The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-03-24
THE CONDUCTORS STORY.
Toronto GRIP,

1HE CONDUCIOh'S SIOR1.
I think it is Emerson who says,
"When you pay for your ticket and get
into the car, you have no guess what
good company you shall find there.
You buy much that Is not rendered in
the bill" l have found this remark
paxticularly when my lifelong friend
Ruth bears me company.
Ruth is the most unconventional of
women. She travels, as she does every
thing else, with wholesouled earnestness,
and finds bread where most people
would gather only stones. Thus, re-
Gently being in the rear car of the long
train, she preferred standing on the
platform and drinking in at one draught
that magnificent valley through which
we seemed flying than by tantalizing
sips, as one has to do from behind a
narrow car window.
I followed her. l always do. And,
holding ON to the narrow railing, we felt
somewhat like two lost comets whirling
through space. Soon the door behind
US banged, and 8 gentleman IN the
midsummer of life, with face as class
ically beautiful as Edwin Booths and
a waist of Falstaf1ian dimensions, Joined
us. He beamed on us literally. From
the dimple in his fair soft chin to the
ring of brown, silky nair which lay upon
his broad, smooth forehead, the ex-
preston scintillated with intelligent
good nature. Withal, there was such a
retrospective background to the sunny
brightness that, after a few common
places, Ruth, the darling, honest, i'm
pudent creature, said, looking up mean
while into his face with a smile so
honest and kindly that he would have
been Bersekea not to have reflected it
"Sir, permit me to remark that you
are physical incongruity."
"Not So bad as that, madam. I hone
time you have discovered, aneP-Tf fjres.sSss-
well balanced one, independent of
avoirdupois."
"But your thoughtful face, sir, that
is what perolexes me. 1t should belong
to body but one-tlnrd the weight OF
yours" suggested Ruth, the wise disci-
pie of Lagater.
"My face is all right" he replied,
streking his checks and chin with an
air of marvellous self-complacency. "It
stopped growing ten years ago, but it
is here" touching the region of his dia-
phragm with the tip of his front fore
finger, "that contentment and my rare
good luck shows itself. Once 1 was as
thin as Peter Schemmel's shadow,
and he paused, looking into Ruth's
clear, gray eyes as if le would sound
her souls depths-"I am strongly
tempted to tell you my bit of a romance,
for there is a long stretch ahead, and
you look like one of the kind TO enjoy
touch of nature. Isn't it so ?"
The conductor had struck the very
keynote Of our needs. We were pining
for a veritable California story, told in
an unconventional way; to be told, too,
under such peculiar circumstances
would be an added spice, and thus be-
sought him to Immediately yield to
temptation.
az am an old stager," he said, a.
least as far back as the spring of 1850
With a blanket strapped upon my bsck,
80 cents in my pants pocket, and tne
biggest stock of hope and unused en-
ergy that ever made a lads heart a.
light as balloon, / tramped along mere
in nv search for the gold dlgglngS |
NV ambition was higher than those
buttes wonder by thousands of feet, ana
the top was to be capped by solid goiu,
pointing as he spoke to three slng9i&
and isolated peaks we were Just tilea
passing, known as the MarysVllle Duties
whose volcanic heights looked as lnac.
cessible to us as their peaks seensa
brown and barren.
cit appears TO me, said Ruth, mes
uring the most precipitous sides OF tiiOe
lofty and mysterious hills, " that Wnsn
man aspires to touch the key he Wosd
want higher guerdon than mere goa;
not, however, that hold the met% n
contempt.
al had, madam, and that was the
whole matter. / was desperateT IN
love-that was solemn fact expEsed
in as few words as possible, and be-
lieve that she loved me, but the tp OF
Mount Shasta was not more unaain-
able to me than Jennie. Her fathf, an
old Philadelphia druggist. had nnney,
and I as ambitious for his daugher as
he was proud. l felt that could move
noun taiH,' if I could find a mountain
to move so Jennie and / said g0d-by
one afternoon under an old oak in Fair
mount Park, and in the very depths of
my heart believed that she would be
true tc me-. 1t was not severe seven-
days ride in a palace-car from New
York to San Francisco In those DAYS,
and the tall, slender, hungry, penniless
lad, who tramped along here twenty
nine years ago, seeking his fortune like
another Dick Wilmington, was a weary
and homesick one as we'll. F"
"By here which you have twice
used, do you mean this veritabIe Falley
of the Sacramento ?" said Ruth.
"The very same My objective point
was place now famous in the annals of
that period called 'Bidwell's Bar on
account of rich bar in the Featherriyer
| full OF golden sand, which was discovered
by Gen. Bidwell The place was many
miles from me; the country was thinly
settled. did not know a soul for even
tramps were scarce in those early days),
and 80 my courage and legs gave out to-
gether. Pulling off my boots about 5
o'clock one sultry day, I barred nv blis-
tered feet to the cool evening breeze,
and, creeping into a clump Of Young
manzanitas, fell asleep, hoping that I
would never awake again this side of the
stars. Idid, however, conscious that
my toes were being licked in q gentle
fashion, and discovered that it was be-
| ino done bv a brown eAkkar do- .t,,rt