The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-11-16

only half-past nine
The stranger pushed the stand back, after |
the pipe was lit, and drew her easy chair a |
little nearer the fire-and his own.
"Come, sit down." he said, pleadingly. st |
is not late; and when man has been knock |
ed about in California, and all sorts of places,
for a score of years, he is glad enough to get
into a berth like this, and to have pretty
woman to speak to again"
"California have you been to California ?"
she exclaimed, dropping into the chair. I'm
consciously. she had long cherished the idea
that Sam Payson-the lover of her youth,
with whom she had foolishly quarreled-had
pitched his tent, after many wanderings in
that far off land. Her heart warmed to one
who, with something OF Sans looks and
ways about him, had also been soiourning in
That country, very possibly had met him
perhaps had known him intimately. At that
moment her heart beat quick, and she looked
very graciousiy at the bearded stranger. who.
wrapped in Mr.. Cobb's dressing gown and
wearing Mr.. Cobb's slippers, sitting in Mr..
Cobbs chair, beside Mr.. Cobb's wife, smoked
Mr.. Cobbs pipe with such an air of feeling
comfortably at home.
les, maam, Nv been in California for six
years. Before that l went quite round the
world in a whaling ship"
Good graciousw
The stranger sent puff of smoke curling
gracefully over his head.
1T is very strange my dear lady, how often
| you see one thing as you 90 wandering about
| the world after that fashion"
"What is that?"
"Men without house or home above their
| heads, rowing here and there, and turning up
| in all sorts of odd piaces-carag very little
tor life as a general thing, making fortunes
| just to fling them away again-and all for
one reason. You don't ask what that is. No
doubt you know very we'll"
81 think not"
Because woman has Tilted them.'
Here was pause, and Mr.. Cobb's pipe
emitted pubs with surprising rapidity. A
guilty conscience needs no accuser; the wild
ow's cheeks were dyed with bushes as she
| thought OF the absent Sam.
| Il wonder how women manage when they
get served in the same way?" said the stran-
| ger musingly. You never meet them roam
| ing up and down in that STYLE"
NO." said Mrs. Cobb, with some spirit: eff
woman is in trouble she must stay at home
and bear it in the best way. 1 dare say there
are more women bearing such things than
| we know Of"
hand gets pinched in a trap, unless they
scream. And women are too shy or too SEN
| sible for that"
| Did you ever, in all your wanderngs, meet
with any one by the name of Samuel Pay
| son 2" asked the widow, uncernedIy.
The stranger looked towards her. She
was rumaging at 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 he was nv
most intimate friend! Do you know him P''
"a httle-that isl used to when was a
| gill, Where did Won meet him po
HE went with me on the whaling voyage
L told you afterwards to California. We had
a tent together, and some other fellows with
us, and we dug in the same claim for more
than six months"
| 81 suppose he was qnite well?"
Strong as an OK" my dear lady.
And-and happy?" pursued the widow
bending over her knitting.
Hum, the less said about that the better
perhaps. But he seemed to enjoy life after a
fashion OF his own. And he got rich out
there, or rather will say well off,
Mis-. Cobb did not pay much attention 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;"
His wife, ma'am9 Why, bless you, he has
not got one"
| "Oh, L thought meant-I beard--u
| mere the little widow remembered the fate of
Ananlas and Sapphire and stopped short be-
lore she told such tremendous fib.
Whatever you heard of his marrying was
all nonsense, can assure you. l know him
well, and he had no thought of the kind
about him. Some of the boys began to tease
ABOUT 1t, but he soon made them STOP"
"How?"
"He just told them frankly that the only
woman he ever loved Tilted him years before
and married another man. After that no
one ever mentioned the subject to him again.
| except me-"
Mrs. Cobb laid her knitting aside, and look
ed thoughtfully into the fire.
He was another of the class of men was
speaking of. have seen him face death a
score OF times as quietly as face the fire.
1T matters very little what takes me off,, he
used to say; L have nothing to live for, and
there's no one who will shed a tear for me
when L am gone 1t is sad thought for a
man to have, isn't it?
| Mrs. Cobb sighed as she said she thought
it was.
"But did he ever tell you the name of the
| lady who Tilted him P"
II knew her first name"
What was it,"
"Maria."
The plump little widow almost started out
OF her chair; her name was spoken exactly
as Sam would have said it.
"Did you know her, too?" he asked, look
| ing at her.
YES"
"Intimately?'
"Yesn
"Ahd where is she now! Still happy with
| her husband, L suppose, and never giving a
thought to the poor fellow she drove out into
| the world"
| NO." said Mrs. Cobb, shading her face
with her hand and speaking unsteadily ssNo.
her husband is dead"
| "Ah! but still she never thinks of NOR
Sam.
There was a dead silence.
"Does she ?"
| ',How can 1 tell? ?"
Are you still friends9"
"Then you ought to know, and you do
Tell me-" ' Wv
81 am sure do not know why 1 should.
but II do you must promise me on your
honor, never to tell him, if you ever meet
him again."
Madame, what you say to me never shall
be repeated to any mortal man, upon nv
| honor"
"Wel, then, she does remember him.
"But how?"
| "As kindly, l think, as he could wish"
Il am glad to hear it for his sake. Yon
| and are the friends of both parties. We
can rejoice with each other"
He drew his chair much nearer hers. and
took her hand. One moment the widow re-
sisted, but 1t was magnetic touch: the ROSY
palm lay quietly in his, and the dark beard
bent SO low that 1t nearly touched her shoul-
der. 1t did not matter much. Was he not
Samuefs dear friend? If he was not the
rose, had he not dwelt near it for a ]ono
time? s'
ut was foolish quarrel that parted them. /"
said the stranger softly.
"Did he tell you about p"
eyes, on board the whaler.'
"Did he blame her much ?"
mot so much as himself. He said tbe+ bis
jealousy and il-temper drove her TO break off
the match but he thought sometimes IF no
had only gone back and spoken kindly tn bar
she would have married him after ALL,
81 am sure she would" said the widow.
piteously, "She has owned it to me more than
hundred times"
"Shewas not very happy, then, with an
other?"
"Mr.--, that was to say her husband
was very good and kind" said the woman.
thinking OF the lonely grave on the hillside
rather penitently, sand they lived pleasantly
together. There never was harsh word
between them"
'Still, might she not have been hammer
with Sam? Be honest and say just what
you think"
eyes,"
bravo! that is what wanted to come at.
And now l have secret to tell you, and Won
must break it to her."