Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-08-19

a.
manly, fine-looking fellow like him, should
be without wife or sweetheart waiting,
with woman's pride in him. somewhere
Lumley was busy reading his letters and
| thought had better stay outside He
was that intent at first, that he seemed not
TO have heard the others words, but afler
moment he lifted his face with one of the
proud bright looks that were Lumley's
own. "Ay, comrade,'' he cried, cheeriiv !;
land don't tell me il isn't all your own
fault. Don't dare 70 envy me my wife and
child"
There was no reply; but looking over.
saw such n bitter sorrowful look on the
face of Lumley's Pardner, that, scarcely
knowing what / was dong, stood and
watched and pitied him. l heard Lumley
read aloud; words of love and trust, watch
ing and waiting. and OF happiness Tor him
snd the child. l saw his face as he read.
lie might be weak man, but he loved the
woman and the child. From the last there
dropped out carte de risife. Lumley
caught il up with boyish eagerness.
"Old pard," he cried. ''you shall see my
two treasures. Here they are-Lulie and
the boy"
lie tossed the picture across the table.
The other picked ii up saw man die
once stabbed through the heart. just such
look came into the face of Iumley's
Pardner, as ne glanced at that picture In
his hand. Lumley. bending over his let
ter. never saw it. When he had finished
reading. he held out hi, hand. The other
did not even raise his eyes, but kept them
! iixedly on what he had.
II too, once thought to have wife and
child" he muttered presently, less TO Lum-
I ley than to himself.
The words, following that look, were a
/ whole book Df revelation 10 me. Happily.
I Lumley did hot notice. His face showed
some surprise, mingled with that placid
I satisfaction the successful man always
I wears.
All" he returned, shaking his head
/ knowingly. ''i> that the way the land lies !
knew you were always close-mouthed,
but disappointment-f never suspected
that. She. whoever she WAS had precious
bad taste when she looked the other way"'
and he ran his eye admiringly over the
other Splendid proportions and manly.
{ handsome face.
she never refused me" broke IN Lum-
lcy's Pardncr. IN low, smothercd tone,
his eyes still fastened intently on the pict-
ure. "l-never asked her; but she knew
my mind, and thought | knew hers.
was sure she would wait for me until |
came back. II was for her went away"
hut you wrote to herr questioned
Not a word-not line am a poor
scribe. But she knew me well enough To-
need NO written assurance of my inten-
tiou>. Every day would be lived for her
There could be no doubt of that in her
mind.
l.umley made hasty gesture of dis
sent. And there. old man. was precisely
where you failed To connect, IL don't do.
you know. for women to take too much
Tor granted. They like to be well fortified
and then you are the surest to win ii you
take them by storm. Why, nv Lulie-"
''>he don't look as though she ever
walked over n true heart with her dainty
feet, aud that glad little smile just curving
her lips" broke in Iumley's Pardner, his
white face still bent on the picture. His
deep voice trembled little over the last
words.
''Lulic is truth itself" answered Ium-
ley. quickly. She never loved anybody
but me. 10 be sure, she had admirers
how could she help that and be what she
i,:-bui she loves me truly. ou can see
II in her eyes
Lumley's Pardner turned deathly pale.
He caught the table by one hand. a. II To
steady himself. and fairly hurled the pic;-
-urc across 10 Lumley. IL missed its mark
and fell 10 the floor. As he saw il fall, all
the herceness died out OF his eyes. and "A
frightened look crept into them.
Pick her up" he said, with timid an
prehcnsion, as though il were a human
being To whom. in moment of passion.
he had committed some act OF violence. II
didn't mean TO do that-poor little moth
er,"-that last word seemed 10 give him
stronger footing with himself Il was
thinking how my leife married another
man, and never Let me know"
a "A. 81,
to heart said Lumiey, soothingly.
"There'll be pleasant home, a dear little
woman, aud bright-eyed children In the fu-
ture for you yet"
"NEvER."
Lumley's Pardner brought down his fist
like dge-hammer; then he leaned for
ward in his seat, with a feverish eagerness
in his manner which he tried hard TO keep
out OF his voice,
Tell me, how would you have given up
your Lule?'
Lumley laughed with easy, careless good
nature. You put me In tight place, he
said. But. supposing the case. the first
question | should ask would be; Did she
go over To the eneiny's camp-in other
words torsake me for an old rival:"
IN -n-o:' answered Lumley's Pardner
slowly. at was some one | had never !
seen. I've nothing agin the man"
.'Why, them" went on Lumley-'truth
cuts hard. old fellow-I think il was your
fault and not the girls. Its a mans priv
ilege TO speak his mind; woman's desti- /
ny 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 lie women as OFT
en- marry to be loved, as because they
fnzt Il ,.tt
for that which may never come TO her.
she takes up the fate lying at her feet !
Does she 90 very much astray:"
Lumley's Pardner dropped his head up
OH his breast. Poor girl! never thought
OF that" he said.
do not know just how ii was that re-
membered all the words so plain. There |
was no more said, and, feeling guilty-like !
for stealing mate's secret which was not
meant for me TO know. crept to my shan
ty, bunked in, and let the broken pick lie
over until morning.
always felt sorry for Lumley's Pardner
after that.
Well. for time things went on in the |
old way. Then Lumley's Pardner came
down with mountain-feyer, and Lumley
nursed him through it. He was as tender |
as a woman. was Lumley. When l used |
to drop in of nights. occasionally, to lend |
hand at watching, the sick mans eyes
would follow him about the room, in a
helpless, beseeching way. that was pitiful
to see.
1t was only the ghost of Lumley's Pard |
ner that got up from it, but the two 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 wonderful streak
of luck. Lumley struck into big pocket,
aud there they were, in the turn of a die,
rich men. Mining. after all, is game of
chance-you buy your ticket. but it does
not always win; there are plenty of
blanks to every prize.
Ii does not matter the exact amount this
prize netted. if had remembered it. Lum-
| by was jubilant over his ''pie." anxious to
sell out. and leave the mines SO nobody
was surprised when his partner bought
him out for good round sum, saying. in