The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-08-07
VOLUME XII.

Then, their parcels being ready, the,
went ont to their wagons, and Mr.
Fairjohn having stared out into tn,
rainy night awhile put up his shutter
and went to bed. Meanwhile the wo
man plodded on through the mud
Walking off her disappointment" she
said to herself. It was one she should
have been used to, and now the alb
surdity of it seemed to strike her fol
the first time in all these years."
"They laugh at me-" she muttered
to herself. Is know they laugh at me.
Perhaps 1 am mad but they don't
know what love is. Charlie wouldn't
he would have given me some sign
and, yet-yet, if he were alive, it would
be stranger still. No, no; they are
right am wrong. He must be
dead"
And as though the news had Just
been whispered to her, she clasped her
hands to her forehead, gave q cry, and
sank down on her knees in the road.
She knelt there o few moments and
then arose. In this interval the wind
had blown the clouds form the eky,
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" he said, stirred to
death, worn out, still on that fruitless
errand. Jessie Lester, can't you give
mp this nonsense and think of the living
a little. Think of me, Jessie, fer just
half an hour"
"I do think of you," she said. CT
am very sorry you should be SO good to
me when I must seem so bad to you.
Then she sat down on the porch and
took her little hood of, and leaned her
head wearilv against the wall of the
house and the man arose and crossed
over and sat down beside her.
"Give it a softer resting place,
Jessie, he said, "here on my heart"
She looked out into. the night, not at
him, as she spoke:
"Job," she said, "I begin to think
you are right, that he went down In
the Sphynx with the rest ten years ago.
But what good would do you? What
do you want to marry me for p"
The man drew closer still as he an
swered:
Before you were married to Charles
Lester I loved you. While You were a
married woman loved you. All these
ten years since that vessel went down
I've loved you. A man must have the
woman he loves if he gives his soul for
her."
"What horrible thought" said
she. "His soul"
ct should have said his Iife," said
Job. 81 don't want to shock you.
But you don't know what it would be
to me to have you. And then I'd do
everything for your boy"
eyes" she answered; 81 know you
would"
There was a pause. Then she gave
him her hand.
" job" she said very softly, "I shall
pretend nothing I don't feel, but know
I've been crazy all this time, and if you
want me you may have me. It's very
good of You to love me So"
And thus it seems to have ended, that
len years watching and waiting, and
there was triumph in Jobs eyes as he
turned and left her with his first kiss
green lane he paused and looked back.
ST told her the truth" he said,
&c when said that when q man loved a
her, if the price were his soul ITSELF"
And then he drew from his breast
letter with q great red seal upon it,
looked at it for q moment, and hid it
away again.
Married? Yes, they were to be mar
red. Every one at McKibben's Cor
ners knew that now. Jessie Lester
vent no more to the postoflice for her
ong-e xpected letter. Job was furnish
ing his house-had furnished il, for on |
The morrow the wedding was to take
place. And it was night again. Amonth |
from that night, when she had come |
Tor the last time, as every one thought, |
through rain and mud, to make her
sadly foolish query, abe was sensible |
At last-very sensible. She had chosen
me substance instead of the shadow.
And now, as we eaid, it was night,
md wetter one than that other-later,
200, for Mr.. Fsirjohn had closed the
store, and was compromising himself
what he called night cap" of some
fragrant liquor, warm water, lemons
md sugar, and was supping it by the
'tove, when there came upon his door
'eeble knock, and when. being repeated,
nc heard it, there staggered in out of
he rain a dripping fieure-that of
Jessie Lester, the bride who was to be
IN the morrow.
She was trembling with cold, and as
1e led her to the fire she burst into
1ood of tears.
elm frightened" she said. "Some
me followed me all the way. I heard |
hem"
"You'ye no business to be out alone |
It night" said old Fairjohn, bluntly. |
6 And Ubof,s tho m atfar 9u
She looked up at him piteously.
81 thought there would be letter."
aid she. dreamt there vas one. I |
thought Charlie came to me and said,
Go to the Office once mole. I bave |
written, 1 have written Aud thought |
seen letter with red SEAL"
$50 did l." muttered old FaIjohn to |
himself.
And he went to the box where the |
etters were kept and brought Them to
,er in bis hand.
"Look for yourself" he said. "And
low, Mrs. Lester. I'm an old man. |
Take my advice. Remember what your |
iuty will be after tomorrow. Remem-
Der not to go crazy"
"Ten years have conc since your
husband left this place. If he's alive
he's rascal, and you are free of him
by law; but We all know that every
man on board the Sphynx was drowned.
So be a good wife to Job Roper and
forget this folly. I'll take you home
again this time. Don't come egain."
She made no answer, but only tossed
the letters over in her lap, and eaid:
~ seemed to know it had a red
SEAL"
And as she spoke, old Fairjohn,
glancing at the door, saw a dark shadow
there, saw it grow darker saw it enter,
and starting up on his defense, if need
be, recognized Joe Roper.
He was very pale, and he took no
notice of Fairjohn, but crossing the |
store, stood beside Jessie Lester.
"You love that man best, even now,
be said. =" You'd rather have found a |
letter from him than not, though to-