men, without house o. home above
their heads. rowing here and there. aad
turning up ct al sorts Of odd places
caring very little for, life, as . genera
thing, and making fortunes just to fling
them away again, and all for one, reason.
You don't ask inc what that is: Nc
doubt you know already very WELL ~
Il think not, sir . '''''
Because woman has fitted them =
Here was . long pause, and Mr.. Min.
ards pipe emitted short puff4 With anna.
Sing raPidity. "A guilty conscience needs
no accuser, and the widows cheek was
dyed with bushes as she thought Of the
absent Sam. ~ 49,.
Il wonder how women manage when
they get served In the same way, bald the
a