The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-04-24

his own mother gave him up and p
on black; for, sir, it stands to reason h,
dead years ago."
at looks So"
"Of course it does; nobody else doubts
but Mrs. Colby. Old Mrs. Golby's la
words were: I'm going to meet Hiram, ar
they say the dying know. But even thi
didn't make Pearl think so. She wo
mourning for her who had been the onl
mother she know'd of, but no weeds. Weet
! was for widows, she said, and she wasn't
widow" ts
"But the stone2"
"Well, sir, I'm coming to that. A yea
ago, sir, fine gentleman from France cam
here hunting for a child lost on this coas
He'd heard of Pearl by happen-chances,
there is such, and came here. When he sa'
the clothes, he just tainted like woman.
''She was related, then2"
The strangers voice was husky, but tn
sea air was growing chill.
"Her father sir2"
"He took her away2"
"He tried to. He told her of a splendid
home he had in New York, for he'd FOLLOWED
his wife and child, sir, to a city they ha(
never reached. He was rich and lonely
He begged his child to stay but she woulC
not. Hiram will come here tor me, sh,
said, and he will find me where he left
me- ar
"On what has she livedW
Sewing, sir, mostly. The cottage was old
Mrs. Goldby's, and bless you, Pear did moi
eat much more than a bird, and her dresses
cost next to nothing"
"But there's no denying she was very poor
very, and yet the grand house and big for
tune never tempted her. So her father came
on and on to see her, until April. And he
died, sir, and left Pearl all his fortune, and
the grand house in New York. But she'll
not 90, 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 and said
There was shipwreck in the Pacific
Ocean, Davy, years and years ago, and one
man only 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 the
coils Of huge snake, and 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 a
great city, sold his presents and put the gold
in safe keeping. Then he travelled till he
reached the seaport town where he was born,
and coming there at sunset, heard the story
of his life from a man cutting his tombstone"
Not word spoke Davy. Standing erect,
he seized an immense sledge hammer, and
with powerful blows from the strong, uplifted
arms, dashed the stone into fragments. Then,
painting with exhaustion, he held out his
brawny hand to the stranger-a stranger no
longer.
ave done no better work in my life than
Eve 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. The neigh
bors drove her to ordering It, INVITING her
that now she was rich, she grudged the stone
10 her husbands memory. So she told me to
cut it, but says: Don't put dead upon it, Davy
put lost at sea; for Hiram's lost, but he'll
be found and come back to me- She never
locked 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
20 come back. Go to her, man, and the
Lords blessing be upon both of you"
So. grasping the hard, brown hand, Hiram
Holdby took the path to the little white cot
age in which he had been born forty-fve
years before. The sun had set and the dark
ness was gathering. but little light stream
ID from the window of his cottage. He drew
near softly, and standing on the seat of the
porch, looked over the half curtain into the
neat but poor sitting-rOom.
'sIt was not the grand house, PEARLS heri-
age in New York, but Pearl herself was
here. A slender woman, with q pale sweet
ace, and black hair smoothly banded and
gathered into rich bralds at the back Of her
hapely head. Her dress was plain dark
,ne, with white ruffles, cuffs, and an apron.
She had beer. sewing but her work was
put aside, and presently she came to the open
window and drew aside the curtain. She
lid not see the tall figure draw closely
against the wall in the narrow porch; but
ler dark eyes looked mournfully toward the
ea, glimmering in the half light.
.sMy darlingp she whispered, ''are you
lead, and has your spirit come to take mine
where we shall part no more2"
Only the wash of the waves below an
,wered her. Signing softly, she said: sis my
larling coming? / feel him 30 near to me l
could almost grasp him"
She stretched out her arms over the low
window sill, and low voice answered her:
PEARL PearlPs
The arms that so long grasped only empty
air were filled then, as Hiram stood under
.he low window. 49, "
. .'Do not move, love-" she whispered, press
ing her soft lips to his; 81 always wake when
you move"
"But now," he said, "you are already
awake. See, Pearl, your trust was Heaven
given. 1t is myself, your fond, true husband,
little one, who will never leave you again"
att is truel You have comel" 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-" 1t was
long before they could think of anything but
the happiness of reunion after the many
years of separation, but at last, drawing
Pearl closer, Hiram whispered; 81 walked
from j, love, and am enormously hum
cry"
And Pearls merry laugh chased the last
shadows from her happy face, and she
hustled about the room preparing supper.
! ,"Supper for twoT she cried gleefully.
The grand house in New York is tenanted
by its owners, and Hiram goes to sea no more;
but in the summer time two happy people
come for q quiet month to the little white
cottage at Monkton, and have always to
listen to Davy's tale of the evening when he
was cutting Hiram Goldby's tombstone and
ended by smashing it into atoms. -
"For," in the invariable ending of the tale,
''Pearl was right, and we were wrong, all OF
us; for Hiram Colby was lost at sea, sure
enough, but he was not dead, and he came
to her faithful love as she always said he
would.
An Emperor at Eighty-Three.
London Telegraph
Yesterday was the Ieighty-third birthday
of the venerable German Emperor, the
Doyen of the worlds reigning monarchs, and