Weekly Trinity journal., 1871-02-18

around this thieving country to-day. Reckon
it's better though, as it is. We know how to
preciate true woman when we see one"
You talk like who has had a rough ex-
perience with the SEX" said |.
Well rather sot to one once till I thought
| had her dead sure. Fust thing | knowed she
hooked on to chap wot carried few more
guns than me i'll the shape of dollars. 1t upsets
II feller's ideas some to be played that way, and
then it takes woman like this yer one to give
him any faith in woman uatur again"
| didn feel in the humor to combat his phil
osophy so we walked on in silence
"Well," resumed Goodman, Chat was his
real nancy al reckon they'd better go down
with you to the Home. Thurs no place here
whar the gal can bunk in, and naturally they III
want to see as much of each other as possible.
Mother Grayson can rout that young hopeful of
heru n out among you fellers and give her his
bed till we see what can be done. I'd go down
with you, but I've got loaf sot to risin' aud II
have to tend to that"
We entered the cabin when | presented the
Forty miner to Alice. They had already came to
the same conclusion that we had, and were only
waiting my return to start, as it was nearly sun
set. With a few parting words to Goodman,
who promised to come down in the evening, we
started and reached the Home before dark.
Mrs. Grayson had little chp-board house back
| of the main building, where she and her son,
lad of twelve or thirteen, slept and ate by them
selves There was n little fire place, two beds,
n lounge and rocking ng-chair--atogether it was a
cosy little place. | took them to this room,
brought down her trunk from the store, and left
them to Mrs. Grayson's care.
| of course, the arrival of Alice was the great
subject of conversation at the long supper table
Alice and Ike took supper in the widows room,
and at supper aud after, had to tell all knew
about it, again and again. Rough voices joined
in praisng her unselfSh devotion, and many
! heartfelt wishes uttprp1 a their future
happiness. Soon after, left the crowd and went
IN to where they were. She had opened her
trunk and was exhibiting its contents to Mrs
Grayson, while Ike sat by the little fire II perfect
picture of contented happiness. | sat down by
him and we were deep in conversation when
there was Il knock at the door aud the Forty
miner entered.
"Wel, got here all right I see," said he,
cheertuly "Evenin' Mrs. Grayson No thank
you, won't sit down just now. I've come ar
ter Sandy here, to go to the miner's meetin ;"
Whats the meetin' for" inquired Ike
" Some dispute about clamsP
"No, no. Something about working, be-
lieve. Better, you know, to have things fixed so
there'll be no chance for disputes. But what's
that you've got in your lapY'
"This, said Ike raising it up, " why this is n
milk-pan."
$50 it is" said the Forty y-niner, looking at it,.
" Whar did that come from2'
i brought III, answered AllCe, taxing tne
question to herself. a." Isaac wrote to me des-
crbng how the miners worked, and how they
washed their gold in tin pam SO | took that
| pan aud told mother | would take IL to Isaac to
wash his gold with. When the letter came tell
ing of his misfortune, it was half filled with pa
pers OF flower seeds and other little notions. So
| | thought I'd set it in the trunk aud bring it
along"
" 1t will be good keepsake" said the Forty
miner, :" but reckon it would never mount to
much as mining pan. Lord bless your inno-
cent heart, that rim would be as crooked as II
dogs hind leg before he d ratified ont one pan of
bedrock Puts me in mind of some of the fix
in's felers would invent in Amerky and bring
out here to work in the diggin's. One was like
a churn. Put in a lot of dirt-then pour in wa
ter. Stir il round and the gold settles to the
! bottom. Pour off the mud and thurs yer money.
| Ilaw, haw ha
Mr.. Goodman was so immensely pleased at
the thoughts of the inventive geniuses that he
quite forgot the miners meeting. | logged his
memory on that point and with promise to be
back started.
1t didn't take long to get through with the
business and bring us back again. The trunk
was closed and put away and Alice and Ike
were sitting side by side before the fire. We
took seats at either corner. -
"You must have lost time in comm arter
you heard what had happened" said the Forty
miner, suddenly addressing Alice.
"The next day but one" she replied, 81
thought it best not to wait"
"True rs preachin," said Goodman, " But
you're brave gal for all that. Tant every
one would have shown your grit"
Perhaps not" she answered quietly, " But
would you have had me done otherwise 2"
"Not by a-by any means" | rather
think Mr. Forty-niner came pretty near forget
ting himself just then. In a moment he re-
sumed That brings me to "A question which
you must pardon me for akin, for have good
reason for it, When be you gon' to be mar
ried p
"Is that ALL" said Alice smiling, "well III
tell you If there is a clergyman in the place
am ready nOw."
"Bully for you /" said the Forty-niner, APP
parently quite relieved by her straight forward
answer "The fact Is, Miss Alice, was cheer
man of the meetin' tonight, and we was talking
of you and Ike here, and what true woman
you are. All the boys are friends of Ike, and of.
you, too, though they never saw you nor you
them. So they deppertized me, as the cheer
man, to see if you would rs lief have the mar
riage take place in the big room, SOS they can
all be present"
" You have all been such good friends to Isaac
in his trouble, that | refuse you nothing.
Is therea clergyman living nearP'
" Well, yes, thurs one livin on Spanish
Greek, he's minin' now, but that, | reckon
makes no difference. We can send one of the
boys for him in the mornin'. Tomorrow you
know will be Washington's Birthday, and you
couldn't pick better day if you had the year to
choose from"
Let it be as you wish" said Alice, al know
Isaac is willing, for he was speaking of nearly
the same thing when you came in."
| "All right then. I'll tell the boys to be on
hand tomorrow evenin'." And leaving the
couple TO themselves again joined the boys
in the main room And when Ike Joined us an
hour afterwards, merry and fervent were the
congratulations of his old mining friends.
DWELL, / do wonder, if the Higgins boys have
not gone to work this morning. | think If
had as good a claim as they have, I'd try and
Ind ihnu ire me