The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-04-22

When l was at Harvard, my room
, mate and bosom friend was Charley Des.
pard. He was of very good family, bu,
not very well off, and when our college
career was concluded, and ! took my sea,
in Bates e. Blogs Office to court the cd
dess Themis, he went off to push his for.
tune in the golden State.
Charlie was queer sort of a fellow
capable Of great exertion but deplorably
lazy, always making good resolutions, and
never carrying them into execution with
out an atom of vice in his constitution
and yet always getting into scrarcs. Af
ter he went to California we correspond
cd pretty regularly, and from his letters
| learned that he was experimenting in a
new business every other week. Now, he
was in a soft goods store in San Francis
co then he ran paper in Denver then
he drove a stage between Auburn and
Forrest Hill then he was a billiard
maker in San Francisco and finally he
told ne he was in for big thing in gold
mines at Green Flat, and inclosed me 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 card
board. A slouch cap pcrched Oh the back
Of his head, wisp o. handkerchief tied
~.yr"n his .o~,: whilo hirsutc appcudages
Of Sampsonic dimensions cUvvlda "a O
circled 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 so knew it was Charley, even
though he did wear big boots, and carried
six shooter slung to his side.
He stuck to the mines all spring and
summer, and his letters were full Of hope
aud radiant with success, until all at once
they stopped suddenly, and nothing moro
was heard of him. was wondering
what had become of him, whether he has
come to grief and was ashamed to write
me bad news, or whether worse fat
had ovortaken him in the wilds of the fa
west, and made inquiries of some Of hi
!. friends, but none of them could tell m
anything about him, so | was ian to 81
still, hoping against hope that he woul
turn up,
One evening | was all alone in IN
room, watching the Pickering light Of til
furniture too lazy G;is to gta 4Y}jlflG
l to light the gas, when heard violer
ring at the door, and presently fgur
stood in the doorway. At first | did ne
recognize my old chum, but when | hear
p, the accents of his voice my fears an
> doubts all faded away, and | welcome
him as one back from the dead.
why Charley, is that you? Whel
have you been? When did you get
t. tho town? How's things in general I?
Yes, it is me. Got in from Calilorn
this morning. Things is first.ratc.
why what swell you are. VIII
, didn't you come right here? Whe
have you been? know there's som
w thing up
of Guess you're about right. Hit it tina
~ u pard You bet
i, And then he rclapsed into silence, al
nd demolished lavender kid glove in tryi'
nd to take it off
l,s Whats up, old man? Let's have
e; Go ahead
well. | amt right sure what's u
hs I've struck a lead, and it looked no el
ID. Of good, and now when l take the dust
'ss the store it won't SELL
Please to interpret and bear 10 mil
that am not so learned in mining lin
-. as you are.
= We'll, then, here goes But it did
60.
Hard up? You don't look like it.
No Got half million to my ere
with Ccws.
Woman
Yes, and she's the best little won
in the world-at least | thonght she W
And here the other kid glove burst up
a most decided manner.
Now, see here; you have come t
professional man, and il you want sol
H. and advice make n clean breast of it, {
tell me all your story
We'll, then, you know my last lette
you was from Green Flat, the one "
SS. the photo.
Yes. got it. There you are o
the mantlc-piece, in the costume OF
period
That mine turned out real &
Err, thing. We washed out about seye
thousand in two months, and then we
of the concern toa 'Friscan company
million aud a half, so | am pretty ha
-, that way
En- Glad to hear it, But about her Ia
ship
We'll, when the thing was done,
the money in at the First National
rP all went off to the bay, and Irish Ned
' shot one night lie lived just long enc
to make his will, and split his share
tween me and old Tom Norris.
Il regret the untipely departure
,o5\ Irish Ned, but congratulate you
''"' he was able to dispose Of his propert
satisfactorily. But the ladyr
ted,) I'm comm to her There was
Of legal ioolln' after Ned's death a
the inquest aud the probate of his
and | got tired Of loa6ng at Frisco,
AS made tracks up country and had
around the Flat. That was rather "
in the way of poison, so one morni
went and took Bucker out OF the CO
hitched him up, got on top, aud sci
for slashiog gallop. All OF sudd
took notion I'd never seen the Yose
ds. valley, and as it wasn't much of a
from the Flat, went right on. Bu
. and got along frst-rate, and we
a.,gs:, "sg.s down to the foot of the Centres
lp.ssa' l.,a. Just after sundown two days afterwaI