The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-03-26


lonesome livin alone, an after all shet
hardly knowed what it was to have hus
ban. So, at last, she promised to MARI.
the capt'n-all on count o. the boy, sh
said an maybe it was so.
They was to be married on her birthday
the 11th o. April. Easter was early tina,
year, the second Sunday in March, an
strange enough, it was white Easter, jus
such day as it had been six years before
Ora said that she got up that mornin feeliI
queer. "Seemed's II she was in 'nothei
world" she said. But, lawsl she was al
was havln queer notions. She KEEP
a-thinkin O. Lijah all the time, an at last sh,
made up her mind she'd 20 to ehurch-th
same church where she was married.
They want many folks out count tn
stormy day, an the light was kind O. dim
All at once she noticed somebody standir
at the altar, a man with white hair. Bu
they was somethln familiar about him. Shi
KEEP a-lookin, an the man turned an looked
straight at her. Then he came toward her
an she recognized her husban.
He looked thin an old, but she knowet
him. He came an sot down by her in tn,
pew. She couldn't speak. She jus' looked
Then she held out her hand. lie didnh
move. She tried to touch him. But thel
again she couldn't sec nothini
Well, you con imagine she felt kind o
shivery an queer. She turned an spoke t.
the woman behind her ibid you see any
body come into my pew" says she. "Why
no." says the woman. They amt been no
body there but you"
That afternoon she told some of the vii
lage gossips that she thought the Widow
NauX was gettin queer In her head. Al
when they heard, as they did soon after
that she'd broke her engagement with
Capt'n Lee an wouldn't give no reason fo
1t they was ready to believe she was queer
Poor Lee was almost crazy. But h,
wouldn't let nobody say word against her
She had right 10 do as she liked, he said
He went away, an never heard o. his con
In back.
April went by, an May come along, smil
In, as she always does. One day your gran
mother sat on the porch, shelhn peas. Sh,
wore blue print dress, an her hair wal
a-blowin In little curls all aroun her face
as pretty picture as man would wish tS
see. She want gran mother then, you
know, but pretty young woman.
The boy vas playn roun her, an every
thing'was pleasant as you please All al
once, click goes the gate Ora looks up, az
there stan's the same man she see In tn,
church, gray haired an ole loolkin, but tn,
same face, the face o. the man she'd mar
ried six years before.
She was scared, cause folks don't tak,
kindly to spooks as a general thing. But
when he got within few feet of her h,
stopped an spoke.
Don't you know me, dearf" says he
Twas Lijah in real flesh an blood this
time, an what a story he had to tell
He'd been sick in Gibraltar, just as tn,
man'd said, an when he got up there wal
somethn wrong with his head. He couldn't
remember who he was, nor where he come
from, nor nothin. Otherwise he was all
right an he'd been travelin on the sea ever
since. He'd been all roun the world, an
In them days a man who'd been all roun
the world was wonder. At last he'd
brought up in Scotland. Strange enough
there'd been white Easter there that year
Seein the snow on the ground seemed to
bring back somethn to him. He'd gone to
church, he said, an he must "a fell asleep,
for he found himself back in the old church
at home, standn at the altar, an he'd seen
her settin in the pew an sot down beside
her. Then he wokeup, an all the past come
back to him.
Well, Lijah took passage for home by the
first ship, In them days it took six weeks
to cross the Atlantic.
After he'd tol his story an nearly hugged
the boy to death-you see, he didn't know
nothin bout him till lie see him that day
he says to Ora; "An you was true to me all
these years, dear. There's not many wom-
en- like YOU You've never even thought o.
anybody else have you2" An your gran.
mother blushed an said nothin, an Lijah
was satisfied. Beats all what faith some
men has But there. s'pose twas just as
we'll.