Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1885-05-07
The Grizzly's Pocket.


with you in the Pullman, Cap. Grand
daughter ?"
"No, she amt no granddaughter, "
said ''Cap.," looking at the conductor
with all injured expression. ~ amt
no spring chicken, and yit l amt no
grandad."
Daughter. perhaps ?"
"Nary daughter"
"Niece ?"
"Nur yit NIECE"
"Chld of a friend, may be p''
Cap. gave two or three savage pulls
at the long cigar, which had begniled
him from the side of the little girl In
the Pullman into the free and easy at
mosphere of the smoker, before he saw
fit to answer the conductors. last ques-
tion. The express Ten route to Ell
Paso) had entered on the long run be-
tween Oakland Pier-four miles out of
San Francisco-and Lathrop, ninety
one miles distant, and seeing several
hours without stop before him, the
conductor had strolled into the smoker
for chat.
"See here. young feller," said Cap.
at last, did / pay that little gals way,
or didn't II Did you punch her cow
pom with that silver pistol of yours, or
didn't you ? Do l owe this yer road
anything ? Eff 1 do, present yer bill
eff | don't, what makes you so ALFRED
keen tn know the whole history of the
case ( l amt kidnappin' her you
kin bank on that hut all the same
she amt no kith nor kin er mine, and
she don't belong to no friend. Pm a
takin' her to her mother in St.Loucy.
Jest heft that pile
He twitched red cotton handker-
chief out of an inner pocket and thrust
it into the surprised conductors hand.
"Jest heft that pile," he continued
''it's pure, solid twenty four karat gold
every grain of it belongs to that little
gal. and III bet this drinks you can'l
come within hundred of its value
Jest heft it once"
The conductor held the handkerchief
by it's ends, and grayely 'hefted" some
thing of about the bulk of an ordinary
fist, which was knotted in the center
of the rag.
SIT weighs about two pounds, l
judge" he said, after some little hest
tation.
"What is the fgger ?"
swell, il it is pure gold, as you say
it may be worth $780,"
"You are jest a hundred out. She
is worth S402. %. A greasly bear played
st. Nicholas game last Christmas eve
and throwed that handsome little tri5-
ute into the little girls stocking. He
| killed ber dad at the same time ant
died himself-which was two of the
whitest deeds as ever greasly done, Il
my way of thinking"
To the conductors way Of thinking,
as we'll as that of every passenger with
in hearing, Cap. was altogether TOT
| light headed to be trusted with hi
own superintendent while making hi
FIVE davis run between San Francisco
and st. Louis, much less to be the prt
tenn. guardian of seven year old girl
He saw the incredulous smiles excited
by the remark, and seemed to under
stand the plying glances which wen
with them.
"Of course, you think I am crazy,
he said, simply. "They can't be n,
such thing as that happen. All the
curious things has happened already
There amt no gold in Californy n
more, and they amt no greaslys in tn
Rockies. and they amt nothing odd
nor outlandish in The whole world
elything is dead open and shet
What you don't see you don't believe
But all the samee it's true, and eff
told you it happened back in '49 YOU
believe it i; but becuz it happened las
Christmas eye, and becuz I'm here ant
the gold is here and the little gal i
back in the Pullman asleep it seems to
much like bringing miracles home
you, aud you shake your head and say
sAll lie. the old mans crazy
He had the knot in the handkerchie
undone by this time, and gave tt
conductor. as we'll as two or three
the passengers, satisfying inspectio
of the pound and half lump of dul
yellow metal whi it had enfoldet
The conductor pronounced the metal
be, without doubt, genuine gold.
"You see, it was this way" sa
Cap. turning about in his seat so tina
he could speak to those in the seat be
hind him as to the conductor in front
'sme and the old lady allus calc'late
give our children little candy an
things every Christmas but whel
the day before Christmas, came hon
I from the store down in the village vii