The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-11-03

looked pleased OF MS a''eh'i0h " n'' a0i'i'
it sIt,s a wonder Bowse does not growl.
He generally does when strangers touch
him Dear me, how stupid
Th;e last remark was addressed neither
e tba stranger nor to the dog, but to her.
so,f She had forgotten that the little stand
snaa not empty, and there was no room on
i for the things she held.
ooh. I'll manage that" said her guest,
Gathering up paper, candle, apples, and
ssnectanles (it was not without little pang
nat she saw them in his hand, for, they had
heen the deacon's, and were placed each
night. like the armchair. beside her), and
depositing them on the settee. "Give me
the table-cloth, ma'am-I've learned that
along with score of other things in my
wanderings. Now let me relieve you of
those dishes; they are too heavy for those
little hands,"-the widow blushed-" and
now please sit down with me, or / cannot
eat morsel."
"I had supper long ago, but really
think I can take something more," said
Mrs. Cobb, drawing her chair near the ia
ble.,
"Of course you can, my dear lady. In
this cold autumn weather people ought to
eattwice as much as they do in warm. Let
me give you piece of this ham-your own
curing, dare say"
a" 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 l." r4
"He vas most sensible man, am sure.
I will drink your health, madam, in this
cider" an
He took long draught and sat down his
glass. ,yU toH
ats like nectar" Is, r& e.-y
The widow was feeding Bowsc and the
cat (who thought that they were entitled to
a share of every meal eaten ia the house,,
and did not quite hear what he said. l
fancy she would hardly have known what
" nectar was; 80 it was quite as well.
"Fine dog, ma'am, and o very pretty
cat"
"Ihey were my husbands favorites,"
and sigh followed the answer
"Ah, your husband must have been
very happy man."
The blue eyes looked at her so long that
she grew furried.
"Is there anything more I can get for
you, sir?" she said at last.
"Nothing, thank you; I have finished"
She rose to clear the things away. He
assisted her, and somehow their hands had
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 places, and brought out a
clean pipe and box of tobacco from an
arched recess near the chimney.
"My husband always said he could not
sleep after eating supper late unless he
smoked" she said. perhaps you would
like to try it." .
"Not if it is going to drive you away"
he answered; for she had candle in her
hand. ....
"Oh, no, I do not object to smoke OF ALL"
She put the candle down-some faint sug
gestions of 'propriety troubled her. She
glanced at the old clock and felt reassured
it was only half-past9.
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, pleadingly.
-" 1t is not late; and when man has been
knocked about in California, and all 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 again"
California have you been to Califor-
MIA ?" she exclaimed, dropping into the
chair. Unconsciously, she had long cher
ished the idea that Sam Payson-the lover
of her youth, with whom she had foolishly
quarrelled, 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 sojourning in that country, very
possibly had met him-perhaps had known
him intimately. At that moment her heart
beat quick, and she looked very graciously
at the bearded stranger, who, wrapped in
Mr.. Cobb's dressing-gown, wearing Mr..
Cobb's slippers, and sitting in Mr.. Cobb's
chair, beside Mr.. Cobb's wife, smoked Mr..
Cobb's pipe, with such on air of feeling
thoroughly and comfortably at home.
ayes, ma'am, / have been in California
for six years. And before that went
quite round the world in whaling ship"
"Good gracious !"
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 60 wander
Ing dDOuI the WOTlu ultSI tnae Auonlohs
"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 general thing, and 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
well.'
81 think not, sir"
!! "Because woman has Tilted them"
Here was along pause, and Mr.. Cobb's
pipe emitted short puffs with surprising
rapidity. A guilty conscience needs no ae-
cuser. The widows cheeks were dyed with
bushes as she thought of the absent Sam.
81 wonder how women manage when
they get served in the same way ?" said
the stranger, musingly.. "You never
meet them roaming up and down in that
style"
"No," said Mrs. Cobb, with some spirit
elf q woman is in trouble she must stay at
home, and bear it in the best way. And
there's more women bearing such things
than we know of, dare say.'
"Like enough. We never know whose
hand gets pinched in trap unless they
scream. And women are too shy or too
sensible-which you choose-for that
"Did you ever, in ell your wanderings,
meet with any one by the name of Samuel
Payson?" asked the widow, unconcernedly.
The stranger looked towards her. She was
rumaging at the table-drawer for her knit
ting-work, and did not notice him. When
it was found, and the needles in motion, he