The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1861-01-24
q C5oOo gtorp.
COBB'S FIRST LOVE.
BY MARY W. STANLEY GIBSON.
(Concluded)

"Come, sit down." he said, pleading
Iy. cts not late and when a man has
been knocking about in California an
all sorts Of places, for a score of wears,
he is glad to get into a berth like this
and have a pretty woman to speak to
once again"
"California2 Have you been in
California; she exclaimed, dropping
into the chair at once. Unconsciouslv,
she had long cherished the idea that
Sam Payson-tho lover of her youth
with whom she had foolshlv quarreled.
had pitched his tent, after many wan
derings in that far-ofF land. Her heart
warmed to one who, with something Of
Sans looks and ways about him, had al
so been sojourning in that country, and
who had very possibly met him-per-
haps had known him intimately! At the
thought her heart beat very quick, and
she looked very graciously at the beard
ed stranger, who, wrapped in Mr.. Cobb's
dressing gown, wearing Mr.. CUbb's
slippers, and sitting in Mr.. Cobb's
chair, beside Mr.. Cobb's wife, smoked
Mr.. Cobb's pipe with an air of feeling
most thoroughly and comfortably at
hOme
eyes, ma'am, I've been in California
for the last six years. And before that
Il went round the world in "A whaling
ship"
"Food gracious!'
The stranger sent a puff Of smoke
curling gracefully over his head.
cts very strange my dear lady, how
often you meet one thing as you ga
wandering about the world in that fash.
ion"
"And what is that?"
"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 genera
thing, and making fortunes just to fling
them away again-and all for one rca
son. You don't ask me what that is?--
No doubt you know already very we'll
81 think not, sir.
because a woman has Tilted theml
Here was a long pause; and Mr. Cobb
pipe emitted short pufs with surprising
rapidity. a guilty conscience needs n,
accuser, and the widows check was dye,
with bushes as she thought Of the ub
sent Sam.
| 81 wonder how women manage whcr
they get served in that way" said thu
stranger musingly. "You never NEE
/ |then rowing mp and down i'm that style.
"No," said Mrs. Cobb, with some
spirit, "if woman is iu trouble sht
must stay at home aud bear it, the bos
way she can. And there's more womcr
bearing such things than we know of,
dare say
"Like enough. We never know
whose hands get pinchcd in a trap uu
less they scream And women are to,
shy or too sensiblo-which you choos
for that"
"Did you ever, in all your wander
ings, meet any one by the name Of Sam
ucl Payson?" asked the widow, uncon
cernedly The stranger looked toward
her-she was rummaging the tabl
drawer for her knitting work, and dir
not notice him. When it was found
and the needles in motion, he answered
her
"Payson? Sam Payson? Why he wa
my most intimate friendl Did yO
know him?"
ga little-that is, I used to when
was a girl. Where did you meet him?
"He went with me on the whalin
voyage told you of-and afterwards t
california. We had a tent togethe,
and some other fellows with u.s. and W
dug in the same claim for more than ST
months"
81 suppose he was quite well?"
"Suong as an OK, my dear lady"
"And-and happy?" pursued the vic
ow, bending closer over her knitting.
"Hum--the less said about that tn
better, perhaps. But he seemed to CT
ioy life after a fashion Of his own An
he cot rich out there, or rather l wi
say, well off,"
Mrs. Cobb did not pay much after
, ton to that part ofthe story. Eyiden
Inv she had not finished asking que
tions. But she was puzzled about Il
next one. At last she brought it ol
, beautifully.
} "Was his wife with him in Califo
= nia2"
The stranger looked at her wi
S twinkIing eyes.
"His wife, ma'am? Why, bless you
he has not got onel"
"Oh, thought mean I heard w.
here the little widow remembered Il
fate of Auanias aud Sapphira aud sto
ped short before she told such a TT
mendous db.
"Whatever you heard of his MARI
ing was all nonsense, l can assure yo
/ knew him we'll and he had no though
of the kind about him, Some Of t
boys used to tease him about it, but
soon made them stop"
"How?"
a, Gle just told them frankly that t
only girl he ever loved Tilted him yea
before and married another man. Aft
that no one ever mentioned the subjo
to him again, except me"
Mrs. Cobb laid her knitting aside, a
looked thoughtfully into the fire.
b. ale was another specimen Of
class of men was speaking Of | ha
'' seen him face death a score Of times,
quietly as l face the FIRE. III matt,
very little what takes me of, he us
- to say; I've nothing to live for, a
there's no one that will shed q tear