The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-05-18
From the New York SUM-
The Four Guardians of La
Grange.
PART 1.-THE TRUsT.
BY BRIT HARTE,

grange. For nearly half an hour they had
been sitting in the private room of Rickers
grocery without exchanging a word. Even
the silent communion of libation was want
ing; their liquor stood untasted before them
"a TACT that aroused the serious concern of
the barkeeper and the free comment of the
outside bar. "Mebbee Its some new skim
game imported from Frisco aad they want
to keep their heads level" was suggested by
cautious gossiper.
The barkeeper shook his head. "Nary
deck o. keerds thar-onless they plays 'em
under the table, and tibet amt their style.''
"Ye don't notss no Jumps O. sugar, sorter
lynn round, keerless like, before each man."
insinuated another, Sand them chaps lynn
low and quiet, waitin' for some id fly to
light and rake down the pile. Pve heerd,"
the speaker continued cautiously, ''thet
heaps O. good money hez been lost in tibet on
christian like way"
eyes," interpolated third, "and trained
flies, ez knew jest when to light, hez been
rung in on greenhorns. Their was man
down at French Camp ez, they say, picked
up about 81, 600 outer tibet camp with a limo
cent lookin' boss fly, and ct vincent ontil one
o the boys accidently sot his glass down on
that harmless inseck tibet the boys smet
mice"
"Tan't no game, tell ye," reiterated the
barkeeper stoutly, thar's suthin' more'n flies
and sugar on their minds. Ny belief is they
are recknin' to revive the old vigilantes of
'52. Thar's a lot o. dead beats in this yer
camp" he continued darby, with an ag-
gressive recollection of certain unsettled
scores. 'ez mebbee will find out soon enough
volts up" G2 4
Unfortunately none of these surmises, how
ever ingenious or reasonable, were correct
The simple fact was that a lately deceased
miner had on his death bed called to his side
the above mentioned four citizens OF La
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
buIdened 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 devolved 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 perplexity.
At last the spell was broken. One of the
party, tall, thin, rickety man, who had been
softly pacing the room with certain depre-
catory manner and smile OF imbecile acqui-
escence in everything and anything that
shone out at the slightest expression, even of
vexation or anxiety on the part of his COM
panions, gradually neared the door and laid
laISc3 uOuys SOVu-uuHOTcu uduu on the lock.
The act was instantly detected by one OF the
party, who coolly locked the door and put the
key on the table. ''Ye can't slip outer this,
Rats" he said; "ye must sit down here with
the rest of us, and see what's to be DONE"
Captain Rats weakly succumbed and began
to apologize. 81 warn't goin' back on We,
Horton" he began. 81 only reckoned ez We
all seemed to be getting along famous a'think-
ing, I'd jest slip out and tend to some bust
nd oil M 10 10 .s,~l
without me-countin' me out, and yourselves
as my proxies. Fer volts agreeable to you is
agreeable to me. I'm no sharp at this
game"
you're guardian" responded Horton,
decsively.
SIN course. Thetsso But allow it amt
no valid appointment. The very fact tibet the
OF man appinted add fool like me shows he
warn't in his right mind"
"Thet's so, boys" calculated the eldest of
the four with a sudden CLEAN of hopefulness.
''The old man was sorter dighty just afore
he went of, and we can slip our heads outer
this lasso he flung over us by allowin' insaL-
ity, you know"
1--WE can't SLOUGH out of this kind of trust
though, Colonel" said Joe Fleet, the young
est OF the party, yet with leaders, peremp-
toriness. SIT amt white to do t!''
The CLEAN faded from the Colonel's face.
AhCb oos IL WOuu U6 but SQudF lulQg,
he said dejectedly; "kick me, boys"
Couldn't we sorter club together and ap-
pint kind of sub-guardian to take care O
the whole thing on high salary. I'll come
down heavy" suggested Horton.
"f ye could get chap to do your feelin'
for you at the same figure, don't know but
it might suit" said Fleet, with decided sar-
casm. Gas for me, amt rich enough to
buy up any chaps conscience"
tYa NAV we'll INIT fhie fooIip brolzo in,
the Colonel with a groan. 1.-THE games
made, and we're goin to wade in like men.
Mebbee suthin' may turn up. Atore long
some one of us may get shot or buried in a
tunnel. and so get excused on the squar.
But just now we must wade in."
"Oh yes, wade IMP" said Horton deri-
sively. "Do you know the first thing we've
got to do? Why, write to that gal and tell
her thet her father was id old liar, and
tibet her mothers been dead year, and tibet
now he's dead too, and tibet the id old
FOOLS property won't bring $500, and that
we're goin' to give her 1000 for charity, and
adopt her, and if she's a loving sort of gal,
and high-spirited gal, she'll like it, and like
us all the better. Oh yesp he continued
with sardonic shrillness, tits easy enough to
do all that, of course. Wade In Yes! Wade
in-drop right out O. the ford into deep water
over yer head the first thing"
The men looked aghast at each other,
and there was another omnous silence.
Couldn't ye let it on easy" suggested the
Colonel, despairingly, "sorter begin to-day
with the mother, and next month, when
she's feelin' 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 year or so, she'll take the charity
quite peacefulP"
But Joe Fleet dismissed the idea fiercely,
"Ef she's got any pluck she'll take it in a
lump. You 60 to work driftin' into her feel
iDgs like that instead O. sinking your shaft
straight down and you'll heV her crazy here
on your hands in weekp
The latter idea was SO awful as to compel
another gloomy silence for its stern contempt
LATHAM. Couldn't ye drop it on her all in
lump-money, deceased parents, ct cettery,"
like.'
II ITS gal,," said the Colonel, shaking his
head, ''over A."
"Hold on and give Cap'n Rats a show"
interrupted Fleet. SET there's man az
can do 1t, IT'S him. Didn't he edit the Rec
ora up at Murphy's? Wade in and give us a
specimen"
The suggestion met with unanimous favor.
Capt Rats, not entirely displeased with this
confidence in his rhetorical skill. slid angu-
larly into chair with almost audible creak-
ing of his Joints. dipped pen in the ink,
and then put it in his mouth. Then softly
Withdrawing it and waving it before him, as
If tracing an imaginary epistle in space, he
began:
I'm the midst of life we are In death, and
not KNOWN what day may bring forth, we
beg to inform you-No," reflected the Cap
tain slowly, feeling some unfavorable criti-
cism In the air; mo, that won't do. Let's
see! All! The death of your mother, fol-
lowed by the illness of your father, resulting
in his decease, and the entire loss
"Ain't them bricks follerin' each other
rather too closeP" suggested the Colonel,
family. The Captain stopped, rubbed his
long chin thoughtfully, and looked at the 9TH
ers. 1t was evident that this was the prevail
ing impression.
swell, yes: was rather thinkin so myself"
"ADd its being a gal, don't you want to
heave in here and thar a little sentiment"
said Horton, sand sorter touch her up gen.
tly? They say when you make 'em cry easy,
they kinder like it, and get over it quicken
Jess So" returned Captain Rats, cheerful
iy. u was thinkin' that very thing, only jist