Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-04
THE FOUR GUARDIANS OF LAGRANGE.
From the ". Y. Sun.]
BY BRET HARTE.
PART 1.-THE TRUST.

been Sitting In the private room of Riker'S
silent communion of libatiOn was wanting :
their liquor STOOD untasted before them-a fact
that aroused the serious concern of the bar
Keeper and the free comment of the outside
bar. "Mebbee its some new skin game i'm
ported from Frisco and they want to keep
their heads level, Was suggested by a cautious
gOSSiper.
The barkeeper shook his head. Nary deck
o. keerds thar-Onless they plays em under
the table, and tibet amt their style
I've didn't nOtiSs no Jumps o. sugar, SOrter
lynn round, keerless like, before each man.
inSinuated another, and them chaps lyin' low
and quiet, waitin' for some id fly to light
and rake down the pile. I've heerd" the
speaker continued, cautiously, that heaps o
good money hez been lost i'll tibet ON christian
like way.
flies, eZ knew just when to light, hez been
rung In on greenhOrnS. Thar was man
down at Frehch Camp eZ, they say picked up
about 1900 outer tibet camp with innocent
IOOkln h0SS ny, and ct wuZent Ontil one o. the
boys accldently sOt his glass down on tibet
harmless inseck that the boys smelt mice"
faint no game, tell ye," reiterated the
6arkeeper stoutly, ."thar's suthin, more n
flies and sugar on their minds. NV belief is
they're reck min 10 revive the old vigil tnts of
81 Ihars lot o. dead beats in this yes
camp he continued darkiy, with an aggreS-
sive recollection of certain unsettled scores.
''ez mebbee will find out soon enough wot'S
up"
Unfortunately, none of these surmises. how
ever ingenious or reasonable, We're correct.
The simple fact was that a lately deceased
miner had on his deathbed called to his side
grange, and sOlemnly cOnfided to them the
care OF his only child in the States" with the
little property he possessed in trust for her
maintenance. This trust was further burdened
with the fact that the dying man had withheld
from the child the news of the death of her
mother, year previous, and it now d1yolyei
upon the guardians to inform The orphan of
her double bereavement. This was the first
meeting OF the guardians since they had last
looked upon the face of their dead comrade
Hence Their grave silence and perpieXity.
AT last the spell was broken. One of the
party, a tall thin, riekety man, who had been
softly pacing the room with certain depfe-
catory manner and a smile of imbecile ac-
quieseenee in everything and anything that
ShOne out a. the slightest expression even of
VexatiOn or anxiety on the part of his CON
pan1Ons, gradually neared the door, and laid
lock The act was Instantly detected by one
OF the party, who coOlly locked the dor and
put put the key on the table: "Ye can't slip outer
with the rest of US, and see what's to be done"
Capt: Rats weakly succumbed and began to
apologize warnt g2in' back on We, Hor-
ON, he began Il only reckoned eZ We all
eemed to be CITING along famous, a thinking
d Jest slip out and tend to some bu ,iue,S,
nd allow We to make up yer mind without
me-cOuntin' me oIt, ami yourselves as nv
roxies. For wots agreeable to You Is agree
bic to me. I'm no sharp at this game
You're guardian" responded Horton de
I'm course: That's SO. BIT allow it amt
no valid appointment. Tne very fact thet tine
Of man appointed ID foot like me, shows
lie warn't in his right mind"
What's so, boys" calculated the eldest of
the four, with a sudden CLEAN of hopefulnesS,
The Old man was sorter Highly just afOre he
lassO he flung over us by allOwin' insanity you
know
I've can't sloueh out of this kind of a trust
though, Colonel, said Joe Fleet, the youngest
ness - 1t Amt white TO do it!'
The gloam faded from the Coloners face
he said dejeetedly; kick me, boys"
Couldn't We SOrter club together and ap-
pint kind OF sub guardian to take care o. the
whole thing on nigh salary. I'll come down
IL We could get chap to do your feelin'
Tor you al the same figure don't know but it
suit" said Fleet with decided sarcasm. /" AS
for me aint rich enough to buy up any CHI ip's
conscience"
"Ye may as we'll quit this fooln," broke in
the Colonel, with grOan. The games
Mebbee, suthin' may turn up. Afore long
some one of us may get shot or buried in a
tunnel, and so get excused on the Squlr Bat
just now We must wade in
"Oh yes, wade y" said Horton derisiyely
DO you know the first thing we've got to do?
Why. write to that gal, and tell her tibet her
er's been dead year, and tibet now he's dead
too, and tibet the ID old fools property
won't bring 500 and that were goin' to give
her 5000 for charity. and adopt her. and il
she's loving sort of a gal, and a higd-spirited
gal, she II like it, and like us all the better. On
yes" he continued with Sardonic shrillneSs
Wade in! Yes! Wade in-irOp right out o.
the ford into deep water over yer head the
The men looked aghast at each other. and
there was another Ominous silence. Couldn't
We let 1t on easy" suggested the colonel de
spalringly, "sorter begin to-day with the
better and more able to bear it kinder light
gently down on her with the decease of her
father, and so on Ontil, in the course of a wear
or 50. shell take the charity business quite
But Joe Fleet dismissed the i'd "a fisrcely.
Fl she's got any pluck she Ill take ii in lump.
Aou go to work driftin' into her feelins like
down. and You'll hev her crazy here on Your
The latter idea was 50 awful as to compel
another gloomy silence for its S.e:n c)ntem-
PlatiOn. Couldn't We drop it on her all i'm
lump-money, deceased parents, ct cettery,"
suggested Capt. Rats, with vague and I'm
6eciie good humor, kinder brisk and busi-
1T ITS GAL said the Colonel, shaking his
Interrupted Fleet Ell there's man s sEcin
do IL it's him. Didn't he edit thu II cord m
at MHarphys' Wade in and give usa sp,ei-
The suggestion met with unanimous favor.
Capt. Rats, not entirely displeased with this
confidence in his rhetorical Skill, slid angular.
BY into a chair with an almost audible creak-
ing of his joints, dipped pen in the ink, a1d
then put 1t in his mouth. Then softly with
drawing it and waving il before him, as il
tracing an imaginary epistle in space. he be-
gan:
In the midst of life We are in death, and
not KNOWN what a day may bring forth we
beg to inform you-NO,' reflected the CAPTAIN
slowly, feeling some unfayOrable criticism in
the air; No, that won't do. Let's see, All!
The death of your mother, followed by the
Illness OF your father, resulting in his decsase
and the entire loss"
Amt them bricks follerin' each other rath-
er close?" suggested the Colonel ( iltly. TIE
captain stopped, rubbed his long cain thought
fully, and looked at the others. IL was evident
That this was the prevailing impression.
Well, yes was rather thin&in' so myself -
ne assented, vaguely.
~ And its beln' gal, don't you want to h cave
IN mere and thar little sentiment said H)r
saw wSa nu sorter touch her up gently, They
my Ia a., ana get over it quicker
aIWas ~, returned Capt Rats chaerfpl,v
JwasS nr.a rA SIN that very thing. ONLY iist now
~ SoSo sampln' 1t; showin' We vhaf co,yJ
US u9nc; A good way" he addsS Viz" n oooeo
pieLeiy LOST In the fascinaiions al co oM Som
canp0si!l0n-"a very good, takin SORT Of w az