The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-03-09
TOM porayAR's W

ful TO think OF wHlle you sat oesAuS
a roaring fire, let alone being out on
the dismal fat where the little
house braved the fury Of the elem
cnt war. 1t was quiet inside, the
loudest sound being the moan OF the
wind and the hiss of the feathery
snow flakes falling down the wide
mouthed chimney to the fiarlng logs
below. :,
A woman was sitting beside those
flaring logs. mending little childs
frock. The six little shoes, IN varl-
Gus worn stages, placed before the
fire. told story that ottentimes
louder noises than the moan of the
wind and the hiss of the lost snow
fakes on the fire disturbed the
room. Sitting there, sewing, and
with a 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
startadPmebody knocked at the
door.
She arose hurriedly, suppressing
a cry. and unlocked and flung the
door open. A mans voice in the
snowy darkness aid, harshly:
"Where do T IN Bollivar's wife
live at-here I?
"Yes.n she answered, her hand
upon her hea t, her eyes peering out
In the night, Il am Tom Bolliyar's
wife what do you want of me 7"
LASS, viii you ask me in Z? I've
news of Tom"
"You have Come in sailor, and
tell me what you know"
Into the light and warmth STEP
ped a rough, brawny fellow, dressed
In the shipshod manner of a sailor
upon shore. He shook the snow
from his shaggy coat and mis- beard
Shaping his slouch hat upon his
knee, and looking fiercely down in
to the little woman's face all the
time. as though to intimidate her
She returned the look with an ODD
expression-not frightened, but
startled, bewildered-the look that
had come in her face when she
opened the door and peered out a
the man then from the bewildereC
look another came, one of under
standing, comprehension, and sa,
said to him, calmly
''Sit by the fire ; you must b'
chilled through this gruesom'
night"
The startled look seemed to hav,
flown her face to his, but he said
more harshly:
Il am chilled through, Tom Bolli
vars wife, and that amt 10 lie
'cordin TO Scripter. Are We all alon'
here, woman?" and ne glanced
about him.
''No," she said, pointing to th'
six worn little shoes. The MAJ
looked at them, and then turnet
his face away from her for an in
slant.
Now, sailor" she said, what
this news O. yours p
~Aint ye afeared O. me, We a lon
oman ?"
''Bosh :" Tell me the news !"
''Tom Bollivar's wife, We fiustrat
me. But it's right We a'int aieare'
O. me-why should We be a? i
kinder thought you might be
though. But-I'm a rough saiiol
and"
"0h, pshaw hurry up with th
news"
IL don't know how to com
mence the yarn, wi you a settin
there so unskeered." F"
"0h, It's a yarn, eh ? Well. wait
sailor, till | put some wood on tn
Ere then fire away"
She pat the wood on, sat down ol
the stool in the red light of tn
blaze and took up the little frocl
again.
Now" she SAID, I'm ready"
The man had bis mouth open
Despite his bronzed skin and tn
FIRE from the logs, something els
sent that flush over his face tha
now sufased it.
BENT ye little narvous, any
wavs ?" he asked.
oh, INV, no F; not at all In
steady enough to count the thread
while ] stitch this band OF our Su
sy's froek. Nervous Ne? Oh
dear :"
Tom Bollivar's wife, I've that Il
tell ASH not make We brag o. being
steady Tom Bollivar's been gon'
three years and over, eh p
"If you know it, sailor, why d,
ycu ask me? Don't you suppose
can count the months that max,
three years ?"
"When did you hear from Ton
last ?" He gulped, and his eye:
were wrathy.
six months ago." she said, easi
iy; ''he was sailing for Madagascar
and hadn't time to say much"
tom Bollivar's WIFE" said tn,
man, solemnly, suppressing his
strange anger, 'y.'ll not be likely to
hear from him agin in a hurry; he
won't write soon."
L expect not. There amt much
use o. him writing, anyway, seeing
l can't answer, not knowing if I'd
send my letters to sea that they'd
find him"
Lass, he'll never write agin nc
more. Tom won't. There, now 2
That's pity for Tom" she said
biting off her thread, "for he alway.
likes to write a bit about the chill.
dren. Oh, dear y
The man looked at her in blank
amazement.
"Tom Bollivar's wife, think I'll
commence that there yarn | prom
ised.n
'Lor', sailor ; you don't mean to
say you amt begun yet ? What a
tedious one you can be, to be sure
Bless my heart y
Again the man gulped and gritted
his teeth. He went on, madly:
"Ye know, six months ago, Tom
he sailed around Madagascar, don't
ye (? Well, Twas along wi Tom / was.
Ne an him we was chums what.
somever he done, that there done I,
wheresomever he went, theresomer