Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-03-24

1T was O sorter risk, after all, for them
Peacock stocks might come upl"
L looked into his face it was inn
measurably serene and commonplace. l
began to be little afraid of the man
or, rather of my want of Judgment of the
man, and, after few words, we shook
hands and parted.
1t was some months before again saw
the man from Solano. When / did l
found that he had actually become a
member of the stock board, and had a
little office on Broad street, where he
transacted fair business. Ny remem-
berance going back to the first night |
met him, l inquired if he had renewed
his acquaintance with Miss X. CT
heered that she was in Newport this sum-
mer, and / ran down there fur week.
"And you talked with her about the
baggage checks?'
"No," he said, seriously, 'she gave
me commission to buy some stocks for
her. You see, L guess them fash 'nble fell
lers sorter got to runnin' her about me,
and so she put our acquaintance on q
square business footing. [ tell you.
she's a right peart girl. Did We hear of
the accident that happened to her ?"
: had not.
"Well, you see, she was out yachting,
and managed through one of those fell
lers to get an invite, too. The whole
thing was got up by a man that they say
is going to marry her. Well, one after
noon the boom swings round in little
squall and knocks her overheard. There
was an awful excitement-you've heard
about it, may be ?"
No But [ saw it all with romancer's s
instinct in flash of poetry This poor
fellow, debarred through uncouthness
from expressing his affection for her,
had at last found his fitting opportunity.
He had
"Thar was an awful row." he went on,
'I ran out on the taffrail, and there a
dozen yards away was that purity crea-
ture, that peart gal and r.
" You jumped for her p said, hastily.
''No !'' he said gravely. 81 let the
other man do the jumping. I sorte1
looked on"
stared at him in astonishment.
"No" he went on, seriously. "He
was the man who jumped-that was Just
then his 'put'-his line of business. You
see, if [ had waltzed over the side of that
ship, and cavoorted in, and fummuxed
round and finally Topped to the bottom,
that other man would have jumped nat,
eral-like and saved her, and ez he was
going to marry her any way, [ don't ex.
actly see where I'd hev been represented
in the transaction. But don't you see
eff, after he'd jumped and hadn't got her
he'd gone down himself, I'd hev the next
best chance, and the advantage of hev
ing him outer the way. You see, yor
don't understand mel don't think yor
did in Californy."
"Then he did save her ?"
Of course. Don't you see she was
all right. If he'd missed her I'd have
Clipped i'll. Thar warn't no sense il
my doing his duty onless he failed"
Somehow the story got out. The Mar
from SOlano as "a butt became more
popular than ever, and of course received
invitations to burlesque receptions, anC
naturally met a great many people whom
otherwise he could not have seen. [
was observed also that his $500 wa
steadily growing, and that he seemed tc
be getting on in his business. Certain
Californian stocks which [ have seel
quietly inferred in the old days in th
tombs of their fathers, where magical,
revived; and [ remember, as one wht
has seen a ghost, to have been shocked
as | looked over the quotations on
morning to have seen the ghostly face O
the "Dead Beat Beach Mining Co. :,
rouged and plastered, looking out iron
the columns of the morning paper. A
| last few people began to respect, O
suspect, the Man of Solano. At last
suspicion eliminated with this incident
He had long expressed a wish to be
D. long to certain /" fash'n'b club, an
with view of burlesque he was invite
to visit the club, where series Of ridicu
l lous entertainments were given him
winding up with card party. AS
7 passed the steps of the club house earl
1 next morning, I overheard two or thre
: members talking excitedly.
. He cleaned everybody out. Why
a he must have raked in nigh on $40, ,O0O
t "Who ?" [ asked
t "The Man from Solano."
!, AS turned away, one of the gentle
i. men, victim, noted for his sportin
s propensities, followed me, and layin
his hand on my shoulder, asked:
a "Tell me fairly now. What bushes
d did your friend follow in California;"
y He was shepherd"
+ GA what ?"
:, ga shepherd. Tended his fiocks @
the honey scented hills of Solano.'
o "Well, all I can say is, blast yo1
California pastora1s % No,u Vo,.L O,i,