The Portland daily press., 1874-07-04
Written for the New York Times.l
A Passage i'm the Life of
Mr.. John OakhurSt.
BY BRET HARTE.

certainly nothing couiu nave peen more IN
consistent with his haDlts IMAM 10 nave Deen
in the Plaza at seven O'Clock OF that midsum-
mer morning. The sight OF his colorless face
in Sacramento was rare at that season, and
indeed at any season, anywhere, publicly, be-
fore two O'Clock In the afternoon. Looking
back upon it in after years, IN the light OF
chanceful life, he determined, with the char
acteristic philosophy OF his profession, that 1T
must have been FATE.
Yet it is my duty, as a strict chronicer OF
facts, to state that Mr.. Oakhursts presence
there that morning was due to very ,simple
cause. At exactly half-past six, the bank be-
ing then winner to the amount of twenty
thousand dollars, he had risen from the faro
table, reinquished his seat to an accom-
plished assistant, and withdrawn quietly
without attracting glance from the silent,
anxious faces bowed over the table. But
when he entered his luxurious sleeping-room,
across the passage-way, he was little shocked
at finding the sun streaming through an in
acknowledgement window. Something in
the rare beauty of the morning, perhaps
something in the novelty of the iiea, str uck
him as he was about TO close the blinds, and
he hesitated. Then, taking his hat from the
table, he Stepped down a private staircase in
to the street.
The people who were abroad at that early
hour were of class quite unknown to Mr..
Oakhurst. There were milkmen and buck
sters delivering their wares, small trades
people opening their shops, house maids
sweeping door-steps, and occasionally
child. These Mr. Oakhurst regarded with
certain cold curiosity, perhaps quite free from
the cynical disfavor with which he generally
looked upon the more pretentious of his race
whom he was in the habit of meeting. In
deed, think he was not altogether displeas-
ed with the admiring glances which these
humble women threw after his handsome
face and figure, conspicuous even in a coun-
try of fine-looking men. While it is very
probable that this wicked vagabond, in the
pride of his social isolation, would have been
celdly Indifferent to the advances of fine
Iady.a little GIRL who ran aomirinply by his
side in a ragged dress had the mower TO call
a faint flush into his coorless cheek. He
dismissed her at last but not until she had
found out-what sooner or later her LARGE
did-tbat he was exceedingly onen-bande3
with his money. and also2wbat nerhans
none other of her sex ever did-that the
bold. black ewes of this fine gentleman were
in reality of a brownisb ard even tender gray
There was a small garden before a white
cottage in side street that attracted Mr.
Oakhursps attention. It was filled with
roses, heiotrope, and verbenas-fowers ia
miIiar enough to him in the expensive and
more portable form OF bouquets, but as it
seemed to him then. never before so notably
lovely Perheps If was because tbe dew was
vet fresh upon them. perhaps it was because
they were unpucked, but Mr.. Oakhurst adj
mired them. not as a possible future tribute
TO the fascinating and accomplished Miss
Ethelinda, then performing at the Varieties.
for Mr.. akhurst's special benefit as she had
often assured him-nor vet as douceatr to
the enthralling Miss Montmorri,sv. with
evening. Int simulv for himself. and mavban
for the flowers, sake. Howbeit he nassed on
and so out into the open plaza. where. find
ING a bench under a cotton-wood tree he first
busted the seat with his handkerchief and
then sat down.
1t was a fine morning. The air was so still
and calm that n SIGH fror1 fine sycamores
seemed like tbe deep-drawn breath Of tbe iust
awakening tree. and the faint rustic of IFS
bouchs as the outstretcbing of cramned FanT
reyiyino limbs. Far AWAY the Sierras stood
out against a sky so remote as TO be ofno nos
tive color: so remote that even the SIM de-.
sDaired of ever reaching IL. and so exnended
lis strength reckesslv on the whole lan5scane
until il fairly FILTERED in q white and vivid
contrast. With a yery rare imnnlse Mr.
Oakhurst took off his hat. and half reclined
ON the bench. with his face 70 the skv Ger
tain birds who had taken a critical attitude
on spray above him. aDDarentIy began an
animated discussion reoardino his n0ssihIa
maleyolent Intentions. One or two. embold-
ened Inv the silence bonned on .bo 2ro,,nd -.
his ieet. until the sound of wheels on the
gravel walk frightened them away.
Looking up. he saw a man coming SLOWLY
toward him. wheeling a mondescrint vehicle
in which a woman was partly sitting. nartjv
reclining. Without knowing why. MIR. Oak
hurst instantly conceived that the carriage
was the invention and Workmanship of the
man, partly from its odditv. partly from the
strong, mechanical hand that grasped it, and
partly from a certain pride and visible con-
Seriousness in the manner in which the man
handled it,. Then Mr.. Uakhurst saw some-
tting more; the mans face was familiar.
win that regal faculty of not forgetting
lace that had ever given him professional au-
dience, he instantly classified it under the
following mental formula: 'At Frisco, Pol
ka Saloon. Lost his weeks wages. reckon
seventy dollai Son red. Never came
again." There was, however, no trace of
this in the calm eyes and unmoved face that
he turned upon the stranger, who, on the
contrary, blushed, looked embarrassed, hest
tated, and then stopped with an involuntary
motion that brought the carriage and its
TAR occupant lace to tace with Mr.. Oakhurst.
J. should haidly 40 justice to the position
sue WIN Occupy In TINS veracious chronicle by
uescrlDinS Tue lauy How'll. 1ndeed, i am /