The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-08-21
THE WIDOWS ARRIVAL


amid all the joyous stir aud excite
ment that the monthly boat brought
was one forlorn, unhappy man, Tom
Douglas watched his friends rs they
eagerly opened their letters and
listened with assumed interest to the
bit Of news they were anxious to share
for at Sitka the population throngs to
the wharf when the steamers whistle is
heard and wnits the coming of the ship
and the distribution of the mails. The
people crowd into the tiny postolice
on the dock aud watch impntiently for
the longel.for home letters.
But Toms home letter was not a
comfort to him. "Well, she is really
coming" he thought, "a month from
to-day, if the steamer is ON time. |
will be a married mon-worse luck.
How can | ever tell Natalia, dear little
grill | wouldn't willingly hurt her
tender feelings for milIian dollars,
ms hard up as am, and Tom whistled
ruefully.
Tom Douglas WAS n naval officer,
and before being stationed at Sitka he
had been on duty winter in Wash
ington, where he plunged into society
with that gay abandon that only a
sailor knows, for after three years Mt
sea a young fellow is quite ready for
the rush and whirl of the gay capital
All houses were open to the handsome
Lieutenant, but there was one where
he was especially welcome The hos
tess was pretty widow OF some TWEEN
ty-six or twenty-seven years OF age.
Her husband, who had died soon after
their marriage, seemed not to have
laid n very strong hold on her atfec-
tions, for after mourning him deco
rously for year she blossomsd into
the gayest of the gay, and her house
became center for the young officers
who had been the friends of her hus-
band.
1t was there that Tom spent most of
his time. He dropped in during the
morning and discussed the newest gos-
sip or the latest magazines and came
in for cup of tea in the afternoon
and remained till her cozy parlor was
empty save for himself and her.
"Are you going to the assembly to-
night?" he would ask.
"Will you be there, Tom?" Mrs.
Deering had such good. fellowship
way of using her friends first names.
'Yes, l presume SO.
''Well, then, | am going" the little
widow would reply
And that was the way the winter
passed-Tom running in at all hours,
privileged to smoke or to read, to talk
or listen, the most INDUCED of all her
callers. When his orders came for
his immediate removal to Alaska he
put the document in his pocket and
went, as usual, to the CHEEKY home of
Mrs. Deering. He told her the news
and was really surprised and ilattered
by her reception Of it. She took both
his hands in hers, and the tears gath
cred in her bright eyes.
"Oh, Tom," she said, 81 hate to
have you 60.
Now, it never had occurred to
Lieutenant Douglas before, but at this
moment the idea did come to him that
he was in love With the widow. He
drew her to him and kissed away her
tears, and before he knew it he was
engaged to Alice Deering.
He soon left, after arranging to
have Alice join him later in the sum.
mer, but owing to the los, of distant
relative, the heir OF whose modest
estate she was, her coming had been
| greatly delayed. 1t was now more
than year since she and Tom had
parted in Washington. In the mean
time Tom had whiled away his leisure
hours in the somewhat narrow circle
of Sitka society, but in that narrow
bound he had found fair Russian
| flower that he knew bloomed for him.
I Though Tom had not made love to
Natalia-he was too honorable for
that-they had been together con-
stantly, aud each knew distinctively
| what was in the, others heart.