THE COLUMBIAN. BLOOM5BURG, PA. Ml "WT3 a Mrs. Williamson By Mrs. W. K. Clifford. Mil- 1111" CHAPTKK I Edward Travers had born taking out a year's leave In England. The cold had worried him a good deal, and country houses nnd London so ciety alike bored him, but ho hail struggled through the winter, even to the end of the Hunter holidays. Then he sprained his foot, which obliged him to He up and gave him time for reflection. Let It be said here that he was four nnd thirty and good-looking, lie cared little for frivolities, he read books when they were not to stodgy, but he was neither particularly learned nor even highly cultured. He had agreeable planners and pleasant instincts; he was affectionate to his sisters, though he could get along well nough without them; staunch to tils friends, though he did not care to aee too much of them, or easily make acquaintances. As for falling in love. It simply did not occur to him; life was pleasant enough; why complicate It with untried condl :lons? "I think I shall go nnd do a trav !," he said to his mother when his foot was better. "There are some hlps that go from Liverpool along cne Mediterranean. From Genoa I i-ould easily get to Milan and the Italian lakes, over a pass Into Switz erland, and wait there for you all." Phe Travers family went to the En adlne every August as naturally as It went to church every Sunday. "Then we could be together till I are to hurry back to the coast and tch ship for Bombay." It was a peculiarity of his that laying out a jrogramme meant, as a rule, a sense f obligation to carry it through. Tom Darton went down to Liver pool to see him off. The Arab was jot to sail till three. So they lunch j4 at the hotel, and were as silent im old chums often are they had en at Woolwich together when a iartlDg Is at hand. Darton tried to 'alk of the people and doings they loth remembered; but It was no wod. Then he noticed a woman, tuletly dressed In some sort of dark ;oo!en stuff, and a little hat close tttlng and soft, lunching r.lone at next table. She was 'liin and are worn looking, even n little In significant at the first g't.ice, and ;ot young three or foiv ; nd thirty, erhaps. There war i-umethlng pa thetic about her. 'i ..ere was a half :uoted look It: her eyes that ar--ated attentkui. "I think 1 have seen her before," arton said; "her face seems to bo . :mlliar. Wonder who she Is?" "Sensible, anyhow," Travers an swered. "Mutton chop and a glas3 ! claret. 1 can't stand a woman ho has a poached egg and a cup j f tea In the middle of the day. You nay take it as a pretty snfe rulo fiat she doesn't know much and Is resome." Then the talk drifted vito other channels and the solitary oman was forgotten. Late In the afternoon when Trav--rs atood watching the shoro retreat ig Into the already dim distance, he iw the slim figure again. She was waning over the side of the sh!;, atchlng the distance, too, with an iger, thankful manner for there vaa no one near her and she lm gtned herself unobserved. Travers xked at her for a moment and heeled round to retreat. Suddenly le sprained foot gave way and he ant down. An expression of pain nd vexation escaped him; It was lortlfylng to measure his length at strange woman's feet. She turned uickly and put out a hand to help im but It was unnecessary. "You are hurt," she said. "You iwt be hurt," and her tone was all frightened, half compassionate. "It's nothing," he answered, thank you very much. I sprained jr foot pretty badly six weeks ago id ought to be more careful." "Of course you ought, a sprain Is ten a slow thing to recover from." r voice was deep and sweet; it -. emed to burrow Its way Into his rt; but his foot was hurting and to saw It. "Bit down and rest," she said, ;ou are in pain. This floor is so tppery stay, let me get you a iek chair." "This will do quite well," he sat own gracefully on the seat of the ilwarks, while she remained stand- beside him. "They made me t the new dodge," he explained, ralklng. It is rather weak still ; ja way at unexpected moments." "You ought to rest It well." she Id, still compassionate, "but you .11 be able to do that easily on mrd the ship." "I am only going as far as Genoa, wanted to make my way .from w over the St. Gothard and do ' ana walking." "It won t be safe," she said, and aked up with an air of conviction at wa Impressive. Ha saw that I r ayes were gray, deep and clear, j that the half-hunted look of the orning bad gone from them. "You -tat not walk for a long time." she dad, "at least not much." There ia an irresslstlble magnetism about -r; ha fait it in arary word aha f t io ti nid'l l ine," lie fcithl, u...i r-e.o was a pause. Then suddenly he nskcd. "IMcin't I see you lunching at the North-Western to-day?" "Yes, 1 wns there." "Are you going far by thin shin?" There nre some question people nre always privileged to n: k their fellow passengers. "To Naples." "The orange v.i!l be In Mooni; but It . ft do to stay there long ho v.: al'.hy." "I am going to stay above It at roslllppo," she spoke reluctantly. "I know Posllippo. There's a lit tle restaurant up there, where one goes to breakfast, you know." "I don't know anything about It yet," she answered distantly. "1 have never been there." She turned as If to go below, then hesitated. "You must be careful of your foot." she said. "I could fetch you a stick, or give you an arm back to tho stairs, If you are going down?" Her manner was quite Indifferent. It showed no desire In it to strike up acquaintance rather the reverse. She was evidently merely doing her Christian dtity toward a stranger. "Oh, I shall manage all right," he said gratefully, and she slowly went her way. "She doesn't look more than eight and twenty when she speaks," ho thought. "Wonder who she Is probably a strolling spinster," for lie had noticed that she wore no wedding ring. "Per haps dissatisfied and restless, as wo men of her ago often are. But she's rather nice. 1 like her, somehow." An hour or two later, when he sat down for the first timo to dinner on hoard the Arab, he found tlu.t his place was next to hers. "We are to be neighbors for ft whole week," he said, "unless you object?" "I am not likely to object. Why should I?" She was very unsophisticated, he thought. "People sometimes become Inti mate on board ship In a week, then say goodby and usually never set eyes on each other again. I often watch them on the way ot." "Do you travel so much, then?" "I have been to and fro a good deal. I am a soldier. Going back to India la October on leave till then." He paused, thinking she might give him some Information about herself, but she said nothing. He noticed that she had a beautiful ly shaped head and soft brown hair grew close round her ears and was coiled up very simply at the back. She looked up once, as if trying to take In the evidently novel scene about her, and he saw that the gray eyes had long dark lashes. It was very odd about this woman, he thought; at first sight she seemed Insignificant, then gradually you felt that there was something al most beautiful about her; but her attractions came out slowly, and one by one, as stars in the twilight. . "Do you know any of the people here?" ho asked, simply to make talk. "Not a soul," she answered. 1 dont want to know thorn," she added half to herself. "Well, they are rather an ungod ly looking set. Most of them will probably be lnvlsiblle by this time to-morrow perhaps you will, too." "Oh, no," she answered with a little shudder, "nothing will hurt me; I mean to sit on deck all the time and feel the four winds of heaven." "Plowing nwny the cares of life, eh?" A sudden Idea seemed to dart from her eyes. "Yes, blowing them all away," she said. "I wonder if they will?" She seemed unwilling to talk, but he liked her for It. He hated peo ple who snatched at a new acquaint ance, who chattered at tables d'hote and hung about hotels to attract at tention; they belonged to a definite class he despised. He was vexed with himself for trying to draw out; he felt as If he was forcing himself upon her, but for the life of him ho couldn't help It. She disappeared quickly when tho dinner was over, but ho saw her an hour later. He grew tired of the smoking place and the group that filled It and went to try If with tho help of a stick and under cover of the darkness he could manage to drag his foot along for a few turns on deck; he meant to be cr.reful this time and not to sprawl on tho bulwarks again. The lamps from tho saloon shed blurred lengths of light on the waves that brolte softly against the ship, while the entranc ing sound of cutting through tho water, of going onward and away that always excited him at the be ginning of a voyage, made an accom paniment to the stirring In his heart. He passed quite near her and wns rather ashamed of it, but It was so dr.rk that at first he had not readily made her out. She looked up and recognized blm. "Ought you to be walking?" she n.-ked. "Is your foot better?" "It s getting nil right, thank you only a little stiff," He hesitated, then said shyly, nodding to the dis tance. "May I come and look out. too?" She made a movement of assent, and ho stood by her, leaning on the rail as she was doing. Sho looked at hi:n for a momnet, the shadows seemed to make way for her face, and ho saw It quite clearly. It gave him a little thrill, and he wondered whnt it meant; for he was a hard ened sinner, he thought; four a::d thirty, with the remembrance of n.nr.y soor.i not oaly la EujlcaJ, but at Simla; never In love In hU life, or, at least, only once for a month, when ho wns 19. with Dolly Ronaldson, who laughed nt him and married the curate. Ho was used to P. & O.'s, too, up to the ways of enorpi fi ing damsels nnd giddy grass widows, ready to beguile 'he monot ony of a voyage In nny way to which tho other sex world respond. And jet, for no r ason ct nil that he could define, heie wns this little wo man In Mack, with n pale face nnd a pair of big eyes, stealing over his seises and routing not only his curi osity, hut some sort of feeling t lint made him carer to listen to her, Crcteful to aland beside her, and that set him wondering about her past and future. Quito suddenly she asked a question, "I wish you would tell mo your name?" she said. "Travers," he answered quickly, "Edward Travels. 1 knov who you are," he added. She started a little and looked at him; It seemed as If she held her breath. Ho thought she resented his curiosity. "Miss Henrietta Williamson. I saw It In tho passenger list." "Oh!" "And you are travelling alone?" "Yes, alone," "No one even to see you off to day?" "No one." Tnen she asked him something else. "Tell me who you nre. I know your name quite well." "My Governor's name I expect you mean; bo's a Judge, you know." "I have seen him somewhere," she added, nflcr a moments hesita tion. "I have heard that he was a very kind man." "Awfully kind. It breaks his heart if he has to hang anybody." Some one on the piano played a German air. Ho stopped for a mo ment and listened. "That tune brings back things," he said. "We used to call It the long Indian day at Simla." "It's a 'Hen, meln Hers.' " "It makes me think of the Way lett case last year." She turned and looked at him again. Her face flashed something that was like defiance. "Why?" she asked. "My father was trying It. We were waiting for the verdict at home Just before dinner for it was late when It finished. We felt sure she would be found guilty, and we knew what It would be for my father to sentence her. And It's an awful thing, you know, for anyone to be hanged, especially a woman." "What has 'Herr., meln Herz' to do with it?" she asked. She had put her elbows on the rail and sup porting her chin on her hands was looking straight out to sea again. "A brass band was playing It In the square when the telegram came he always telegraphs lis big ver dicts home. Ten minutes later ho came In. He had summed up In her favor " "Yes?" her voice was faint ns If she took but little interest in the subject. "For he said that even If she had done It tho man was such a brute that he deserved It. I believe some of the Jury felt that, too." "Besides," she said, almost bitter ly, "we might generally spare our selves the trouble of setting out pains and penalties for criminals. Greater punishment is generally at tached to the crime than any that can be invented outside of It." "Oh. come;" he was a little shock ed; "we must have laws and things, you know." But she answered noth ing. "Are you going to stay long at Naples?" he asked by way of chaiuclns the conversation. "I don't know." "Not going to friends?" "I am goir.g to an old friend of my mother's," end then, with a sud den rush of confidence, "she is badly off and keeps a pension there." "Shall you stay long?" "I don't know. All my life, per haps or only a day. I wish I had travelled," she went on suddenly. "I have been nowhere. I want to see everything In the world. I think one ought, and somehow I will." She lifted her chin and doubled her fists beneath It, her tone was de- ( termined, she spoke as if for a mo ment she had forgotten that she was with a stranger. "That's right," he said, "I don't think that I should be content with a little Bllce of the world myself." She turned away; evidently she took no Interest In what might or might not content him. "I am going down." she said; "It Is time." "Have you a good Btateroom?" "Yes, thank you, and a woman who appears to be quiet enough has the other berth." She stopped while she spoke and looked round as if In to the shadows that crowded over the deck. "Rather a bore, though, having anybody at all, Isn't It." "Oh. no," she answered with a little shudder. "I hate being alone." Then she disappeared Into the dark ness; he felt as if a mystery went with her. CHAPTER II. Ten days later the Arab had bat tled across the Hay of Biscay Into calm seas, coaleC at Glbralter, plow ed throug'u the treacherous Gulf of Lyons, and was within a few houri of Genoa. It seemed to Edward Travers that he had lived years since he left Liverpool long, satisfying, dreamy yean. Mica Williamson bad proved herself ns excellent ft sailor t.s ho himself was, and they had hen Dlhinst iiisepnrnhlo. Their compan ionship wns for tho most pnrt n si lent one; neither was a grent tnlker; but each seemed Instinctively and al most unconsciously to seek tho other If tney were but nn hour npnrt. Through long days of rough wea ther, when everything was battened down, nn (1 nil the other passengers were Invisible, they sat in the sa loon; reading generally, but sending now nnd then a look or a word ncioss the space between them, till It wns possible to creep out to tho deck once more. Then, ns a mnttcr of course, they went together, for an hour nt first, and then for whole long hours that sped as the ship did through the rushing water. Gradu ally the air became llko velvet, and happiness seemed to be softly steal ing over the sea toward their ship or so he felt. To her it was differ ent. The sound of tho screw, the calmning of the leaping waves, he sight of a distant sail, and of noth ing else save the sea and sky, tho long deck, and the white awning that had Just been put up over It, the wonderful morning when she first saw Gibraltar and tho dim Afri can shore far away, everything seem ed to burn Its memory into her heart and soul. She looked neither for ward nor backward; she Just dared to live and that Was all. Love, nnd remembered hate, despair, despera tion and maddening dread, each had their hold of her In turn. Travers found her difficult and reticent, though now she allowed him to stay beside her on clerk or In the saloon, ns naturally as he took his place be side her at dinner, nnd gradually sho waited and watched for him. Most of the other passengers had been In visible till the night they sighted the lights of Lisbon. Tho two peo ple who had seen each other casual ly for the first tlmo nt the Liver pool hotel seemed to have Inherited a world to themselves, and If the woman stared fate in the eyes dum founded, the man was unafraid. He knew perfectly that he had fallen In love with Miss Williamson, that all the years that has been his hills of defense were leveled under her pas sing footstep. He hungered, thirst ed, panted, to know more of her, to wake her from the half sorry dream that It struck him sometimes she had found life, to rouse her Into happi ness from the sad apology for It that he Imagined the world made her now, to know everything about her, above all, to see the gray eyes that he could swear remembered sor row, light up with love and love for him. "By Jove," he said to himself, "I have come by a cropper this time, and for a woman I had not set eyes on ten days ago. What an ass I am. But she's like no one I ever saw on earth before. If I could only make her care for me, what a time I'd give her In India." He was not go ing to leave tho ship at Genoa. He remembered that it was four years since he had seen Naples, that it would be rather a good thing to go on; besides, he told her. It was bet ter for his foot, which was getting strong a few days more would make a differenco to It. "It seems as If we had known each other for years," he said as they sat on their deck chairs that night. The watch had Just been changed, there had been a rumor of phosphores cence, the air was soft and warm; the breath of Italy was In It; the delicious sound of the water was in theirs ears, the whole world seemed half an enchantment. "To-morrow we shall be at Genoa. We ought to land for a little while; I should like to show you the Red palace if you will let me." "I am sorry we are coming to the land again," she said. "I should like to stay on the sea forever, yet I want to see everything." "How Is it you have never been away before?" "Oh, I don't know," she answered. He knew as little about her as he had on the day they met first. She listened to everything he said con cerning himself, but she told him nothing of her own history. "Perhaps you had relations to look after?" "Yes, I had them to look after," she hesitated, and then went on. "There were a great many of us at home, and I was the eldest. We were poor and had no time to go about. I used to teach my little sis ters their French verbs and make them play their scales till I was eighteen. That was ten years ago I feel like a haggard old woman, but I am only eight and twenty." "But you have not Just left home " "I left whe I was nineteen. I went to take care of some' one. I don't want to talk about It," she added, "but .1 have never had any happiness never In my life and I have longed for It so much." Then with a quiet Jerk of her voice, she went on. "You spoke of the Way lott caso the other night; your fa ther trld it, do you remember? I knew that woman and I have long for happiness Just as she did " "You knew her?" He was almost startled. "Yes; I knew her very well." "I can't tell you that, but I know that she married him to escape from poverty and worry. He treated her shamefully, he grudged every penny she spent or cost and any moment's peace that seemed possible. The worli is better without such men. If she killed him she lost her soul In doing a righteous deed, and It W4.i Ur desparate hunger for bsjpl- hers that made her do It If she did It, I my." "Whnt I couldn't s'nnd nhout her wns that, nflcr the wns acquitted, site calmly proved Ms v. Ill nitcl took his money, lie couldn't have been such a very had i imp, for he left her all he had." "He coi:h!:i't take It with him." she : nld gi Inily. "Im you knov.' v. hat became of her?" ".She dl'np;ierred--I suppose she Is nn outcr.st forever." "Well! Clime or no crime, she hasn't gnii'ed hnpplness yet." "People never pi in it; they only pursue It." "By heaven!" he said with sud den emotion, "vhat an awful thing to bo that woman." "Hut there nre to many awful things in the world," f!io said. "It's Just a chance which variety we p-raw." "You must hnve suffered horri bly." he said uneasily, "to speak as you have dona to night.' "Perhaps." "Anyhow, you're not as badly off ns the Waylett woman Is If she did It. I mean you've nothing on your mind." "No," she said, "I suppose not, I hnve certainly done nothing that I would not do over again: though I suppose we have all done some things that we regret." She looked over her shoulder In the odd way that characterized her. as If she were half afraid of the dark. "Hut some times we do such desparate things to gain happiness," sho said almost l:i a whisper, "only to lose Its possi bility. We are like slaves w ho make n desparate struggle for freedom, r.nd only make their captivity worse." "Why do you hnrp so much on happiness? I wish you would tell me about yourself," he said suddenly. "Is It I mean, you have cared for someone?" "No," she said in a low voice.- "I have never loved any one," sho hesi tated almost as if she were going to 6ay "before," and chose her words carefully, "In the way you mean In my whole life. Perhaps that Is real ly the tragedy of It." "Won't you trust me?" he said hoarsely. "We have known each other only a few days, but we hnve hurried years Into them. I feel to ward you as I never felt yet toward human woman, but w hen I reach out to you in my thoughts It Is Into the unknown or the darkness " "Into the darkness?" she echoed. "Tell me about yourself," he said passionately. He rose and pulled her from her seat, and putting his arm about her waist drew her gently toward the end of the ship. It was dark and none could hear. "Trust me with your whole life. Tell me If I may care for you, If you could ever come to think of me. It is such a little while since we met, but we are not strangers. 1 feel as If we had Btarted out from opposite ends of the world to meet each other." "I have felt it too," and, ns if against her will, she drew closer to him. "I love you," ho said. "I swear i love you." A littlo sound came from her lips She put her arms up softly around his neck. "I think it Is killing me." she answered. "No no. It is all right," he an swered, "we are not fools, we can't have made a mistake. We love each other and there Is no reason why we should not " "Love you," she said. "I feel as If I stood by heavens open door but 1 shall never enter It." "You will! You shall! We will walk Its whole length together. Oh, my beloved woman, whom God has given me." But she only shuddered at his words. '"God will take me from you," she said. "Why should Ho be so cruel?" "Say you love me, ray It again. It goes through me," she said des parately. "I love you," he repeated. ."I love you," nnd he held her In his arms and kissed her long and slowly, while ho felt as If the world stood still to let them drink deep of love. Suddenly through the darkness they hard footsteps. "Who is It?" she cried starting. "It Is only the captain," Travers said. "How nervous you are!" "He frightened me," she whisper ed. "I thought " "A dark night," the captain said cheerily; "doesnt look as If we should be at Genca In the morning, does It?" "What time do we get in?" "About seven, I hope, and out again at night. Just a day there," and he passed on. "A good long day," Travers said, as ho turned to her again. Hut she held him away further. "I cannot,'' she said; "I cannot! Let me go. To-morrow you will understand." He took tho hands she was holding out, and stooped and kissed them. "I want to tell you again." she went on. under her breath, "I have never loved any one In my whole life before I mean. In this way. It has changed every thing." She drew her hands away, and in a moment she had vanished altogether. A gray, damp morning; the beauty of Genoa hidden In the mist and rain. Travers, lying In bis cabin, woke with the sound of the drip dripping on the deck. "Italy and rain." he thought "I won't get up till Ihe bell rlpfs. It pia,y clear up In n couple of iiouit - ,,,, nothing In a downpour." ii,,,,. ,,, foois'ep". ove rhead Son,. , Vl Rolng on shore, ship s oillic i-. , ', ably, to get fresh food foi i.j, fnst. He heard the sound o i, ,,, f bulng let down, the spli.Hi or as It went towiird lc.nl, ln:l u no c oin cm ci his lie doze (,r wondeilng wl.nt she would say when she nut Mm, he coull not i!evln,i In his h7y I linughts the manner c,i l.oi.r ll:ey would spend next; n.t time would innlse It plain. Why hur ry or forestall It? It wns nine o'clock when her uv.-o';o. The breakfast bell rung, lie drtssed quickly, but ,(.. fore he was ready some ouo kneel;, n1 at his door. It wus tho steward wi:ii a li tter "Miss Williamson gnve It to m this morning, sir. She changed in r mind about going to Naples, and shr wns put ashore with her luggage, said rhe wos going by train some where else." Travers took the letter without a word. He shut the door end stood staring nt If. listening the tthile to the steward's retreating steps along the passage; they kouthI ed like the drawing back of 111.. Then he tore open the envelope, it contained a little bit of folded news paper and ft note, which he read ni a gin nee, "I told you that I stool on the stefs before the open door of Heav en, now I nm closing It upon my self forever. Good-by." lie put It down bewildered, and unfolded the hit of newspaper. It v.ns evidently a cutting a portrait of Miss Williamson, badly repro duced but unmistakable. Under it wns printed: "Mrs. Waylett. Acquitted last week of the charge of murdering her husband." Against It. In pencil, wns tho date of a year ago, and the words. "I did It." Ho looked nt them stupefied for a moment. Then he remembered her kisses, nnd her arms how they had stolen closer nnd closer round his neck. The steward cane agnln n little later. "Peg pardon, sir; but shall I bring you some urenktt?" "No, no; I am coming." He reach ed out his hand for a match case and setting fire to the letter and the hit of newspaper, watched them slowly burn ii way. Then he gathered up the ashes, and lest anyone should enter and divine what they had been, he put them through the porthole; and n groan escaped him, but be did not see them as they vanished or know the direction In which the wind had scattered them. Detroit Free Press. Our New Cnvlnr Producer. Strange stories are told of many queer fish, but few fish nre queerer In appearance or stranger In their habits than the new caviar-producer of tho lower Mississippi. It has as many names ns a confidence man. nnd few thieves ever eluded Justice ns perristently as this species lias concealed Its development from the naturalist. In Louisiana It is know.i as bllltish, bllldom, and paddle-fish; In Mississippi, spoon-billed cat or spooney; and in Arkansas as the spoonbill or r.poonhlll-sturgeon. The lakeB and rivers of these thp-e s'ates supply at present much of the caviar and "dried sturgeon" of the markets "Polyodon spatula" is the distillled title by which the spoonbill is known to naturalists, though the word "polyodon" signifies many toothed, while tho fish lias no teetti. A Woman's Heroism. History hns presented few exam ples of greater heroism than that of Mrs. S. J. Rooke, the telephone oper ator of Folsoni. N M . w ho. when warned by a resident of the hills to flee for her life from the flood speed ing to engulf the valley, rejected the opportunity to save herself and em ployed tho hour that Intervened bet ween the warning received and her own death by drowning in calling up subscribers by telephone and ac quainting them of their danger. More than forty families have already ac knowledged their Uvea were saved through the magnificent courage of one frail woman, whose lifeless body, with the telephone headpiece still adjusted to her ears, was found twelve miles down the canyon. Chief Wlnnemuccn. I.Ike the great Montezuma of oil Mexico. Chief Winnemucca, who wus born and lived the most of his llf besldo Pyramid lake, Nevada, had a thinking mind and a large, warm heart. He was chief of an Indian tribe called the Plutes, and before any white men came over the Rocky mountains to disturb them there were several thousand Indians, to whom he was like a father. He saw to It that they had plenty of good food to eat, nice furs and skins to wear, and handsome tepees (or wig wams) for their families to live in. He had a good wife and many child ren of Ms own; ho was always very kle 1 to them, and took much pain to teach all he himself knew to hi eldest son. w ho was to be Chief Wli ner.iucca after him. Tann'ii for Toothache. Neuralgia from uusound teeth I very common at Ischl, Austria, aud a local dentist has succeeded lu discov ering a remedy in tannin, which be applies to the gums as a lotion or two parts of tannic acid In ten parts of rectifiud spirits. Almost every kind of dental pain is relieved, while loose teeth are made tight aud glveu power for mastlncatlon.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers