Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-06-27

A.u tnereS more women bearing sue
uanas Than we know OF, dare say
] LAKE enough. We neve: know who's
I oands get pinched In the trap unless the,
sesesm. And women are too ahy. or to,
fensxivs, which you choose, for that
INC you ever. IN al your wanderIpps
NEE. any one by the name Of Samuel Paw
'or! asked the widow, unconcernedly.
Inc stranger looked toward her. sh,
vas nmmsginx her drawer for her knlttins
wofk. and did not no. ice him. When L
was found 'aud the needlss in ,,oeion' n.
answered her. ~ N Hl1-I'--I .''''' ~
"Irysonf Sam Paysou1 What, Hs
vas my most intimate friendi Do vo,
know him?' '"'
httle-that Ii, | used to when wa.
girl Where did you meet himY'
He went out With me on A Whaling WV
age that l told you OF, and Afterwards 10
california We had q tent together, and
some other fellows with us. and we dug 10
"And-and happy r said tie woman woman :,
bending close over her knitting.
Hum m-the less said about that the bet.
ter-perhaps. But he seemed to enjoy life
after a fashion Of his own. And he got
rich out there, or rather. 1 will say-very
well off,
Mrs. Cobb did not pay much attention
to that part OF the story Evidently she
had not finished asking questions. At last
she brought 1t out beautifully.
WAS his wife with him In California g.
The stranger looked at her with twink.
ling eyes.
Ills wife. marin. Why, bless you, he
hain't got one!''
"Oh. l thought mean heard"-here
the little widow remembered the fate OF
Ananias and Sapphira, and stopped before
she told such a tremendous fib.
Whatsoever you heard OF his marrying
was all nonsense. l can assure you.
know him well. and he had no thought OF
the kind about him. Some OF the boys
used to tease him about 1t but he every
soon made them stop"
"Howl"
He told them frankly that the only wom-
an he had ever loved had Tilted him years
before. and married another man. After
that no one ever mentioned the subject to
him again except me-
Mrs. Cobb laid her knitting aside and
looked thoughtfulIy into the ire.
HE WAS another specimen Of the class
OF men ! was speaking of. have seen
him face death score Of times As quietly
As face the fire. 1T matters very little
i
nothing to live for. and there's no one 10
shed tear from me when I'm gone It's
a sad thought for msn to have. isn't il ?"
Mrs. Cobb sighed as she said she thought
IL was.
But did be ever tell you the name OF
the lady who jilted him.
II know her first name"
"what was t:''
MARIA"
The plump little widow almost started
out OF her chair. the name was spoken so
exactly ~ Sam would have said it,
did you know her3" he asked. looking
kesnly at her.
Yes"
Intimately
Yes"
And where Is che now? Still happy
with her husband, | suppose, aud never
giving thought TO the poor fellow she
drove out into the world"
NO" said Mrs. Cobb, shading her face
with her hands. aud speaking unsieadily
No, her husband 10 dead"
1Rete- -~8s A oead silence.
Does shey'
"How can telli"
''Are you still friends,''
Yes"
Then you ough, to know, and do. Tell
me-
'.I am sure dom, know why should.
But II do. you must promsie me. on your
honor. never TO tell him II you ever meet
with him aga,n."
er be repeated 10 any mortal man, upon
my honor"
well. then. she does remember him! !"
but howl"
"As kindly. think, As he could wish"
II am glad TO hear IL for his sake. You
and are the friends OF both parties; we
can rejoice with each other"
He drew his chair nearer hers. and took
her hand. One moment she resisted. but
II was magic touch; the rosy palm lay
very quietly on his. and the dark beard
bent SO low that IL nearly touched her
shoulder. II did not matter much. Was
he not Samuel Payson's dear friend! II
he was not the rose had he not dwelt
very near it for long loug timer
1T was n very foolish quarrel that part.
ed them said the stranger. softly
''Did he tell you about itg''
"Yes, on board tie whistler"
"Did he blame her much?''
Not so much as himself He said that
his jealousy and ill-tenper drove her 10
break of the match; but he thought s0me-
times II he had only gone back and spoken
kindly TO her she would have married him
after all. She MAS not happy, then, with
another!
Mr. r-,tLat is 10 say. her husband
was very good and kind" said the little
woman. thinking Of the lonely grave on
the hillside rather penitently, land they
lived verv pleasantly together. There
was never harsh word between them"
.Still-might she not have been happier
with Sam? Be honest and say just what
you think"
.,les."
Bravo! That is just what wanted to
come at. And now 1 have y secret to tell
you, aud you must break 1t to her."
Mrs. Cobb looked rather scared.
..What is i'?'
~ want you to 60 and see her, where
ever she may be, Maria!-wha' makes
you stare sOr"
''No,hng-oniy you speak so like some
enc used TO know, once in . while"
DO I:''-well. take the rest OF the mes.
sage. Tell her that sam loved her through
the whole; that when he heard sae WAS
free, he began TO work hard 1t making q
fortune; he has got il, aud is coming to
snare ~ VIII oeI. u hoc WILL iet Mm. W al
you tell her thisr''
The widow did not answer. She had
freed her hand from his, and covered her
face with It. By and BY she looked up.
He vas waiting patiently,
"Well?,'
~ will tell her"
He rose from bis seat and walked up
and down the room. Then he came back.
and. leaning on the mantle-piece, stroked
the yellow hide Of Bowse with his slipper
"Make her quite understand that he
wants her for his wife. She may live
where she likes, and how she likes, only
1t must be with him."
Il will tell her."
,,Ssy he has grown old. but not cold =;
that he loves her now perhaps better than
he did twentw years ago; that he has been
faithful to her thooogh life, and be will be
faithful till he dies"
The Californian broke OF suddenly.
The widow answered still
II will tell her."
"And what do you think she will sayf'
he asked In an altered tone.
"What eau she say but-comeP'
"Hurrahi" .ta. s1a.
The stranger caught her out Of her chair
fah ~ a 49, obi a h--