The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-09-17
IUMLEY'S PARDNER,


"a with him from the states, but nobody
g here ever called him ANYTHING else bnt
o "Lumley's Pardner."
We miners have familiar kneck of
=. rechn tening, a2d name once altered
y SUCKS 70 man as long as he sticks to
Dc, the mines; SO, even after Lumley had
n, thrown up his claim and left the dig
r,lc Rlngs, good three years ago, Lumley'5
=" 1ardneF still remained, finger-post to
II; trace the distance back. After ali, John
L' Jones, or Lumley's Pardner, what mat
", tered it in that doubtful tide of immi-
~ grafton setting in toward the wild re-
: ,' glons, where The first confidential uues-
~ tlon after intimacy seemed to warrant
g. the liberty, was invariably, "Sav,
GI comrade, what was your name before
o yOu came here?"
81, You see. l knew Lumley's Pardner
= when he first came into the mines. 7
VI, was mp at Woods Diggings at the time
ell when he and party of two or three
/, more came around prospecting. l re-
~ member | thought what a fine stalwart
&c yt ung fellow lie was, straight as a
q young pine tree, and no foolishness
IIi about him either, for he had been
roughlng 1t year or two down on the
~ Texas border. 1 never saw the bows
II more downright pleased over a new
ev conner than when he bought claim and
c. went In with us. he was not a man to
NJ talk much about himself, nor one You
would feel free to question but there
' was honest square dealing looking ont
HI of bis clear, gray eyes, for ali the
iN" trouble and unrest laid up behind
- . them.
Lumley was as different as a man
a.. could be. / have noticed that men
IL take to unllkes n mating among them
M selves, as well as in choosing mates for
~, life. He came into the diggings week
= or SO later. and they somehow fell in
10 together. Lumley was what you might
)i call an extra clever fellow. Re looked
e. scarcely more than boy-those fair
a., SKINNED people never show their age
with his handsome, womanish face.
Do bright blue eyes ard trim-b -buiIt fipure
vi ont he had confdance until you could
t. not rest, plenty of the gift of CAB, and
-, something about him-I believe peo-
u Pc call 1T magnetism at least, when
e. you were with him You believed lust as
l. ne did, and then wondered at yourself
afterWard for doing so.
n, Lumley always had knack of twist
- ing folks round his little finger: for all
that, the lines of firmness were quite
y. lacking about his mouth. Lumley's
I, Iardn6r row, with his close-set lips and
A. square massive Iaw-yOu might as we'll
;,1 nope to move mountain as him against
ms VIII. lie would be strong to do, or
I to bear yOu could easily see that,
q do not know as it was exactly fair.
L never meant to eavesdrop. but it hap
d pened IN this wise: One night went
h' over TO Lumley's shanty-it was amaz-
DU ing strange how soon his name got
II tackled to eFerything-to see about a
n broken pick he wanted mended, used
. q TO do the smithing in those days. AsI
- opened the door l saw there was no one
e. IN, and being tired with my days work,
E dropped down on log just outside,
n lat my pipe, and sat leaning back against
:, the pine boards waiting for Lumley to
come back. guess I must have got
r, drowsy and fallen asleep, for the first
u thing heard was voices, and I,TmIey's
a Pardner speaking out bitter and short,
IN way we seldom heard him speak
- reckon it's of no use to ask if
IL there's any letters come to ny name"
- he said. There's no one 20 write TO
!, me-"
n opened my eyes and saw two CLEANS
!, OF hight streaming cut through the open
7 Coor and the one loop hole Of a window,
and then L knew that Lumley and his
] mate must have passed me by and never
n. seen me in the twilight. Raising myself
= up, L raw Lumley through the window,
- sitting down to the pine table beside a
/, yellow dip, with two or three letters w.
D ing before him, and one open in his
p, band. Then 1t flashed across my mind
thAt one of the boys from a camp be-
! y md had gone into the station and was
q, dUe with the mail that night.
II Lumley's Pardner sat over the far
\ SIDE of the table with a gloomy look in
4, ms eye. Being In the same boat r2ysClf,
i | knew how lonesome it was never to
{, n ave news from hCme, and wondered to
myself how manly, fine-looking fellow
IKE him should be without wife or
Z Weeiheart waiting with a wOman's pride
/ hln soma where.
:, Lumley was busy reading his letters.
D. L thought / had better stay outside. He
was that intent a. first that he seemed
4 not to have heard the others words, but
f, after moment he lifted his face with
y one of the proud, bright looks that
were Lumley's own. cay, comrade :"
> he cried cheerily; and don't you tell
b, me 1t isn't all your own fault. Don't
, dare to envy me my wife and child"
F, There was no reply; but, looking
over, L saw such a bitter, sorrowful
look on the face of Lumley's Pardner,
, that, scarcely knowing what was do
! ing, L stood and watched and pitied
him. 1 heard Lumley read aloud, words
ut love and and trust. watching and
waiting, ard of happiness in him and
he child, / saw his face as he read.
He might be a weak man, but he loved
the woman and the child. From the last
letter there dropped ont carte de WIS.,
ite. Lumley caught it up with boyish
! eagerness.
cold pard," he cried, ''you shall see
my two treasures. Here they are-Lulie
and the bOyT"
, He tossed the picture across the Ia
: bic. The other picked it up. l saw
man die once, stabbed through the
. heart. Just such look came into the
face of Lumley's Pardner, as he glanced
at the picture in his hand. Lumley,
bending over his letter, never saw it.
When he had finished reading he held
out his hand. The other did not even
raise his eyes, but kept them fxedly
on what he held.
81, too, once thought to have a wife
and child" he muttered presently, less
to Lumley than TO himself.
The words following that look, were
whole book of revelation to me. Hap
ply. Lumley did not notice. His face
showed some surprise, mingled with
that placid satisfaction the successful
always wear
"Ah I" he returned, shaking his head
knowingly, sis that the way the land
lies? / knew yOu were always close
mOuthed, but disappointment never
suspected that. She, whoever it was,
had precious bad taste when she looked
the other way !" and he ran his eyes ad-
miringly over the others splendid pro
portions and manly, handsome face.
"She never refused me" broke in
LumIey's Pardner, in low, smothered
tone, his eyes still fastened intently on
the picture. "I-never asked her
but she knew my mind, and I thought