Year: 1861

] / 4Cll me-


4 am sure l don't know why / should
But if l do, YOU must promise me, on
your honor, never to tell him if ever
you meet with him again


Madam, what you say to me never
shall be repeated to any mortal man, up
on my honor


well then, she does remember him


But how 2 -----ss.


AS kindly, / think, as he could wish.


J am glad to hear it, Tor his sake
You and l are the friends of both parties.
We can rejoice with each other


lie drew his chair nearer hers, and
took her hand One moment she resist
ed, but it was a magic touch, and the ro-
sy palm lay quietly in his, and the dark
beard bent so low that it nearly touched
her shoulder. 1t did not matter much.
Was he not Samuers dear friend? If he
was not the rose, had he not dwelt very
near it for long, long time?


Il. was a foolish quarrel that parted
them, said the stranger, softly.


Did he tell you about it?'


yes, on board the whaler.'


Did he blame her much ?


Not so much as himself. He said
that his jealousy and i'll temper drove
her 10 break of this match; but he tho't
sometimes if be had only gone back and
spoken kindly to her, she would have
married him after all


i am sure She would said the widow,
piteously. She has owned it to me more
than a thousand times


She was not happy, then, with anoth-
er?


MIR, that is to say, her husband
was very good and kind said the little
woman, thinking of the lonely grave on
the hillside rather penitentIy, and they
lived very pleasantly together. There
never was a harsh word between them


'SdIl-might she not have been hap
pier with Sam Be honest, and say just
what you think


Yes


Bravo That is what wanted to
come at. And now | have a secret to
tell you, and you must break it to her.


Mrs Cobb looked rather scared.


What is it?'


i want you to go and see her, where
ever she may be, and say to her, Maria
what makes you stare so ?


Nothing, only you speak SO like some
one l used to know, once in a while


Do J.? Well, take the rest of the
message. Tell her that Sam loved her
through the wbole--that when he heard
she was free, be began to work hard at
making fortune; he has got it, and is
coming to share it with her, if she will
let linn. VIII you tell her this ?


The widow did not answer.


She freed her hand from his, and COW
cred her face with it. By-and-by, she
looked up again. He was waiting pa
tiently.


We'll?


1 will tell her.


lie arose from his seat and walked up
and down the room. He then came
back, and, leaning on the mantle piece,
strok ed the yellow hide Of Bowse, with
his slipper mplacently.


Make her quite understand that he
wants her for bis wife. She may live
where she likes and how she likes, only
it must be with him


i will tell her.


Say he has grown old, but not cold
that he loves her now perhaps better than
he did twenty years ago that he has been
to her all through bis life, and that
he will be faithful I'll he dies


The Californian broke oil suddenly.


The widow answered still


i will tell her.


And what do you think she will say|
he asked, in an altered tone.


What can she say but, come ?
'Lurrah


The stranger caught her out Of her
chair as if she had been a child, and kiss
ID her passionately.
Don't oh, don'tr she cried out, 'Pm
Sans Maria


well, I'm Maria's Sam
Of went the dark wig and black whis-
smiled the dear face she had {
lever forgotten.
| leave you to imagine the tableau. r
Even the eat got up to look, and Bowse
at on his stump of tail and wondered l
whether be was on his heels or his head. a
The widow gave one little scream, and
hen said


But stop. Quiet people like you and {
ne, dear reader, who have got over all e
hese f0llies, and can do nothing but turn l
Ip our noses at them, have no business a
ere. will only add that two hearts d
we're very happy; that Bowse concluded a
fter a while that all was right, and so r.
- NU