The Portland daily press., 1881-05-28

CONCLUDED FROM FRiDAy.l
my Mind to Me A Kingdom Is"


The letter bore the Bristol postnark, and
had been delivered while Solomon was in
that town. He had appealed to the police to
discover the writer, and Martha Woolley was
searched for, but in vain. There was some
comfort in the ill-spelled letter, bitter as it
was, and that comfort Solomon laid to his
sore heart every hour of the day, and
thanked God for it.
''What is it, Sol dear?" said his wife, ris-
ing and putting her brown arm about his
) neck. Don't brood over it, my poor SOL
don't brood over it,
Her eyes were thick with tears as she
spoke, but she controlled them resolutely
and would not let them fall.
''She's better off than livn' with broken
heart, Sol better off," said the mother.
'sYou're good wife, my DEAR" said Sol,
hoarsely and YEARLY. IA good wife. Yes,
she's better off But it'd be somethn' if we
only knowed where her grave was, my dear,
wouldn't it?"
The simple question spoke of such despair
to the wife's heart that her tears would have
way. She drew his head to her breast and
swaved it to and fro as though he were a
child.
.'Poor Sol, poor dear Sol! Our time amt
long, my dear. We shall soon see the poor
broken-hearted thing again, Sol If she'd
come back, she'd never have heard bitter
word from us, Sol, would she? Never bit
ter word. Never bitter word Never
bitter word"
She went over the phrase again and again,
as though there were comfort in it, and still
held the bowed head to her wifely bosom as
though il were child's.
ssSuch childr' said Sol, minute or two
later, seated with heavily dependent arms
between his knees, as though his hands bore
weight too great for his strength, and
with eyes fixed on the floor. ''Such child !
rosy and pretty two months back! An now
~ --i'itn as snow-as white as SNOW"
''Solr' cried his wife with ghostly face.
''Ay," said he, looking at her with lack
lustre eye, .'as white as snow. AS white as
snow!'
'sSolr' cried his wife again.
my darling" said Sol, stretching out one
heavy hand nervelessly and laying it on her
shoulder, 81 see her poor dead face last
night at the wnder. I've seen it three
nights running. It's my call. You'll be
lonely when I'm gone. You've been good
wife, Sarah, an Pm grieved to leave you.
: But I've had my call"
His nerveless hand dropped down again as
if it held weight TOO heavy for its strength.
His wife knelt before him looking in his
face. A timid knock came to the door, but
neither heard it. 1t was repeated little
louder, and Mrs. Marley, rising, opened the
door with a scream.
don be put out, missis," said voice
outside. "Might l come in? Is master
theer2'
Come in" said Mrs. Varley. family; and
Jim entered, ragged, shoeess, hollow-eyed,
pale. bearded with bristly beard of two
months growth-a man foredone.
81 swore," said Jim, "as I'd find her if l
folered her to the worlds end. l follered
her and found her, and she slipped me, and
follered her again, and follered her on,
and on, and on" The two looked at him
with such awful faces that he paused. did
We get any news of her ever?' he asked after
while. Solomon still held the letter in his
hand.
''That come" he said, ga month ago."
Jim spelled it through, and then, return
ing it to the broken and crumpled envelope,
held it while he spoke.
mo more news than thisT'
''Never word" said Solomon.
did you find where she was buried, mas
ter?" Sol shook his head.
''We tried" said Mrs. Varley, ''every-
where. But the letter didn't even tell us
where she died.
Master" said Jim, "Pve walked mat
ter of a thousand mile. Pm dead beat If
you please, Missis, 1 should like the things
left I'm very bad off for change"
Mrs. Marley poured out can of water in
TO washing basin, set out soap and towels
and a comb, then produced a bundle of
clothes from locker
"You can get wash, James, and
change" she said, crying silently the while,
land I'll get you something to eat"
Saying this, she left the house, and Jim,
laying down the letter, began with labored
slowness odivest himself of a tattered shirt.
He paused suddenly in the act of drawing it
over his head.
whats this 1 hear about ghost, mas
ter?' Solomon started and stared at him.
81 meets Tom Hacke't twelve mile behind,
an he saws you've seen a ghost he says.
That's what he says. Your masters
haunted"
Solomon rose with outstretchcd hands.
HAS anybody seen it beside me?'
"Have you seen it, master?" cried Jim,
slipping the garment back again.
Three times said Solomon, with awe
struck face.
"When?" cried Jim. "Where?''
"Allays at midnight" answered Solomon,
"at that little winder-pale, an thin an
white-as white as snow"
When? WhenY cried Jim again. 'Last
night?"
Eyes," said Solomon, ''last night. For
the third time. It's my call, Jim. l shan't
be here much longer. l shall foller my poor
broken-hearted child"
''What?' cried Jim, in voice which
would have been roar but for his feeble
ness. you've seen her three times, an
never spoke to her?' Solomon could only
look at him in grief-struck wonder. "Why,
found out the CELL as wrote this letter.
Sewed boot uppers for Twin, she did, Her
it was what fired the bullet. But who makes
it, do you think? Who makes it, master?'
'Jim," said Solomon, trembling from
head to foot, "Jim!'-warning and entreaty
mingled in the tone.
Master" says Jim, ''if what I say amt
true, you take pitchfork out of the Vaughn
outside andrun me through with it. l finds
the CELL as wrote this letter. What makes
me find her? Cos I'm travelin' to search
fer Miss Virginia, and eos I've swore as
sure as heaven an'earth Pll foller her to the
worlds end. MissVirginia had been alvin
with her, an one day her says to her: "A
friend O. mine is dead, l can't write Her
says, You write for me an I'll tell you
what to say. And then her writes this let
ter, Then Miss Virginia ketches sight O.
me, an runs away again. Was a-makin'
petticuts at the time, an livin' very hard,
but quite respectable o l follers-tracks
har--loses her finds her-loses her-tracks
again, an folders on again."
Aomon was on his knees, and the tears
dripping through his fingers, dripping
lily On the floor.
UGH a face, Jimr' he moaned; "that
4 an worn an pale! Oh, Virgie, Vir-
eis
Master" said Jim, "Tve had word of
all along, Now hers slipped me, but
We took up the track again, an at last we
we found her."
The tears were coursing down Jim's face,
too, and washing out brown channels in the
gray dust which covered it.
mo. word to the missis, not word"
otA Ts,x, Inr3lt TO schf to
look at you. That's it," said the valiant,
tenier-hearted scarecrow, shaking with his
sobs," poor bleedin'heart! just wants to
see you, like, as often as her fear IL let her.
"May l come IMP" said Mrs. Varley, rap
ping at the door.
ssNot yet, ma'am if you please" said Jim,
boiling the door with great haste; and,
still sobbing and crying he proceeded to his
additions, and having conquered his tears
and changed his dress and again and
again warned his master to silence, he ad-
mitted Mrs. Varley and sat down to pro-