The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-07-16

woman of culture and education, whatever
might have brought her to her present
strange position, was obvious. "Well, now,
continued Elan, 'you can guess whether a
young man, isolated on the mountains,
ruined by the grasshoppers, and Tilted by the
girl of the Wallamet Valley, was bewildered
or not. Entertaining goddesses vas not in
my line"
"How long did she stay?'
"Wait bit. What with reading and eat
ing, our acquaintance improved fast. She
offered 10 sing a song, and gave me Kate
Kearney.' | might have lost my head to her,
perhaps, to say nothing of my heart, but for
a certain inward latent doubt. l did not
care that my girl should ride about elegantly
attired, on prancing horses, and drop down
Unexpectedly upon hermits. Still it was a
pleasant feeling to find oneself near her, and
certainly novel one. l asked her her his
good New England family, reared in aff1u-
ence, well educated and accomplished, but
by freak of fortune SIZE became reduced to
poverty and to be an exile from home"
"What was the freak of fortune, Elan ?"
Sab, what indeed? The old story, 1 sup
pose; but I did not ask her. She had made
her way to California, resolved TO get on and
get money, and she had got it, She went
about from camp to camp OF the Miners and
others with stationery and various articles
needed by them: sold them these things,
wrote letters for them, sang to them, nursed
them when sick, and carried their letters eX-
press to San Francisco to be posted. For all
these services she received Elarge payments
money is not much value, you know, over
there-and she had also good deal of rough
gold given to her as specimens. Did she like
that kind of life, asked her, so contrary to
her early habits, and she answered me quick
ly: SIT is not what we choose that we do in
this world, but what fate chooses for US.
have made competency, aud gained rich
and varied experience. Life may not be what
l once pictured it would be, but I ara con-
tent She sighed as she said it, and 1 didn't
believe in the content
"But what had brought her to you that
day?"
''She had not told me herself then. Pres
emily asked her; asked her why she came to
see me; l never shall forget the smile with
which she turned to answer. 1t pretty nigh
disarmed me. We were sitting somewha
close, too her flowing silk gown touched my
knees. Altogether, l began to think of those
useless pegs in my house down in Rogue
River Valley. But what she said pulled up
my wandering thoughts, and turned them to
present things. Shall you be surprised to
hear that have come to do you real SER
v.ce? she said. And she went on to relate
that, having to pass the previous night at a
place not many miles away, in house where
partitions were thin, she had CHANGED to
overhear plan for my murder and robbery,
the villain in chief Of the plot being the
starvedland naked wretch whom had shell
tered and sent away rejoicing not many days
previous. All in moment, while I was
bordering on the doubtful problem of graft
tude, fancy came over me that she might
not be telling truth; that it might be just an
excuse to justify her own entrance, and L
playfully limited so. a woman does not
tritie with subjects like these, nor deceive
when she goes out of her way to do SER
vice. she answered. Il rode off fir ON that
house the other way this morning, made a
detour, and came here to warn you. And,
now that have done it, if you will please
to get my horse, I will ride away again." All
fair, that. l, full of thanks aud repentance,
asked her to stay longer if she was not per-
the steed round and helped her to mount
him. Once in the saddle, her humor changed
she smiled, and reminded me that 1 had not
been polite enough to invite her to return.
A week of reading, talking. riding, trout-fsh-
ing, and romancing up in those splendid
mountains would be very charming; perhaps
she might come if asked her,"
And did you ask her?"
Il did not. A young man with reputa-
ton TO sustain up there in the mountains,
couldn't invite young lady to stay a week
with him, could he now?" cried Elan quaint
ly, which set us both laughing.
$50 parted the question as easily as L
could, and she rode away. In going slowly
down the trail, she turned and kissed her
hand to me with gracious sweetness. as
sure you the struggle within my own mind
was great at that moment, and don't knew
whether have forgiven myself yet for what
happened afterward."
What did happen?"
|'She came back again. She came back
again, and droUe her Garay. That is, I
made the best excuses could for not read
mitting her, saying we should perhaps have
lighting and murder-and what not-in my
fort that night, and it would be no place or
scene for delcately bred woman. The pretty
and modest girl, who was to come from Wal
lamet Valley and hang up her pink garments
on my pegs, had rushed into my mind, you
see-but never like to confess to this part of
the story. because get laughed at. But don't
you think did right?-haVing my reputation
to keep up?''
While we had our laugh out Elan was push
ing his soft, fine light hair off his brow with
those slender fingers that looked as if no rough
work had ever come near them-and what
must they have been before it did Gomez he
went on thoughtfully:
"She finally rode away, not having been
invited to get off her horse, leaving me in any,
thing but a pleasant frame of mind. From tell
ing myself was bear, turned to the other
subject-my promised robbery and murder
Had she simply invented that little fable. or
was it true bill? I felt inclined to believe it
the latter. Any way, deemed it well to be
prepared for all contingencies, barring and
boiling my tort against intruders, and Sitting
up late over the fire. This was Sunday night.
On the Tuesday morning three or four mount
ed men rode up, one of whom was the traitor,
my former naked and hungry protege. He no
longer attempted to conceal his true charac-
ter from me, but said he and his comrades
we're intending to clean out the Chinese
camp, and he asked me to join them in the
raid. was on my guard in answering him,
simply saying that would have nothing to do
with robbing the Chinese, that they were my
friends and customers, and 1 thought they
had best be let alone. Wirh that he went
off. That same afternoon Edwards came in.
having recaptured some of the horses. He
was very tired, and asked leave to stay with
the horses at nay place till next day. I said
nothing to Edwards of the gang Just gone
away, or that what suspected) they had
talked Of making a raid on the Chinese only
to throw me off my guard that it was nv
fort on which the attack was to be-, and
hoped the fellows did net know of the arrival