The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-04-24
THE MAN FROM soLANo.
By BRET HARTE.

ance. His clothes, no two articles Of
which were of the same color, had the
appearance of having been purchased
land put on only an hour before-a fact
more directly established by the clothes
Dealers ticket which still adhered to
his coat collar, giving the number, size
ana general dimensions of that carmen t
somewhat obtruslVely to an uninter-
ested public. His trousers had straight
line down each leg as If he had been
born fat, but had since developed, and
there was another crease down his back
Hike those figures children cut on folded
paper. l may add that there was no
consciousness OF this in his face, which
vas good-natured, and, but for a certain
|squareness in the angle othis lower jaw,
uLterly uninteresting and common
Iplace.
"You disremember me-" he said
briefly, as he extended his hand, "but
Pm from Solano, in Oaiforny. l met
you there in the spring OF '57. 1 was
tendin' sheep and you was burning
charcoal"
There was not the siightest trace OF
any intentional rudeness in the re-
minder. 1t was simply statement Of
fact, and as such to be accepted.
"What nailed ye for was only this"
he said, after had shaken hands with
him. Il saw you a minnit ago standin'
over In yon box-chirpin' with lady
a young lady, peart and pretty. Might
you be telling me her nameW
gave him the name o: certain noted
belle of neighboring city, who had
lately stirred the hearts Of the metrop-
oils, and who was especially admired
BY the brilliant and Fascinating young
Dashboard who stood beside me.
| 40 Ynun frnm SnIQ FOR n
moment, and then said: "Fhets sol
thers the namel It's the same galp
you have met her, thenW asked In
SURPRISE.
"Ye-es," he responded slowly. 81
met her about four months ago. She'd
been maxim tour of Calitorny with
some friends, and first saw her aboard
the cars this side of Reno. She lost her
baggage checks, and l found them on
the floor, gave them back to her and she
thanked me. 1 reckon now it would be
about The square thing to go in over
thar, and sorter recognize herp He
stopped moment, and looked az us. In
quiringly.
"My dear sir" struck in the brilliant
and fascinating Dashboard, "It your
hesitation proceeds from any doubt OF
the propriety OF your attire, l beg you to
dismiss it from your mind at once. The
tyranny Of custom, it Is true, compels
lyour friend and myself to dress peculiar
lly, but / assure you nothing could be
finer than the way that the olive, green
of your coat melts in the delicate yellow
of your craEat, or the pearl gray Of your
trousers blends with the bright blue OF
your waistcoat and lends additional
briIliancy to that massive oroide watch
chain which you wear"
Pr tho m oI n
did not strike him. He looked at the
lironical Dashboard with grave earnest
ness, and then said, quietly:
"Ihen L reckon you wouldn't mind
lshowin' me in tharH
I Dashboard was, 1 admit, little stag.
lgered at this. But he recovered hims sel /.
and bowIng ironically, led The way to
the box. l followed him and the Man
Ifrom Solano.
Now, the belle in question happened
to be a gentle Woman-descended from
lgentle'women--and after Dashboard's
irouical Introduction, in which the Maj
! from Solano Was not spared, she com
pretended the situation instantly, IL
Dashboard's surprise, she drew a chail
to her side, made the Man from SolanC
sit down, quietly turned her back on
| Dashboard, and In full view OF the bril-
liant audience and the focus of hun
dred lorguettes, entered into conYersa
ton with him.
Here, for the sake OF romance, 1 should
like to say that he became animated
and exhibited some traits OF excellence
l-some rare wit ofsolid sense. But the
fact is, he was dull and stupid to thu
Hast degree. He persisted in keeping
the conversation upon the subject OF the
lost tbaggage-checks,an and every attempt O
the lady to divert him failed signalIy
, At last, to everybody's relief he rose
!; and leaning over her chair said:
81 calklate to stop. over here, some
time, Miss, and you and me beinI sorte
strangers here, may be when there's 8
show like this goin' on yoWI lie
me-
Miss x. said somewhat hastily, tha
the brlei limit OF her stay in New York
she feared would, etc., etc. The tw,
other ladies had their handkerchief
over their mouths, and were staring in
=. tently on the stage, when the Man IRON
Salano continued:
"Tben, may be, Miss, whenever there
is show gOin' on that you'll attend
you'll just drop me word to Earle.
, Hotel to this yer address," and he pull &c
from his pocketa dozen well-worn let
ters, and taking the buff envelope from
one, handed it 10 her with somethins
) like bow. 'i -'H
"Certainly," broke in the facetiouf
Dashpoard. Miss x. goes to the Chari
ity Ball tomorrow night. The tickets
are buta trltie to an opurent Californian
and man OF your evident means, and
the object worthy one. You will. nc
doubt, easily secure an invitation"
Miss a. raised her handsome ewes fol
moment to Dashboard. "By ali
) MEANS" she said, turning to the mau
from Solano; "and as Dashboard is one
OF the managers, and you are stranger
he Will, OF course, send you com plime II.
tary ticket. l have known, MIR. Dash.
EDoard long enough to know that he is in.
!, varlaDly courteous to strangers and O
gentleman" She settled herself in her
chair again and fixed her eyes upon the
stage. ..f, -. n
The man from Solano thanked the man
from New YORK, and then, alter shaking
hands with everybody in the box. turned
to 60. When he had reached the door
he looked back at Miss x. ana said:
SIT was one OF the queerest things in
the world, miss, that my fndin' them
lcnecks--'..
But the curtain had just then risen oh
the garden scene in "Faust," and Miss
/ X a IA G ph,., O.