The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-05-28

ter!
"WeE, you sec, I felt in a hurry to
get it," said she. "You can't blame
me for being in a hurry, it's SO long"
"That's true" said the Postmaster.
"Well, better luck next time. But why
don't you wait? Mr.. McKibben will
take You over when he goes. He passes
your corner.
eyes, wait Mrs. Lester" cried Mr..
Mckibben, "Ill take We, and welcome"
But she had answered:
"Thank you. don't mind walking"
and was gone.
"Keeps it up, don't she?" asked the
Postmaster.
cts Il shame" said Mr.. McKibben.
Chow many years is it since Lester
went Off"
"Ten," said the Postmaster. 81
know, for it was the day [ came here.
She was as pretty woman as you'd want
to see then, wasn't she?"
"Well, yes" said Mr.. McKibben.
"Sailed III the Sphynx," said the Post
master. "And we all know that the
Sphynx went down in that voyage, all
hands along with her. The rest of the
women put on widows weeds, them that
lost husbands-four III this town itself.
They took what the Almighty sent, and
didn't rebel. She set up that her hus-
band wasn't dead, and would come back.
She's kept it up ever since; comes for
his letter regular, and he was drowned
along with all the rest, of course, ten
years ago. She must be thirty. Well,
she's changed a good deal lii that time"
"Yes," said the other man; butthere's
my son Job wild over her yet. He's
offered himself twice. He stands ready
to offer himself again any day-ready to
be a father to her boy, and Il good hus-
band to her. He's better off than |
be. His mothers father left him all he
had. He's crazy as Job-crazy, | call
it. Plenty Of pretty gals, and healthy
smart widows, and he sees no one but
that pale, slim, little thing that's just
gone out into the mud 4; and she-why,
of course, she's lost her senses, or she'd
have him. Works like Il slave to keep
herself and the child, lives in a rickety
shanty, waiting and waiting for a
drowned man to come back again. Why,
every one knows Charlie Lester was
drowned in the Sphynx. There wasn't
a soul saved, not one. 1t was in the pa
pcrs. Now, the bottle was found with
a letter III it writ by some Il just be-
fore the ship sunk. And she's waitin'
for him YETI"
"Crazy on that point" said the Post
master. "Well, poor soul, she'd only
been married a week when the Sphynx
sailed; that makes a difference"
"Oh, yes" said the farmer.
Then, their parcels being ready, they
went out to their wagons, and Mr.. Fair
john having stared out into the rainy
night awhile, put up his shutters and
went to bed. Meanwhile, the woman
plodded on through the mud. "Walk-
ing off her disappointment" she said to
herself. 1t was one she should have
been used to, and now the absurdity of
it seemed to strike her for the first time
in all these years.
"They laugh at me-" she muttered to
herself. e know they laugh at me.
Perhaps | am mad; but they don't know
what love is. Charlie wouldn't have left
me like that. If he had died he would
have given ne some sign; and yet-yct,
if he were alive, it would be stranger
still. No, no; they are right am
wrong. He must ba dead"
And as though the news had just been
whispered to her, she claspeu her hands
to her forehead, gave a cry, and sank
down on her knees in the road.
She knelt there a few moments and
then arose. In this interval the wind
had blown the clouds from the sky, and
the moonlight lay white upon the path,
and lit her on her way to her poor home
There at the door sat Il man, a strong,
determined-Iooking fellow, who arose as
she approached and held out his hand.
"Here you come" he said, "tired to
death, worn out, still on that fruitless
GRAND. Jessie Lester can't you give up
this nonsense and think of the living q
little. Think of me, Jessie, for just half