Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-08-18
From the Overland Monthly.
IUMLEY'S PARDNER.
A Story of Early California Times.

IUMLEY'S PARDNER.
A Story of Early California Times.
have forgotten the name he brought
with MIN from the States, for nobody
here ever called him anything else but
''Lumley's Pardner.' %
We miners have familiar knack of
rechristening, and name once altered
sticks to mar as long as he sticks to the
mine; SO, even after Lumley had
thrown up his claim and left the Dig
gings, three years ago, Lumley's Pard-
ner still remained a finger-post to trace
the distance back. After all, John
Jones, or Lumley's Pardner, what mat
tered it, in that doubtful tide of immi-
grafton setting in toward the wild re-
gions, where the first confidential ques-
tion, after intimacy seemed to warrant
the liberty. was invariably, ''Say, COM
rade, what was your name before you
came here ?"
You see, I knew Lumley's Pardner
when he first came into the mines. I
was up at Woods Diggings at the time
he and party of two or three more
came around prospecting. remember
I thought what fine, stalwart young
fellow he was, straight as a young pine
tree, and no foolishness about him,
either, for he had been roughing it
year or two down on the Texas border.
I never saw the boys more downright
pleased over new conner than when he
bought claim and went In with u.s.
He was not man to talk much about
himself, nor one you would feel free to
question; but there was honest square
dealing looking out of his clear gray
eyes, for all the trouble and unrest laid
up behind them. s &C. ~ y H8aiE5
Lumley was as different as man
could be. I have often noticed, that
men take to unlikes in mating among
themselves, as well as in choosing mates
for life. He came into the dlggings
week or SO later, and they somehow fell
In togetherse Lumley was what you
might call an extra clever fellow. He
looked scarcely more than boJ-these
fair skinned people never show their
age-with his handsome, womanish
face, bright blue eyes, and trim built
figure; but he had confidence until you
could not rest, plenty of the gift Of
CAB, and something about him-I be-
heve people call it magnetism;-atl least,
when you were with him you believed
just as he did, and then wondered at
yourself afterward for doing it.
Lumley always had knack of twist
ing folks round his little finger, for all
that the lines of frmness we're quite
lacking about his mouth. Lumley's
Pardner, now. with bis close-set lips,
and square, massive iaW-you might as
well hope to move mountain as him
against his viii. He could be. strong to
do or to bear, you could easily see
that. p ss.1e4ia 49, 9
do not know as it was exactly fair!
I never meant to eavesdrop, but it hap
pened in this wise: One night went
over to Lnmley's shantyTit was amaz-
ing strange how soon his name got
tackled to everything see about a
broken pick he wanted mended. I used
to do the smithing In those days. AS
opened the door, L saw there was no one
in, and. being tired with my day S work,
[ dropped down on log just outside,
lit my pipe, and sat leaning back against
the pine boards waiting for Lumley to
come back. [ guess must have got
drowsy and fallen asleep, for the first
thing heard was voices, and Lumley' s
Pardner speaking out bitter and short,
in way we seldom heard him speak.
81 reckon it's of no use to ask if
there's any letters come to my name, y
he said. "There's no one TO write to
me-" ls
rubbed open my eyes and saw two
CLEANS of light streaming out through
the open door and the one loop-hole of q
window, and then knew that Lumley
and his mate must have passed me by
and never seen me in the twilight
Raising myself Up, I saw Lumley
through the window sitting down to the
pine table beside tallow dip, with two
or three letters lying before him, and
one open in his hand. Then It flashed
across my mind that one of the boys
from camp beyond had gone into til.
station, ard was due with the mail tina
night
Lumley's Pardner sat over the far sid.
of the table with gloomy look in hi
eye. Being in the same boat myself,
knew how lonesome it was never to hay.
ews from home, and wondered to my