Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-02-18
AN EPISODE AT DRY-UP.

uhti, sdHS SuI III u Iustt tCHe:
''Now. Where's that young IN for Fin nigans:
Look alive, and out with you, my lad, for I'm
going to do this down grade cailyhootin!"
The youth whose has ty descent from the stage
top lie had assisted rather unceremoniouslv in
his hurry to be OF down the hill and out of the
camp on to the main road to Mokulomne again.
was iad OF sixteen. or thereabOuts though re-
markaDy well grown and developed for his are.
He was foo dusty TO be Judged by his appear
ance at first sight; his clothes we're plain work
INC ones. and his manner was as confused and
wandering as if he bad dropped from, the clouds
The building before which he had aIiohtPd
was the most pretentious in the town. 1t had
porch over the doorway. and within was a
large cottOn-lined room that served the inhabi-
tants of Dry-up as liquor saloon. grocery post
Office, coach and express station, and an assem-
bly, hail. i'm which was transacted all public bus
mess of whatsoever nature.
Before its door stood its owner. Tip Finnigan,
small red-faced man with cunning eye and a
consequential smile, and behind MIN was his
wife. drawn from her kitchen by the clatter of
the coach. and evidently disappointed at its
spare deposit.
Tip. dear" she said as she dried her arms
on her apron, why but ye AK yon lad who he's
after wanting? He looks as if he was dead bate
wild the jolting he's had. and sorra wonder.
Arkansas Hank never misses stone In the
road. Sure. l thought I'd be churned to death
the day ne druv me up here
She had approached the door as she spoke.
and her kind: motherly voice was meant to reach
the strangers ear 1t went further it touched
his young heart. and he drew near and his air.
though full of timidity, had nothing of cowardice
as he said:
II came all the way from New York Istopped
here hoping to find work. DO you think there
is anything can get to do"
He turned to Tip. and the tone of the inquiry
was so very earnest as to be almost tremu-
lous.
Mr.. Finnigan made somewhat lofty and COM
prehensive gesture toward the yellow river and
its broken and serrated banks
There it is, before ye" said he cup wild yer
pick and down wild yer long tom. Thin that
digs goold wins it in Californy, and there's plinty
to work for. but not the size ov a nudge to be
had for aying.'
''sure the young man was only axing the way
he must begin, Tip, dear" urged Mrs Finnigan
- If he could jist wash the dust out Ov his ewes
bit and safe himself till he finds aise after the
joltin' he whit thro' in Hanks stage, it would be
blissin, so it would"
Then show him the WELL and lend him the
jack towel" observed her husband with dig
nifty
Kindly Mrs. Finnigan. who owed a good deal
OF her influence over her husband to the show
she made OF deferring to him. fastened to obey
his command. and. as she generally did TO i'm
prove on it. When the newcomer appeared
again in his presence so great was the improve
ment wrought by washing. brushing and
hair trimming that impressive as he tried to be,
MT Finnlgan was moved to compliment the
change.
Now, We look like Christian. Young man."
said he smiling, land a purity nate one, too, if
good looks was any count out here which
they're not. Sure Hanks the boy to raise the
DUST MS passengers might all be nagurs when
they reach Dry-up; ifa miner expects friend in
the coach he takes brush wild him so as to
swape the dust off before he recognizes him.
Then, pausing suddenly in his discourse, Mr..
fInnigan ran critical eye over the young figure
before him.
wear, my young lad" said he ''What did You
come out here for, and have ye any friends in
this camp?'
The sharpness and severity with which he ut
tered these questions invested the grocer of
Dry-up with an air of authority which the
stranger did not attempt to Question He
glanced at his hands reproachfully as if accusing
their smoothness of betrayng him, but said in
a frank and manly way:
- will tell you the truth. Mr. Finnigan." He
had read the name on strip of canvas over the
door. The owner nodded encouragement. and
the boy continued:
81 live in New York; mean did live there
before l went on the steamer Northern Light.
four weeks ago to-day. Just three weeks be-
fore | started / found out what an expense 7
was to the family. My dear, good mother is
widow: | am her only boy; but / have three
older sisters, who We're making all sorts of sac
rlfices and working themselves ill to keep me
at 4igh-priced academy. dressed and pro-
vlOed 1Or as II l were rich mans son. NV
fathers cousin, Mr.. Mark Franklin. is a pros
porous merchant. and he has charge of nv
mothers small funds. Lately he has treated me
quite eoldly. though his daughter. nv cousin
Nellie, Is always kind and good to me. That
Saturday. mean the one before the day 7
sailed-I ventured to ask him what had done
TO forfeit his good opinion. shall never forget
the shock and surprise of his answer. He inst
spoke right out and told me had been living
Tor three years on the daily sacrifices of nv
mother and sister; that was an exactin@. sell
fish fellow, and-and-" Here the narrator
suddenly chOked up in way that seemed so out
of character with the Spartan courage he in
tended to display that his pride and sensitive
ness had quite Conflict of it. Those two ele-
ments of his temperament fought it ont in q
series of strangled sobs and coughs. while their
victim walked up and down the store striving
10 gam the mastery over both. He soon Sue
eeded. and. without entering again on the sub
ject that had overcome him, jumped at once to
q practical point.
AS soon as | saw my duty started in. Mr..
fInnigan, said he. and although he addressed
the grocer. he kept his fine frank eve on the
grOcer's wife, having discovered from a large
cup OF fresh milk she had given him that she
was valuable member of the firm: s.bnt NO
fellow knows till he has tried it how hard IT is
Tor a boy like me to get employment was too
Dlg 10 begin anything they said and | wasn't
Old enough to be trusted with ANYTHING that
was begun. Twas almost ready to give in when
met a lad with the chills who had had berth
as cabin boy on the Ocean Queen, but was too
sick to go. Didn't jump into his place though?
but there was Panama and the steamer on the
Pacific side to manage, and had to chance
them. was in luck. San Francisco gentle
man was sick. / waited on him. and he paid
my way on the North Star. l had lust money
enough to bring ME here on the stage. not a
pc my more. and so had to get off,
Mr. Finnigan laid down the pipe he had been
smoking. and. going to the door, motioned his
young companion to follow him.
Pointing up the low gulch that formed the
main road or opening to the town. he indicated
with his stubby forefnger short pole stuck in
the earth on the river bank, On the top of which
was an old tin pan.
dutch Jake and Squatty BOggs tux their
lave ov that claim yonder this very morning."
said ne. They've gone prospectin', and any
one that strikes his pick in can claim that dig
GIN You've come good stretch to find lob,
anc the sooner you begin the better ri
lend you the tools till We can buy vans of yer
own" ~
Ihereupon the enterprising Mr. Finniran. who
had taken from Dutch Jake an old cradle. shade
andpick, because he could not get a three dol
lar liquor bill swed by that foreign bankrupt.
made mentally an excellent bargain for himself