The Washington critic., 1886-03-15
In LIGHTER VEIN.
now THE SCAR CAME THERE.


The guests had tired of talking to
themselves, as the most patient of
guests oftentimcs do and it was too
soon after eating to allow those who
sang to do themselves what they mis-
called justice, and so the conversation
began to flag.
"You want q story of some sort, do
your" inquired the hostess. "Well,"
she continued playfully, "if you will
be very good and very quiet children
will amuse you with u story, which
has, however, one very serious draw
back"
Never mind that" exclaimed the
guests, delighted at any prospect of
amusement. "Give us the story"
ut has one serious objection" con-
tinued the hostess, without noticing
the interruption. at is true. Let me
see, time flies so quickly when one be-
gins to age that almost forget when
It happened. 1t must have been at
least fifteen years ago, however. So
you perceive 1t is quite modern.
Twenty years ago, to begin at the be.
ginning there lived in one of those
charming little hamlets of New Eng
land poor clergyman and his only
daughter, who was then about sixteen
years of age. Her father had few init.
mate friends, although there were
many who knew and respected him
highly outside of the small congregation
whose wants he faithfully ministered to.
There was wealthy mill owner about
his own age, widewer and the main
stay of the church, and young man
less than five and twenty, tall and hand
some, whose position in the minister's
family can best be described by his
title, Cousin Jack. Jack was poor,
though, and civil engineer by profcs.
sion. He lived in the family, and this
Young girl found in him a brother,
playmate and lover. Civil engineer
ing, however, was not remunerativc in
this little village, and so one day Cousin
Jack kissed little Clara, wiped away
the tears from her eyes-for she loved
this great, manly engineer more, far
more than he dreamed of and far
more, too, than he loved her, so un.
happily does Cupid sometimes aim his
arrows--and left for the West, where
he had secured q position as
engineer on q building railroad
in the mining country. After he had
gone the house was often lonely, and
when two years later the mill owner
proposed to marry Clara her father
| gladly consented, and they were wed
\ in the little church by the hillside one
sunny day and she left the little cot
tage for a more pretentious house in
the city. Suddenly, a month later,
her father died in his pulpit, died
while praying for his congregation,
died like a Christian warrior at his
post. He was buried in the village
churchyard, and soon the town had
forgotten him and his almost as if they
had never lived.
"In time there came into their house
little blue.eyed, golden haired baby
| girl, and for time the young mother
was 50 happy that her home seemed
almost like heaven. But heaven is not
for this world in my little story any
more than 1t is in real life, and very
soon she found this out. One day her
indulgcnt husband didn't come home
| to his dinner. An hour passed, and
then another, and still another, until at
last the anxious wife became alarmed.
| AT length the book-kceper from the
mill was announced. When he en-
tered the room she saw ON his face
tidings of evil.
"'My husband' she cried.
"'Be calm, madame he said, al.
though he was far from calm him
self. BE calm. He is far better of
where he is
"Then she tainted. When she awokc
from her swoon they told her all The
times were panicky and the mill had
failed. The master, unable to bear the
loss, had-well, / won't say what he
had done, but the young wife was now
a widow and almost penniless. Ittook
several weeks to settle up the estate
And when 1t was done she found thai
of her fortune she had barely $4,000
With so small an amount of money she
must Of necessity work to support her
self and her child. The scene of hel
happiness had become strangely dis
tasteful to her, and so she concluded
to leave the place and follow the eX
ample of Cousin Jack in seeking hei
fortune in the West.
Es"She selected for her home n littl,
city in Colorado, in Il valley through
which ran river ripping and tum
bling over sands of yellow gold be
tween great cliffs Of granite under
whose rough, ragged sides lay hidden
countless veins of the same precious
metal. Here she went, and finding {
little house on quiet street she bought
it and settled down to her new life
hoping that before her money should
become exhausted, some means of earn
ing a livelihood might suggest itself.
Rather an impracticable way of doing
you probably think, but this young
widow had little experience. She knew
nothing of money earning, and hao
little ability to battle with the world
There was nothing masculine with oul
friend, not even husband, One day
she had caller. He came while she
was out, and when she returned he was
sitting in the parlor with little Glars
on his knee. lie was Cousin Jack
and he was still unmarried. HC
briefly told his story. He hat
built the railroad, surveyed otherroads
and at length became miner with tho
rest of the men, and unlike many OF
them he had grown rich-rich beyon(
his widest expectations He livet
farther up the valley on claim of hi
own, and shaft sunken at the door o
his cabin led down under the rocks Il
where the gold was found in almost in
eyhaustible quantities, He had lost al
track of her, had not heard of her mar
riage or her fathers death, and in
tended in the spring to so to his ole
home, and If she still were single brinl
her back with him, for he had learned
in his absence that the love she Dor,
him was returned without his dream
ing it, This was the story he told ant
| this WIS Whnt sha listnnlnd To viii