Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-20
A FEARFUL FRIGHT.

Well, I had a scare once IN my me tnat
~. will never be repeated, and it's
ropdrr I didn't turn gray right then and
married. a western girl, and we came to
now York to live. IL wasn't such q
arowded place rs it ia to-day. but had nice
Ian lanes in some parts Of 1t, and even
noodows. | was followin' the sea in those
a"rs "A | am now, and l thought Sally
I',Id be more contented in the lively
~, while | was gone away on long voy-
Il was hard work sayin' good.by to my
Ito when | started away on long trips, but
.ho said as soon as I was a captain she
would travel with ME.
Wall ! went off ON a six months voyage
a., rear | had the terrible scare. We
lttnrnck some queer outlandish ports, and
had a great pile ~oftstuff for Sally when we
armed about for home, presents that l
tnew SIZED value.
II often seemed IA il the ship wasn't fast
enough for me; AZ il | must jump over
hoard and swim. WANTED home, and l
wanted Sally, rs q baby wants it's mother.
So YOU must Judge if l lost time in getting
lahore when once we reached New York.
None of us did, for that matter, but /
reckon | was the first. / had my bundles
pnder my arm and my pay in my pocket.
I'd oiled my hair and / wore my shore
clothes. My hands were brown as an In
dams, with sun and wind, and ! guess my
face was about the same color. But il l
looked as | felt l looked happy. With the
motion Of the ship beneath my feet yet, |
took my way toward my home, looking
out for Sally all the way, for il she knew
the ship was in she'd surely come to meet
me. Not a sign Of her did 1 see, though,
and | came to the corner Of my street-Nor-
folk wal it's name-with a queer little fear
in nv heart that made me pause and |
hordIy dare to turn it and then | took a
Stan and saw a little crowd about the door
,i nv home, and before it-oh, good
Soovsns, a hearse BLACK and awful, and
n carriage before my house. YES, yes-
Init" says | to myself-"yes; it might
stand there and not be from there. Cour-
ace, Jack! God wouldn't do that to you.
Nat He. Have faith-have trustl Was
ever there a night you didn't pray he'd
bring you back sale to Sally, and do you
think He won't answer your Courage
.Jack!" And then I staggered on and
stood among the people, and my door was
omen, and q man-serious, oldish kind
took hold OF my arm aud led me aside.
who is dead?" I asked. |
81 don't know" he said.
took courage at that; for il it was my
Sally, surely he'd know-surely.
ut is a sailors wife," he added. "She
alone there. Last night a woman
and said: There's a case of cholera
at No. l went. Folks are apt to
hurry. 1t was cholera. / did all l could
Tor her, but she died. The ~neighbors do
not know he name. She hasn't lived here
.ong-did you know herr"
God grant I didn't" said l; "but I left
ny wife living in that house; we " it. l
her there when / sailed" {
He looked at me gravely. |,
They say Ler husband is a sailor" he
aid. "She told me So" |,
I'VE went into the house. There were
the things that L knew go well. rushed
rom room to room. | moaned and wept. t
1t can't be- 1 cried. +tft cHu' betn but i
new it was. I
At last the doctor got me to get into the
~.arriage. We drove to the grave yard. g
1od knows how. | saw the earth cover t
he coffin and then / hoped / was dying; G
,ut | came to again in the carriage and l Il
at my own desolate door. The e
DOCTOR had been kind and he had told me b
that must be done before the place p
would be fit to live in; but / did not care q
Or life; l wanted to die, and turned faint il
again, and he, good man, was loath to I
me, and so we stood, %neighbors 9
Deeping at us through the shutters, as I "
Knew, when suddenly | saw a vision. d
had Just been to her funeral, but there b
Sally looking at me. She was dressed t.
n white, with q little blue bonnet on her CT
lead, and spirit though / knew she must Il
looked fresh and young and bright. a
stared at her. Theory l gave rang through n
he street and she flew to me. Ghost or no CT
host, I held her fast. She was warm and J
,oft in my arms. She kissed me and / d
her and cried: q
IF I've gone crazy, let me be so, for Sally o
las come back to me somehow" And for N
that had come and gone, it was Sally, jU
md not her ghost, either. q
II my life depended on it, l couldn't tell F
7ou Just how she made me understand, or T
ust how l made her understand-l guess W
he doctor did it-bIt this is what had o
Tie cholera breaking out, N
3ally's old folks wouldn't let he stay in the a
and took her out with them; and just G
1t the time Sally heart Of q young woman, 81
Who was waiting for news of her husbands b
hip. So she says to her: There's q n
louse; empty; I want noirent; you're wei. o
ONE until | need to live there again. CT
Aud it was this poor soul that had died 81
here. 81
As for her husband, his ship was lost. T
md all hands with it; so mayhap they n
net in heaven: and it was best.
At all events, we're made SO that we
must think of our own first, and l was glad
with Sally in my arms again. We're to-
ether yet; old folks now, but happy ones, -
nth our children about us. u