The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-04-04

her. You see, I guess them fash'nble fell
lers sorter got to runnin' her about me,
and so she put our acquaintance on
square business footing. I tell you,
she's right peart girl. Did ye hear of
the accident that happened to her ?"
had not.
"Well, you see, she was out yachting,
and managed through one of those fel-
lers to get al invite, too. The whole
thing was got up by man that they say
is going to marry her. Well, one after
noon the boom swings round in o 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
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 hal-
"Thar was an awful row." he went on,
ct ran out on the taffrail, and there
dozen yards away was that purity crea-
ture, that peart gal and r.
"You jumped for her ?" I said, hastily.
"No!" he said gravely. "I let the
other man do the jumping. I sorter
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, I 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, you
don't understand mel don't think you
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 in. Thar warn't no sense in
my doing his duty onless he failed"
Somehow the story got out. The Man
from Solano as a butt became more
popular than ever, and Of course received
invitations to burlesque receptions, and
naturally met great many people whom
otherwise he could not have seen. It
was observed also that his $500 was
steadily growing, and that he seemed to
be getting on in his business. Certain
Californian stocks which I have seen
quietly inferred in the old days in the
tombs of their fathers, where magically
revived; and I remember, as one who
has seen a ghost, to have been shocked
as I looked over the quotations one
morning to have seen the ghostly face of
the "Dead Beat Beach Mining Co.,
rouged and plastered, looking out from
the columns of the morning paper. At
last few people began to respect, or
suspect, the Man of Solano. At last,
suspicion eliminated with this incident.
He had long expressed wish to be-
long to certain "fash'n'ble club, and
with q view of bllrlesque he was invited
to visit the club, where series Of ridicu-
lous entertainments were given him,
winding up with card party. As [
passed the steps of the club house early
next morning, overheard two or three
members talking excitedly.
"He cleaned everybody out. Why,
he must have raked in nigh on $40, ,00O."
"Who ?" [ asked.
"The Man from Solano."
AS turned away, one of the gentle
men, victim, noted for his sporting
propensities, followed me, and laying
his hand on my shoulder, asked:
"Tel me fairly now. What business
did your friend follow in California;"
"He was shepherd.
GA what ?"
ga shepherd. Tended his focks on
the honey scented hills of Solano."
- "Well, all I can say is, blast your
California pastorals !'-NeaD York Sun.