The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-04-16
from the New York SUM-
The Man from SOlanO.
BY BRET HARTE.

had the appearance of having been purchased
and put on hour or two before-a fact more
directly established by the clothing dealers
ticket which still adhered to his coat collar,
giving the number, size and general dimen-
sions of that garment somewhat obtrusively
to an uninterested public. His trowsers had
a straight line down each leg as if he had
been born fat and had since developed, and
there was another crease down his back like
those figures children cut out of folded paper.
may add that there was no consciousness of
D. this in his face, which was good natured, but
for certain squareness in the angle of his
lower jaw utterly uninteresting and common
place.
sYou disremember me,' he said briefly, as
he extended his hand, ''but Pm from Solano,
in Californy. l met you there in the spring
Of. was tendin' sheep, and you was
burnin' charcoal"
There was not the slightest trace of any in
territorial rudeness in the reminder. 1t was
simply statement of facts, and as such to be
accepted
"What hailed ye for was only this" be
continued after had shaken hands with him.
81 saw you minnit ago standin' over in yon
box hirpin' with lady-a young lady,
peart and pretty. Might ye be tellin' me her
name?"
1 gave him the name of a certain noted
belle of a neighbofing city, who had lately
stirred the hearts of the metropolis, and who
fascinating young Dashboard who stood be-
side me.
The Man from Solano unused for moment
and then said: ''Thet's SO! thet's the name !!
It's the same galp'
"You have met her, then," 1 asked in sur
prise.
"Ye-es," he responded slowly, "I met her
about fower months ago. She'd bin maxim
tower of Californy with some friends, and l
first saw her aboard the cars this side of Reno.
She had lost her baggage checks, and found
them on the floor, gave 'em back to her, and
she thanked me. reckon how it would be
about the square thing to go in over thar
and softer recognize her." He stopped a
moment and looked at US inquiringly.
"My dear sil," struck in the brilliant and
fascinating Dashboard, fIf your hesitation
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
peculiarly, but assure you nothing could be
finer than the way the olive green of your
vat, or the pearl gray of your trousers blends
with the bright blue of your waistcoat and
lends additional brilliancy to that massive
oroide watch chain which you wear"
To my surprise, the man from Solano did
not strike him. He looked at the ironica
Dashboard with grave earnestness, and then
said quietly:
''Then reckon you wouldn't mind show
in me in thar?"
Dashboard was, admit, a little staggered
at this. But he recovered himself, and bow
ing ironically, led the way to the box. 1 fol-
lowed him and the man from Solano.
Now,the belle in question happened to be a
gentlewoman-descand from gentlewomen
and after Dashboard's ironical introduction
in which the man from Solano was not spared
she comprehended the situation instantly.
To Dashboard's surprise, she drew a chair to
her side,made the Man from Solano sit Gown,
quietly turned her back on Dashboard, and in
full view of the brilliant audience and the
focus of hundred lorgnettes, entered into
conversation with him.
Here, for the sake of romance should like
to say he became animated and exhibited
some trait of excellence-some rare wit or
solid sense. But the fact is that he was dull
and stupid to the last degre. He persisted in
keeping the conversation upon the subject OF
lost baggage checks, and every bright attempt
of the lady to divert him signally failed. At
last to everybody's relief, be arose, and lean
Ing over her chair said:
81 calklate to stop over some time, miss,
and you an me bein' sorter strangers here,
maybe when there's any show like this goin'
on, you'll let me-"
Miss x said somewhat hastily that the null.
tiplicity of her engagements and the brief
limit of her stay in New York, she feared
would etc., etc. The two other ladies had
their handkerchiefs over their mouths and
were staring intently on the stage, when the
Man from Salano continued.
"Then, may be, miss, whenever there is
show goin' on that you'll attend, you'll just
drop me word to Earle's Hotel, to this yer adj
Dress" and he pulled from his pocket dozen
well-worn letters, and taking the buff enve-
lope from one, handed it to her with some
thing like bow.
Certainly" broke In the facetious Dash
board, "Miss x. goes to the charity ball to-
morrow night. The tickets are but trifle to
an opulent Californian and man of your
evident means, and the object worthy one.
You will, no doubt, easily secure an invita-
ton.
Miss x, raised her handsome eyes for a
moment to Dashboard. "By all MEANS" she
said, turning to the man from Solano, "and as
Mr.. Dashboard is one of the managers and
you are stranger, he will, of course, send
you complimentary ticket. | have known
Mr.. Dashboard long enough to know that he
is invariably courteous to strangers and a
gentleman" She settled herself in her chair
again and fixed her eyes upon the stage.
The man from Solano thanked the man of
New York, and then, after shaking hands
with everybody in the box, turned to go.
When he reached the door he looked back to
Miss K. and said:
SIT was one of the queerest things in the
world, miss, that my fndin' them checks
Blu: the curtain had just then risen on the
garden scene in "Faust," and Miss x. was
absorbed. The man from Solano carefully
shut the box door and retired. / followed
him.
He was silent until he reached the lobby,
and then he said, as if renewing a previous
conversation: ''She is a mighty peart gal
that's so. She's just my kind and will make
a stavin' good WIFE,"
thought saw danger ahead for the man
from Solano, so fastened TO tell him that
she was beset by attentions, that she could
have her pick and choice of the best society,
and finally that she was most probably en-
gagged to Dashboard.
"That's So" he said, quietly, without the
slightest trace of feeling, sit would be mighty
queer if she wasn't. But reckon I'll steer
down to the hotel. l don't care much for
this yellin'.', Gle was abiding to cadenza
of that famous cantatrice, Signora BATH
Batti.) "What's the time?"
He pulled out his watch. 1t was such a
eyes were fascinated by it. "Youre looking
at my WATCH" he said; ''it's purity to look at
but she don't 90 worth cent. And yet her
price was $1.25 gold. l gobbled her up in
Chatham street day before yesterday where
they were selling 'em very cheap at auction"
"You have been outrageously swindIed.', T
said Indignantly. ''Watch and chain are not
worth twenty dollars"
care they worth ffteen9' He asked,
gravely.
"Possibly."
"rhen reckon it's fair trade. Ye see
told 'em was Californian from Solano and
hadn't anything about me of greenbacks: l
had three slugs with me. Ye remember them
slugs?" Il did; the "slug' was "token"
issued in the early days-a hexagonal piece
of gold little over the size of twenty-dollar
gold piece-worth and accepted for fifty dol
lars.S
swell, I handed them that and they hand
ed me the watch. You see them slugs / had
made myself outer brass filings and iron pyr-
ties, and nsed to slap Fem down on the boys
for i bluff ia game of draw poker. You
see, not being reg'laI gov'ment money, wasn't
coun.erfeiiing. reckon they cost me,
counting time and anxiety, about SIS. So,
if this yer watch is worth that, it's about a
SQUARE game. Amt itr'