The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-04-04
THE MAN FROM S0LAN0.
BY BRETT HARTE.

He came toward me out of an opera
lobby. between the acts-a figure as re-
markable as anything in the perform
ance. His clothes, no two articles of
which were OF the same color, had the
appearance of having been purchased
and pnt on only an hour or two before
a fact more directly established by the
clothes dealers ticket which still ad-
herel to his coat collar, giving the num-
ber, size and general dimensions of that
garment somewhat obtrusively to an I'M
Interested public. His trousers had
straight line down each leg as if he had
and there was another crease down his
back like those figures children cut out
of folded paper. 1 may add that there
was no consciousness of this in his face,
which was good natured, and but for
certain squnrcncss in the angle of his
lower jaw utterl y unintercsting and COM
monplace.
"You disremember me-" he said,
briefly, as he extended his hand, but
I'm from Solano, in Californy. I met
you there in the spring Of 81. I was
terdin' sheep and you was burnin' char
COAL"
There was not the slightest trace of
any intentional rudeness in the remind
er. 1t was simply statement of fact,
and as such to be accepted.
"What hailed We for was only this, :"
he said, after I had shaken hands with
him. "I saw You minnit ago standin'
over in yon box-chirpin' with lady--a
young lady, peart and pretty. Might ye
be telling me her name ?"
I gave him the name of certain
noted belle of a neighboring city, who
had lately stirred the hearts of the me-
tropolis, and who was especially admired
by the brilliant and fascinating young
Dashboard who stood beside me.
The Man from Solano mused for a
moment, and then said: "Thet's SO !!
thet's the name It's the same gall"
= "You have met her, then ?" I asked,
in surprise.
"Ye-es," he responded slowly. 81
met her about fower months ago. She'd
bin maxim tour of Californy with some
friends, and first saw her aboard the
cars this side of Reno. She lost her bag
gage checks, and I found them on the
floor, gave 'em back to her, and she
thanked me. reckon now it would be
about the square thing to 60 in over thar
and sorter recognize her." He stopped
a moment and looked at us inquiringly
"My dear sir, struck in the brilliant
and fascinating Dashboard, eff your hes
itation proceeds from any doubt of the
propriety Of your attire, beg you to
dismiss it from your mind at once. The
tyranny of custom, it is true, compels
your friend and myself to dress peculiar
ly, but I assure you nothing could be
finer than the way that the olive green of
your coat melts in the delicate yellow of
your cravat, or the pearl gray of your
trousers blends with the bright blue of
your waistcoat and lends additional bril-
iancy to that massive oroide watch chain
which you wear"
To my surprise, the Man from Solano
did not strike him. He looked at the
ironical Dashboard with grave earnest
mes, and then said quietly:
"Then I reckon you'd wouldn't mind
shewin' me in thar?''
Dashboard was, I admit, little stag
gered at this. But he recovered himself,
and, bowling ironically, led the way to
the box. followed him and the Man
from Solano.
Now, the belle in question happened
to be gentlewoman-descended from
gentlewomen and after Dashboard's
ronical introduction, in which the Man
from Solano was not spared, she comprc-
heuded the situation instantly. To
Dashboard's surprise she drew chair to
her side, male the Man from Solano sit
down, quietly turned her back on Dash
board, and in full view of the brilliant
audience and the focus of a hundred
lorgnettcs, entered into conversation with
him.
Here, for the sake of romance, I should
like to say he became animated, and ex-
hibited some trait of excellence-some
are wit or solid sense. But the fact is
he was dull and stupid to the last degree.
lie persisted in keeping the conversation
upon the subject of lost baggage checks,
and every bright attempt of the lady to
overt him failed signally. At last, to
cverybo,lys relief, he arose, and leaning
over her chair, said:
"I calklate to stop over here some
time, miss, and you and me bein' sorter
strangers here, may be when there's any
show like this goin' on you'll let me -
Miss X. said somewhat hastily that the
multiplicity of her engagements and the
brief limit of her stay in New York she