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

nOtuUV Ue 4uSEeFe0 ner.
'PaysOn-Sam PaysOnH Why, he was
my most intimate frisndl Do you know
hiInS'
"A little-thst is, used to, when wss
girl. Where did you meet him ?
lie went with me on the whaling
voyage l told you. Of and aaerwaTd to
California. We had tent together, and
some other 6,llOws with us, and we dug
In the same claim for more than six
months
u suppose he was quite wellr
-IStr0nG AS an OK,
And-hAppy :" pursued the widow,
bending close over her knitting.
Hum-the 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, I will say,
well 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.
His wife, mH%mi Why, bless you,
he has not got one
'Oh, | thOught-I mean heard here
the little widow remembered the fate Of
Ananins aud Sapphira, and stopped short
before she told such tremendous fib.
Whatever you heard Of his marrying
was all nonsense. ] can assure you.
knew him well, and he had no thoughts
Of the kind about him. Some of the boys
used TO tease him about il, but be soon
made them STOP
'H0wH'
lie just told them frankly that the
only woman he ever loved had Tilted him
years before, and married another man.
After that no one ever mentioned the sub.
jcct 10 him again, except me.
Mrs. Minards laid her knitting aside,
and looked thoughtfully into the Are.
He was another specimen Of the class
Of men was speaking Of I have seen
him face death score Of times a. quietly
as face the fire. 1t matters very little
what takes me off, he used to say; Il
have nothing to live for, and there's no
one that will shed . tear for me when |
am gone It's a sad thought for man
to have, isn't itv
MrG MiWards sighed, as she said she
thought It was.
BuI did he ever sell you the name Of
the woman who Tilted him y
/ know her first name
What was itr
Maria .-........--.-.
The plump little widow almost started
out Of hcr chair, the name was spoken SO
exactly as Sam would have said It.
Did yon know her, too?' he asked,
looking kcenly at her.
Yes
Intimately
Yea
And where is she now Still happy
with her husband, / suppose, and never
giving q thought to the poor fellow she
drove out into the world p ,1
No. said Mrs. MinariS shading her
face with her. hand. and speaking unSlead.
lily; no, her husband IL dead
.'Ahl but she never thinks of Sam.'
There was q dead silence.
Does she p
How can telli'
Yes
-. Then you ought to know, and you do.
Tell me-
I'm sure don't know why I should.
But IL do you must promise Ine, on your
honor, never to tell him, if you should
ever meet him again
Madame, what you say 10 the never
shall be repeated to any mortal man.
We'll, then, shO does remember him.
Bur how
As kindly, think, as he could wish.'
] am glad to hear II, for his sake. You
and are the friends Of both parties; we
cen rejoice with each other
lie drew his chair much nearer hers,
and took her hand. One moment the
widow resisted, but It was magnetic
touch, tho rosy palm lay quietly IN his,
and the dark beard bent so low that Il
nearly touched her shoulder. It did not
matter much. Was he not Samuels dear
friendr If he was not the rose, had he
not dwelt very near Il, for Tong, long
1t was = foolish quarrel that parted
them, said the stranger, softly.
Did he tell you about itp'
Yes. on boAcd the whaler.'
Did he blame her much ?
Not no much rs himself. lie said
that hia Jealousy and ill-te,npsr drove her
~ break oft the match; but he thought
sometimes if he had only gone back aud
spoke" SI sT.. kindly & to her. she would have had
I'm sure she would said the widow
piteously. She has owned it to me moro
than Thousand times
She vas not happy, then, with anoth.
err
'Mr.-that is to say her husband d-was
very good and kind, said the little wo.
man, thinking Of the lonely grave out on
the hillside rather penitently and they
lived very pleasantly together. There
never was . harsh word between them.
Still, might she not have been happier
with himl Be honest, now, and say just
what you think
yea
Bravo I That what wanted to come
at And now I have sectvt to tell you,
and you nluRt break it to her.
Mrs Minards looked rather scared.
What is itr
u want ys5O to 90 and see her, where.
ever she msy Be, end cay to her, Maria ;
what. makes XQu atart 90 a..
Nothing. only you speak, like some
one used to know, once 10 q while %
DO H., Well take the rest Of the mes.
sage. Tell her that Sam loved her through
the whole; that, when he heard ahs ssas
frcN be began 70 work hard at making 0
fortune. He has got Il, and Is cOmiNs
home to share It with her, Ii she will lCt
him. VIII you tell lher thar " p" ~
The widow did not answer. She had
freed her hand from his, and covered her
lace with it. BY and by she looked up
sWeltH' .......'. .s. ..'', .,.......'
Twill tell her. ,, ~
/