The Portland daily press., 1869-04-24
Selected Story.
A San Francisco Story.
THE GENTLEMAN FROM RENO. !

as if the air was a river with mill-race cur
rent, and was flying full of sticks, stones and
sand. II our front door is LETT unfastened
any time after halfpast eleven o'clock in the
forenoon, it flies open with spiteful bang,
and 10 moment every door in the house is
clapped to or slammed open, and the house
our house is small and thin-resounds as if a
small army were firing off canno rs in it.
do believe that some day Harry will come
home and find the house, wife. children and
fixtures, blown from jenkins street to De-
catur street. The structure is only clap
boards and shingles, and how it has ever
stood 50 long as it has, passes my compre-
hension. But as was saying, the wind was
blowing gale, and was just on the point Oh
going to see if the front door was fastened
our Norah is so careless, and little Harry per-
sists in going out al that door because papa
doesr-wben open it blew with tremendous
bang. every other door in the house flying to
or fro as the case happened to be, each one
firing salute of its own and knocking down
the plastering in great flakes; they do build
such cheap houses nowadays! The gale
swept through my bit of parlor sending ev-
erything whirling, and was mad enough to
cry to see my manuscript fly all over the
floor; for while the children were out with
Norah had set down to fix up my little sto-
Iy for the Trans Continental, knowing full
well that if did not cross out all the best
bits, the editor would. What fatal stupidity
editors always have for cutting out the best
part of thing, to be sure! was half hes-
tating whether to try and sa7e my precious
manuscript or run first and shut the door,
when heard voice at the front door say
ing, "Hallo! house therer'
Now, for lone, lorn woman to hear
rough voice like that at her open door, with
her husband off visiting patients, the servant
ard children gone the Lord knows where,
L L 4. 41...on 1lxzI
sand hills, you will admit that it was little
terrifying, especially when you know that
am small woman, and am so cooped up at
home with my household duties and three
small children, that never see anybody out
side my own house. But, with no small
quiver at my heart, l went into the little hall,
and there stood a stout, dark-sklnned man,
wearing soft hat and a new suit of clothes,
the store creases in which l saw before L saw
his face. "Blow mew said he-which l
thought quite unnecessary, as he was being
blown and SO was L; for, as [ stood in the
narrow hall, had hard work to keep my
feet. and was painfully conscious that my
hoop1skirt was showing right through the
thin calico had on. "Blow mep Says he,
II thought | never should raise anybody.
Amt this Hank Clayton's house." l replied
with some dignity, not unmixed with tremu-
business, that this was DIR. Henry Cayton'S
residence; whereIpon he bolted into the hall
and closed the door after him, saying, "M ell
marin, you'll blow right through the side of
the house, if you don't get shet of this ere
ind.'
Tue mysterious stranger, to my horror,
marched into the parlor and sat down, de-
lIberately hanging his hat on my lovely Clytie
in real marble, which stands on a plaster pe-
destal in the little corner behind the sofa.
$50 you don't know me" said this appari-
ton and, without waiting for my scared neg
alive, he added, swell, shouldn't 'spose you
would, considerin' that you never seen me
afore. I'm just from Reno; came down on
the Sacramento boat last night, and after
had time to do few odd chores and get
kinder slicked up, jest come out to see Hank
and his young ones" He looked conplacent-
ly down on his creased pantaloons, and ten
derly picked few grains of sand from his
gray coat-sleeve as he spoke. l told him
was sorry my husband was not at home, but
II he would call again tomorrow he would be
sure to find him at nine o'clock, or he would
be more likely to find him at four in the af-
ternoon at his Office, No. 2010 Kearny street.
But in vain; the dreadful man insisted that
he had got through with his days chores, and
could just as well wait as not, and he added:
Now, up in Reno, where we do things on
tho keen Jump. why, man hasn't no time to
fool away waiting for nobody; we are sharp
set up there; built town of three thousand
inhabitants, fourteen stores, four hotels,
twelve saloons, French restaurant ana a.
!. billiard emporium in six weeks Oh, yes; in
Reno we do things in hurry, and you've got
to look alive there, you jest bet your lite,
now"
Was ever a woman more painfully circum-
stanced? could scarcely believe that it was
not some horrid dream and that was not
actually sitting in my own sewing-chair,
where had passed so many busy hours, look
ing at that dreadful man, spreading his un-
calmly limbs all over my ruby plush sofa,
crossing his ridiculous legs as though he were
in bar-room, and making the knick-knacks
on the bracket over his head dance madly to
the vibrations of his big, rough voice. But
there he was, and how he got in and estab-
lished himself on that sofa as though he own
ed the entire little establishment and was
considering whether he should carry it of, |
can not for the life of me say. There he was
and protested that he chad just as soon wait
for Hank as not" 1t was monstrous lie, OF
course; he never knew my precious Harry,
whom he dared to call "Hank," and he had
come here to rob the house, to carry off all
my best dresses and Harry's silver goblet, CIV
en- to him by grateful patient who never
paid his bill. Was he burglar; or an escap-
ed lunatic; or wicked murderer, going about
10 kill people and burn down their houses,
just to make a sensation in the newspapers ?
uOt Gcll, Uut DIS gave up dill uOpeS Vi
coaxing him out of the house, I~wildly
thought of batting him with cake and wine
while stole up stairs, rolled up my silk
dresses and escaped by the back door to in
tercept the children and Norah, and alarm
the neighbors up on Decatur street. But
there was my husbands precious goblet, on
which my agcnized gaze rested whenever
turned it away from the horrible fascination
OF the gentleman from Reno.
a wa MI in
playing with me as cat plays with a mouse.
He talked long and loud of the wonders OF
Reno, of its growth its glories, its brilliant
future and its present greatness. why,
narm," said he, SfQur months ago there
wasn't stick nor a stake to show where even
the railroad was going to run; not plank
was set up nor lot run out-but to-day
there's big town doing nigh on to five hun
dred thousand dollars worth of trade, and lots
are going off like hot cakes; you can't get
round for the teams there are in the streets:
goods sell for eighty-fve per cent profit, and
last week we had Alright peart race, ball at
the Ell Dorado, four runaways, tolerable
lively shooting scrape, new paper
started, and four funeraisw To this cata-
logue of attractions listened mechanically,
knowing full well that the dreadful man was
making up everything he said, amusing me
with fabrications and playing on my igno
rance. had heard of such a place as Reno,
but had not been able to keep track OF the
new towns that spring up along the line of
the Pacific railroad, and really could not say
il Reno was in California or Utah. But here
was red-iaced man, sun-bunt and with
sticking plaster on his lips, who said he was
citizen of Reno! Where was Reno? Was
there any such place? Was he not base
imposter, pretending TO know my husband in
order to ingratiate himself into my esteem be-
fore he set fire to the house and carried off
my Bismarck silk dress and our best china?
Oh, would Norah never come? And when
would would Harry be at home?
No sister Ann, of Blue-B Beard story, ever
gazed more anxiously from top of tower for
the coming of the avenging brothers, than
watched tor the return of that blessed No
rah. She came at length, and seemed an an
gel OF light as she tolled through the sand,
dragging one child by either hand, while
third chung fast to her skirts in the rear. At
last had companionship in my terrors; but
; as soon as / communicated to her the dread
full intelligence, and she had gained through
the crack of the door one peep at the mon
ster sitting on my ruby plush sofa, she threw
her apron over her head, and rocking herself
two and fro, exclaimed, "Wirrah, wirrah, now,
what will become OF the poor childer?n /
had uraaf difficulty in keenino her still ond