Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1869-04-29
property he once owned in this

vicinity"
"Please ask him to step inside.
Perhaps / can give him some In
formation. l have been familiar
with this part of the city for many
years"
A paleness crept over the kind
ly face as she watched the young
mans elastic, swinging tread, as
he passed out to the street. Chow
like las walk!" came through her
lips, more like the ghost of a for
gotten whisper than articulate
sounds. A book which she had
been reading, and wasstill holding,
was laid noiselessly down, and
with hands clasped closely against
her bosom, she stood fixedly
watching the door.
Presently father and son en-
tered together. Californian suns
and Coloradan winds had Drowned
the once thin and colorless cheek; ;
the dark locks had changed to
iron. gray, and the wild, free life
of the remote West, the health
full toll and exposure of the mine
and the camp, the CHEEKY COM
panionship of forest and river
and mountain, while keeping the
spirit fresh and free from moody
repining, had, even at that period
of life, broadened and strengthened
the frame. But all these changes
could not conceal the individuali-
ty, and Robert Barnes was an un-
mistakable in this hale and delib-
crate mountaineer, as in the hur-
rying denizen of the city of nine
teen years before.
"This is my father, ma'am--
Robert Barnes"
"Yes, madam; Harry tells me
you are quite"
He stopped abruptly, and gazed
at the woman before him, who,
with streaming eyes and parted
lirs, leaned eagerly towards him,
and murmured, in tones choked
and low,
"Answeredl o infinite Father! |!
answered! Observation-Disclosures
last-Oh, at last!" and tottering
forward, she seizsd his unresisting
hand, and, clasping it closely in
both her own, looked eagerly into
the bronzed face, where surprise
and JOY and love, and the smould-
ering fires of half-forgotten anger
and distrust, seemed struggling
for supremacy.
He would have signed to the
young people to leave them alone; /;
but she led him still unresisting
into her little sitting room at the
rear of the shop, then softly clos
ing the door, she released his hand
and, still looking into his face,
said.
"Not one kiss for your wife,
Robert, after so long-so long,"
and the low voice choked, and the
clasped fingers grew white under
each others pressure.
"How is it possible, Mary
She laid her finger on his lips.
"Hush !" she said. 81 can
guess all you would say" Hasti-
ly throwing open a writing-desk,
she took from it an old, yellow,
folded paper, and givingit to him
continued, "Read that, before you
Judge me-"
The writing was irregular and
scrawling, as if done by one in
great haste or with shattered
nerves. Mr.. Barnes read the few
lines three or four times through,
before he seemed to take in their
full significance. They ran:
"NEw YORK, Aug. 7th, l848.
"MY DEAR WIFE: Come to me
at once. Harry is very i'll, and
worn out with care and watching,
my own health is giving way.
send this by private hand, to Mr.
Jeremy, who will arrange for your
departure, and possibly may &C
company you part of the way.
"RoBERT."
There was q brief silence
Then he laid the faded letter soft
Ily down, and whispering, with
bated breath, 81 see it ALL see
it ALL" held towards her his tremb
/ ling hands. A smile like the
memory of childhood's sunny
mornings flushed through her lin
l gering tears, and the weary bur
!, den of twenty years seemed to bt