The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-02-21
AT THE FOOT OF CENTRES TRAIL.

When L was at Harvard, my room
mate and bosom friend was Charley
Despard. He was of very good family,
bat not very well off, and when our col
lege career was concluded, and L took
my seat in Bates & Blog's Office to court
the Goddess Themis, he went off to push
his fortune in the Golden State. ssrS,sssis
Charley was a queer sort of fellow
capable of great exertion, but deplora-
bly, lazy, always making good resolu-
lions, and never carrying them into exc
cution without an atom of vice in his
constitution, and yet always getting into
scrapes. After he went to California,
we correspondent pretty regularly, and
from his letters / learned that he was
experimenting in new business every
other week. Now he was iii soft goods
store III San Francisco then he ran n
paper i'll Denver then he drove a stage
between Auburn and Forrest Hill then
he was n billiard maker in San Francisco;
and finally he told me he was in for big
thing in gold mines at Green Flat,
and inclosed his photograph to show
how he looked in his working clothes. L
could scarcely recognize my natty friend
of former days in the lanky figure pic
tured on the cardboard. A SLOUGH cap
perched on the back of his head,
wisp of handkerchief tied around his
neck, while hirsute APPENDICES of
Samsonic dimensions covered and en-
circled the place where his face ought
10 have been. But his big eyes were
there, looking out just as true and hon
est as ever, and SO l knew it was Charley,
hn IL Ia nd
carried siX-shooter slung mt his side.
He stuck to the mines all spring and
summer, and his letters were full of
hope and radiant with success, until at
once they stopped suddenly, and nothing
more was heard of him. | was wonder
ing what had become of him, whether
he had come to grief and was ashamed
TO write me bad news, or whether q
worse fate had overtaken him in the
wilds of the far West, and made inquiries
of some of his friends, but none of them
could tell me anything about him, so |
was fain to sit still, hoping against hope
that he would turn up.
One evening / was all alone in my
room, watching the Pickering light of
the fire play over each familiar article of
furniture, too lazy to get up from chair
to light the gas, when | heard a violent
ring at the door, and presently figure
stood in the doorway. At first | did not
recognize my old chum, but whenI heard
the accents of his voice my fears and
doubts all faded away, and / welcomed
him as one come back from the dead.
Why, Charley, is that you? Where
have you been? When did you get in
the town How's things in general ?"
g Yes, it is me- Got in from Califor-
MA this morning. Things is first
rate.
Why, what swell you are. Why
didn't you come right here? Where
have you been? l know there's some
thing up"
"Guess you're about right. Hit it
thar, pard. You bet. :"
And then he relapsed into silence, and
demolished lavender kid glove in try
ing to take it off
What's up, old man? Let's have it.
Gro ahead.
Well, / amt right sure what's up.
I've struck a lead, and it looked no end
of good, and now when | take the dust
10 the store it won't sell.
Please to interpret and bear in
mind that | am not SO learned in mining
lingo as you are.
Well, then, here goes" But it
didn't go.
Hard up? You don't look like it"
'No. Got half a million to my credit
with Clews ?"
Woman?'
Yes, and she's the best little woman
IN the world at least | thought she
was. And here the other kid glove
burst up In most decided manner.
Now, see here you have come TO
professional man, and if you want solace
and advice make a clean breast of it, and
tell me all your story"
Well, then, you know my last letter
10 you was from Green Flat, the one
with the photo.
Yes, got it. There you are, over
the mantel-piece, in the custom of the
period"
"That mine turned ont real good
Thing. We washed out about twenty
thousand in two months, and then we
got rid of the concern TO / riscan COM
pany at million and a half, so am
pretty happy that way"
Glad to hear it. But about her
tsdyship.
"Well, when the thing was done, and
the money is at the First National, we
all went off to the bay, and Irish Ned
got shot one night. He lived just long
enough TO make his will, and split his
share between me and old Tom Norris.
=" regret the untimely departure of
Irish Ned, but / congratulate You that
he was able to dispose of his property
satisfactorily. But the lady?
I'm comm to her. There was a
lot of legal foohn' after Ned's death
about the inquest and the probate of his
will, and got tired of loafing mt Frisco,
80 ! made tracks up country and had
look around the Flat. That was rather
worse in the way of poison, so one morn
ing / went and took Bucker out of the
corral. hitched him up, got on top, and
set off for a slashing gallop. All of
sudden | took notion I'd never seen
the Yosemite valley, and, as it wasn't of
n ride from the Flat, / went right on.
Bucker and / got along frst-rate, and
ve were down to the foot of the Gen
tries trail just after shutdown two days
afterward.
" Here the romance commences. Go
-, 4 bpCin IN 600 fiobt ~