The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1879-06-14


minutes, Hiram. Go home, man,
and make Pearls heart glad. She
don't need it, Hiram-shc don't
need it. You asked mo about the
stone. The neighbors drove her to
ordering it, twitting 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, Devy--put lost
at sen; for Hiram's lost, but hell
be found and come back to me.
She never looked at it, Hiram
never. And there's not m hour,
nor hasn't been for ten years, that
she hasn't looked for you to come
back. Go to hcr, man, and the
Lords blessing DO upon YOU both"
So, grasping the hard, brown
hand. Hiram Colby took tho patti,
to the little white cottage where he
had been born forty-fVc years be.
fore. Tie 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 porch, looked over the
hall curtain into tho neat but poor
sitting-room.
TWAS not the grand house, PEARLS
heritage in Now York, but Pearl
herself was there. a slender wo-
man, with pale, sweet facc, and
black hair smoothly banded and
gathered into rich braids at the
back of her shapcly head. Her
dress was a plain dark one, with
white rutlles, cuffs and an apron.
She had bean sewing, but her
work was put aside, and presently
she came to the open window and
drew aside tho curtain, She did
not see tho tall figure drawn closely
against the wall in tho narrow
porch, but her dark eyes looked
mournful!y toward tho sea, glim.
mering in the half light.
"My darling!" she whispered,
"are you dead, and has your spirit
come TO take mine where We shall
part no more4p
Only the wash Of the wave below
answered hor. Signing softly, she
said: is my darling coming? I
feel him SO near to mo, l could al
most grasp him." She stretched
out her arms over tho low window
sill, and q soft voice answered her:
"Pearl! Pcarlm
The arms that had so long
graspcd only empty air, were filed
then, as Hiram stood under the low
window.
"Do not move, love-" she whis-
pcrcd, pressing her soft lips 10 his:
81 always wake when you move?'
"But now" lie said, you are al
ready awake. Sec, pcarl,your trust
was hcavcn-gircn. II is myself,
your fond, true husband, little one,
who will never leave YOU again"
1T is true! You have GOMEZ
shc cried at last, bursting into a
torrent Of happy tears. II knew
you were not dead. You could not
be dead and my heart not toll me-"
It was long lcforc they could think
of anything but the happiness of
reunion after the many years Of
separation, hut at last, drawing
Pearl closer, Hiram whispered, II
walked from j, love, and am
enormously hungry"
And Pearls merry laugh chased
the last shadows from her happy
face, and she hustled about the
room preparing supper.
Supper for two!' she cricd,glee'
fully.
The grand house in Now York is
tenanted by its owners, and Hiram
goes to sea no more; hut in tho
summer time Two happy people
come for Il quiet month to tho little
white cottage Mt Monkton,and have
always to listen to Davy's tale Of
the evening when hc was cutting
Hiram Goldby's tombstone, and
ended by smashing it into atoms.