The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-06-18

"It's a shame" said Mr.. Mckibben.
Chow many years is it now since Lester
went Off"
"Ten," said the postmaster. Il know,
for it was the day | came here. She was
as pretty a woman as you'd want to see
then. wasn't she?"
Wei. yes" said Mr.. McKibben.
"Sailed in 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 in this town itself.
They took what the Almighty sent and
didn't rebel. She set up that her husband
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 since that time"
"Yes."said the other man g but there'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 a good husband to
her. He's better off than Ibe. His moth
er's father left him all hehad. 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; and
she-why, of course, she lost her senses.
! 1n-1,sl lnr,n hin, INarl-1 lII-n 4, -1ox va TO
keep herself and the child, lives in Il
rickety shanty waiting and waiting for a
drowned man to come back again. Why,
every one knows Charles Lester was
drowned in the SphynX. There wasn't a
soul saved, not one. 1t was in the papers.
Now, the bottle was found with a letter in
it, writ by some one before the ship sunk.
And she's waitin' for him yet"
"Crazy on that point" said the post
master. well, poor sOlll, she'd only
been married a week when the SphynX
sailed: that makes 4 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 putup his shutters and Wen to bed.
Meanwhile the woman plOddedO on through
the mud. "Walking off her diSappeint-
ment." she said to herself. 1t was one
she should have been used to, and now
the abSurdity of it seemcdt 10 strike her for
the first time in all these years.
They laugh at me- she muttered to
herself. Il know they laugh at me. Per
hapS | 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 me SOme sign: and, yet-yet, if he
were alive, it would be stranger still. No,
no; they are right and | am wrong. He
must be dead
And as though the news had lust been
whispered to her, she claSped 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 a man, a strong,
determined looking fellow, who arose as
she approached and held out his hand.
Here you come" said he tired to
death, worn out, still on that f~ruitlesS er-
rand. Jessie Lester. can't you give up
this nonsense and think OF the living a
little. Think of me, Jessie, for Just half an
hour"
-" do think of Won" she said. II am
very sorry Won shouId no so rood 70 me
when | must seem so bad to you"
Then she sat down on the porch and
took her little hood off, and leaned her