Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-07-25

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he picked her up from the wreck. She was
sixteen when they were married. as near
as We could suess Hiram WAS a man oi
tweuty-iour. She prayed him stay home
then. and he stayed year, but he fretted
Tor the sea, and he went again, thinking,
s'pose. that his wife would get used TO II.
as all wives hereabouts must do. Bat she
never did-never. II was just pitlabie 10
see her 60 about. white as corpse. when
Hiram went away. never looking At the
sea without q shudder like a death chill.
All through the war 1t was just awful, ior
Hiram enlisted on board q man'o'.war, and
Pearl was just n shadow when he came
home the last time"
"After the war;
"les, sir; but he made no money Of any
account, and SO he went again, amer stay
ing home a long spell. Well, he never
came back. 'rwasn't no manner Of use a
telling Pearl he was lost; she'd just shake
her pretty head aud say: He'll come back. :
Not mite Of mourning would she wear,
even after his own mother gave him up
and put on black; for. sir, II stands to rea-
son he's dead years ago"
at looks So
"Of course 1t does; nobody else doubts 1t
but Mrs. Goldby. Old Mrs. Goldby's last
words were,-'l'm going to meet Hiram,
and they say the dying know. But even
| then tha, didn't make Pearl think so. She
wore mourning for her who had been the
only mother she knowed Of, but not weeds,
Weeds was for widows, she said. and she
wasn't widow"
! But the stonet"
] "Well, sir. I'm coming 10 that. year
| ago. sir, . fine gentleman from France
came here hunting for a child lost on this
coast. He'd heard of Pearl by happen
chances. il there Is such, and came here.
When he saw the clothes, he just fauted
| like n woman"
/ She WAS related, them"
The strangersvoice was husky, but the
sea air was growing chill.
! Her father, sir
'iie took her AWAY
"iie tried 10. lie told her of a splendid
home he had In New York. for he'd follow
ed his wife and child. sir, To the city they
had never reached. He was rich and lone
ly. He begged his child 10 20, but she
would not. Hiram will ONE here for me-
she said, aud he must find me where he lett
me"
"On what has she iyedg'
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 10 nothing. But there's
10 denying she was very poor.-very. and
yet the grand home and big fortune never
tempted her. 50 her father came on and
on to see her. until April An he died sir,
and len our Pearl all his fortune and the
grand house IN New York. But she'll not
go. sir, she'll die here, waiting for Hiram,
who'll never come"
The stranger lifted his face that had
been half hidden in his hand aud said
There was a shipwreck In the Pacific
ocean, Davy, years and years ago, and
one man only WAS saved-saved, Davy, By
sayages. who made him slave. the worst
OF slaves but one day this sailor saved
the lite Of the chiefs daughter, who was
in the coils OF a huge snake, and the chief
released him. More than that, be gave
him choice spices and woods. and sent bin
Sp7an6tdf fsss rsseVAr, sNtnu RS ptesents
and put the gold in safe keeping. Then
he Travelled till he reached the seaport
town where he was born, aud coming there
at sunset, heard the story of his liie from
the lips of "A man cutting his tombstone"
Not a word spoke Davy. Standing
erect. he seized an immense sledgc ham
mer and with powerful blows from strong
uphfted arms, dashed the marble into frag-
ments. Then. painting from e1ertion, he
held ou, his brawny hand TO the stranger
"A stranger no longer.
I've done no better work in my liie,
than I've done in the last live minutes, Hi
ram. Go home, man, aud make Pearls
heart glad. She don't need Is. Hiram
she don't need il. You asked me about
the stone. The neighbors drove her 10 or
derins II. twitting her that now she was
rich she grudged the stone TO her hus-
bands memory 80 she told me TO cut II,
but says Don't put dead upon II, Davy-
put lost at sea; for Hiram's lost, but he'll
be found and come back 10 me- She new
er looked at IL, Hiram. never. And there's
not an hour. nor hasn't been Tor these 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
$50. grasplng the hard, brown hand HI
| ram Colby took the path to the little white
cottage In which he had been born forty
five years before. The sun had set and
the darkness was gathering, but little
CLEAN OF light streamed from the window
! OF his cottage. lie dreS near softly, and
standing on the seat OF the porch, looked
| over the hall curtain into the neat but poor
| sitting room.
| at was not the grand house, Pearls her
/ itage In New York, but Pearl herself was
| there. 4 slender woman, with pale
sweet face. and black hair smoothly band
! ed and gathered into rich braids at the
back of her shapely head. Her dress WAS
q plain dark one with white rufties, cuffs
and an apron.
| She had been sewing, but her work was
put aside. and presently she came 10 the
! open window and drew aside the curtain.
She did not see the tall ngure drawn close
! " against the wall 10 the narrow porch,
! but her dark eyes looked mournfully to-
wards the sea, glimmering In the half
light.
My darling :" she whispered, "are you
dead. and has your spirit come to take
mine where We shall part no mOreT'
Only the wash OF the wave below sn-
swered her. Signing softly, she said
.Is my darling coming? l feel him so
near to me, 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 50 long grasped only
empty air. were flled then, as Hiram
stood under the low window.
"Do rot move. love-" she whispered,
pressing Ter soft lips to his; 81 always
wake when you move
But now" he said. ''you are already
awake. See, Pearl. your trust was heav-
en-eiven. Ii is myself. your fond. true
husband, little one, who will never leave
you again
1T is true! You have come ~ she cried
at last, bursting into torrent of happy
tears. IL knew you were not dead. You
could not be dead and my neart not tell
me-" II was long before they could think
OF any thing but the happiness Of reunion
amer the many years Of separation. but at
last, drawing Pearl closer. Hiram whis-
pered-"I walked from =. love and
am enormously hungry"
And Pearls merry laugh chased the last
shadows from her happy face, rs she bus
tied about the room preparing supper.
| .S,,rnar for i'' she criad Uiaatnllv