Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1895-01-17


the heart Of green county in Eng
land. He made her laugh with hi
tales Of college life and shudde
with his descriptions of the cam
paign Ia Egypt which he had gon
through. Only he did not tell he
how he. an English gentleman an,
gallant officer, came to be loafin,
and drinking and gambling ava,
his daya nd health in Great Whit
canyon. Paul Harding degrade,
a. he was and lacking in reverence
to women--at least had too mucl
respect for the little postmistress /,
tel. her that black page in his life
The day was an entire success
but it left q bitter after taste il
Mary's mouth when she heard th,
next morning that Paul had spent
the night at Ffolliott's drinking and
brawling till dawn.
The next Sunday Mary shut her
self within her log cabin. and Meth
er the blue sky nor the gay cart and
smartly caparisoned horse nor Beau.
ty Paul himself could wheeile her
out. She would not be seen, she
said sternly, with one of Ffolliot's
lot. She, however, relented and
forgave him on his promise to amend
for her sake.
AS weeks and months went by
and the green Of the canyon changed
to red and gold Paul found that il
he was to look after Mary he had
to give up the saloon.
And indeed for a space Ffolliot's g
knew him not till one October
morning his allowance----the money
which bought his family freedom
from his disgraceful presence--ar-
rived from England. For the next
week Ffolliott's was q pandemon-
ium, with the Beauty as a presiding
demon.
Mary heard of it and refused TO
speak to or look at him. Then it
was that he flung himself before her
one day and prayed her to save him
from that from which he was pow
erless to save hinfself--from drink
and dice and bad companions. And
she did what other good women
have done before her and will do
again. She placed her hand in his,
and with her heart full of Rube
Halse she promised to marry Paul
for his souls sake.
All through that long winter
she held to her promise. At Christ
mas he broke from her control, and
she did not speak to him for days,
butshe ending by forgiving. When
he was with Mary, he vowed to re-
form, not to set foot in Ffolliott's
again, never to taste another drop
OF whisky nor again look at a card.
But once beyond the sound of her
low voice, the touch of her small
hand, and his resolutions melted
like the winter SHOWS.
The eve OF their marriage day ar.
rived and with it Paups allowance
from England. The occasion and
the opportunity suggested a carouse,
and Paul informed the boys he
would be standing treat at Ffol.
liott's for the last time. The ban
was soon crowded, for the Beauty
was just the song singing, yarn tel.
ling, whisky drinking scamp who
would be popular among the wild
crew, especially as he stood treat SO
long as the bartender would stand
him.
Paul was full of liquor. He had
drunk Aary's health with every
man in the place, and he was also
full of luck for once in a way. A
pile of gold lay before him on the
table, and he was just proposing
another round in Mary's honor
when big Bill Redfern strobe in and
was greeted with q shout of Hello,
Bill! You back !? What luek,
pard p
Luck, my lads ? / leave luck to
fools and deadbeats. I've been
working, and thank God I've work
ed for something. I've put my
sweat and muscle into the ground.
and I've struck ore. None of your
dust pockets, but vein as broad
as an ox's back and as long as a
river, and SO I've come back with
Rubs'-
Paul looked up with start. His
eves flashed and ha saenaa n, ur,ou
sober in q moment as the situation
presented itself. Here was he drunk