Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-12-17

avays acc ented the last syllable of any word
ending in e mt, like incident" or commence
ment," giving II besides peculiar nasal sound,
which was sure TO secure the attention. The
word incident, as he pronounced it, produced
quite different effect from the same word
sI oxen in the usual style.
A man came TO nv fort one day who was
naked and starving. He was a bad-Ioo king
fellow; but q man naturally does not look bad
wnen MS clothes are in rags, and his bones
Pi9uudlne through his skin. | clothed him,
req him, cared for him kindly, until he vas
abe 10 travel, and then he went away. The
next SUNDAY was sitting outside the stock
AGE, as customary, reading some TRANSACTIONS
OF the Greek poets. when, on raising my eyes
nom the book to glance over the approach to
my Iort-l was always on the alert beheld
vision. Remember, had not seen a woman
TOT year and half She was slowly advance
ing, riding with superb grace horse OF great
beauty and value, richly caparisoned. She
came slowly up the trail, as IL to give me time
Tor thought, and / needed it. That picture is
sui indelibly impressed upon my mind; the
very flicker Of the sunlight and shadow across
the road, and the glitter of her horses trap
pings, as he champed his bit and arched his
neck with Impotence at her restraining hand
denly.
Never less so in my life; pray 20 on"
lyon see bad been alone SO long, and am
very susceptible. That vision coming upon me
suddenly as IT did, in my solitude, gave me the
strangest sensation j ever had. / was SPELL
bound. Not so she. Refining in her horse be-
if asking assistance to dismount. Struggling
with my embarrassment, 1 helped her down,
and she accepted my invitation into the fort,
signifying at the same time, that she wished me
TO attend to stripping and feeding her horse.
This gave us mutually an opportunity to pre-
pare for the coming interview.
when returned to my guest, she had laid
aside her riding habit and close So n bonnet
and stood revealed young, beautiful, elegant
ly-dressed woman. To my unaccustomed ewes
she looked goddess. Her figure was noble:
hgE al
long and curling; her manner easy and attract
i've. She was hungry, she said; would 1 give
her something to eat? And, while L was on
hospitable cares intent, she read to me some of
votaries OF Diana, with comments by herself.
She was splendid reader. Well, now" said
Ella, slowly, with furtiye glance at me, and in
his peculiar nasal tones, "you can guess whether
young man, used to the mountains, as L was
and who had been disappointed and Tilted as
had been, enjoyed this sort of thing or not. 1t
goddess; though, doubtless, in this way, before
now. men have entertained angels unawares
You shall judge whether did.
What with reading, eating together sing
ing-she sang kate Kearney' for me, and her
voice was glorious-our acquaintance ripened
very fast. Finally, conquered my embarrass.
ment so lar as to ask her some questions about
herself, and she told me she was OF good New
Engla family, raised in aft uence, well edu-
Gated, accomplished, but, by freak Of fortune,
reduced TO poverty; that she had come to Cali
fornia resolved to get money, and she had got
IL She went from camp to camp OF the miners
with stationery, and other trifiing articles
needed by them; sold them these things, wrote
them when sick, or carried letters az
press 70 San Francisco, to be mailed
For all these services, she received high prices
specimens. 1 asked her If she liked that kind
of life, 20 contrary to her early training. She
answered me: Its not what We choose that we
select to do in this world. but what chooses to do
ma IA
rich and varied experience. If life Is not what
i orce dreamed il was, Am content But she
sighed As she said it, and l couldn't believe in
"You have not told US yet what brought her
to you, / remarked, in an interval of silence.
"No; she hadn't told me herself, then. BY
and by L asked her, in nv green kind Of a way,
what brought her to see me. Inever shall forget
the smile with which she turned to answer me-
We were sitting quite close: it never was in nv
nature, when once acquainted with a woman /,
to keep away from her. Her garments brushed
my knees; occasionally, in the enthusiasm of
talk, leaned near her cheek. You know no w
1t was. was thinking OF the useless pegs in
my house down in the valley. You will be disap-
pointed, she said, when you learn that came
to do you real service And then she went on
TO relate that, having occasion to pass the night
at certain place not many miles away, she had
overheard, through the thin partitions OF the
my wealth, real or supposed. and plan for nv
murder and robbery. The would be murderer
was so described as TO make it quite certain that
II was he whom had fed, clothed, and sent AWAY
rejoicing only few days previous. was in
Clined TO treat the matter as lest; but she awed
me into the belief and humility at once BY the
msJesly win winch she reIroyed my unbelief
A roman does not tTife with subjects like t;Iis:
nor go out of her way to tell travellers tales
warn you. Good bye"
LATTER this she could not stav, though
awkwardly expressed my regret 1t her going
By her command, l sad,iled her horse and
helped her mount him. Once in the saddle
her humor turned, and she reminded me that
had not invited her to return. She SAID she
could fancy that week of reading, talking
riding, trOut-tshing, and romancing generally
up there in those splendid woods, night be very
Charming. Was i going to ask her to come -
" | didn't ask her. a young man with A rem
utatiOn to sustain up there in the mountains
couldn't invite young lady to come and stop a
week with him, could he? / must have re-
fused TO invite her now, mustn't | ?''
The perfect righteousness with which Ella
put these questions. and the plaintiye appeal
against the hard requirements OF social laws in
the mountains, which was expressed in his voice
and accent, were so Indescribably ludicrous
that both my husband and myself laughed con-
yusively. 81 never tell my wife that part OF
the story, Tor fear she might not believe in nv
regard Tor appearances, knowing how fond /
am OF ladies' society. And the struggle tgqs
great; l assure you, il was great.
$50 she went away. AS she rode slowly down
the trail, she turned and kissed her hand to me
with gesture OF such grace and sweetness that
thrilled all over. I've never been able to quite
forgive myself Tor what happened afterward.
She came back, and drove her away! Usually
when tell that TO women, they call me mean
and uDgrsteful; but young man living alone
in the mountains has his reputation to look
afteT-now, hasn't he? That's what ought 10
have dOne-now, wasn't it?-what I always saw
did do. IL was the right thing to do, under the
circumstances, wasn't It?''
While we had our laugh out, Ella shifted posI-
ton, shook himself, and thridded his soft, Ugh
hair with his slender fingers. He was satisfied
with his success in conveying an impression OF
the sort OF care he took of his reputation
Now, then, was left alone again, in no pleas
ant frame OF mind. / couldn't doubt what NV
beautiful visitant had told me, and the thought
of my murder all planned out was depressing.
10 say the least of il. But, as sure a. am tel 1.
ing you, the departure Of my unknown friend
depressed me more than the thought of nv
possible murder. The gate barred for the
night, | sat and looked into my ire for hOurs
thinking wild thoughts, and hugging 70 INV
lonely bosom an imaginary form. The solitude
and the sense or loss were awful.
This was Sunday night. Tuesday morning
received visit from three or four mounted
men, one of whom was my former naked and
hungry PTOtege. He did not now try TO conceal
his character from me; but said he was going
down TO clean out the Chinese camp, and pro-
posed to me TO Join him, saying that when Ed
wards returned with the horses we would nav
him the S400 as agreed BY Sam ChoDg Lung.
was on my guard; but told him 1 would have
nothing to do with rObbinV the Chinaae. tbs !,