The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1893-12-13
LANCASTER, S. c.. DECEMBER 10, 1898

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have me arrested 90 - .je IL quickly a;.,t
proclaim your inhumau feelings toward
u relative to the world You will he
laughed ut when the true theft is found
But go about it quickly, Tor am going
as far away from you as possibly can.
You can keep my last months salary. |
won't touch it,"
Aud, as his uncle was silent and
dogged, Cory left the house and pres.
emily the town. But before leaving the
town lie had confided his story to Lydia
Post.
at is true" he said "that l did 60
off with the fellows last night, but took
no money to speak of. You believe me,
don't you, Lydia?'
"Can you ask" sho sud, her voice
faltering little and tears rushing into
her soft eyes.
All this came back vividly to Cory
Dickinson during the weary weeks in
which he felt himself so thoroughly
down on his luck"
But at last a chance came. He seized
it with avidity. 1t was to go out on O
new cacao plantation, remote from the
capital, sixty miles by I'D through i'm
passahlc woods and over dangerous
mountain paths, or sixtysmilcs by sea in
a sailboat down the coast and by canoes
up n river Of dangerous rapids. Julio
Vargas Ncrea shook his head.
"l'm afraid you will die out there. 1t
is away from ali civilization. There is
only an Indian settlement and some nc
grocs. The climate is bad--it is very
hot-and there are marshes just below
1t is four days Journey at the very best,
and mails are a week in coming and go
ing. I'm afraid you will have the fever
| at once"
al am not afraid" said Cory. II
shall have fever if | stay here, my dear
friend. You are good as gold TO
me, but | can't stand idlenoss. For heav-
ems sake, let me 60"
And SO he went.
out into the wilds - impenctrable,
beautiful, silent tropical wilds. And he
went faithfully to work and became
happy with new hope. He did not
take the fever. He got fairly started by
the following midsummer. That is, what
was midsummer at nome, for it was al
ways midsummer in this new country.
But he had never ceased to reckon by the
seasons of the far North. Aud by mid
summer he wrote 10 Lydia Post.
After he had written he counted the
days. A week to take the letter to the
port. a fortnight morc-allowing for
delay OF the steamer to sail as he had cx
pCctcd-for it to reach the United States.
In three weeks Lydia would have it. In
three weeks more nc would have her re-
ply. lie knew that his fingers would
trcm6lc SO that he could hardly open it.
Alas! the six weeks had passed, and
yet another aud another. And no reply.
nd a. ALL 4 l,l,
| November was begun, Cory began 10
give up hope. Ha4 she not received his
letter. Had she Ios cared 10 reply1
of whose faith <he had dreamed in
darkest hours?
Sadly hc realized one evening that it
was the 10th of November, just year
since he had left home. A day or two
later he fell ill. 1t Nas not from the
climate not from the heat The pIanta.
tion was not as deadly as Vargas Varca
had believed. But it was the swapping
of his last hope-his hope of Lydia. 1t
was more of n low nervous fever. And
he could not rise from his bed any more
And he did not care II death came
There was no doctor near; there were a
few simple remedies on the shelves OF
his cana hut, but hc hardly cared to take
them.
One night his fever was higher much
higher and he raved of Lydia to the
Indian woman who sat beside him and
the negro servant who liked him we'll.
The next day he was conscious again
but very week. lie felt as if he could
easily slip away. And he asked the
negro to send to the post q certain letter
that was going to the United States,
thousands of miles away. Hardly had lac
done giving his few, feeble instruct ions
when some OF the Indian boys came hurry,
ing in to tell him that canoe had come
up the river with people, white, tall, and
a lady, with many bundles and Other
things. A beautiful young lady. Cory
wondered vaguely until shadow fel
upon the threshold and a moment later
as IL an angel dawning from heaven
Lydia stood beside him aud bent to TAX
him into her arms.
81 knew" she sohbed softly, and il
her tears his face i1It as cool and re
frcshcd and JOY lighted as rose in Tho
Summer rain. Il knew that you would
be i'll. And | would not writc-for
was almost ready to fetch you. For
knew you would not come back alone
And had been working and saving tn,
money for mouths and only few week:
were lacking. SO | would not write
but came. And your uncle asks you tc
forgive and forget. For twas Mssor
who stole the monoy-with Hannah's
help. And so you will go back with me ;
''EyG,a." ho whispered, chow coult
you come to this place thousands o.
through oil these dangers by
land aud sea an1 sea and land Am
dreaming, Lydia Have you come al
this why alone Through all these strange
ways ~
"Do you think" she sobbed, edo you
think there is any road too long, too
hard for a woman TO travel il the one sh,
loves is at tho end? ?"
"No road" said Cory, softly. "Bu
you knew l loved you--eyen before IN,
lettcr-and then you knew it again
And you took wings and flew to me
And so we shall go back together, dear
estw
Another shadow crossed the threshold
Julio Vargas Verea, also on his way tC
find Cory, having heard of his illness
had met with Lydia at the port aud hao
come with her in sailboat and canoe
He had dscrectIy5 5remained outside tn,