St. Landry democrat., 1893-08-12
LOWRY'S WIDOW,
BY FRED l.. FOSTER,

IL was certainly very unfortunate Tor
Lowry that he should have died at that
particular time Had the unwelcome event
occurred month before it would not
have mattered so much; but now, just
as he had struck it rich and had written
East for his wife to come on and share
his good fortune, it was, to say the least,
very exasperating. But he was dead,
beyond doubt, and likewise variously
scattered, the result of too close intima-
cy with premature blast.
The miners gathered up his visible
remains and buried them with due sol
emnity; then they waited for the advent
of the widow.
But not without much misgiving. How
would they meet her? And who of their
number would assume the delicate and
embarrassing task of informing her that
she was widow?
They talked it all over that night in
front of Pete Simpsons bar.
Fac is, fellers," said Ore eyed
Jerry, the autocrat of the camp, as he
turned his solitary optic on the crowd,
Fac is, it's tough job, but it's got to
be done, an I'll do it, if it takes leg
Leave it to me, fellers, and I'll let 'er
down as soothin' as possible" And with
deep feeling of relief, that found ex-
preston in another round of red liquor,
the miners left it to Jerry.
In due course of time a letter adj
dressed to James Lowry in a shaky, fem
mime hand and postmarked Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania, arrived in camp and was
opened by Lowry's self-appontcd execu-
tors. 1t was from Mrs. Lowry, and from
it they learned that she would not arrive
for several weeks.
One day, about six weeks after the re-
ception of this letter, as the stage rat
tied up to the single SO called hotel of
the little Tuolumne mining camp, the
loungers on the porch caught the glimpse
of dress inside. At once all was ex-
element.
''She's comew they exclaimed.
"Where's Jerry?"
Jerry, who was seated at a table in
the harroom, reluctantly laid down a
"pat hand' and reached the outside in
time to assist the lady from the stage,
awkwardly lifting his hat as he did SO.
"Mrs. Lowry, l reckon" said Jerry, as
she alighted.
The lady threw back the veil from her
face, smiled and answered.:
Eyes. Where's my husband?"
The crowd that had gathered inquisi-
lively, but respectfully, about the stage
fell back astounded; not at the question,
but at the woman who asked it. Lowry
was fifty years old, if a day, at the time
he was so unceremoniousIy fired out of
existence. He had never spoken much
about his wife, whom he had left in the
East fully ten years before, yet from ia
miliarity with Jim's age, his homeIy face,
and still more homely ways, the miners
had formed the impression that his wife
must be woman Of forty or forty five
and equally angular and unimpressive in
appearance. But here she was before
them, woman of possibly thirty, plump
and shapely, with face that was simp-
ly bewitching. She was absolutely
handsome and there was an expression in
her eye and mouth that seemed to indi-
cate that she knew it.
The smile disappeared and she looked
at Jerry somewhat anxiously. "Why
isn't Mr.. Lowry here to meet me?" she
asked.
There was painful pause. The min
ers looked at Jerry and Jerry looked at
his boots
"Fac' is, ma'am," he finally said, as
he slowly twirled his greasy hat with one
hand. Fac is, Jim's-a ailin'. Bin
workin', you know, gettin' ready fer
you, an'-an'--sorter down with
fever or somethin'. Fac is, he's-but
say! You must be tired an hungry:
there's room fer you in this here hotel
an I'll take you over to see Jim later"
With apparent reluctance Mrs. Lowry
followed the hotel proprietor to the
room that had been fitted up for her
weeks before and sacredly kept unoccu-
pied ever since, while the crowd, with
EXPLANATIONS of establishment and de-
light, pressed forward to the bar.
"Fellers," said Jerry, with the air of
one who had just discovered a rich
"pocket" of the yellow metal; "fellers,
here's to the widdcr!'
An hour later Mrs. Lowry accom-
panied Jerry to Jim's cabin, and on the
way up the trail he broke to her the sad
news of her husbands death. But in
what way he impaired the melancholy
information his companions never could
learn.
Fac is, fellers," he had said in reply
to their questions, sit makes me creepy
to think about it, she took on that ter
rible; but I let Ter down easy as poser
bic. Thought she faint sure. 'speciar