Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1872-06-07

what had done. Nobody ever loved
me as truly and generously as you have
done, and 1 don't know what I should do
if you were taken away!"
There was young Birming CHAM. if
all reports are true" [ mischievously be-
gan, but the curl on Claras lip stopped
me.
"a mere butterfly" she said, haughti-
ly, without either brains or principle,
Paul. Paul I have found a shelter in
your true. loving heart, and [ mean to
nestle there always!'
And then she cried-this foolish, soft
hearted little wife Of mine
Jones and Tewksbery might have call
ed this policy. Farnum would have said
it was acting. But it was very pleasant,
and [ felt more than ever like man who
has found some precious jewel, and wears
it like an amulet on his breast.
So the things went on until the firm oi
which I was managing partner needed to
send some one to Calcutta to see after a
turbaned scoundrel of an agent, who had
absconded with more money than we could
we'll afford to lose. Morrison was old and
feeble-Hewitt's wife lay very ILL., kiss,
ed Clara goodbye as cheerful as I could
fully expecting to be back in three months
or so.
had to follow the agent up into the
mountains of India-I fell i'll of one o
those burning climate fevers in the bun.
gallo of an old native priest, and the months
few by, until it was more than a year be.
fore found myself on the deck of the
Blue Eyed Mary" steaming into New
York harbor.
And all this time Clara had not heard
word from me.
l had written to her to prepare her fol
what seemed almost like my rising frou
the dead, but [ had afterwards found my
letters in the pocket of the neglectful ma.
tive servant who had undertaken to deliver
the mail to the Calcutta office.
''But it don't matter so much now !'
thought, "she will be the more delig GIFTED
poor little girlr'
And then a cold chill seemed to Greer
through all my veins, like November
wind suddenly breathing across bed Of
flowers.
Clara had heard nothing of me for near
ly fifteen months--what might have hap
pened in that time All that Tewksbery
and Jones, and Allen, aud all other pro-
phetic ravens of my acquaintance had said
required to my mind. like burden of an
uneasy dream. | had been counting the
hours. and the very minutes, until we
should touch port-but now that my feet
rang once more on the pavement of my
native city. [ actually dared not 60 home.
[ turned into down town restaurant
where | had been wont to 60 in the days
of bachelorhood, and SUNK into that dark
corner-the twilight Was falling, and
was sheltered by the partition.
Hush! that was Tewksbery's voice,
harsh and jarring, as of old.
Just what might have been expected, "
said Tewksbery. pretty and young
widows don't 60 begging in this market" "
"Folliot might have known it," growl-
ed old Farnum. ''Poor Folliot, there
were some good points about him, too
sad thing, that! very sad thing!'
'We must all die" said Tewksbery.
gravely.
''Yes, but fellow would naturally pre-
fer dying in his bed to being carried of
by an East India fever and buried in the
jungles''
II shuddered. Had I come home to
my own funeral as it were
"And she is going to marry young Bir-
mingham after all !" added Farnum. The
paper dropped from my hand
II could have told Folliot so when I
found out what confounded idiotic will
he had made" said Tewksbery. $50
gold has fallen again. Just my luck;
sold out to-day"
| stayed to hear no more, but stagger-
ed out in the darkness with one idea whirl-
ing through my dizzy brain-my Clara
was mine no longer.
1t was questionable what Tewksbery
had said; | might have anticipated some
such end. She W; s too young. too lovely
for such rough fellow Eds [ was. My
widow! What curious sensation the
words gave as I whispered them.
Under my own window. with the ruby
red light shining through the wine color
ed damask curtains, | stood there feeling
as Rip Van Winkle might have felt in the
play-like dead man walking on earth
once more. Voices and lights were with
in. l opened the door softly and crept
into the hall.
The drawing-room door was ajar, Clara
herself stood before the fire, with frill OF
white Grape on her auburn golden tresses
the awful sign of her widowhood. Di-
rectly opposite stood Harry Birmingham
looking diabolically young and handsome
in the soft light.
''Clara, Clara" he cried, ''you surely
are not in earnest You will consider p
"My answer is final" she replied
The time might once have been when
fancied [ had a childish liking for you,
Harry Birmingham. But that time has
long since passed away. I gave my hear
to the best and noblest man that ever
breathed Paul Folliot--and in his grave
it is forever buried. loved him once
shall love him on into eternity. l nevcl