Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-07-12

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river at Visalia, and everybody said he
was goin' to han in his chips, who put
lariat roun' his waist and swum out
and dragged Smith back to shore, while
we were all a yellin'-ehP Answer me
thatv' <F.... Off, .
There was another terrific thump on
the bar, and two nervous glasses jumped
off and committed harikari, rather than
stand that thing any more, as full-spir-
tied glasses should; and Monte Pete
laid his hands on the big pistols behind
the bar, and glared around with red
nose and white lips, as if he had made
up his mind, in his fright, to blow out
somebody's brains, and was only decid-
ing with himself whose brains it should
be.
The man who had called Bob's char
acter into question, reckoned he was
mistaken, after this demonstration, and
acknowledged, as he set his glass down
and looked at San Diego Mart, that
".Bob Adams was purity good feller,
after ALL"
Such arguments as Mart's are always
convincing, though to do the doubters
consistency credit I must soy he left
the bar-room without paying for the
drink he had ordered, and abused Bob
Adams to the first little man he met,
and even intimated that San Diego Mart
was going to ruin, and went sponging
round for his liquor.
It was into this mining camp that ex-
lieutenant Jim Robbins drifted, and as
soon as Bob Adams learned that he was
from DR.. Stanley regiment, he became
the dissolute fellows friend, for some
how they both loved to talk of Mary
Stanley; and I must say, in truth, they
could not have had better subject to
talk or think about.
The interest of each arose from the
same fount of impulse, but each stream
of affection was not equally pure and
the yellow slime of jealousy soon be-
came visible on the surface of one.
Tule River petered out, and Frazer
River became the theme of excitement,
and the land which held the fortunes of
a thousand adventures.
Bob Adams decided to go there, as
did the majority of the men in the camp,
including Robbins and Mart.
The steamer that carried them north
from San Francisco had ON board de-
tachment of troops bound for Fort
Bellingham.
DR.. Stanley, with his wife and daught-
er were with them.
Perhaps Mary Stanley knew that
Adams was going to Frazer River to
work for her; perhaps she knew that he
had left fifty thousand dollars behind
at San Francisco, and policy on his
life payable to her ii Ire died. I say
perhaps, Mary knew this-but she didn't
and it wouldn't have increased her love
for the honest young fellow if she had
known it. Indeed, if anything could
make Mary love Bob Adams more, it
would be to find him very poor, and
sick, and helpless, and in some way
wholly dependent on her for recovery.
She often imagined him so in her day
dreams, and herself nursing him back
to strength and hope.
I tell you, boys, for the love bear
my mother, I am glad to think there are
many girls like Mary yet in the world
and we all know one like her, if we
wanted to speak out. 80
x*
"See here, Adams, I want to talk to
YOU" 1
The steamer had entered Puget
Sound, and the miners were nearing the
goal of thei1khopes, and Bob Adams
was gazing at the white mountains,
which seemed approaching him with
their golden treasures, at every revolu-
ton of the steamers wheels.
Bob turned from his day dream-he
had been thinking of Mary Stanley, who
but yesterday had promised to marry
him on his return from the mines. He
saw, standing at his shoulder, Jim Rob-
bins.
Nodding his head, he walked with
Robbins to the smoke stack, where the
escaping steam rendered private con-
versation possible, in very high key,
with scores of people around.
Robbins face was haggard, for he had
been drinking every day since coming
on board.
"Whnt is Il, HoIbihsY ~ asked Rob