The Columbus journal., 1883-07-18
KIDS.

Old Smally was 4 ''no good No
slang ever suited his case until Zinc
Barnes applied mo good" which he
had picked up during a visit to the Bay.
That's Just what Smally is, boys, I'm
telling you; mo good and nothing else
goes: but that goes, even if he hears it"
But what started yer on old Smally,
Zinc?" MIR. Reddy asked, cheerfully
enough.
When Reddy put this leading question
to Zinc the men around the bar drew
closer together, and the players at the
faro table half turned towards Zinc,
chipping in four-bit pieces listlessly on
the layout, the dealer making his turns
slowly and picking up his winnings or
paving his losses with an added profess
sional Indifference. that allowed him
equal chances with his patrons to listen
to Zines reply.
well, I'll just tell you. Reddy," be-
gan Zinc. meditatively kneading some
plug smoking tobacco in the palm of
his left hand with the right, when l
was down to the Bay who'd yer think l
seen2"
MI. Reddy and the crowd looked their
inability to guess who, of all the people
in San Francisco, it had been Mr..
Barnes peculiar happiness to see.
and waited in perfect silence
while he emptied the tobacco from his
hand into his pipe. Carefully lighting
the latter. Zinc sent forth a big ring of
smoke. took a speculative squint through
1t, and then said. with the satisfaction of
$500 ~ l--,,-, l., L.. o -,n.i,n m,
hand, '.ParSon Talbot
1t was sometime before any one spoke.
Finally Reddy got his amazement-spread
mouth sufficiently closed to exclaim:
thee deuel."
..Heerd he'd gone back to the States"
where's he prospectin' now?'
.sOld Parson Talbot; well, yer did
strike it rich. Zinc"
..How's his folks? Don't Yer remem-
Der them kids of his'n. and that smart
little woman?"
While this shower of remarks was
pattering down on Zinc, two Young men
who had been talking quietly in one
corner of the room, went owe and
joined the party at the bar.
One was dressed in the rough miners
garb worn by most of the crowd; the
other = little better. but not out of keep
ing with his surroundings. The latter.
addressing Barnes. said: You don't
mind my listening, l hope; l know Par
son Talbot"
ANY mans welcome to hear what
Zinc Barnes saws about Parson Talbot,
stranger. for amt got nothing but
rood to saw of him.
I'm glad to hear it." the young man
said, smiling pleasantly. But before
you go on, take something with me-"
He nodded to the entire crowd in q
manner perfectly understood. for every
one faced the bar. and MI. Reddy pro-
duced a line of glasses which exhausted
his stock. the faro-dealer and case-keeper
being obliged TO use one glass between
them.
This important and imposing cere-
mony finished. Mr.. Barnes continued:
..Ycs, Parson Talbot; and he looked
sight older than he did when he left
HangtOwn in the winter of sc, busted.
But We asked me, Reddy. what started
N. on old Smally. and that's what I'll
tell you i ran right agin the parson
one morning at the Bay. but wouldn't
know him. only he braced up to me and
SAYS, holdn' out his hand in that easy
way of his: Amt / speaking to Zine
Barnes?' .Ye are. stranger said
and then he smiled in that way We re-
member, whoever knew him, and l
yelled out, 'Parson Talbot. by /
aeAtuk was going to say gosh but the
parson didn't run no chances, seem as
how he knew my way. and Clipped in
before l finished. Well. he asked me
GU to his house. sayin' | would meet
the old lady, and have dinner with him
that evening. / found out the parsou
wa preachin' as a Study Law out.
"Wel, went out to his house. and il
pears they don't pay much for preach.
in, ven from a regular parson, in some
Of those districts At the Bay. He seemed
70 be located pretty near the edge of the
camp, for We were an hour getting there
IN a'hoss car, and his little house didn't
show no signs that he had struck it over
rich. But the old lady didn't e to
mind it, for she was as clipper as ever,
and how she did enjoy talking about the
old times! Well. after dinner the parson
had to 60 to the meetin' house.
When the parson was gone. the old
lady told the whole of the story abou,
that deal old Smally gave the parson in
Hsngtown in '55. I never heard the
whole story before and never knew how
bod old Smally had played the parson.
/ tell you. gentlemen. old Smally is nc
good. It seems that the parson had
saved nearly $20,O 600 out of all the rich
strikes he had made, and was goin' back
20 the States with it and settle down, fol
- Was svfully dead set on bringin' up
dose two boys of his back East. and
educating them where he went to school
1s1eeM We'll il was inst than thai