Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-06-20

him. When it was found and the needles in
motion, he answered her.
"Payson? Sam Payson ? What He was
my most intimate friend Do you know
him 7"
"A little-that is, I used to when was g
girl. Where did you meet him ?"
HE went with me on the whaling voyage
told you of, and afterwards to California
We had tent together, and some other fel'
lows with US, and we dug in the same claim
for more than six months"
II suppose he was quite we'll ?"
"Strong as an OK, my dear lady,"
"And-and happy p said the widow bend
ing close over her knitting.
"Hum-the less said about that the better
perhaps. But he seemed to enjoy life after a
fashion of his own. And he got rich out
there, or rather, 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
it out beautiful.
"Was his wife with him in California"
The stranger looked at her with twink
ling eye. .--..------.-,
"His wife, ma'aml Why, bless you, he
hasn't got one!'
"Oh, I thought mean heard'-here the
little widow remembered the fate of Ananias
and Sapphira, and stopped before she told
such tremendous 6b.
"Whatever you heard of his marrying was
all nonsense, assure you. I know him well
and he has no thought of the kind about him.
Some of the boys used to tease him about
it-but he very soon made them STOP"
"How?"
"He Just told them frankly that the only
woman 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 look
ed thoughtfully into the fire.
"He was another specimen of the class of
men I was speaking Of. I have seen him face
death score of times as quietly as face the
fire. 1T matters very little what takes me
off, be used to say; i've nothing to live for,
and there is no one to shed tear for me
when l am gone" Its sad thought for a
man to have, isn't it?'
Mrs. Cobb sighed as she said she thought
it was.
"But did he ever tell you the name of the
lady who Tilted him?'
II know her first name."
"What was it?"
MARIA"
The plump little widow almost started out
of her chair, the name was spoken 80 exactly
as Sam would have said it.
Ibid you know herr" he asked, looking
keenly at her.
eyes"
"IntimatelyY
eyes"
"And where is she now2 Still happy with
her husband, suppose, and never giving a
thought to the poor fellow she drove out into
the world"
"No," said Mrs. Cobb, shading her face
with her hand, and speaking unsteady. mo,
her husband is dead"
"Ah. But still she never thinks of Sam. 3"
There was dead silence.
"Does she?"
"Are you still friendss s''
eyes"
"Then you ought to know, and do. Tell
me-"
81 am sure I don't know why should.
But if do, you must promise me, on your
honor, never to tell him if you ever meet with
him again"
Madam, what you say to me never shall
he repeated to any mortal man, upon my
honor"
"Well, then, she does remember him p
"But how p
GAS kindly, think, as he could wish"
81 am glad to hear it 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 it
was magic touch the rosy palm lay very
quietly on his, and the dark beard bent so low
that it nearly touched her shoulder. 1t did
not matter much. Was he not Samuel Pay.
sons dear friend2 If he was not the rose,
had he not dwelt very near it for long, long
time?
"It was very foolish quarrel that parted
them," said the stranger, softly.
"Did he tell you about it?'
"Yes, on board the whaler."
did he blame her much 7"
mot go much as himself. He said that
his jealousy and ill-temper drove her to break
off the match but he thought sometimes if he
had only gone back and spoken kindly to her,
she would have married him after ALL
Il am sure she would" said the widow.
piteously "She has owned it to me more
than thousand times"
"She was not happy, then, with another"
"Mr. -, that is to say, her husband
was very good and kind" said the little wo-
man, thinking of the lonely grave on the
hillside rather penitently y, "and they lived
very pleasantly together. There never was a
harsh word between them"
"Still-might she not have been happier
with Sam? Be honest and say just what
you think"
EYES,"
"Bravo! That is what I wanted to come
at And now I have secret to tell you, and
you must break it to her"
Mrs. Cobb looked rather scared.
What is it2"
81 want you to go and see her, wherever
she may be, and say to her-Maria! what
makes you stare so"
"Nothing-only you speak 80 like some
one used to know, once in while"
"Do I?-well, take the rest of the message.
Tell her that Sam loved her through the
whole; that when he heard she WAS free, be
began % work hard at making fortune; he
has got it, and is coming to share it with her,
if she will let him. Will you tell her this p
The widow did not answer. She had freed
her hand from his, and covered her face with
it. By and by she looked up again. He