Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-11-26
EVENING STAR
SPILLED MILh.
A wOEANs STORY OF HER LIFE
In CALIFORNIA.


productive. Though the agent who had them
in charge alternating from one place TO the
other. wrote encouragng'v: The .'Pay dirt :
promised well, the gold was ia minute particles
hut the color plainly diScerUille. and he had mo
fear Of the final result This from the Flat
From the r0rse stu better accounts. The blue
gravel was beyond all doubt extremely rich. To-
s''y nothing or the sUlphUrcss. The blue gravel
was beyond all doubt extremely rich ~ sgv
i hotnlng 81 the s1iphurets The company were
hydIauilckIng. Part Of the claim however
Nas IN litigation, which made IL impossiLIr t1
say Hhet AtT the proceeds OF Iir Dre,..nt y.,sl,-
- HoaId &c forthcoming Just AZ present But
'Ieel no uncaS.nesS.' wrote the great t-Irst-
worthy, "we have big thing. and / would adj
Nire the matter being kent auiet for a while
o1uGr wise spectators viii rush in and buy at
SoOO prices what we can nov obtain for a song -
these letters continued 90 come, with Varia-
lions, for six months or more. Frequently fiat
teriDg, always with demands for money to nav
The men, or 70 carry on the wOrk-that DIiraSll-
ogy being especially convenient To cover the abb
sence OF items. John was iubilant He alwav,
knew there 'weTe rich diggings at Greas,r' :,
rat. one man there had taken ont hun,irsi a
OF thousands lie had forgotten his name: ami
a. foI Yankees Forge, every body said that was
splendid mining locality. We should hay, ali
We wanted in year or two. and cO,,ld then
enjoy life. Meanwhile, we were economical.
denied ourselves opera and concert. seldom
went 10 the theater, restricted our drives To
birthday occasions ,OT our wedding anniversary.
because stlngy about giving and visited seldom
onlls 20 FAINT suggestion OF tireadbareness in
our respective wardrObeS. Business in tn,
meanwhile, became 80 dull that salaries were
retrtnched, while the power OF ABSORPTION in the
mines was not IN the least diminished. Ii
taxes - much TO work them" wrote Hobbs,
and the men must be paid" So the money
went AMI We were all the poorer for our rich
ihlhihs Gains: Johns face wore an anxious
iook, wmie mine heightened yisibly. Hobb,
had put Gown our names in two or three other
big things owned BY Companies; and these
yielded, IN assessments, at least ~ to the ton.
he spoke OF having secured some hundreds
OF feet in the Silver Spoon in the manner OF
one conferring favor. He regretted he should
have TO borrow money to pay his own assess
mentS, but II was like throwing AWAY a fortune
not 10 hold on. Having already invested SO
much We held on; while Hobbs took ADVANTAGE
OF an opportunity to sell out on his own account,
continuing to "manage" for us-John having
unlimiled faith in him.
The scales began to fall from my eyes lin
ouiTed of John II he had entire confidence in,
the business capacity Of Hobbs, and put the
question I'M such a manner as to convey an in
sinuat!on of his honesty.
Woman don't know much about these
things" said John, and in this there was also
covert meaning. Women had better attend To
their affair, implied in the uplifting of
the eyebrows and shrug of the shoulders. This
annoy ed me, for had recently become a female
suftragist, and could not, and would not be snub
bcd-
1T belongs to me. a. much a. to you nv
dear, to know the extent OF our pecunIary en-
Establishments. 1 said, with uniinehing sweet
ne>s, m whose honey was held at least the sting
. Who said any thing about being embar-
aNsed@ fired mp my amiable hege. - Hobbs
klfDNs " nat he - ABOUT
% should rather think he did, diluted with
sigh. Now n there l. any thing provoking to
man II H. one of those unt!ctined signs, border
ing ON tears. vet withheld from this expression
by a sense OF injury ami injustice John was
10 say the least neited, and resolved To kick
against the bricks"
'.Well then,"-viciOusly.- elf YOU are not
satisfied With Hobbs We had better 60 and take
charge ourselves, and with that suggestion he
lett fer the office.
4 felt grieved that our little difference, of
CrluiDu had given f. aux-f
quarrel; but the idea of a change from citv to
country. which he threw out remained with
me-, and by the time he returned in the evening.
Sas rlpened into purpose. We viii go to one
or the other place. 4 SAID inwardly: il will not
involve much expense. and John certainly can
manage better than Hobbs.
Twas IN an angelic frame of mind when he
came IN 10 dinner. Il enchanted him by the
charming amenity OF nv manners. 1 was bril-
liant anu agreeable, and felt how much 1 could
DC a. social power II We only had money. A
friend or two dropped in, and our pleasant home
was irTadiated by flashes OF wit and huInor
Yankees Forge and the mines rece,Ied from,
memory. ana the star-lit present was all absorb
ing-but tTansitOTy. The morning brought a
consultation OF ways and means. Business
never MS 20 dull; assessments continued To
come in; Hobbs tone was not unite 80 confident
anu reasons: Ii would cost less to live there
We could ignore the demands of fashion; sell
most OF our furniture (I wanted more stylish nat
terms when our mines psid); keep a cow and
chickens; and. in short, have a very pleasant
time EnsiIng with: 'And see to the mines
sOthrNA- ceihs sVu YOU are such
good business man, and 1 really have no
faith la Hobbs" "
Mans objection: - First place Berence.
may have an opIortunitA of rising in business
We have thing comfortable. II not elegant
here; our own house and lot. The expense and
worry OF moving is beyond expression. and I
shall los III few months the foOthold it will
take years 10 regain. 1 think we had better
make the nTst loss the last; neglect to paw any
n.Cre assessments, and let the mines go to
the
..Oh. John. now don't swrarp
To say PIT John through a series of raSping
little e"ntInuances OF the subject Tor soIn:
months following, Is to announce the result
We tossed UP bright silver quarter. Heals
mp the Fiat; heads down, the Forge. Yankees
Forge Won
CHATTER
And now came the reality. Yankees Forge
a. ven al a distance; the mines Welding their
precious treasure; the delightful freedom from
social restraint; gllttering ores, cows bedrock
chickens, sulPhurets. cream unlimited, speci-
n'eIEs, ami fresh butter and fruits had given our
domestic tete-a-teteS for the past few weeks
rather a COnglOmerafe quality. But when John
Came home. q few Oays after our final decision
ard announced in a IalteTins un,iertone thar
hr hau sold the house, and We would auction OF
the furniture. 1 felt very much like letting 90
tEe p!Ow had ~ rashly nv hand TO; all that
WAS 80 ValHele>s became suddenly the dearest of
Our possessions, and fearful tOrebOdings OF
breakers ahead took possession OF me- Remern-
bering my Own urgency, however. held nv
peace. Vnd even smiled when he added The
deed viii be ready fOr signing this afternoon"
auv ChildTCn,''
=" Yes. ~even.'
Oh. the ineffable sinking of heart; felt as 1
mentally reviewed these seven imps sliding
Gown the walnut baluStradcS breaking TIL.
trelit>-wOTk in the garden. pounding nails into
The walls upon which TO sling school BAGS and
h>hing-rOd>. and, worse than all. leaving the
Print Of SOicd fingers on the immaculate Daint
For did not at all realize that the house was
no longer ours. In the afternoon the purchaser
came. A big, bluff, buTly fellow who seemed
gOOd-natUTed enough, bought the carpets with
out demurTing to the price, and told US not 10
hurry about moving, but declined the furni-
ture, on the score OF ''mOther (meaning hi,
wnel having 20 many ''trsps." he didn't reckon
she'd want much. She meant 10 fetch a good
MANY things down with her"
''Why. are you from the country?" in
Quired, feeling a sudden interest in him
YES, madam, and wish we'd never left
San Francisco; but, you see, mother was SO
bent on going. gave in. But the children don't
have no chances there, 30 told mother we'd
better make a break, and come back
AND how did you like it?'' 4 eagerly in
-quired-
Well. should liked II better if the mines
had hi; but mother she got out OF conceit of