Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-01

A R6usace Of the Yosemite.

n Oh the IOSt0UltCs
When was ct Harvard my room mate and
Sosom friend was Charley Despard. He VS. OF
very good family, but not very well of. end
sooS nv seat n Rates s Bios's ONCE to court
the Goddess Tremis, he went OF to push his
fortune in the Golden State.
Charley was queer sort Of feliow-capable
OF great exertion, but deplorably lazy, always
making good resolutions and never carrying
them into execution, without an atom Of vice
In his constitution, and yet always getting into
scrapee After he went TO California We oefre-
sponded pretty regularly, and from his letters
learned that he was experimenting In . new
business every other week. Now he was In
papef in Denver; then he drove stage between
Auburn and Forrest Hill; then he was q billiard
marker In Sacramento, and finally he told me
that he WAS in for q big thing in gold mines at
| Green Flat, and enclosed his photograph to
show me how he looked in his working clothes,
/ could scarcely recognize my natty friend Of
former days In the lanky figure pictured on the
of his head, wisp of handkerchief tied round
his neck, while hirsute appendages Of Samp-
| sonic dimensions covered and encircled the
place where his face ought to have been. But
his big eyes were there looking out just as true
and honest as ever, and 50 knew 1t was Char
ley, even though he did wear big boots and car
ried a six shooter slung at his side.
He stuck to the mines all Spring and Sum-
mer, and his letters were full of hope and radi-
ant with success, until all at once they stopped
| suddenly and nothing more was heard of him.
L was wondering what had become of him,
whether he had come to grief and was ashamed
to write me bad news, or whether worse fate
had overtaken him In the wilds of the far West,
none of them could tell me anything about him,
so was fam to sit still, hoping against hope
that he would turn up.
One evening 1 was all alone in my room
watching the pickering light of the freight
play over each familiar article Of furniture, too
lazy 10 get up from my chair 10 light the gas,
when heard violent ring at the door, and
first did not recognize my old chum, but when
1 heard the accents Of his voice my fears and
doubts all faded away, and / welcomed him as
one come back from the dead.
'fwhy, Charley, Is that you? Where have
How's things in generai?"
eyes; it's me. Got in from California this
morning. Things is first rate.'
Why, what swell Won are. Why didn't
you come right here? Where have you been.
know there's something up"
You bet"
And then he relapsed into silence and demo-
lished a lavender kid glove i'm trying to take it
whats up old mani Let's have ite Go
ahead.'
sweIl, amt right sure what's up. I've
struck a lead and it looked no end of good, and
now when take the dust to the store it won't
sell"
"Please to interpret, and bear i'm mind that
an not ss ntU III HnKO As you
"Well, then, here goes" But it didn't 60.
"Hard up? You don't look like it,"
90 No Got half million to my credit with
Clews."
Woman
eyes, 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.
snow, see here; you have come to a profess
sional man, and if you want solace and advice
make clear breast of it and tell me all your
story
"Well, then, you know my last letter to you
was from Green Flat, the one with the photo"
eyes; got it. There you are over the man
telpie &c in the costume OF the PERIOD
THAT mine turned out a real good thing
We washed out about seventy thousand in two
/ months and then we got rid of the concern to q
'Friscan company at "A million and half, SO
am pretty happy that way"
"Glad to hear it, but about her ladyship?"
"Well, when the thing was done, and the
money in at the First National, We all went OH
to the Bay, and Irish Ned got shot one night.
He just lived long enough to make his will aud
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 so satisfactorily But
Sim comm to her. There was a lot of
legal fOotin' after Ned's death about the in
quest and the probate of his will, and got
tired OF loating at Frisco, 50 l made tracks up
country and had a look round the Flat That
was rather worse in the way of poison, SO one
morning. went and took Bucker out of the
corral. hitched him up. got on top, and set Of
for a slashng gallop. All of a sudden took
notion I'd never seen the Yosemite Valley, and
as il wasn't much of q ride from the fiat, 4 went
right on. BUcker and got along first rate, and
we were down at the foot of the Centres trail
just after shutdown two days afterwards"
Here the romance commences. Go on. i
begin to see light"
.1There wasn't much to he seen there, can
tell you. Those high cliffs and those big trees
cut il rough on sunshine. Why, I nearly rode
over her before saw what was doing"
"Her?"
eyes; she was lying in bundle in the middle
of the road, and only Bucker shyed we'd have
given her hoofs and no mistake"
Herr WhOP Intoxicated Injun squawe''
Here Charley burst into cursOry remarks
which shall not repeat, and then went on.
"NO, the darlngest, dearest little atom of
feminine humanity that ever claimed the as
BrayvO! Encore! So you did not pass by
on the other side, like the man that fell among
thieves?"
mo; got off and tied Bucker to tree, and
then picked her up"
"what did she say? This is becoming dra-
matte"
.she didn't say nothing. She was in faint
81 pardon your grammar. But what dad you
to the river and filled my hat with water and
| splashed it right In her face"
"what did she say to that"
"She said Ohv'
"Don't wonder much. What next?,
| "Well, 1 thought she might have got too
much water, 80 1 poured some whiskey down
/ her throat"
"Spiritual consolation for temporal misfor-
| tunes. How did she take it?"
| "She coughed like fits, and then sat up
| straight and looked up"
| Well, what next?"
| "She said ooh DEAR and tried to get up.
| but she couldn't do it, and then she screamed
| and fell back"
pleasant. How did you proceed?"
81 talked civil to her. I'd almost forgotten
| how, but my Sunday 60 to meeting manners
| came back wonderfully, and tried to persuade
| her was not Hoodlum lot"
| "In which presume you succeeded"
| eyes. After while she put mp her back
| hair, and then told me that she had tumbled OIL
| her horse and sprained her ankle, and didn';
| know how to get to Hutchings' Hotel"
| Charming situation. You enacted the role
| Of ministering angeR"
You bet. Whipped out my bowie, and had
| her boot and stocking in tatters in two minutes
| Took the sleeves off my shirt and bound a cold
| water ban6age on. Then kicked Bucker in the
ribs, and when he was getting his breath hoisted
her up, and so we proceeded along the trail
until we got to Hutchings, where we found the
house in muss and papa awful skeered."
$50 there Is papa in the business"
eyes; good old fellow, too; was Tremendously
\ obliged to me and offered me some c0in."
| "The reward of merit"
| al got riled at that, showed him my six
| shooter and asked him IL he wanted to insul,
me, whereupon he apOlogized like gentle
/ man and we all had drink"
Il. Al