Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-12-27

There was only one exception to the general
unbelief-Henry York, of Sandy Bar. IL was
his scant purse that had often furnished
Plunkett with means to pursue his improbable
speculations; ii was to him that the charms of
he that had borrowed her photograph-and it
was he that, sitting alone IN his cabin one nj ght
kissed that photograph until his honest, hand
some face glowed again In the freight.
1T WAS DUSTY IN MONTE FLAT.
The ruins of the long, dry season were crum-
bling everywhere; everywhere the dying summer
had strewn its red ashes foot deep or exhsled
highways. The alders and cottonwood that
marked the line of the water-courses were
grimy with dust, and looked As If they might
have taken root. In the open air; the cleaning
stones of the pafched water-courses themselves
were as dry bones in the valley of death. The
dusty sunset at times painted the TANKS of the
ths1a als dgii cSSpRery hue on other day,
low on the volcanic cones Of the further coast
spurs; Again an acrid, resinous smoke from the
burning wood on Heavytree Hill smartsd the
or fierce wind, driving everything-including
the shriveled summer like a curled 1eaf--before
1t, swept down the TANKS Of the Serras and
chased the inhabitants to the doors of their
cabins, and shook its red fist in at their win
dows And on such night as this,-the dust
having, in some way, choked the wheels of
material progress in Monte Flst,-most OF the
inhabitants were gathered listlessly In the
gilded bar room of the M0quelumne Hotel spit
ting silently at the red hot stove that tempered
the mountain winds to the shorn lambs of Monte
Flat, and waiting for rain.
Every method known to the Flat of beguiling
the time until the advent of this long -looked-for
phenomenon had been trie.t. 1t Is true t1s me-
thods were not many-being limited chiefly to
that form of popular facetiG known as
PRACTICAL JOKING;
and even this had assumed the seriousness of a
two hours in digging ditch in front of his own
door ,-into which a few friends Casually dropped
during the evening,-.ooked ennui and dissat-
istied; the four prominent citizens, who, dis
guised as foot pads, had stopped the county
treasurer on the Wingdam road, were jaded
from their playful efforts next morning; the
principal physician and lawyer of Monte Flat,
who had entered into an unh allowed conspiracy
to compel the sheriff of Calaveras and his posse
to serve a writ of ejectment on q grizzly bear,
feebly disguised under the name Of some Major
Ursus," who haunted the groves Of Heavytree
Hill, wore an expression OF resigned WEAKNESS.
Even the editor of the Monte Flat Monitor, who
had that morning written glowing account Of
battle with the Wipneck Indians for the BEN
and worn. When, at last, Abner Dean OF An
gels, who had been on q visit to San Francisco,
walked into the room, he was, of course, vic
hs
sweriDg them, and then falling into the trap of
asking another to his utter and complete shame
and mortitication-but that was ALL Nobody
laughed, and Abner, although a victim, did not
lose his good humor. He turned quietly on his
tOrmentOrs and said.
"Fve got something better than that
YOU KNOW OLD MAN PLUEKETT""
Everybody simultaneously spat at the stove
and nodded his head.
"You know he went home three years ago?"
Two or three changed the position of their legs
from the backs of different chairs, and one man
"Had good time homer"
Everybody looked cautiously at the man who
had SAID Eyes" and he, accepting the RESPONSE
vpffh 20 int hna tnH anil
again, and breathed hard. "Saw his wife and
child,-purty gale" said Abner, cautiously.
Eyes" answered the man, dOggedy. "Saw
her her photograph, perhaps" continued Abner
The man looked hopelessly around for sup
port. Two or three who had been sitting
near him and evidently encouraging him with
look of interest, now shamelessly abandoned
him and looked another way. Henry York
flushed a little and yelled his brown eyes. The
man hesitated, and then with q sickly smile that
perfectly aware of the object of this question
ing, and was only humoring it from abstract
good feeling, returned Eyes" again.
besn went the
man, with the same smile.
"well, l thought so,"lsaid Abner quietly,
"but the fact Is, you see, that
HE NEVER WENT HOME AT ALL
nary time"
Everybody stared at Abner in genuine sur
pr BE and interest, as with provoking calmness
"You see thar was a man down In Frisco as
knowed him and saw him in Sonora during the
whole of that three years. He was herding sheep
or tending cattle, or specializing all that time,
and he hadn't red cent. Well it mounts to
this-that FAR Plunkett amt been east of the
Rocky Mountains since 40"
The laugh which Abner Dean had the right to
coHfde ntly expect came, but it was bitter and
sardOnic. think indignation was apparent in
the minds Of his hearers. 1t was felt, for the
first time, that there was limit to practical
nj snxx saA ov.T nr
promising the sagacity Of Monte Flat, was de
serving the severest reprobation. OF course,
nobody had believed Plunkett-but then the
supposition that 1t might be believed in adjacent
camps that they lad believed him was gail and
bitterness. The lawyer thought that an indict-
ment for obtaining money under false pretenses
might DO found, the physician had long sus-
that he ought to be confined. The four promi-
nent merchants thought that the business inter-
ests OF Monte Flat demanded that something
angry discussion the door slowly opened and old
man Plunkett staggered into the room.
he HAD CHANGED PIrIPULLY
in the last six months. His hair was dusty
OF Heavy tree Hill; his face was waxen white
ana blue, and puffy under the eyes; his clothes
were soiled and shabby-streaked In front with
the stains Of hurried luncheons eaten standing,
and fluffy behind with the wool and hair Of hur-
riedly extemporized couches. In obedience to
that odd law that the more seedy and sOiled a
mans garments become the less does ne ssom
inclined to part with them, even during that
portion of the nty-f0ur hours when they are
deemed least essential Plunketts clothes had
gradually taken on the appearance Of kind of
bark or an outgrowth from within for which
their possessor was not entirely responsible.
HOwbeit as he entered the room he attempted
to button his coat over dirty shirt, and passed
his fingers, after the manner of some animal,
over his cracker strewn beard-in recognition
of q cleanly public sentiment. But even as he
did SO the weak smile faded from his lips and
his hand, after fumbling aimlessly around a
button, dropped helplessly at his side. For, as
he leaned his back against the bar and faced
the group, he for the first time became aware
that every eye but one was fixed upon him.
His quick nervous apprehension at once leaped
to the truth.
HIS MISERABLE SECRET WAS OUT
and abroad in the very air about him. As
last resort he glanced despairingly at Henry
York, but his flushed face was turned toward
the windows.
No word was spoken. AS the bar-keeper ST.
leDtIy swung decanter and glass before him,
he took cracker from q dish and mumbled it
with affected uncOncern. He fingered over his
liquor until its potency stiffened his relaxed
sinews, and dulled the nervous edge of his APP
prehension; and then he suddenly faced around
alt don't look as if we we're goin' to hev any
rain much afore Christmas" he said, with de-
FAINT ease.
No one made any reply.
"Just like this in '52 and again in go. It's
always been my opinion that these dry seasons
come regular I've said IL afore. say 1t again.
It's jist rs l said about going home you know