Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-05-26
AN EPISODE OF BiDWELES BAR.

| think it is Emerson who saws
"When you pay for your ticket, and get
into the car, you have to guess what
good company you shall find there.
You buy much that is not rendered in
the bill | have found this remark
eminently true on several occasions,
particularly when my lifelong friend
Ruth bears me company.
Ruth is the most unconventional of
women She travels, as she does every
thing else with whole-souled earnest
ness, aud finds bread where most peo-
pie could gather only stones. Thus,
recently being in the rear car of the
long train, she preferred standing upon
the platform and drinking in at one
draught that magnificent valley through
which we seemed flying, than by tanta-
l2ing sips, as one has to do from be-
hind narrow car window.
| followed her. | always do. And,
holding on to the narrow railing, we
felt somewhat like two lost comets
whiring through space. Soon the door
behind us banged, and gentleman IN
the midsummer of life, with face as
classicallv beautiful rs Edwin Booths
and waist Of Falstatiian dimensions,
Joined us. He beamed on us almost
literally. From the dimple in his fair,
soft chin to the ring of brown, silky
hair which lay upon his broad, smooth
forehead the expression scintllated
with intelligent good nature. Withal,
there was such retrospective back
ground to the sunny brightness, that,
6, Rt,th th a
daring, honest, impudent creature, said
looking up meanwhile into his face with
smile so honest and kindly that
he would have been n Berserker not to
have reflected it.
''Sir, permit me to remark that you
are physical incogrpity''
Not so bad rs that, madam, | hope.
| am merely conductor, as by this
time YOU have discovered, and pretty
well balanced one, Independent of my
avoirdupois,"
But your thoughtful face, cir that
is what perplexes me. 1t should be
long to a body one-third the weight OF
yours, suggested Ruth, the wise discl,
pie of lavatcr
''My face is all right he replied,
stroking his cheeks and chin with an
air of marvellous selfcomplacency
IL stopped growing ten years ago, bu'
it is here, touching the region OF ms
diaphragm with the tip OF hls front
fore finger, chat contentment and my
rare good luck shows itself. Once
was rs thin as Peter Schemmel's shadow
aud"-he paused, looking INTO Ruth'S
clear gray eyes as if he would sHuno
her souls depths q am strongly
tempted to tell you my bit of romance
for there is long stretch ahead, anc
YOU look like one of the kind to enjoy
a touch of nature Isn't it SOP
The conductor had struck the very
KEYNOTE of our needs. We were pinius
for yeritable Californian story, told II
IN unconventional way, outside tn,
well read romances of Bret Harte an'
the Argona,a; to be told, too, undo
such peculiar circumstances, would
he an added spice, and thus we besough
him to Immediately yield to tempta
ton.
81 am an old stager," he said, "a
least rs far back rs the spring OF NJ
With a blanket strapped upon my bac k
fifty cents in my pants-pocket, ana IN
biggest stock of hope and untrled ener
gy that ever made n lads heart rs high
rs a balloon, | tramped along here i
my search for the gold diggngs. NJ
ambition was higher than those bltte
Wonder Ivy thousands Of feet, and IN
top was to be capped with solid gold,
pointing rs he spoke to the three sin
gular and isolated peaks we were jus
,hcn passing, known rs the Marysvlll
Buttes, whose volcanic heights locke
rs inaccessible to us rs their peak
seemed brown and barren.
1t appears to me, said Ruth, mea:
curing the almost preclpltous sides {
those lofty and mysterious hills, tina
when a man aspires 70 touch the sky 4
would want higher guerdon than mer