Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-06-09
From the overland MonshIy
LUMLEF'S PARDNER. 2

! have forgotten the name he
brought with him from the States,
for nobody here ever called him auy
thing elSe but ''Lnnley'a Pardner.p
We miners have a familiar knack
of rechFistening, and a name once
altered sticks to a man as long as he
sticks 20 the mines; So, even after
Lumley had thrown up his claim
and left the diggings, a good three
years ago, Lumley's Pardner still re-
mained, a finger-post to trace the
distance back. -AfIeralL john ones,
or Lnmlev's Pardner, what mattered
it, in that doubtful tide of immigra.
tion sefting in toward the wild re-
gioRs, -wl8ere the first confidential
question, after intimacy seemed to-
warrant the liberty, was invariably,
HSaay, comrade, what was your
name before you came here?n l
You see, / knew Lumley's Pardner
when he first came into the mines. ]
was up at Woods Diggings at the
time he and a party of two or three
or more came around prospecting. I
remember thought what fine, stall
wart Young fellow he was, straight
as q pine tree. and no foolishness
about him, either, for ne had been
roughing it year or two down, on
the Texas border. / never saw the
boys more downright pleased over a
newcomer than when he bought a
claim and went in with US. He was
not armaa-to talk much about him.
self, nor one You would feel free to
question; but there was honest,
square-dealing looking out of his
clear gray eyes, for sll the trouble
and unrest laid up behind them.
Lumley was as different as q man
could be. / have often noticed that
men take to unlikes in mating among
themselves, as well as in choosing
mates for life. Z He came into The
diggings week or so later, and they
somehow fell in together. Lumley
was what you might call an extra
-elevezfe fellow. He looked scarcely
more than a boy these fair-skinned
people never show their age-with
his handsome, womanlsh face, bright
blue eyes, ana trim built figure; but
he had confidence until ,yon cculd
not rest, plenty Of the gift Of CAB,
and 4 something about him-I be.
lieve people can IL magnetism; at
least when you were with him you
believed just as be did, and then
wondered at yourself for doing so.
Llmley always had 4 knack of
twisting folks round his little finger;
for all that, the lines Of ffmness
were quite lacking about his mouth.
Lasnleyss Pardner now. with his
close set lips and square. massive
jaw-you might as well hdpe to
move 9 mountain as him, against his
will. He would be strong to do or
to bear; syou could see that easily.
I do not know as it was exactly
fairi / never meant to eavesdrop, but
it happened in this wise; One night.
vent over to Lnmley's shanty-it
Eas amazing strange how soon his
name got tackled to eVerythihg-to
see broken pick he wanted mend
ed used TO do smithing in those
days. As / opened the door, / saw
there was no one in, and, being tired
with my days work, / dropped down
on a log just outside, lit my pipe and
sat leaning back against the pine
boards, waiting for Lumley TO come
back. guess l must have got drow-
sy and fallen asleep, for the FIRST
thing Heard was voices, and Lum-
ley's Pardner speaking out bitter
and short, in way we seldom heard
him speak.