The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-03-12

| mana ana StIlkc W ~ w STU Huu wv
of temper in her, though nothing to
harm,
"When Hiram made his first voyage,
for they were all seafaring men here
abouts, and there was nothing for lad
to do but ship, the Pearl was just a lit
tie washed-out lily, freiting until he
came home again. And it was so when
ever he went, for they were Swccthearts
from the first time he nestled her baby
face on his breast. when he picked her
up from the wreck She was sixteen
when they were married, rs near rs we
could guess; Hiram was man Of
twcnty-four She prayed him TO stay
at home then, and he stayed year,
but he fretted for the sea, and he went
away again, thinking, s'pose, that his
wife would get used to. it, rs well as all
wives hereabouts must do. But she
never did--never 1t was Just pitiable
TO see her 90 about, white rs u corpse,
when Hiram went away never looking
at the sea without a Shudder like Il
death chill All through the war it was
| lust awful, for Hiram enlisted on q
man-o'-war, and Pearl was lust shad-
ow when he came home tie last time"
CATER the war.
Eyes, sir, but he made no money of
any account, and SO went away again,
after staying at home a long spell.
Well, he never came back. 'Twasn't
no manner of use telling Pearl he was
lost; she'd just shake her pretty head
and say; He'll come back Not a
mite of mourning would she wear, even
after his own mother gave him up and
went in black; for, sir, it stands TO rca-
son he's dead years ago
at looks SO,
"Of course it does; nobody else
doubts it but Mrs Goldby. Old Mrs.
Goldby's last words were; I'm going
to meet Hiram, and they say the diving
know. But even that didn't make Pearl
think so. She wore mourning for her
who had been the only mother she
knowcd of, but not weeds. Weeds was
for widows, she said and she wasn't a
widow
"But the stone"
"Well, sir, I'm coming to that. A
year ago, sir, fine gentleman from
France came here hunting for child
lost on the coast He'd heard of Pearl
by Appropriateness, if there is such, and
came here When he saw the clothes,
he just tainted like awoman,'
"She was related, lhen"
"The strangers voice was husky, but
the sea air was growing chill,
"Hcr father, sir"
ale took her awaypN
ale tried TO. He told her of splen-
did home he had in New York, for he'd
followed his wife. and child sir, to the
city they had never reached. He was
rich and lonely. He begged his child
to 90, but she would not Hiram will
come here for me- she said and he
must find me where he left me- >"
son what has she lived?"
"Sewing, sir, mostly. The cottage
was old Mrs. Goldby's, and bless you,
Pearl did not eat much more than a
bird, and her dresses cost next to moth
ing But there's no denying she was
very poor-very, and yet the grand
home and big fortune never tempted
her. SO her father came of and on to
see her, until April. An he died, sir,
and left our Pearl all his fortune and
the grand house in New York. But
she'll not 60, sir; she'll die here, wait
ing for Hiram, who II never come"
The stranger lifted his face that had
been half hidden in his hand, and said:
There was n shipwreck in the Pa
cifc ocean, Davy, years and years ago,
and one man was saved saved, Davy,
by savagcs 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 a 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
great city, sold his presents and put the
gold in safe keeping Then he travelled
till he reached the town where he was
born, and coming there at sunset, heard
che story of his own life from the lips
of the man cutting his tombstone"
Not word spoke Davy. Standing
erect, he seized an immense sedge
hammer, and with powerful blows from
strong, uplifed arms, dashed the mar
BILE into fragments. Then. painting
with cXcrton, he held out his brawny
hands to the strangcr-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.
You asked me about the stone. The
neighhorS drove her 10 ordering it,,
twittiug 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, Dayy-
put lost at sea; for Hiram's lost, but
he II be found and come back ID me.
She never looked at it, Hiram, never.
And there's not an hour nor hasn'
been for ten years, that she hasn't been
looking for you to come back. Go tc
her, man, and the Lords blessing be
upon both of you"
So, grasping the hard, brown hand
Hiram Colby took the path to the lit.
tie white cottage where he had beer
born forty-iive years before. The sun
had set and the darkness was gather
ing, but a little CLEAN of light streamet
from the window TO his cottage. lie
drew near softly, and standing on the
seat of the porch, looked over the hal
curtain into the neat but poor sitting