The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-03-19

then Ina went away. Tho next SUNDAY !
IONS sifiinp outside my fort, as customary
al, that leisure day. reading some transla-
lions from the Greek poets --for y aaIe saS
yo,, remember was never much OF q nana
~ tbe original-when, CHANGING TO :iook OH
INV book, I beheld a vision" ~
"a what2'
She was riding up tue approach 20 NY lors
on o flne horsc-ridIng grneeIuiiy uuu ssoa
", asif to give me time to get over my SUIT
prise; and Believe needed II. Ihe PIC,
trlre Sue made is In my mind now: sec
.he very flicker OF the shadow and the sun.
i;nht across tho road, and the glitter OF
some stcel that fastened her horses traE7
nings "a he arched his neck in impotence
OF her restraining hand. Are you Urea,
old friend?"
aNeyer less so in my life. )" -.
.Tbat vision, breaking in suddenly as IL
did upon ny solitude, gave me the quee.ess
sensation. l was Just spell-bound. MOI SO
che refining in her horse at my Sate' sue
snu,red round on her saddle and looked at
me, silently asking my assistance TO u.s.
mount. helped her down-Wht else
could do P--and then, at her request, gent.
" prefcrred, went to put up and leed hef
horse. Had she dropped from the CLOUDS I
did not know"
"Well?" -.
Ell You'll believe me, when turned in
doors my guest had got her habit OIL. EVl'
IDENTIFY she meant to make herself at home.
A tail. Young, beautiful, well-drcsscd Wo-
man Her eyes were large, black, and
melting. Her hair was superb, her manner
easv. She was hungry, she said; would |
give her something to eat? ana "hiie l
Vas making preparations to give her OF my
best, she read aloud one OF the Greek trans
| lations-an odeto Diana commenting upon
it herself. That she was woman OF cui-
ture and education. whatever might nave
brought her into her present strange posi-,
ton. was Obvious. Well, now" continued
Joseph, "you can guess whether a young
man, isolated on the mountains, ruined by
the grasshoppers, and Tilted by the CIR! OF
the Willamette Valley. was bcwildered or
not. Entertaining goddesses was not IN my
| line"
elbow long did she stay?"
| mWait bill. What with reading and eat
ing. our acquaintance improved fast. She
offered to sing a song, and gave NE Kate
Kearnev.' might have lost my head to her,
pcrbaps-to say nothing OF the hcart-but
! for certain inward latent doubt. did not
care that my girl should ride about, Gle
gantIy attircd. on prancing horses, and drop
down unexpectedly on permits. Still It
was a pleasant feeling to find ones sell near
her. and certainly a novel one. ] asked her
her history, and she told it me. She was OF
good New England family. reared IN athu.
ence, swell educated, and accomplished, out
nv a freak Of fortune she had become re-
duced to poverty and exile from home"
! nW What was ii, Joseph :"
"Ah! what, indeedo The old story, !
suuposc; but did not ask her. she had
made her way to California, resolved TO get
on and get money; and she had got 1t. she
went about from camp to camp with statlon-
erv and various articles needed by the
miners and others-sold them these things,
wrote letters for them, sang 10 them, nursed
them when sick, and carried their letters
express to San Francisco to be posted. For
nj, these services she received large pay
ments. and she bad also bad good deal OF
rough gold given her as specimens. Did
She like that kind Of life? asked her, so
contrary TO her early habits, and she az
swered me quickly: 1t is not what we
choose that we do in this world, but what
Fate chooses for us. I have made COM
pctency and gained rich and varied expo
rieuce. Life is not what l once pictured II
to be, but I am content She sighed as
she said it; and didn't believe in the ICON.
tent"
"But what had brought her to you that
day?"
{. She had not told me herself then, hut
presently asked her. l shall never forge,
the smile with which she turned to answer
If nrctty nigh disarmed me. We were sit
ting somewhat close. too; her flowing SIR
roWn touched my knees. Altogether, be
gan to think Of those useless pegs in my
house down in Rogue-Riyer Valley. Bu
what she said pulled up my wandering
thoughts and turned them to present things
win YOU be surprised to hear that came
10 do YOU a real service?' she asked. AnC
she went OH to say that, having had to pas:
the previous night at q place not many
miles away. in a house where the partitions
were thin, she had CHANGED to ovcrhear ;
plan for numbering and robhing me, TIT
yillain-in- chief Of the plot being the starved
and naked vi etch whom had sheltered ant
sent away rejoicing not many days prcvi
ously. All in moment, while was pom
dering on the doubtful problem OF graft
tude, fancy came over me that she might
not be telling the truth; that it might bt
Just an excuse got up 10 justify her oTr
> visit and playful!y limited as much. A
woman docs not tritle with subjects like
these, nor docs she deceive when she goe
out Of her way TO do Il SERVICE she answer
ed. Erode of'from that house the other wa,
this morning, made long detour, and cam'
here to warn you. And now that 1 hay'
done it. if you will please to get my horse
I will ride away again. AL fair, that. |
: full Of thanks and repentance, asked her t.
stay longer il she was not perfectly rested
Int che declined, and | brought the Steet
round and helped her to mount him. One
=. in the saddle her humor changed; sh
smiled and reminded me that had not beer
, polite enough to invite her to return. =
week OF reading. talking, riding, trout-fish
ing, and romancing up in those splendid
, mountains would be very charming; per
haps she ,pou!d come il I asked her."
"And did you ask her?"
81 did not. A young man with reputa
ton to sustain up there in the mountains
, couldn't invite young lady to stay weel
= with him; could he, now?" cried JOSEPH
quantity; which set US both laughing.
$50 | parried the question as easily as
could, and she rode away. In going slowly
down the trail she turned and kissed hcl
hand to me with gracious sweetness.
assure you the struggle within my owl
mind was great at that moment, and dom
know whether have forgiven myself ever
yet for what happened aiterward ?"
:" What did happen?' '
"She came back again. She came back
again. o1sd | dr0ue her a1oGy. That is,
made the best excuses could for not re-
admitting her, saying we should perhap:
have fighting and murder and what not ir
my fort that night and it would be no place
flalin al Z