The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-06-26


mouth were those Of q negro. His eyes
were blue and watery, and his temples
were destitute OF hair. In the back his
hair was very long; the gray locks hung
below his neck. He WAS dressed In
shabby suit of black clothes and wore
shirt, but no collar.
Grosvenor smiled, chiefly perhaps
with amusement. Are you Mr.. Bill
| lief' he asked.
The man returned his smile. His
| eyes shone in a gentle manner. He was
evidently pleased at 0rosvenor's kindly
greeting and at his knowing his name.
"Yes. he replied, lam Mr.. Billie.
|
'Shc was a handsome woman when |
married her and before she ran away |
and left me. But rs all over now. like
n dream that will come no more. Some
times when the day 10 over and the sKy
out in the west is burning walk on the
beach, and when the moon rises our of
the sea, sometimes far across the water,
in that light, see her face again, with
her black ewes and her silky hair. Some
times | hear her voice, and / close my
ewes. and some one comes and lays her
hand in mine and says, 'Billiev And
then when wake up IL IL dream. But
do Won know" continued the man sud
denly, poising the razor over Grosven-
pr's face, II think she will come back
10 me some time. have feeling that
I shall come IN the door some night and
find here there, and she will say Billie
10 me. and | shall have her with me
again forever
GrosvenoS was a little startled by the
old mans manner. There was strange
light in his eyes, and sometimes he
fiourished the razor in way that made
Grosvenor almost fear he might let II
fall on his face, and he was sorry he had
started him off on his hobby.
The man told him how when he was
n very young man he had married this
beautiful woman, who was a waitress
in a hotel and how when they had been
married but q short time she went away
and left him.
But il wasn't her fault" said he.
"She was enticed away, know. l was
a blind fool then, and said if she want
ed to 60 away she might, and wouidn {
follow her, and she could go where she
wanted TO- And then drifted around
as a travelling barber until came TO
Harwich, and somehow have been here
ever since. The sea talks TO me some
times. and / couldn't bear TO go away
and leave il. And if l did 60 away it
would be harder for her to find me, for
she is looking for me now and will come
to me some time" he paused and said
in businesslike tone, Bay rum, sir!'
Grosvenor was glad TO get out OF the
chair alive. The old man kept on talk
ing and fascinated him so that he staid
with him until it was almost dark. III
was growing cooler now, and the sun
left a mass Of dull lavender clouds as II
set. In the fields the crickets were chirp-
ing, and the hoarse croak OF frogs came
from neighboring pool. The air was
deliciously salt, for the wind came from
the sea. Mr.. Billie and. Grosvenor sat
on the doorstep and enjoyed the cool
breeze.
Mr.. Billie was smoking furiously
He seemed uneasy and nervous, and ht
lc kept telling Grosvenor that he mus
stav with him, for he had feeling tha
something was going to happen, and al
10 though the young fellow thought NJ
a ought TO go away he reflected that Grace
y Boardman, even if she had got back
10 would be compelled to eat her supper
and as il cooled his brain to sit there h
III concluded he would do it. And so h.
> staid there with the old man until tn
stars came out, aud the old man tol'
so him how they were trying to get hin
'a TO give up his shop and go to the poor
TX house. and he said he would kill him
o. self before he would do that. Woul
he want his wife to come back and fin
u, him in poorhouse!
Grosvenor idly watched the fireflie
darting about in the salt laden fields
10 He thought of the great load of sorro'
no on this mans heart, and he wondere
e, how any one could think of making I
q. heavier by trying to take him TO pool
rd house while he was ye. able to pIovid
" for himself.
s. A short distance down the road thel
ne were the glow of forge and the soun
We of the hammering of the belated blacl
ne smith. The clouds were moving ov'
hu the sky. Some of them were white Ill
OF snow and looked featbery and light as
thistledown; others were heavy as ding
on marble and in places tinged with, blac
y. as if burned from soaky lamp. In Il
10 west there was black bank OF clou
10 In the south there were hugo bank
pe like high mountains rising out OF Il
u" sea.
'p' Then Grosvenor saw that a womi
DIV was standing before them. He had N
di- known she was coming. She seemed
es' appear suddenly out of the gloom or
IN have descended from above somewher
es' But she stood now in tho glare Of G
uh light and Grosvenor saw that her ia
ne was white and her eyes had dark sha
'h ows under them.
no' Ihave lost my way, she said, "al
would like you to tell me the short'
'n' way 20 the Sea View hotel"
or |. - sz.l "a n; "a