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


"But you wrote to her ?" questioned
Lumley, with genuine interest.
"Not q word-not a line. I am a
poor scribe. Bat she knew me we'll
| enough to need no written assurance of
my intentions. Every day would be
lived for her. There could be no doubt
of that in her mind"
Lumley made hasty gesture of dis
sent. "And there, old man, was pre-
cisely where you failed to connect /! 1t
don't do, you know, for women to take
to much for granted. They like to be
we'll fortified and then you are suTest
to win if you take them by storm. Why
my Lulie-"
"She don't look as though she ever
walked over a true heart with her dainty
feet, and that glad little smile Just curv.
ing her lips - broke in Lumley's Pard-
ner, his white face still bent on the pic
| ture. His deep voice trembled little
over the last words.
"Lulie is truth ITSELF" answered
Lumley, quickly. "Sbe never loved
anybody but me. To be sure she had
admirers; how could she help that and be
what she is ?-but she loved me truly.
| You can see it in her eyes i'
Lumley's Pardner turned deadly pale.
He caught the table by one hand as if
to steady himself, and fairly hurled the
picture across to Lumley. It missed its
mark and fell to the floor. As he saw it
fall, all the fierceness died out of his
eyes, and a frightened look crept into
| them.
"Pick her up," he said, with timid
apprehension, as though it were a hu-
man being to whom, in a moment of
passion, he had committed some act OF
violence. 81 didn't mean to do that
poor little mother ;" the last words
seemed to give him stronger footing
with himself. " | was thinking how my
wife married another man, and never
| let me know"
"Come, come, old man, don't take
| it 80 to heart" said Lumley, sooth-
ingly. "There'n be pleasant home,
dear little woman, and bright-ey
children in the future for you yeti"
"Never |"
Lumley's Pardner brought down his
| fist like a sledge-hammer then he
| leaned forward In his seat, with a fever
ish eagerness in his manner which he
tried hard 10 keep out of bis voice.
"Tell me, how would you have given
up your Lulie ?"
Lumley laughed with easy, careless
good nature. "You put me in tight
place." he said. " But, supposing the
case, the first question 1 should ask
would be, did she go over to the enc
| my's camp, in other words, forsake me
| for an old rival ?"
"Nn-o !" answered Lumley's Pard-
ner, slowly. "It was some one I had
never seen. I've nothing ag'in the
man."
Why, then," went on Lumley,
"truth sometimes cuts hard, old fell
low-I think it was your fault and not
the girls. It's a mans privilege
speak his mind; woman's destiny to
fold her hands and wait. She can never
be quite sure unless he has spoken out.
Then, perhaps, another, who has learned
to love her, does speak. She feels the
need of love in her life ; women as often
marry to be loved as because they love.
Then instead of wasting her life for
that which may never come to her, she
takes up the fate lying at her feet. Does
she go very much astray ?"
Lumley's Pardner dropped his head
upon his breast. '' Poor girl l never
thought of that" he said.
do not know just how it was that I
remembered all the words so plain.
There was no more said, and, feeling
guilty-like for stealing a mates secret
which it was not meant for me to know,
l crept to my shanty, bunked in, and
let the broken pick lay over sntil morn
ing.
always felt sorry for Lumley's Pard-
ner after that.
Well, for a time, things went on IN
the old way. Then Lumley's Pardner
came down with the mountain fever,
and LumleY nursed him through it. He
was as tender as a woman, was Lumley.
When I used to drop in of nights, occa-
sionally, to lend hand at watching, the
mans eyes would follow him about the
room, in a helpless, beseeching way
that was pitiiul to see.
1t was only the ghost of Lumley's
Pardner that got up from it, but the
two men were always higher together
after that.
When Lumley got back to the claim,
and Lumley's Pardner was just able to
crawl about, they came into a wonder
full streak of luck. Lumiey struck into
big pocket, and there they were, at
the turn of a die, rich men. Mining,
after all, is a game of chance-you buy
your ticket, but it does not always win;
there are plenty of blanks to every
prize.
1t does not matter the exact amount
this prize netted, if had remembered
it. Lumley was jubilant over his
"pile," anxious to sail out and leave
the mines; so nobody was surprised
when his partner bought him out for q
good round sum, saying, in his quiet
way. that he guessed he'd stay and see
the thing through.
1t was very quiet in camp the morning
that Lumley went away. The boys
were sorry to lose him, for he had not
any but well wishers among us.
Well, six months went by, and then
came little white letter. "scribcd .
in dainty woman's hand, to Lumley
Psrduer. The man trembled all owe
like a leaf when it was put into his
cabin and shut the door. Within the
next half hour he came out again in a
desperate hurry, saddled his mule and
rode off down the trail.
Unexpected business !" was Lis
hasty explanation. Could not say when
he might be back.
The news came to US at last by
party of traders stopping to noon in
camp. Then ] knew what those marks
of weakness about his mouth stood for
Lumley had never left the city at all !
He had sat down to the gaming table
one night and gotten up from it the next
morning poorer than he had come into
the mines. He had first won, then lost
and lost and won, and won again and
then that last total blank stared him in
the face.
Lumley could never give up at that.
he must win it all back. Luck was
surely in store for him yet. He haunted
the gambling hells, playing recklessly,
desperately, so long as ne could win
enough to keep the ball rolling, pawning
his watch, his ring, even his clothing,
when other resources failed.
So Lumley's PardRer found him
heavy eyed, with ssedy fashiness in his
dress, marks of dissipation on his fair,
womanish face-a pretty nearly played
out individual.
The blood rushed all over his face,
for the manliness yet left in him could
but feel the shame of that meeting. But
there was no backing out now. Lum-
y