The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-08-06

| dead"
And as though the news had JUS
been whispered to her, she clasped he,
hands to her forehead, gave a cry, an(
sank down on her knees in the road.
She knelt there a few moments anC
then arose. In this interval the winC
had blown the clouds form the sky
and the moonlight lay white upon the
path and lit her on her way to her pool
! home.
There at the door sat man, strong
determined looking fellow, who arose
as she approached and held out his
hand.
"Here you come" he said, "tired tc
! death, worn oGt, still on that fruitless
errand. Jessie Lester, can't you give
up this nonsense and think of the living
little. Think of me, Jessie, fer just
half an hour"
81 do think of you," she said. SCI
am very sorry You should be so good to
me when must seem SO bad to you.
Then she sat down on the porch and
took her little hood off, and leaned her
head YEARLY against the wall of the
house and the man arose and crossed
over and sat down beside her.
"Give it g 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, at begin to think
you are right, that he went down Ill
the Sphynx with the rest ten years ago.
But what good would do you? What
do you want to marry me for ?"
The man drew closer still as he an
swered:
Before you were married to Charles
Lester loved you. While you were a
married woman l 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"
"I should have said his life," said
Job. "I 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 q pause. Then she gave
him her hand.
"Job," she said very softly, "I shall
pretend nothing don't feel, but know
I've been crazy all this time, aud 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
ten years watching and waiting, and
there was triumph in Jobs eyes as he
turned and left her with his first kiss
upon her brow. But at the end of the
green lane he paused and looked back.
81 told her the TRUTH" he said,
when / said that when man loved a
woman as l loved her, he must have
her, If the price were his, soul itself"
And then he drew from his breast a
letter with great red seal upon il,
looked at it for a moment, and hid it
away again.
Married? ? Yes, they were to be mar
ried. Every one at McKibben's Cor
ners knew that now. Jessie Lester
went no more to the postoflice for her
lODg-6 expected letter. Job was furnish
ing his house-had furnished it, for on
the morrow the wedding was to take
place. And it was night again. AmOnth
from that night, when she had come
for the last time, as every one thought,
through rain and mud, to make her
sadly foolish query, she was sensible
at last-very sensible. She had chosen
tins substance instead of the shadow.
And now, as we said, it was night,
and wetter one than that Other-later,
too, for Mr.. Fairjohn had closed the
store, and was compounding himself
what he called might cap" of some
fragrant liquor, warm water, lemons
and sugar, and was supping it by the
stove, when there came upon his door a
feeble knock, and when. being repeated,
he heard it, there staggered in out of
the rain a dripping fgure-that of
Jessie Lester, the bride who was to be
on the morrow.
She was trembling with cold, and as
he led her to the FIRE she burst into
flood of tears.
"Pm frightened" she said. "Some
one followed me all the way. heard
them"
"You've no business to be ont alone
at night" said old Fairiohn, bluntly.
"And what's the matter ?"
She looked up at him piteously.
"I thought there would be a letter, J"
said she. /" I dreamt there was on. l
thought Charlie came to me and said,
Go to the office once mole. I have
written, have written Aud I thought
l seen a letter with a red seal"
$50 did ], muttered old Faiiohn to
himself.
And he went to the box where the
letters were kept and brought them to
her in his hand.
Look for yourself" he said. "And
now, Mrs. Lester. I'm an old man.
Take my advice. Remember what your
duty will be after tomorrow. Remem-
ber not to go crazy"
"1en years have cone since your
husband left this place. IF he's alive
he's a 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 sgain."
She made no answer, but only tossed
the letters over In her lap, and said
81 seemed to know it had a red
SEAL"
And as she spoke, old Fairiohn,
glancing at the door, saw a dark shadow
there, saw it grow darker saw it enter,
and starting mp on his defense, if need
be, recognized Joe Roper.
He was very pale, and he took no
notice of FairiOhD, but crossing the
store, stood beside Jessie Lester.
"You love that man best, even now,
he said. "You'd rather have found a
letter from him than not, though TO.
morrow is our wedding day"
She looked up into his face with a
piteOus glance.
81 never lied to you" said she.
"You know that"
He Crew whittier still
"I told you a man would lose his
soul for such love as mine," said he.
did you think those were idle
words ?"
Then he plunged his hand into his
bosom, and the next instant a letter,
with a red seal, lay in Jessie's lap.
I've made you happy, and now I'll
CO." he said. "FaiIjohp, l stole that
letter a mouth ago, off the counter
yonder. l knew who wrote it at a
glance ;" and then the door closed be
hind HIM and he was gomez
But Jessie had torn open the letter
and looked after him.
And these were the words she read,
old tairiohn reading over her shoulder:
ABOARD THE SILVER STAR.-Jessie, dar-
ling. l don't know what makes me believe
that | shall find you mine still after all these
years, but something does.
Five of us were cast on a desert island when
the SphynN went down. The two vet alive