The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-04-23

ALL" She put the candle down - some
faint suggestion about propriety"
troubled her. She glanced at the old
clock and felt reassured it was only half
past nine.
The stranger pushed the stand back,
after the pipe was lit, and drew her
easy chair little nearer the fire = and
his own.
"Come, sit down." he said, pleading
ly. st is not late; and when man
has been knocked about in California
and all sorts of places for score of
years, he is glad enough to get into
berth like this, and to have pretty
woman to speak to again"
"California have you been to Cali
fornia :" she exclaimed, dropping into
the chair Unconsciously, she had long
cherished the idea that Sam Payson-
the lover of her youth-with whom she
had foolishly quarreled, had pitched his
tent, after many wanderings in that far
off land. Her heart warmed to one who
with something of Sans looks and
ways about him, had also been sojourn-
ing in that country, very possibly had
met him-perhaps had known him in
timately. AT that moment her heart
beat quick, and she looked very gra-
ciously at the bearded stranger, who,
wrapped in Mr.. Cobb's dressing gown,
wearing Mr.. Cobb's slippers, and sitting
in Mr.. Cobb's chair, beside Mr.. Cobb's
wife, smoking Mr.. Cobb's pipe, with
such an air of feeling thoroughly and
comfortably at home.
Yes, ma am, I've been in California
for six years And before that went
quite round the world in whaling
ship"
"Good gracious ~
The stranger sent puff of smoke curl
ing gracefully over his head.
:" It's very strange, my dear lady, how
often you see one thing as you go wan
dering about the world after that FASH
| ion."
"And what is it 7"
Men without house or home above
their heads, rowing here and there, and
turning up in all sorts of odd places
caring very little for life, as a general
thing, and making fortunes just to fling
them away again-and all for one rea-
! son. You don't ask what that is ? No
doubt you know already very we'll"
" L think not, SIR"
" Because woman has Tilted them. )"
Here was long pause, and Mr.. Cobb's
pipe emitted short puffs with surprising
rapidity. A guilty conscience needs no
accuser; the widows cheeks were dyed
with bushes at the thought of the alb
sent Sam. af ll..
81 wonder how women manage when
they are served the same way" said the
stranger musingly. tYou never meet
them roaming up and down in that
STYLE" te.
NO., said Mrs. Cobb, with some
spirit, " if woman is in trouble she
must stay at home and bear it in the
best way she can. And there's more
women bearing such things than we
know of, dare say"
"Like enough. We never know whose
hand gets pinched in trap unless they
scream. And women are too shy or too
sensible-which you choose-for that. "
{" Did you ever, in all your wander
ings, meet any one by the name of Sam
Payson 2" asked the widow, uncon-
cernedly.
The stranger looked towards her-she
was rummaging at the table drawer for
her knitting work, and did not notice
him. When it was found and the
needles in motion, he answered her.
"Payson ? Sam Payson? Why, he
was my most intimate friend. Do you
know him ?'
:" A little-that isl used to, when /
was girl. Where did you meet him ?''
"H He went with me on the whaling
voyage told you of-and afterwards to
California. We had tent together and
some other fellows with us, and we dug
in the same claim for more than six
months"
&C i suppose he was quite well p''
"As strong as an OK my dear lady. "
And = and happy ?" pursued the
widow, bending over her knitting"
Hum-the less said about that the
better, perhaps. But he seemed to en-
joy life after fashion of his own. And
he got rich out there, or rather will
say, well off,"