The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-10-20
ASTRUGeLEWIIHFATE.

The story is told. in San Jose, that one.
NFening in August, some three years
ago q stranger made his appearance in
that City, and shortly thereafter created
Il breeze in society circles. He had
Wandered aim lessly about the streets for
1Wo or three days, speaking to NO one,
Nfring for nothing. He was a young
ln6n, and might have been considered
Unusually handsome if his clothes had
been good; but they were old, and faded,
and threadbare. These could be no
mistaking tie fact that he was an ad-
tenturer, who had succeeded in finding
only disappointment and poverty. He
was tall and straight, and had distin-
auished look.
On the evening OF about the third day
he was.accosted on San Fernando street
by a man exceedingly drunk. This man
was called "Tarantula Joe" but some
of the boys persisted in addressing him
rs 'sTarantula Juice mot very in
appropriate appellation, but one which
was Indignantly resented by Joe, who
was fighter from Tuolumne, and who
boasted, among his numerous other
exploits, that ia early days he had fire.
quently rolled barrel of whisky fifty
miles day, and taken a drink every
time the bung turned up.
Hello, stranger he said to the seedy
: young man. Joe was verybody's
friend, but had a strange way OF show.
ing his friendship when he was drunk
What yer prowlin' round here in that
hang-dog style for, a.skeerin' peoplep'
g It's none of your business" replied
the meek-looking stranger.
Joe was not the man to brook such an
insult. The stranger attempted to pass
m hf1f loo q onnod him
"See here, young feller, do yer know
that yer a-tacklin' The wust man in this
townp An I'm on the fight bigger'n a
wolf Yer miserable fraud, Ill--"
But he never did. He thought a brick
had struck him, but it wa5 only the
strangers fist that had laid him out on
the sidewalk. If there was one thing
that Joe respected above all others, it
was the man who knocked him down.
As he scrambled laboriously to his feet,
breath considerably shortened, he
K nd himself face to face with the
stranger. who had done the square thing,
in Joa opinion, by not following up his
advantage while Joe was down, but
who nevertheless assumed a posture so
aggressive that Joe became aware oil
gloomy possibilities. So he began 70
temporize.
Cant yer take joker" he said, hold
ing out his hand. which the stranger
grasped. Joe eyed him in absorbed ad'
miration.
'SWho'd "a thought" he said. "thet
a slim spider like you-beggin' yer
..rRCdon fer calm yer spider, which
VI amt a spider-could "a let out SC
stronggn, And with his left hand be
felt the strangers right arm, gaugine
the muscle. "Quicker'n a grizzly, too,
he added.
So they Immediately became fast
friends. Then they became very com
municative The stranger told how h'
had such a run OF bad luck that th'
world seemed dreary, and there wa
nothing to live for. Joe spoke words o
encouraging consolation; and as las
and purely conventional expedien
urged the stranger TO marry some ricl
girl and settle down. Joe explained
how easily it could be done. Hi
friend had brains, good manners. nerv
and good looks-all the necessar
requisites for doing 'the correct thing.
The stranger was modest on that score
but jos chung to the proposition, sayin
that a man with such style eoul
marry any girl in Christendom. a.
that was necessary was unlimited chee