Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-25
BRET HARTE's NEW STORY
THE ROSE OF TUOEUMNE.
Pictures Of Life Among the Miners
Of California
From the New York Times.
CHAPTER /.

where there had been dancing and ~reyelry.
and the moon, riding high, painted the
black windows with silver. The cayalcade
that ali hour ago had shocked the sedate
pines with song and laughter, were all dis
persed; one enamored swain had ridden
east, another west, another north, another
south, and the object of their alteration,
left within her bower at Chemisal Ridge,
was calmly going to bed.
Il regret that L am not able to indicate
the exact stage of that process. Two chairs
were already filed with delicate enwrap-
pings and white confusion, and the young
lady herself, half hidden in the silky threads
of her yellow hair, had at one time borne a
faint resemblance to a partly-husked ear of
Indian corn. But she was now clothed in
that one long, formless garment that makes
all women equal, and the round shoulders
and neat waist that an hour ago had been
so fatal to the peace of mind of Four Forks,
had utterly disappeared. The face above
it was very pretty; the foot below, albeit
shapely, was not small. "The flowers, as
general thing, don't raise their heads much
to look after me-" she had said with superb
~frankness to one Of her lovers.
The expression of "The Rose" tonight
was contentedly placid. She walked slowly
to the window, and making the smallest
possible peep-hOle through the curtain,
looked out. The motionless figure of a
horseman still fingered on the road, with
an excess of devotion that only a ~coquette
or a woman very much in love could tole-
rate. "The Rose at that moment was nei-
ther, and after a reasonable pause turned
away, saying, quite audibly, that it was
"toO ridiculous for any thing" As she
came back TO her d~ressing-table it was no
ticeable that she walked steadily and erect,
without that slight affectation of lameness
common to people with whom bare feet are
only an episode. Indeed, it was only four
years ago that, without shoes or stockings,
a longlimbed, colty girl, in a waistless
calico gown, she had leaped from the tail
board Of her fathers emigrant wagon when
it first drew up at Chemisal Ridge. Certain
wild habits of the Rose had outlived trans
planting and cultivation.
A knock at the door surprised her. In
another moment she had leaped into bed,
and, with darkly-frowning eyes, from its
secure receSses demanded "Who's there9:n
An apologize murmur on the other side
of the o was the response.
"Why-father-is hat you?"
There were further muTmurs, affirmative,
deprecatory, and persistent.
"Waitn said the Rose. She got up, un-
locked the door, leaped nimbly into bed
again and said, Come
The door opened timidly. The broad,
STOPPING shoulders and grizzled head of a
man past the middle age appeared; after a
moments hesitation a pair of large diffident
feet shOd with canvas slippers concluded to
follow. When the apparition was ON
| plete it closed the door softly and stood
there-a very shy ghost indeed, with APP
parently more than the usual spiritual in
disposition to begin a conversation. The
Rose resented this impatiently, though l
fear not altogether intelligibly.
"Do, father, l declarel'
"You was abed, jimmy said Mr.. Nc
Closky, slowly, glaneing with a singular
mixture of masculine awe and paternal
pride upon the two chairs and their con-
tens. "YOu was abed and ondressed."
Il was"
"Surely," said Mr.. McClosky, seating
himself on the extreme edge of the bed,
and painfully tucking his feet away under
it, sSurely." After a pause he rubbed a
short, thick stumpY beard, that bore a gen
eral resemblance TO a badly-wern. blackIng-
brush, with the palm of his hand, and went
on, "You had 4 good time, Jinny?'
"Yes, father"
"They was all there?"
"Yes, Rance and York and Ryder and
Jack"
"And Jackr7 Mr.. McClosky endeavored
to throw an expression of arch inquiry into
his small, tremulous eyes, but meeting the
unabashed, widely-opened lid of his
daughter, he winked rapidly and blushed
TO the roots of his hair.
"Yes, Jack was there" said Jenny,
without change Of color, or the least self
consciousness in her great gray eyes, "and
he came home with me-" She paused a
moment, locking her two hands under her
head, n assuming a more comfortable po-
sition on the pillow. "He asked me that
same question again, father, and l said
Yes It's to be-soon. We're going to
live at -Four Forks, in his own house, and
next winter we're going TO Sacramento. l
suppose it's all right, father, eh?" She en-
phasized the question with a slight kick
through the bed-clothes, as the parental
McClOsky had fallen into an abstract rev.
erie.
"Yes, SURELY said Mr.. McClosky, recov-
ering himself with some confusion. After
a pause he looked down at The bed-clothes,
and, patting them tenderly, continued.
"You couldn't have done better, jimmy.
They isn't a girl in Tuolumne ez could
strike il eZ rich eZ you hey-even if they
got the chance" He paused again and
then said, "Jinny? ?"
"Yes, father"
"You'se in bed and ondressed?"
eyes"
@You couldn't" said Mr.. McClosky,
glancing hopelessly at the two chairs and
slowly rubbing his chin, "you couldn't
dress yourself again-could yer-?"
"Why, fatheri''
"-Kinder get yourself into them things
again?" he added hastily. "NOt all of 'em,
you know, but some of 'em. Not ifI
helped you?-sorter stood by and lent a
hand now and then with a strap or a buckle,
or a necktie, or shOe-st-ing," he continued,
still looking at the chairs, and evidently
trying to boldly familiarize himself with
their contents.
care you crazy, father" demanded Jen-
ny, suddenly sitting up with a ~portentous
switch of her yellow name. Mr.. McClosky
rubbed one side of mis- beard, which already
had the appearance of having been quite
wO n away by that process, and family
lodged the question.
'sJinny," he said, tenderly stroking the
bed-clOthes as he spoke, 'this yer's what's
the matter. Thar is a stranger down stairs
"a stranger to you, lovey, but a man ez
I've knowed a long time. He's been here
about an hour, and he'll be here ontil To-
wer o'clock, when the mp stage passes.
Now 1 wants We, Jimmy dear, TO get up and
come down stairs and kinder help me pass
the time with him. It's no use, jimmy" he
went on, gently raising his hand to depre-
cate any interruption, sits no use-he
won't 60 to bed, He won't play keerds;
whisky don't take no effect on him. Ever
since l knowed him he was the most IN
satisfactory critter to hev round"
"What do you have him round for then?"
interrupted Miss jimmy sharply.
Mr.. McClOsky's eyes fell. "Ef he hednt
KEN out Of his way tonight to do me a
good turn, l wouldn't ask We, Jinney. /
wouldn't. so help me! But L thought ez l
couldn't do anything with him, you might
come down and sorter fetch him, Jimmy,
as you did the Others"
Miss Jenny shrugged her pretty Shout
ders.
SIS he old or young?"
'He's young enough, jimmy, but he
knJws a power Of things"
"What does ne doP"
'Not much reckon. He's got money
in the mill at -Four Forks. He travels