The Dawson journal., 1883-06-21
TALBOT'S KIDS.

| WISH W Gu6 Day. NAT JUST
what Smally is, boys. I'm telling
you; no good" and nothing else
goes; but that goes, even if he
hears it.
But what started yer on old
Smally, Zinc?" Mr.. 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 dealermaking the turns
slowly and picking up his'win-
nings or paying his losses with an
added professional indifference,
that allowed him equal chances
with his patrons to listen to Zines
reply.
"Well, I'll just tell you, Reddy,'
Zinc began, meditatively kneading
some plug tobacco in the palm of
his left hand with the right, "when
| was down to the Bay who'd yer
think [ seen?'
Mr.. Reddy and the crowd look
ed their inability to guess who, of
all the people in San Francisco, it
had been Mr.. Branes' peculiar hap
piness to see, and waited in perfect
silence while he emptied the to-
bacco from his hand into his pipe.
Carefully lighting the latter, Zinc
sent forth big ring of smoke, took
a speculative squint through it,
and then said, with the satisfaction
of a man who knows he has SEN
sation on hand, "Parson Talbot"
It was sometime before any one
spoke. Finally Reddy got his
amazement spread mouth suAici-
emily closed to exclaim:
"Th-e-e deuceP'
Herd he'd gone back to the
States
"Old Parson Talbot; well, yer
did strike it rich, Zinc"
"How's his folks? Don't you
remember them kids of his'n, and
that smart little woman?"
While this shower of remarks
vas pattering down on Zinc, two
young men who had been talking
quietly in one corner of the room,
went over and joined the party at
the bar.
One was dressed in the rough
miners garb worn by the most of
the crowd; the other little better,
but not out of keeping with his
surroundings. The latter, address
sing Barnes, said: "You don't
mind my listening, I hope; [
know Parson Talbot"
"Any mans welcome to hear
what Zine Barnes says about Par
son Talbot, stranger, for I amt
got nothing but good to say 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 crowd in a
manner perfectly understood, for
everyone faced the bar, and Mr..
Reddy produced a line Of glasses
which exhausted his stock, the faro
dealer and case-keeper being OBJ
hged to use one glass between
them.
This important and imposing
ceremony finished, Mr.. Barnes
continued.
eyes, Parson Talbot; and he
looks sight older than he did
when he left Hangtown, in
$50, busted. But you asked me,
Reddy, what started me on old
Smally, and that's what I'll tell
you. l ran right agin the parson
one morning at the Bay, but
wouldn't known him, only he
braced up to me and says, holdin'
out his hand in that easy way of
his, Amt | speaking to Zinc
Barnes?' 'Ye are, stranger |
said, and then he smiled in that
way We remember, whoever knew
him, and [ yelled out, Parson
Talbot, by | think I was
going to say gosh but the
parson didn't run no chances, see
ing as how he knew my way, and
Clipped in before L finished
Well, he asked me out to his house
saying, [ would meet the old lady,
and have dinner with him that
evening. | found the parson was
preaching as stiddy lay out
"Well, | went out to his house,
and it appears they don't pay
much for preaching, even from
regular parson, in some of these
district at the Bay. He seemed to
be located near the edge of the
camp, for we were an hour getting
there in a boss car, and his little
house didn't show no signs that he
had struck it over rich. But the
old lady didn't seem to mind it,
for she was as clipper as ever, and
how she did enjoy talking about
old times! Well, after dinner the
parson had to go to the meeting.
house.
"When the parson was gone, the
old lady told me the whole story
about that deal old Smally gave