Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-03-31

Ecf dresses cost next 10 nOtnlng. BuJ
there's no denying she WAS very poor
very. and yet the grand house and big
fortune never tempted her. 81 her father
came on and on to see her, until April.
And he died, sir, aud left our Pearl ali his
fortune and the big house in New York
But she'll not 90, sir, she Il die here, wait.
ing for Hiram, who'll never come"
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 only was saved-saved, Davy, by
savagrs, who made him slave, the worst
of slaves But one day this sailor saved
the life of the chiefs daughter, who was in
the coils of Il huge snake, ami the chief
released him. More than that, he gave
him choice spices and woods, and sent him
aboard the first passing ship. So the
sailor landed in great city. sold his
presents and put the gold in safe keeping
Then he travelled ill he reached the sea,
port town where he was born, and coming
there at sunset, heard the story of his life
from the lips of Il nun cutting his tomb
stone.
Not word spoke Davy. Standing
erect, he seized an immense sledge ham
mer, and with powerful blows from strong,
upilted arms, dashed the marble into
fragments. Then, painting with exertion,
he held out his hrawpy hand to the stran-
ger-a stranger no longer.
1--we done no better 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. The neighbors drove her
to ordering it, twtting her that now she
was rich she grudged the stone to her hus-
bands memory. So she told me to cut it,
but says, Don't put dead upon it, Davy-
put lost at sea; for lliram's lost, but he'll
be found ard 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
10 come back. Go to her, man, and the
Lords blessing be upon both of you"
So. grasping the hard, brown hand,
Hiram Goidby took the path TO the little
white cottage in which he had been born
lorty-iive years before. The sun had set
and the darkness was gathering, but IL lit
tic CLEAN OF light streamed from the win
dow of his cottage. He drew near softly,
and standing on the seat of the porch,
looking over the half curtain into the
neat, but poor sitting room.
1t was not the grand house, Pearls
heritage in New York, but Pcarl herself
was there. A slender woman, with pale,
sweet face, and black hair sm' ONLY band
ed and gathered into rich braids ut the
back of her shapely neas. Her dress was
II plain dark one, with white ruilles, cuffs,
and an apron.
She had been sewing, but her work was
put aside. and presently she came to the
Open window and drew aside the curtain.
She did not see the tall figure drawn close
ly against the wall IN the narrow porch
but her dark eyes looked mournlulIy TO-
ward the sea, glimmering in the half light.
My alIing!" She whispered, are
you dead, and has your spirit come to take
mine where we shall part no more?'
Only the wash of the waves below an
swered her. Signing softly. she said
= Is nv darling coming? feel him SO
near me could almost grasp him.
| She stretched ou, her arms over the low
window ill, and low voice answered
her: Pearl! Pearl!'
The arms tha, had so long grasped only
empty air were filled then, as Hiram stood
under the low window.
" Do not move. love-" she whispered
pressing her soft lips TO his; E" always
wake when you move.'
But now" he said, lyon are already
awake. see, Pearl, your trust was Heaven
given. 1t is myself, your fond, true hus
b nd, little one, who will never leave you
again"
1t is true! You have comet she crie(
at last, bursting into n torrent of happy
tears. Il knew you were not dead. Yor
couldn't be dead, and my heart not tel
me-
Ii was long before they could think G
anything but the happiness of II reunion
after the many years of separation. but a
last, drawing Pearl closer, Hiram whisper
ed: Il walked from j, and am enor
mousiy hungry"
And PEARLS merry laugh chased th
last shadows from her happy face, an,
she hustled about the room preparing sup
per.
Supper for two!' she cried gleefully.
The grand house in New York is tenant
ed by its owners, and Hiram goes to SCI
no more; but in the summer time lw
happy people come for quiet month t
the white cottage ut Monkton, and hav
,, always to listen to Davy's tale Of the even
= ing when he was cutting Hiram Gollby'
tombstone, and ended by smashing it int
atoms.
r For" is the invariable ending OF tn
tale, Pearl was right and we wele wron
all of us; for Hiram Goldby was lost
sea, sure enough, but he was not dea,
always said he would"