Richland beacon., 1873-03-29

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in which the rest of the congregation soon
followed suit.
\ more thorough search was made. the
needle found. butnOt the boys.-Erchange.
jess 80.
In Reno, near Virginia City. New, a
wealthy ranch proprietor named jess,
somewhat advanced in years. was brought
to a peculiar sense of his domestic lOneli-
ness by some unmentiOned experience of
the last winter. and became suddenly alive
To the grievOus disadvantage Of living i'm
a territory almost wholly destitute of eli
giblc female society. In his forlOrnness
he took a trusted acquaintance and poor
ncighbOr named Leonard into his conf
dence. bewailing the social situation that
should leave prtscntable old bachelor of
his pecrniary qualifications without a
mistress to address, and was charmed to
hear that il was within the power of
friendship to import for him young lady
of avirtue and prettinesS worth any mans
fortune. Since their coming from one of
the Atlantic States two or three years pre-
viOuS. Leonard and his wife had pros
perrd too Seantily to feel justified in send
in" for their daughter, Florence, whom
they had left in dependent position
with relatives: but upon ascertaining as
above the matrimonial inclinatiOns Of the
rich and eaSy-going Mr.. jess, the parents
conceived that here was rare chance to
at once bring their child to the Pacific
and establish her, and mayhap themselves.
enviably for life. The girls photograph
was shown to the pleased ranchman, with
the assurance that its original was a per-
tectly obedient daughter and could be
pledged absolutely; and the result was
that a letter, enclosing money, was
promptly sent To Miss Florence in the East
bidding her to come without delay. The
epi>tle said nothing about the matrimOni-
al conspiracy, however, and somewhere
between San Francisco and Reno the un-
suspicious maiden became acquainted
with a iellow-traveler named Iittletield,
Il young printer. also on the way
10 the latter place, whose recip-
rOcated love at first sight was destined
to work dramatic effects in the general
comedy. 1t was under the courteous es.
cOrt of this other new arrival that she
gained her fathers door, and the slight
grace of parental gratitude with which
he was dismissed gave a decided chill to
her own sense of welcome. After that
the revelation of the purpose of her sum-
mons from so far away, and the intrOduc-
ton of Mr.. jess. found her in rs little
mood for filial submission and maidenly
approval as they deserved. Possibly Miss
Leonard might have been more readily
controlled in the matter had not her heart
been already interested elsewhere, for she
was not naturally given much TO selt-will;
but now not all the ranchman's money
could make the owner tOlerable to her;
a hn hn aa
of being sold like merchandise, the bOld.r
she became to escape the paternal bar
gain by any possible means. Littlefeld
did not venture to visit the house whittier
his first welcome had been so unprOmis-
ing. but Florence soon cOntrived to meet
him elsewhere and confided to him her
predicament. His response was hearty
offer of himself in marriage; the event to
be attained by strategy. The girl con-
sented as heartily, and together they ma
tured scheme to be carried out as fol-
lows: Miss Leonard was to seem to as
mt to the marriage with Mr.. jess. but
insist that it should be solemniZed on a
certain day by Bishop Whitaker, in Vir-
ginia City. Arriving with the eXpectant
bridegroom in the latter town, she was to
send him cut from the hotel to look for
the bishops house. and then slip away
herself to that house i'm company with the
duly awaiting Littlefield. The plot, says
the Territorial Enterprise, was actually put
into execution some two weeks ago. The
rich ranchman left his bride-elect at the
International Hotel, in Virginia City, to
inquire his way to the specified parsonage,
reaching the bishops just in time to be
greeted by the spectacle of his more ac-
tive and hitherto unknown rivals tri-
umphant wedding. "YOu're too late,
old man." said Littlefeld. "Well, so it
appears responded the Outwitted man
much demOralized for time, but sensible
enough to return philosOphically to Reno
thereafter without useless prOtestatiOns.