The Republican journal., 1877-06-28

:
evidently reduced to this shadoWy state
by starvation. His story was soon told.
He had left Boston on board Il vessel
bound for the northwest coast. had been
wrecked at the mouth Of the Umpaqla,
and been wandering about in the noun
talns ever since, subslsting on roots and
berries"
"He vas
"No, | assure YOU" interrupted Elan,
with an amused look at my wife, 1.-The boy
was not a young woman in disguise, if
that's what You are thinking. He was
just a poor, weak, half starved lad, named
Edwards fed and nursed him until he
was able to work for himself, and then
got sam Chong Sung to let him take up
a claim alongside a Chinese camp, prom
iSing 10 favor the Chinaman in a beef con-
tract if he would be good to the boy
still continued to see great deal of him.
And did Edwards succeed ,"
"leS, he got ON. One day two China
men stole some OF sam Chong Sung's
horses: and he offered four hundred dol
lars to Edwards if he would 90 after the
thieves and track them. Edwards asked
my advice, and | encouraged him to 90,
telling him where iancic1i he would find
the men. 50 he started in pursuit; and
| confess missed him"
Again Elam paused. We did not in
termlpt him.
"A man came to my fort one day who
was naked and starving. He was IL bad
looking fellow, Very; but you will say Il
man actually does look bad when his
clothes are nowhere and his bones pro
trude through their skin. clothed him,
fed him, cared for him kindly until he
was able to travel, and then he went
away. The next Sunday was sitting
outside my fort, as customary on that
leisure day, reading some trlnslations
from the Greek poets r for dare say You
remember could never make much Of
Greek itself when, CHANGING to look oil
my book, | bchcId Il vision"
"A what =
"A vision. \ vision ot Il lovely woman.
And can tell You should us soon have
expected to see Il vision there us Il Wo-
man. | had seen neither tor Il year OF
two. She was riding up the approach to
my fort on a fine horse: riding gracefully
and very slowly, us if to give me time to
get over my surprise; and believe
needed it. The picture she made is in
my mind now | see the very flicker Of
the shadow and the sunlight across the
road and the glitter of some steel that
fastened her horses trappings It's he arch
ed his neck in impatience of herrestrain
ing head. Are you tired, old friend ?"
"NeNer less so in my life"
"lou see | had been alone 50 long:
and think | must be susceptible. That
vision, breaking in suddenly, us it did.
| ,n
sensations. was Just spell bound Not
so she. Refining in her horse at my gate,
she squared round OH her saddle and
look at me, silently asking my assistance
to disnount. helped her doWn-What
else could | do and then, at her re-
quest, gently preferred, went to put up
and feed her horse. Had she dropped
from the clouds | did not know
"Well :"
~lf youl believe me, when returned
indoors my guest had got her habit off.
Evidently she meant to make herself ut
home. \ tall, young, beautiful, we'll
dressed woman, Just a goddess She
looked to me. Her eyes We're large,
black, and melting her hair was grand,
her manner easy. She was hungry. She
said. would give her something to cat
And while was making preparations to
| give her OF my best, she read aloud one
of the Greek translationS, an ode to Diana.
commenting upon it herself. That she was
Il woman Of culture and education, what
ever might have brought her into her
present strange position. WAS obvious.
| Well, now continued Eiam. ''N0u can
guess whether a Young man, isolated on
the mountains, ruined by the 9rasshop-
perS, and Tilted by the girl Of the Villa
met Valley, was htWildcrcd OF not. En-
tertaining goddesses was not in my line"
GLOW long did she stay =
"Wait a bit What With reading and
eating, our acquaintance improved fast.
She offered to sing Il song, and gave me
Kate kearney.' | might have lost my
head to her, perhaps, to say nothing Of
my heart, but for Il certain inward latent
doubt. did not care that my girl should
ride about, elegantly attired, on prancing
horses, and drop down unexpectedly up
on hermits. Still ii was a pleasant feel
ing to find oneself near her. and certain
~ Il novel one. asked her her history.
and she told it me. She WAS of a GOOD
New England family, reared in attlnence,
we'll educated and accomplished, but by
poverty and to be an exile from home -"
"What was The freak of fortune. Elam ,"
"Ah, what indeed The old story. |
suppose but did not ask her. She had
made her WAY to California, resolved to
get on and oct 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, lursel them when sick,
and carried their letters express to San
Francisco to be posted. For all these
services she received large payments
money is not much valued, You know,
over there she had also had a good
deal of rough gold given to her as speci-
mems. Did she like that kind OF life,
asked her. so contrary to her carly habits,
and she answered me quickly: 1T is not
what we ch00se that we do in this world,
but what Fate chooses for us. ! have
made Il competency, and gained a rich
and varied experience. Life may not be
what | once pictured it would be, but
am content" She sighed as she said it,
and didn't believe i'll the content"
"But what had brought her to YOU that
day"
She had not told me herself, then
Presently | asked her; asked her why
she came to see me. | never shall forget
the smile with which she turned to an
swer. 1t pretty nigh disarmed me- We
were sitting somewhat close. too: her
flowing silk gown touched my knees. Al
together began to think of those use
less pegs. 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 a real
servicc1 she said. And she went on to
relate that, having to pass the previous
night at place not many miles away, in
} house where partitions We're thin, she
had chanced to oVerhear a plan for my
murder and robbery, the villain in chief
of the plot being the starved and naked
wretch whom | had sheltered and sent