The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-04-17
The Story of Two Lovers.


Twenty-six years ago James Sanderson,
a respectable person residing in the Scot
tish Hebrides, then verging on 40 years,
made court to girl some 16 years of age,
and was accepted; but a rival much
younger interfered, and bore off the prize.
This made Sanderson feel revengeful +; and
the girls new lover having been engaged
in smuggling, Sanderson informed upon
him, and he had to leave the islands, to
which he never came back. The people
were so violent against Sanderson that he,
too, was forced to leave, but had married
before doing so, his wife being taken to
spite his old mistress, who had not got
married.
Arriving on the American Pacific coast
in safety, he bought Large tract of land
a few miles north of Fort Langley, and
devoted himself to its agricultural devcl-
opment with so much energy and skill
that few years made him comparatively
wealthy. Better than this, however, the
new life brought with it such endearment
of the woman whom he had welded with
out other love than he had been able to
simulate for her deception, that the in
crease of their children was his conversion
into the fondest of husbands and when, in
1861, he became widower, he remained
so ten years, when he sent home to a sis
,cl III ciie HSuiiues, W ehSaee Wile ioi
him. His old flame was selected, and
said she was willing to go to him whom
she had Tilted twenty-five years before.
From the time of her second lovers
hasty flight under the denunciation of his
enemy, the smuggler's sweetheart had
never heard of that individual again; and
the lapse of time and the increasing bur-
dens of her lowly estate made her much
less imperious at forty than she was at
sixteen. The wealthy farmer of British
Columbia sent her ample means for her
outfit and voyage, and the long voyage
was accomplished without incident as far
as San Francisco. From the latter city
she was to proceed up the coast to her
destination on steamer in which pas
sage was specially secured for her, and
while awaiting this vessel she was seen
and recognized at hotel by the accepted
lover of her youth, who had been in Cali
fornia ever since his untimely departure
from the Hebrides. There was a dramatic
meeting, a long story on either side, and
alas, for the waiting widower-a full re-
vival of the old love.
Both lovers, however, were much So
bered by the discipline of maturer years
and the lady having explained by whose
wish and means she was in America, de-
clared that she must go onward as she haG
promised, and fulfil her engagement if ii
was still eXacted. She would faithfully
tell all to him who awaited her at the end
of her journey, confess that she could
never love him now as she had lately
thought possible, and abide by his own
decision. If he yet claimed her he mus,
be obeyed; if not she would return tC
Saw Francisco. AS the story ends witt
her temperance in the Californian city {
few days ago, and quiet marriage there tC
the former smuggler, it may be inferred
that the Columbian widower was at ono
sensible and magnanimous under his las
self The friend of the woman with whom
fate had twice denied him nearer, deare
elationship.-Concord (N H. Patriot.