Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-12-26
BRET HARTE's STORY.
Ideal Csaftshir at One-Horse
Gulch.

his little sister the following men.
dacious account of bis visit to the
Widow Markle's on business matri-
monial.
Oily had drawn a small box, her
favorite seat, between her brothers
legs, and rested the back Of her head
comfortably against his waistcoat.
When Gabriel had lighted his pipe
at the solitary candle, he gave one
or two preliminary puffs, and then,
taking his pipe from his mouth, said
gently:
"Olly, it can't be DONE"
"Whst can't be done?" queried
the arttul oily, with preconceptlon
of the answer, expanding her little
mouth into thoughtful smile.
"Thet thing. This yer marryin' O.
Mrs. Markle," said Gabriel, with an
assumption Of easy, businesslike in
difference.
"Whyf" asked Oily.
"She wouldn't have me-"
"Whatf" said Oily, facing swiftly
around.
Gabriel evaded his sisters eyes,
and, looking in the fire, repeated
slowly, but with great firmness;
"NO; not fur-fur-fur q Gift"
"She's mean, stuck-up, horrid
old thingp' said Oily fiercely. "I'd
jest like to-why, thar amt man az
kin compare with you, Gsbe! Like
her impudencer
Gabriel waved his pipe in the air
deprecatingiy, yet with such evident
air OF cheerful resignation that Oily
faced upon him again suspiciously,
and asked:
"What did she say?"
"She said," replied Gabe slowly,
"thet her heart-was-given-to an
other. think she struck into poet
ry, and said:
My heart 1t is another's,
And 1t never can be thine.
Thet is, / think SO. disremember
her special remark, oily; but you
know women alters spout poetry at
seech times. Ennyhow, that's about
the way the thing PANIED out"
"Who was it," said Oily sud-
denly.
"She didn't let on who," said Ga.
briel uneasily. 81 didn't think it
the square thing to inquire"
"Well,' said Oily.
Gabriel looked down still more
embarrassed, and shifted his posi-
ton. "Well," he repeated.
"What did you say?" said Oily.
"Then?"
mo, aiore. How did you do it,
Gabe?" comfortably fixing her chin
in her hands, and looking up in her
brothers face.
sob, the usual way" said Gabriel,
with motion OF his pipe, to indi-
cate vague aud glittering generalties
of courtship.
"But how? Gale, tell me all about
it,"
"Well," said Gabriel, looking up
at the roof, "wimen is bashiul ez a
general thing, and thar's about one
way ez a man can get at 'em, and
that ez, by being kinder keerless an
bold. You see, Oily, when 1 KEN
inter the house, sorter jest chuck
led Sal under the chin--that way,
you know-and then went up and
put my arm around the widder's
waist, and kissed her two or three
times, you know, jest to be sociable
and familiar like"
"And to think Gabe, that after all
that she wouldn't hev YET" said
Oily.
"Not at any price," said Gabriel,
positively.
"The disgustin' beast!" said oily.
"I'd jest like to ketch that Manly
hangin' round yer after that" she
continued savagely, with a vicious
shake of her little fist. "And just to
think only to-day We gave her the
pick o. them pups!"
"Hush, Oily, We mustn't do any
thin o. the Sort" said Gabriel hast
ily. Eye must never let on to any
one thing. It's confidence, Oily
confidence, ez these sort o. things
alius is-alween you and me. Be-
Sides" he went on reassuringly,
"that's nothing. Lord, aiore mans
married he haz to go through this
kind o. thing a dozen times. It's
expected. There was a man as l
once knOwd," continued Gabriel.
with shameless mendacity, ''ez went
through it fifty times, and he wos a
better man nor ME, and could shake
a thousand dollars in the face OF any
woman. Why, bless your eyes,
Oily, some men jest like tits ex-
citement-like prospectin'."