The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-04-07
A FATAL MISTAKE.

There dwelt in California, some years
ago, three fellows, wild fellows enough,
who had seemingly linked their for
tunes for better or for worse, and who,
whatever their luck, were constantly in
each others company.
These young men were Charles Ches-
ter, Harry Bray and Edw"rd Warren.
They were more brotherly than many
brothers, more akin than many kins-
men. True to each other, even when
women and money were between them.
Damon and Pythias, with twin Pythias
added. For a long while they had been
very poor at last fortune favored them.
Each had a certain sum, by no means
contemplate, slowed away in the leath-
ern belt he wore about his waist. Each
carried a gold watch, and each wore a
suit of clothes supposed by himself to
be the latest style and choicest fashion.
Moreover, their revolvers were perfect,
silver mounted and rejoicing in multi
plicity of barrels; for without these it
would be quite impossible to maintain
position in this quarter of the world in
anv society.
How they came by these possessions,
we will not inquire into too particularly.
They were neither burglars nor high
waymen, but dice and betting may have
helped them to the winning of their
little fortunes. They were not over
scrupulous; but they would have
knocked any man down who had ne
elected to address them as gentlemen,
and used those wonderful revolvers
promptly on any stranger" who 90
jected to drinking with them and con-
sequentlv. stood rather high in the
community. Certainly in their con-
duct to each other they were fault
lesslv honorable and miraculously gen
erous.
One day soon after luck" had come
10 its rest, letter directed in wo-
mans remulous hand to "Charles
Chester" was handed to that member
of the trio, in the presence Of the other
two. The young fellow seized it eager
ly, read it through and tearing off his
belt, spread its contents before HIM
upon the table, and counted it over.
Having done so he burst into tears, and
very unwisely and profanely cursed
himself for extravaganza, and requested
for himself all sorts of uncomfortable
things here and hereafter, proceeding
which seems to relieve some men eX-
tremely, though why, it would puzzle
the unenlghtened TO declare.
The cause of all this, as his comrades
soon discovered, was that his mother
mad written to him from her little farm
IN a Southern State to tell him adoleful
tale of sickness, death among the stock,
etc, and final crash. A mortgage was
,l1
would find it impossible to meet it, they
would be sold out and left homeless in
their old age. 1t will kill your father
wrote the mother, and will die with
him"
4" | did it all, ;" said the young fellow,
sobbing openly. Ny debts and my
wild ways encountered them at first,
~ ! now look"
And he pointed to the gold upon the
table, and began his proiane ltany
again. The mortgage was three thou
sand dollars, and he had but two thou
sand.
as that all p cried Ned Warren,
hauiing out his belt.
Good heaven What does he take
~ for ?" cried Harry Bray. furiously.
rive AaAlllAil't lJl0N'' lii'l litf th pen
,es Of the journey are about the figure.
Fhere. 20 to the old folks. Well see
apout your horses while you pack your
bag"
This set the other at his oaths again ;
but in joyful style this time. They were
trumps and bricks and by everything
ne could think of he'd d1 for them if
there were any need Of it.
He'd pay them back, if he lived,
and --he'd-bless Them" and so
--"k-.A, nG into sobs again, at which
thew left him 10 recover, returned with
a horse and well-filled pocket flask
and saw him set forth upon his misslo
as though the "old folks" had been theii
old folks also.
They waited for news from him, Du
none came. They waited quietly a
first, then impatiently; at last theN
heard this: He had never been seen a
home. or by any one who knew hin
since the day on which they had shool
hands with him. Some terrible fate ha'
befallen him in the lonely places owe
which he had journeyed alone. To doub
him never entered their minds. Tha
he was true to them as they TO him the,
well knew and one thought filled eacl
mind. They must discover his fate, and