Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1883-06-02
TALBOTS KIDS.

ever suited his case until Zinc Barnes ap-
piled "no good" which he had picked up
during 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 Oh 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, chip
ping in four-bit pieces listlessly on the
layout, the dealer making the 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 Zinc's reply.
well, I'll just tell you, Reddy," Zinc
began, meditatiyely kneading some plug
smoking tobacco in the palm of his left
hand with his right, "when was down
to the Bay who'd yer think | SEEM"
Mr.. 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 to-
bacco from his hand into his pipe. Care
fully lighting the latter, Zine sent forth a
big ring of smoke, took a speculative
squint through it, and then said, with the
satisfaction of a man who knows he has q
sensation on hand, "Parson Talbot
1t was some time before any one spoke.
Finally Reddy got his amazement-spread
mouth sufficiently closed to exclaim:
s'The-e-e deuce!"
"Heerd he'd gone back to the States"
"Where's he prospectin' nowf"
cold Parson Talbot; well, yer did
strike it rich, Zinc"
CLOVIS his folk? Don'tyer remember
them kids of his'n, and that little smart
woman?"
While this shower Of remarks was pat
tering down on Zinc, two young men,
who had been talking quietly in one cor
ner of the room, went over 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
nay listening, hope; know ParSon Tai
hot"
"Any mans welcome to hear what Zinc
Barnes says about Parson Talbot, stran-
ger, for l amt got nothing but good to
say of bim."
"I'm glad TO hear it," the young man
said, smiling pleasantly, "but before you
20 on, take something with me-" He
nodded to the entire crowd In manner
perfectly understood, for every one faced
the bar, and Mr.. Reddy produced line
of glasses which exhausted his stock, the
faro dealer and casekeeper being obliged
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 the winter Of '5G, busted.
But We asked me, Reddy, what started me
on old Smally, and that's what III tell
you. ran right agin the parson one
morning at the Bay, but wouldn't know
him, only he braced up to me and says,
holdin' out his hand In that easy way OF
his, 'Ain't speaking to Zinc Barnes!
sYou are stranger said, and then he
smiled in that way, ye remember, who
ever knew him, and yelled out, 'Parson
Talbot. by" think l was going to
say gosh but the parson didn't run no
chances, seein' as how he knew my way,
and chippcd in before 1 finished. Well,
he asked me out to his house, sayin l
would meet the old lady, and have dinner
with him that evening. l found out the
parson was preachin' as stiddy lay out.
."well, l went out to his house, and il
'peari they don't pay much for preachin
even from q regular parson, in some OF
these districts at the Bay. He seemed to
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 seem 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 go to the meetin'-honse.
"when the parson was gone, the old
lady told the whole of the story abou;
that deal old Smally gave the parson in
Hangtown in 80. | never heard the
whole story before, and never knew how
bad old Smally played the parson. tell
YOU, gentlemen, old Smally's 10 good. 1t
seems that the parson had saved nearly
SIG. 900 out of all the rich strikes he had
made, and was goin' back to the States
with it and settle down, for he was aw-
fully dead set on bringin' up those two
boys of his back East, and eddicating them
where he went to school himself. Well,
it was Just then that Smally, who was no!
old then, ran across the parson, and roped
him into quartz claim. | reckon the
claim was good enough, and worth what
they paid for it, which took all the parson
had and some of Smally'S coin, too. They
struck it pretty rich one day, aud had