, 1875-06-13

J. intelligent aud cultivated man, and gre:
+ Traveller. So much OF the world had ho seen, =
. to my comparative ine1perence, it seemc
| little less than marycloas. Ho wa
years older than nrsclf-I wae just !
; f.-or ut least ha seen1:d go. A freacnna
is Older than an Amcr!can Of tha Same age, ii
ways Bur allowing for ail that, II, l. L'Essracs :,
) was doubtless eight or ten yaars N; senior. t.!
was at once raticeuI and cominunlcatiro--ret
cent in all that WAS purely personal and relato
to his inner self; communicative as to his rlaH
and projects. I soon discovered that he was Of
| his way to San Fraucisco,-so much farther OF
then than now.
"E Eut Whist a circuitons routo.' exclaimed
'lon ere soia9; around Robin Hoods barn.
robin Hoods barn." he repeated vi:h
meaning. ''Dut, my friend had bu. lus.ton,
from Panama. WIS tired OF tho ship tue sea
the n'onotony, SO 60 this way
Overland the who;o distance:" asked.
| 'Oh. no! Look here, shall have the h31el
to show YOU" and lie drew a folded map fro:s
his pocket. II leave you here at Calumet "
noting tho point With his pencil" YOU SEQ
Ihora | take the Lightning 1rsia for C4!-,
thence by express this way ''-point!n5 to ,;e"''
phis and JacGson-" down to New Orleans
That is right, Oh ~
e. Yea but you will have to 20 to Vera Cruz.
| How about q steamer acroHB tho gulf? -
"Aht there round your ROBIN Hoods barn +"
ne sait lMehins- 'csoo! SO across to Havana,
!
And theu--:" mr. oyo followed his pencil
"Then 80 by diligence to tho C!sv Of Nex:co,
| where I take t!,e saddle for Munzanilt.. There,
II the good fates bof,;end nc, catch s.ectnc- =
| ahead Of the ono that Lett New York vhou ,l.a.
! SO, lose no time; I ace your great countrY ;
and escape tho dali, mcnotonous sea, of which
! have had TOO much already"
The hours flew on silver winge. All day lon.
| We tloated a tide Of talk, sometimes snar.-
| ling with wit and hunor; sometimes taking q
fiAanAr nH rta fr,1n ns,a3 +lr%
! gave TO each briof, passing gi;nnses Of tho soul
Of tho other- It seemed to l1o TINT thcra was
| little worth knowing that nv companion did not
know: little worth seeing that be Ind not seea !;
| G:te ToTth thinking that lie had not tncu5hr.
Yet I learned little CT bis persouat history,
aaVe that he had spent much time in South
America. and that he lad large intereat5 II the
pear-,iahcr;cs at Lima, business connected
with which ho was going to Sau Francisco.
We had said nothing in any way raInting to
the War, its cauaez, its results. But suddenly
my friend turned to me-.
You have been in tho n.1ny z" ho aaid.
''Ies, I answered. II serre1 through tho
war. But Why do you think so:''
''Ah Won have Bomsthns-tLe air mitaire.
knew it from tho first. I, too, am. soldier,
and l did not uead that you shoald give tie
countcrssu,
Another night passed, and hour nfscr hour OF
the second day. Wo were 10 miles from Calu-
met. deep silence fell upon Us two WHO, in
these days OF chance companlonship, have grown
so strangely near each other. Soon our paths
would direrge, never il ali probability, to cross
agai1,. In vain Il. L'Egtran3e urged me to
,n nso!o2s nv Journey at least as 'az as Now Or
We must not psrr ~ ztrnugers," he said iua-
pnsiTelJ. - Ny heart has gone out to you-for
VIC are akin. Sonchcw-so1o whcrc--stal1 va
net meet again I" and he claspel my hand
warmly.
My reticent Northern nature stirred within
me-
II trust so, hope so,r I responded. "Dut
the world is vide. shall never forge; you, Il.
L'Estrangc."
'Ah! you arc you1ig," be said. With SLOW
shake Ct bis head Syou are Young and the
young have short memories. But stay, hold !!
Ehnl glvo you slgu--a token: So shall you
keep one in your hea1te
Taking from his pocket tiny po1, ho un-
locked ut with key attached to his watch
guard. number Of pearls cleaned aud ehi1n-
mered in the sunlight: EIe selected four OF re-
marhabe siza and purity.
lou shall wear these for my sRke," ha said,
placing them in my hal1.
But demuErod, saying it waa too costly
gift.
d" Are NC not friends?" he cried, his lip curl
ing with superb scorn- ' How talk yon then
Of cost2".
Two, then, to be mounted as s1oeve-buttons
Still shook my head and still he persisted.
- Here you. mon ami, he said, ut last. sIf !
sou will not have two, you shall have one -
and, taking my hand he placed ONO large, pure, |
lussrous pearl On tbs palm, and closed nv fin
gers over it. q It shall be mounted like. this"
drawing design on the lid OF tho bog, and
you stall wear it for q sig1r Then, you SEQ, !
shall have its mate eer in the same manner. It
shaM 81 u DC toE token between us and the pearls
shall bring us together again. Ah. l know it!
The pearla,-they are CHARMED"
''Ah, M. I,Estrange?" lansworea, II cal
rea,st no longer. I will Wear Tour pearl; aud /:
shsll at least be q sonnt,ir Of days mover to DO
forgotten"
As ne vas replacing rno u - % rnro-pno1osrapa
ng it to him, when my eyes fell upon face Of
such rare loHeEness that held the little picture
IS if speHbound-a woman's face SOFTLY
outlined, delicately rounded; pure,
larkly bngGt;" tender unsmitlng lips, that
wore sweetness deeper and holler than smiles;
/ chin and cheek that might we'll haro served as
models for a sculptor. There wero soft laces
estins about tho throat; and lace shawl,
brown gracefully over the stately head, rested !
lightly on the shoulders, hike rad1ant cloud.
}at the eyes we're the glory OF the picture:
aege, dark, spiritual eyes, that looked into
outs with unfathomable meaning in their liquid
lspths.
lily self-possession and my good mann azs re-
uIned at the same moncat.
- I beg your pardon" said. deprecatingly a.
gave the picture to its owner IS but it is SO
eauttfuE! 1t IL your wife?"
Ny wife No." he said, with low. visa
nile, "but if is my Marguerito-my rearl!'
There was no time for further speech. We
'ere at Calumet LEstrange threw his arm
round ne in his impusive French fashion, ami
lssed my cheek with warm ''God blass yon!" i
mother moment and our short chapter of TO-
lance was euded.
But was there no second chapter, Certeinlv, ! {
+ should hardly have thought it worth whilo
D tell you this. returned TO New York in t
eE weeks, had my pearl mounted precisely as ! I
'EstranEo bad directed and wore it. at first ;
18th Interpretations feeling that it was truly i
link between us. and would ono day draw Us J
'gether. It wae, indeed, as he had said sign,
token. It kept fresh and green in my memory I
hat else might have gradually faded away as t
ne OF the many forgotten incidents Of life b
lat vas changcful and full OF adventure. t
But it was not his face only that It recalled. I
Dver wore 1t without seeing, as i'll & vision, the
1rk, soul-lit eyes that had looked up at mo
'om tho photograph, the pure, cain brow, tho
ndcr wistful mouth Of my friends 'narsue- c
te." Not his wife. but doubtless his betrotIed. S
hat other meaning could I give to the Sudden a
.ht tina: Illuminated his face as be exclaimed =
that last, hurried moment, 1T is ny Ma7gaa~ .
te-my PEARL" 81
II shall write you from San Francisco" he a
ID said. But davs, weeks aa.l ul,,ntuu length t.
led into years, aud heard to:hiug. Ny peali !,
arf-p!n was the only token tlas those Charmed Y
rs Of travel had been moro than dream. I a
.fieved that he was dead, t.
T r..