The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-03-26

II was a strange experience, was it notf
To pass away the time, l asked him to
relate the history of his life. He said he
would, but would first of all just shake
hands for the respect he bore me. Touch
ing my rifle Significantly, l pointed to
the stick lying across the hearth-plaoe
between us. That's your boundary line,
my man. said l; don't 90 stretching your
hand over that This sent him into a fit
of sullenness."
"What came of it?"
"We must have remained in this posi-
ton till midnight. Several times heard
slight sounds outside the fort, but
though he, too, listened, he dared not re-
spond to them; he could do nothing.
After while these sounds ceased; his as
sociates, rightly judging that something
or other had gone wrong and spoiIt the
waiting. The fellows head was bent,
his chin resting on his breast, his shaggy
beard spreading over it like mantle.
He suffered martyrdom. By and by we
got to talking, but did not relax in my
vigilance for an instant. Once started
on his own history, the subject seemed to
have fascination for him. He had been
honestly raised, he said by good and low
ing parents in the State of Missouri; had
passionately loved Il young girl in the
town where he lived; and his description
of her was so pretty and vivid that | de-
clare it brought into my mind that other
girl who was waiting for me down in the
Willamette Valley. To get the means to
marry her he resolved to 60 TO California.
He went, was successful, and, full of JOY
full anticipation, returned to find that she
had married another. The man, her hus-
band, had played them false, told the
girl her lover was dead, and married her
himself. When he came out of the brain
fever which this news gave him he was
invited to an evening party in the town.
To this party came his love and her hus
band and when he put out his hand to
welcome her their eyes met, and both
knew now how they had been betrayed.
From that hour the man took to evil
courses, and his first victim was the
false husband He became desperate
outlaw. Once again he saw his love-he
met her in the streets of Sacramento;
she was married again, and she turned
from him with cry of aversion. Yes,
he might be a desperate man now, he
added, but he had had his trials. / sup
pose should have done society benefit
had shot him as he sat there, but I did
not. Perhaps you don't believe that
felt sort of pity for the fellow, but
did. Well, morning came at last. l sent
al r,, to fba crat to RI nd
my visitor out, telling him there was not
room for him and me in that part of the
country, and that he had better quit it
for another"
"And did hep
81 suppose so, for he never attempted
to molest me again. Not long after /
heard of his death. He met his fate east
of the mountains"
"And what Of that pretty Amazon, Jo-
seph? Pm sure she was almost as good
to you as guardian angel, coming on
horseback to give you warming"
"Was she not? And | had returned it
by behaving 50 unhandsomely to her!
But now, just ask you, would it have
been proper to let her come in on that
weeks visit, and | young man with a
reputation"
"At any rate, you did not. But have
you ever seen her sincew
"Once; it was in Frisco She was
married and staying at the same hotel
with me. Her husband was tall, dash
ing man-what with you would be called
a gentleman-and very wealthy. She
had been lucky, you see. knew her as
soon as she came into the dining-room,
and in few minutes saw that she rec
ognized me, but she did not take any no.
tice, and neither did l. She told me
with her eyes that she remembered, but
there was an appealing glance in them
which | interpreted correctly. After
dinner we got into conversation, the
three ofus, just as strangers will do in a
hotel and / found the husband very
intelligent, well informed man. Inpart-
ing l had just word aside with her. 4
am glad to meet you again, and thus |
said. 'Hush,' she answered. 4 thank
you for your reticence. In the past of q
life that has been composed Of ups and
downs there is generally something lying
on the memory that we don't care to re-
call or proclaim to the world"
"And about that young girl in the
Willamette Valley?
81 never found her." replied Joseph,
plaintively. Truth to say, I never
started fairly to look for her. Perhaps