The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-03-10
THE CONDUCTORS STORY.
Toronto Grip.

"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
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 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
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 gentleman In the
midsummer OF life, with n face as class
ically beautiful as Edwin Booths and
a waist of Falstatlian dimensions, joined
us. He beamed on us literally. From
the dimple In his fair soft chin to the
ring of brown, silky hair which lay upon
his broad, smooth forehead, the ex-
preston scintillated with intelligent
good nature. Withal, there was such
Retrospective background to the sunny
brightness that, after few common
places, Ruth, the darling, honest, i'm
pudent creature, said, looking up mean
while into his face with smile so
nj Id <l,,k
been B4rsekea not to have reflected 1T
" Sir. permit me to remark that you
are physical incongruity.
"Not so bad as that, madam, hope.
/ am merely conductor, as by this
time you have discovered, and a pretty
well balanced one, independent of
avoirdupois."
"But your thoughtful face, sir, that
Is what perplexes me. 1t should belong
to body but one-third the weight of
yours, suggested Ruth, the wise disci-
pie of Lavater.
my face is ali right he replied,
stroking his checks and chin with an
air of marvellous self-complacency at
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 / WIS as
thin as Peter Schemmel's shadow.
and he paused, looking into Ruths
clear, gray eyes as If he would sound
her souls depths-"I am strongly
tempted to tell you my bit of a romance,
for there Is q long stretch ahead, and
you look like one of the kind to enjoy
touch of nature. Isn't it SO 2"
The conductor had struck the very
keynote of our needs. We were pining
for yeritable 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.
I" am an old stager," he said, sat
least as tar back as the spring of 1850.
With blanket strapped upon my back,
80 cents in my pants pocket, and the
biggest stock of hope and unused en-
ergy that ever made q lads heart as
light as balloon, tramped along here
In my search for the gold dIggings.'
Ny ambition was higher than those
buttes yonder by thousands of feet, and
the top was to be capped by solid gold"
pointing as he spoke to three singular
and isolated peaks we we're just then
passing, known as the Marysville buttes,
whose volcanic heights looked as mac
cessible to us as their peaks seemed
brown and barren.
"It appears to me-" said Ruth, meas
uring the most precipitous sides of those
lofty and mysterious hills, that when
81 man aspires to touch the key he would
want higher guerdon than mere gold;
not, however, that hold the metal in
contempt"
I" 1 had, madam, and that was the
whole matter. 1 was desperately in
love-that was solemn fact expressed
In as few words as possible, and L be.
ieve that she loved me, but the top OF
Mount Shasta was not more unattain-
able to me than Jennie. Her father, an
old Philadelphia druggist. had money,
and I as ambitious for his daughter as
he was proud. ] felt that 1 could move
q mountain, il L could find a mountain
to move SO Jennie and 1 said good-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 to me. 1t was not severe seven
DAYS Tiue III phidCe-Cur llOm 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 weary
and homesick one as we'll"
by here, which you have twice
used, do you mean this veritable valley
of the Sacramento ?" said Ruth.
1.-THE very same. Ny objective point
was place now famous in the annals of
that period called 'Bidwell's Bar on
account of rich bar in the Feather river
full of golden sand which was discovered
by Gen. Bidwell. The place was many
miles from me the country was th'nly
settled. I did not know a soul Qor even
tramps were scarce in those early dsvSD,
and so my courage and legs gave cut to-