Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-05-15

6ACdV OCaA VI ILL.,
"And did Edwards succeed?"
Yes; he got on. One day two Chins
men stole some of Sam Chong Sung
horses, and he offered four hundred do
lars to Edwards if he would 20 after tn
thieves and track them. Edwards aske
my advice, and encouraged him to &c
telling him where I fancied he woul,
find the men. So he started in pursui,
and confess l missed him.
Again Joseph paused. We did not in
terrupt him.
A man came to my fort one day VIII
was naked and starving. He was a bad
looking fellow, very: but you will say
man naturally does look bad when hi
clothes are nowhere and his bones pro
trude through his skin. I clothed him
fed him, cared for him kindly until h
was able to travel, and then he wen
away: The next Sunday I was sittin
outside my fort, as was my customar
on that leisure day, reading some trans
lations from the Greek poets dar
say you remember was never much O
a hand at the original-when, chancin
to look offmy book, l beheld vision"
| "A WuaCl
"A vision. A vision of o Lowell,
woman. She was riding up the approach
to my fort on fine horse, riding grace
fully and slowly, as if to give me tim
to get over my surprise; and I believe
needed it. The picture she made is il
my mind now; l see the very flicker O
the shadow and the sunlight across tn,
road, and the glitter of some steel tina
fastened her horses trappings as h,
arched his neck in impatience of her re
straining hand. Are you tired, OLE
| friend?'
"Never less 60 in my life."
That vision, breaking in suddenl,
as it did, upon my solitude, gave me tn,
queerest sensation. l wss just spell
bound. Not SO she. Refining in he]
horse at my gate, che squared round il
her saddle and looked at me, silently
asking my assistance to dismount,
helped her down-what else could do
and then, at her request, gently pre-
terred, went to put up and feed he,
horse. Had sic dropped from the
clouds? | did not know"
Well?'
elf you believe me, when turned in.
doors, ny guest had got her habit off,
Evidently she meant to make herself a,
home. A tall, young, beautiful, well.
dressed woman! Her eyes were large
black and melting; her hair was superb
her manner easy. She was hungry, she
said; wonld give her something to eat
And while was making preparations tc
give her of my best she read aloud one
of the Greek translations, an ode to
Diana, commenting upon it herself. That
she was woman of culture and educa.
ton, whatever might have brought her
into her present strange position, was
obvious. Well, now," continued joseph,
you can guess whether a young man.
isolated on the mountains, ruined bv the
grasshoppers and Tilted by the girl Of the
Wallamet valley, was bewildered or not.
Entertaining goddesses was not in nv
line.''
Chow long did she stayY'
"Wait bit. What with reading and
eating, our acquaintance improved fast.
she offered to sing a song, and gave me
Kate Kearney.' 1 might have lost nv
head to her perhaps, to say nothing of
my heat, but for a certain inward latent
doubt. l did not care that nv girl
should ride about, elegantly attired, on
prancing horse, and drop down unex-
pectedly Oh hermits. Still, it was a
pleasant feeling to find ones self near
her, and certainly novel one. I asked
her history and she told it to me. She
was of good New England family.
reared in affluence, we'll educated and
accomplished, but by freak of fortune
sle had become reduced to poverty and
exiled from home"
"What was it, Josephp'
"Ah! what indeed? The old story. I
suppose; but 1 did not ask her. She
lad made her way to California, re-
olved to get on and get money; and she
lad got it. She went about from camp
Q camp with stationery and various arti-
'les needed by the miners and others,
old them these things, wrote letters for
hem, sang to them, nursed them when
lex, and carried their letters to San
francisco to be posted. For all these
ervices she received large payments,
nd she had ALEC had q good deal Of
ough gold given to her as specimens.
Did she like that kind of life? asked
Ter, so contrary to her early habits. and
ne answered me quickly: 1T is not
What we choose that we do in this world.
ut what fate chooses for us. l have
made competency and gained a rich
nd varied experience. Life is not what
once pictured it would be, but I am
ontent.' She sighed as she said it: and
did not believe in the CONTENT"
But what had brought her to you
hat dsyT'
"She had not told me herself then, but
PRESENTLY 1 asked her. I shall never
Orget the smile with which she turned
Q answer. It pretty nigh disarmed me.
We were sitting pretty close, too; her
owing silk gown touched my knees.
I began to think of those
seless pegs in the house down in Rogue
lver valley. But what she said pulled
p my wandering thoughts and turned
hem to present things. Shall you be
urprised to hear that I came to do YOU
cal service?' she asked. And she went
n to relate that, having had to pass the
revlous night at place not many miles
way, IN a house where the partitions
7ere thin, she had CHANGED to oyerhear
pan Tor numbering and robbing me,
ne vlilan-ln-chief of the plot being the |
tarved and naked wretch whom T had
heltered and sent away rejoicing mol |
many days previous. All in q moment.
1hile l was bordering on the doubtful
roblem Of gratitude, a fancy came over
1e that she might not be telling the |
ruth; that it might be just an excuse |
OF up to justify her own visit; and |
layfully limited ~ much. "A woman
oes not tribe with subjects like these, |
OF does she deceive when she goes out
her way to do q service she answer
d: II rode of from that house the |
ther way thia morning, made a long
etour, aud came here to warn YOU.
mo DOW thst have done II, # you will |