The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1881-06-03
TOM BOLLIVAR'S WIFE.

IVW bOLEtthu ~ W."
Somebody knocked at the door. And
such a night as it wasl-the snow and
the wind making it dreadful to think OF
while you sat beside roaring fire, let
alone being out on the dismal fiat where
the little house braved the fury of the
elemental war. 1t was quiet inside, the
loudest sound being the moan of the
wind and the hiss of the feathery snow
fakes falling down the wide mouthed
chimney to the faring logs below.
A woman was sitting by those harng
logs, mending little childs frock. The
six lit le Shoes in various worn stages,
placed before the fire, told story that
oftentimes louder noises than the moan
of the wind and the hiss of lost snow
flakes on the fire disturbed the room.
Sitting there sewing, and with woman's
mind far away from what she was busy
at, and yet tied all the stronger here by
reason of her wandering thoughts, the
woman started somebody knocked at
the door.
She arose hurriedly, suppressing a
cry, and unlocked and flung the door
open. A mans voice in the snowy dark
ness said, harshly:
"Where do Tom Bollivar's wife live at
--here?"
eyes," she answered, her hand upon
her heart, her eyes peering out in the
night; 81 am Tom Bollivars W {
what do you want of me?"
Glass, will you ask me in? I've
news of Tom"
"You havel Come in, sailor, and
tell me what you know"
Into the light and warmth stepped {
rough, brawny fellow, dressed in the
slipshod manner Of a sailor upon shore
He shook the snow from his shaggy
coat and his beard. Slapping hi
slouch hat upon his knee, and looking
fercely down into the little woman'i
face all the time, as though to intimi
date her. She returned the look witt
an odd expression--not frightened, bu
clarified, bewildered-the look that ha(
come to her face when she opened tn,
door and peered out at the man; thel
from the bewildered look another came
one of understanding, comprehension
and she said to him, calmly:
"Sit by the fire; you must be chille'
through his gruesome night"
The startled look seemed to hav
flown from her face to his, but he said
more harshly:
clam chilled through, Tom Bolivar
wife, and that amt no lie, 'cordin' t
Scripter. Are ye all alone here, VIC
man ?" and glanced about him.
"No," she said, pointing to the 81
worn little shoes. The man looked a
them, and then turned his face ava
from her for an instant.
"Now, sailor" she said, "whats th
great news O yours !"
"Ain't ye afeard o me, ye q lor
woman ?"
"Bosh Tell me the newsP
"Tom Bollivar's wife, ye Illustrate m
But it's right, ye amt afeard o me-
Why should ye beP II kinder thougl
We might be, though. But--Pm roue
sailor, and"
"Oh, pshaw hurry up with Il
news"
"I-I don't know how to commend
the yarn, wi you settin' there 80 u
skeered."
"Oh, il is yarn, ehP Well, Wa
sailor, till put some wood on the fl
.--then fire away"
She put the wood on, sat down on u
stool in the red light Of the blaze al
ook up the little frock again.
"Now," she said, "Tm ready"
The man had his mouth open. Despi
his bronzed skin and the fire from Il
sogs, something else sent that flush oy
his face that now suffused IL.
"Be'n't ye little narvous, anyways
he asked.
ooh, my, no; not at all I'm stea'
enough to count the threads while
itch this band of our Susy's froc
Nervous Me9 Oh, dear
"Tom BolliEars wife, I've that to
as'll not make ye brag o bein' stoa
Tom Bollivars been gone three yC
and over, eh ?"
"If you know IL, sailor, what do y
ask me for - Don't you suppose c
count the months that make thl
..aaua oW