South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-06-23
A Romance Of California.

The golden colonies of California and
Australia furnish inexhaastible materials
for romance, and the imaginative freshness,
characteristic of the budding literature of
those regions, is no doubt stimulated by
the novelty of surrounding scenes and in
cidents. When people are poor one day
and absolutely rolling in wealth the next,
when they glide luxuriously along in
palace cars" over country where last
year the coyote and grizzly rambled undis-
turbed, and when they gaze upon scenery
whose stupendous majesty renders all
former recollections of nature tame and
monotonOus, it is not strange if they at
tempt, in Mr.. EmersOn's sense, to develop
their individuality, and in striving to be
original, should sometimes succeed.
A tale comes to us from San Francisco
so oddly dramatic as to be worth record
ing. 1t appears that a charming young
lady-of course the story would lack in
terest were she commonplace-fell in love
with person, called, by his own class and
those with whom they consort, "spOrt"
In other words, he was dealer at faro
bank, and, as such, excluded from the So
ciety wherein his fair enslaver habitually
moved. But they met by chance at a pub
lie hall; and, just as 'ClaudS;.s MelnOtte ad-
mired, from his flowers and cabbages, the
naughty Pauline, who was destined to be-
come his bride, so, from amid his marked
cards, chips and cOppers, did the young
gamester lift his eyes to this lovely girl of
San Francisco, and forget the gulf between
them. So in the sequel did She Some
how they were introduced at the ball, and
afterward they met-this time not by
chance-ata a photograph gallery. They
were subsequently described by the sym
pathetic artist as they appeared on the
occasion. She wore blue and had "a
wealth" of golden hair. The captive
sport " was faultlessly dressed in full
black, garnished with diamonds, and had
a love of a mOustache." The first clan
destine meeting was followed, as is apt to
be the case, by others, and, to tell the tale
briefly, wound up with a secret marriage.
All went on smoothly for time, great
as was the risk, and the honeymoon,
masked in secrecy as it was, seemed to
promise well. But presently a tiny cloud
darkened the skies of happ mess. Itcame,
to quote the words of San Francisco
journal, ain the shape of a large, healthy
man of business, occupying business rela-
tions with the young lady's papa" This
healthful and eligible gentleman soon be-
came suitor for the young lady's hand.
The father, who is represented to be
merchant prince" of conventional preju-
dices, favored the suit. 1t was avoided,
quite naturally, by the daughter, and final
ly entreaties, expOstulatiOn and menace
brought on an explosion. All was con-
fessed, and the hOrror-stricken parent was
dumb with rage and modification. But
this young, yet astute child of the setting
sun was equal to the occasion. whats
the use, p" she pertinently asked, "of max
ing fuss about it? The things done.
The only question is, how can it be un
done SO that can do as you wish?" The
father listened in silence, and the daugh-
ter went on: 81 believe my husband is
already tired of me, and 1 know am of
him. No one knows of this. Go and
buy him off Make him consent to a di-
vorce. Give him what money he wants,
and then can marry the rich and pros
porous New Yorker"
This guileless scheme appealed strongly
to the business instincts Of our merchant
prince" and he straightwsy set to work to
realize it. Several interviews followed
with the "sport, who proved as
followed, and finally $4,000 was agreed
upOA do tuC ou11 W UC pdlu ulAu AOI COu-
senting to the divorce. This was prompt
ly carried through. The rich New Yorker,
none the wiser, soon came for his bride to
the golden gate, and their engagement
was formally announced. And now fol-
lows the pith of this romantic story.
The marriage was to take place in a
week, and the intended bride was all
bushes and complaisance. Father and
bridegroom We'd with each other in Law
ishing costly gifts upon her, and the un-
creature had a sumptuous
trOusseau made ready to bring eastward to
New York. But the night before the
wedding a thrill of dismay ran through
the household. 1t was the story of young
LochinvaT over again. The bride had fled,
and, worse than all, with the insidiOus
sport" The $4,000 and the trousseau,
together with the wedding gifts, we need
hardly say, bore the faithful pair cOmpa-
ny. A letter was soon found addressed to
the father. 1t stated, simply, that the
young lady had changed her mind, and
that when the epistle was read she would
be far on her way to New York, escorted
by her former husband, whom she had
married again. Whether the whole plan
was arranged beforehand by way of get
ting a start in life that faro had failed to
supply, must be left to conjecture. 1t is
said, however, that the father has not been
Obdurate, and that on the accepted condi-
ton that the green cloth should be aban-
doned forever, he has forgiven the twice
welded pair, and made his son-in-law his
business agent in the Atlantic States. Such
IS life.-Aeso York Times.