The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-09-25

didn't make Pearl think so. She wore
mourning for her who lad been the onlv
mother she knowed of, but not weeds.
Weeds was for widows, she said, and she
wasn'ta widow"
"But the stone2'
"Well, sir. I'm coming to that. Ayear
ago, sir, fine gentleman from France
came here hunting for child, lost on
this coast. He'd heard of Pearl by hap
pen. chances, if there is such, and came
here. When he saw the clothes, he just
tainted like woman"
"She was related, then9"
The strangers voice was husky, but tn
sea air was growing chill.
"Her father, SIR"
"He took her away?"
"He tried to. He told her of splend-
ed home he had in New York, for he'd
followed his wife and child, SIT, to the
city they had never reached. He was
rich and lonely. He begged his child to
go, but she would not. Hiram will come
here for me- she said, 'and he must find
me where he left me-"
"On what has she lived?"
''Sewing, sir, mostly. The cottage was
old Mrs. Goldby's, and bless you, Pearl
did not eat much more than bird, and
her dresses cost next to nothing. But
there's no denying she was very poor
very, and yet the grand home and big for
tune never tempted her. So her father
came on and on to see her, until April.
An he died, sir, and left our Pearl all lis
fortune and the grand house in New
York. But she'll not 60, sir, she'll die
here, waiting for Hiram, who'll never
GOMEZ
The stranger lifted his face that had
been half hidden in his hand and said:
''There was a shipwreck in the Pacific
Ocean, Davy, years and years ago, and
one man was saved-saved, Davy. by saw
ages who made him slave, the worst of
slaves But one day this sailor saved the
life of the chiefs daughter, who was in
thecoils Of hugh snake, and the chief re-
leased him. More than that he gave him
choice spices and woods and sent him
aboard the first passing ship. So the sal
lor landed in great city, sold his pres
ents and put the gold in safe keeping.
Then he travelled till he reached the sea-
port town where he was born, and COM
ing there at sunset, heard the story of
his life from the lips of man cutting lis
tombstone'
Not word spoke Davy. Standing
erect, he siezed an immense sledge ham
mer, and with powerful blows from strong,
uplifted arm, dashed the e arble into
fragments. Then, painting, with exertion,
he held out his brawnv hand to the stran-
ger-a stranger no longer.
'I've done no letter work in my life
than I've done in the last five minutes,
Hiram. Go home, man, and make Pearls
heart glad. She don't need it, Hiram
she don't need it. You asked me about
the stone. Tie neighbors drove her to
ordering it, INVITING her that now she was
rich, she grudged the stone to her
husbands memory. So she told me to
cut it, but says, Don't put dead upon it,
Davy- lost at sea; for .Hiram's lost,
but he'll be found and come back to me.
She never looked at it, Hiram, never. And
there's not an hour, nor hasn't been for
ten years, that she hasn't been looking for
you to come back. Go to her, man, and
the Lords blessing be upon both of you.''
| So, grasping the hard, brown nand,
Hiram Goldby took the path to the little
white cottage where he had been born
forty-fve years before. The sun had set
and the darkness was gathering, but a
little CLEAN of light streamed from the
window of his cottage. He drew near
softly, and standing on the seat of the
poarch, looked over the hal curtain into
the neat but poor sitting room.
It was not the grand house. Pearls
heritage in New York, but Pearl herself
was there. A slender woman, with a
pale, sweet face, and black hair smoothly
banded and gathered into rich braids at
the back OF her shapely head. Her dress
with plain dark one: with white ruf1es,
cuffs and ar apron.
She had been sewing, but her work was
put aside, and presently she came to the
open window and threw aside the curtain.
She did not see the tall figure drawn
closely against the wall in the narrow
poarch, but her dark eyes looked mourn
fully toward the sea, glimmcring in the
half light
my darling!' she whispered, sare you
dead, and has your spirit come to take
mine where we shall part no more?"
OAAJ lAS VdSu VI VIC wave UGlUM ttu-
swered her. Signing softly, she said:
us my darling coming? feel him so
near to me, I could almost grasp HIM"
She stretched out her arms over the
low window sill, and low voice answered
her: "Pearl! Pearl!'
The arms that had so long grasped on
ly empty air, were filled then, as Hiram
stood under the low window.
''Do not move, love-" she whispered,
pressing her soft lips to his; Il always
wake when you move"
''But now" he said, ''you are already
awake See, Pearl, your trust was heav-
en-given. tits myself, your fond, true
husband, little one, who will never leave
you again"
at is true! You have conner She
cried at last, bursting into torrent of
happy tears. II knew you were not dead.
You could not be dead and my heart not
tell me-" It was long before theyhcould
think of anything but the happinesssof a
reunion after the many years of separa-
ton, but at last, drawing Pearl closer,
Hiram whispered walked from j.,
love, and am enormously hungry"