Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1872-06-26
SELECTED STORY.
REV .ENGE.
BY MARY KYLE DALLAS.

There dwelt in California, some years
ago, three friends, wild fellows enough,
who had seemingly linked their fortunes
for better or for worse, and who. what
ever their luck, were constantly in each
others company. ravT svgag
These young men were Charles Chester,
Harry Bray, and Edward Warren. They
were more brotherly thin many brothers,
more akin than many kinsmen. True to
each other, even when women and mon.
ey were between them. Damon and
Pythias with twin Damon added. For
n long while they had been very pooly
at last fortune favored them. Each bad
certain sum, by no means contemplate,
slowed away in the leathe-n belt he wore
about his waist. Each carried gold
watch, and each wore suit of clothes,
supposed by himself to be the latest style
and choicest fashion,. Moreover, their
rcvolvcrs were perfect, silvcr-mountcd,
and rejoicing ill multiplicity of barrels,
for without these it would be quite i'm
possible to maintain Il position in this
quarter of the world in any society.
How they came by these possessions,
we will not inquire too particularly
They were neither burglars nor highway
men, but decks ofkeards," dice and bet
ting mas !sase helped them to the Nin-
ming of their little fortune.
They were not wcr-scrupulous, but
they would have lnorkcd any man down
who had neglected to address them rs
gentlemen, and Use those wonderful re-
v"lvcrS promptly OH any Strangers who
objected +" ,l~inking with tlici.,; and,
consequently, stood rather high in the
community. Certainly iithcir conduct
to each other they were f;,ultlcssly hon
oraby aud mirncul",,sly generous.
O.c day soon after their "luck" had
come to It's best, II letter directed in n
!rcmulous woman'S hand, to "CharlcS
Chester wns hnHdc.l to that member Of
the trio, il the presence of the other two.
The young fcl!ow seized it euserIy, tore
| 1t open, read il through, and tcnrins off
his belt. spread its contents before linn
upon the table and counted it over IIuv-
ing done 50, he burst into tears, and very
unwisely and protancly carscd himself
for extravaganza, and requested for him
self a!l sorts ofuncomiortablc things here
and hereafter, Il proceeding which seems
to relieve some men extremely, though
why, it would puzzle the uncnlightcncd
to declare. The cause of all this rs his
comrades soon discovered was that his
mother had written TO him from her
little farm in n Southern State, to tell
him dolciul ta'c Of sickness, death
amongst the stock, etc. and y final crash.
~ mortgage was almost due, and as the
old people would find it. impossible to
meet it, they would be sold cut and left
homeless in their age. at will Kill your
father" wrotc tic mother, "and shall
die with him.
81 did it tall" said the Young fellow,
sobbing openly. "My debts and my
wild ways encountered them nj first, and
nov look And he pointed to The geld
upon The table, and began his proianc
litany again.
"jhc mortgage was three thousand
dollars, and he had only two"
"Is that all? ?" cried Ned, hauling at
his belt.
Good Lord! What docs he take me
for? cried Harry fnrio,lsly. Five
hundred piece and the expenses of the
journey is about the figure. There, go
to the old folks. Well sec about your
horse while you pack your bag"
This set the other at lis oaths again ;
but injoytul style this time. They were
trun'ps and bricks, and by everything he
could think of he'd do for them, if there
were any need Of it, "IIo'd pay them
back if he lived, and hed-blcss
thcm." And so chokcd oit'into sobs again,
at which they left him to recover, return
cd with horse saw him set forth upon
his mission as though the "old folks" had
been their old folks also.