The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-11

sal, .s yo we're large, black and melting; her
hair was superb. her manner easy. Sne was
hungry, she said; would ! give her some s5aot
arations to give her OF my best, she rean
aloud one of the Greek translatiOns, an ode
to Diana, commenting upon 1t herself. I .ia
she was woman OF culture and educatlon,
whatever might have brought her into me NET
present strange position, was obvious. We'll,
now" continued Joseph, you can guess
whether young man, Isolated On the e. noun.
tains, ruined by grasshoppers ana llltsu ~
the girl OF the Wallamet valley, was Devil,
dered or not. Entertaining goddesses was
not In my line" n,
wait bit. What with reading and eat
ing, our acquaintance improves asa ias s Ka ate
Kearney' might have lost my head " nsI,
perhaps to say nothing Of my heart, but LOT
a certain inward, latent doubt. L dld not care
that my girl should side about, elegantly ao-
expectedly on hermits. Still It was Q pleas
ant feeling to find ones sell near her, ana
certainly novel one. asked her history,
and she told 1t me. She was OF good New
Gated and accomplished, but by q freak OF
fortune she had become reduced TO poverty
and eXiled from home.
"What was It, Joseph"
"Ah what indeed? The old story, sup
pose; but did not ask her. She had made
her way to California, resolved to get on and
get money; and she had got it, She went
about from camp to camp with stationery ana
various articles needed by the miners ana
others, sold them these things wrote letters
for them, nursed them when sick, and carried
their letters express to San Francisco to be
posted. For all these services she received
large payments, and she also had good deal
OF rough gold given to her as specimens. Did
She ike that Kind Of life? / asked her. 80
contrary to her early habits, and she answered
me quickly. It Is not what we choose that
we do III this world, but what fate chooses for
us. / have made competency and gained
rich and varied experience. Life Is not what
once pictured 1t would be, but am content
She sighed as she said It; and didn't believe
Id the content.
.'She had not told me herself then. but
presently | asked her. shall never forget the
smile with which she turned to answer.
1t pretty nigh disarmed me. We were sitting
touched my knees. Altogether ! began to
think of those useless pegs in the house down
| ia Rogue river valley. But what she said
pulled up my wandering thoughts and turned
prised to hear that l came to 90 you real
service?' she asked. And she went on to re-
late that; having had to pass the previous
night at place not many miles away, In
house where the partitions were thin, she had i
CHANGED to overhear o plan for numbering and
robbing me, the viliain-in-chief Of the plot
being the starved and naked wretch whom L
had sheltered and sent away rejoicing not
many days previously yya,d AL in "a mo no
doubtful problem Of gratitude, q fancy came
over me that she might not be telling the
truth; that 1t might be just an excuse got up
4 to Justify her own visit; and | playfully
limited as much. "a woman does not trifie
with subjects like these, nor does she deceive
when she goes out Of her way to do a SERVICE
she answered. I rode off from that house
the other way this morning, made q long
detour, and came here to warn YOU And now y
my horse, will ride away again All fair:
that I, full 81 thanks and repentance, asked
her to stay longer If she was not perfectly
rested; but she declined, and / brought the
steed round and helped her to mount him
Once In the saddle her humor changed; she
, smiled and reminded me that had not been
polite enough to invite her to return. A week
Of reading, talking, riding, trout Fishing and
, romancing up In those splendid mountains
/ would be very charming; perhaps she would
come Ii I asked her"
"And did you ask her p
4 II did not. A young man with reputation
,, to sustain up there In the mountains couldn1
o invite a young lady to stay week with him
, could he now p cried Joseph quantity; which
: set US both laughing.
80 I parried the question as easily as
Z could. and she rode away; In going slowly
, hand to me with gracious sweetness. as
sure you the struggle within my own mine
/, was great at that moment; and don't know
! whether have forgiven myself even yet fol
, what happened afterward."
"What did happen p
; sShe came back again. She came back AGAR
| and dYOUs her G,rGy. That is, made the bes
, excuses could for not readmitting her, say
ing we should perhaps have. lighting ant
and 1t would be no place for delicately-bree
woman The pretty and modestgirl who was
i to come from the Wallamet valley and hang
| up her pink garments on my pegs had rushed
3 confess to this part 81 the story because
I get laughed at. But don't you think ~ die
) right, having my reputation to keep up?"
/ He went on thong htfully:. 'She finally
/ rode way, not having been invited to get OF
r her horse; leaving me IL anything but :
pleasant frame Of mind. From telling mysel
I was bear, | turned to the other subject
t The contemplated murder and robbery 2
h myself. Had she simply invented that littl
J. fable or was it true bill? | felt inclined t.
!. believe it to be the latter. Anyway, l deemed
8 1t well to be prepared for all contingencies
! barring and boiling my fort against intruder
and sitting up late over the fire. This wa
Sunday night. On Tuesday morning thre
g traitor, my former naked and hungry protege
1 He no longer attempted to conceal his tru
n character from me. but said he and his com
"a rades were determined to clean out tn
JHflGSe ChIfp, dIfl dShtu luS W jun thOL
q in the raid, I was on my guard in answering
3 him. simply saying that would have moth
y ing to do with robbing the Chinese, that the
70 were my friends and customers, and though
they had best be let alone. With that he wen
)" off"
dusk came on. sent Edwards, my mar
= tired, to bed, made great fire In the tent an
a sat by it, facing the window. Ny expecte
g. visitor came, the villain! He made believe
d have been drinking, and put forward that
II plea far asking shelter Until the mOcD1Hl
le The instant he was inside, / made the gat
it fast, driving the big wooden peg home wit
!" an axe. | caught glimpse from his eyes q
| was doing this which,
70 "But why not have made the gate fast b.
g. fore he entered?"
le Because he was safer inside than out.
conviction had come over me that this ma
Is was some most desperate character IL
q comrades were no doubt waiting near, and h
i plan had been quietly to open the gate
O. them
Ia Had you no arms but your riile?'
m II wanted none; for we understood eat