Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-04-24
THE GRIZZLY'Sl POCKET.
by nnnnrs WORT. z

"That's pretty little girl you got
with you in the Pullman, Cap. Grand
daughter2"
mo, she amt no granddaughter"
said "Cap.," looking at the conductor
with an injured expression. 81 amt no
spring chicken, and yit l amt no gran
dad"
Daughter, perhapsI"
"Nary daughter"
"Niece3" -
''Nur yit niece"
tChild of friend, may be2"
Cap. gave two or three savage pulls at
the long cigar, which had beguiled him
from the side of the little girl in the Pull
man into the free and easy atmosphere of
the smoker, before he saw fit to answer
the conductors last question. The ex-
press Zen route to Ell Paso) had entered
on that long run between 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 a chat.
"See here, young feller" said Cap. at
last, "did pay that little gals way, or
didn't II Did you punch her cowpon
with that there silver pistol of yours, or
didn't you9 Do l owe this yer road any
thing9 Eff 1 do, present yer
bill; eff I don't, what makes
you so alfred keen to know the
whole history of the case9 l amt kid
nappin' her; you kin bank on that; but
all the same she. amt no kith nor kin er
mine, and she don't belong to no friend.
I'm takin' her to her mother in St.
Louey. Jest heft that pile"
He twitched ared cotton handkerchief
out of an inner pocket and thrust it into
the surprised conductors hand.
''Jest heft that pile," he continued.
otis pure, solid twenty-four karat gold
ever grain of it belongs to that little gal,
and Tll bet the drinks you can't come
within hundred of its value. Jest heft
it once"
The conductor held the handkerchief
By ;ts e..ls, ~.>a ss->relJ fl-ofte AZ
thing of about the bulk of an ordinary
fist, which was knotted in the center OF
the rag.
"It weighs about two pounds. Judge, >
he said, after some little hesitation.
"What is the figger?"
"Well, if it is pure gold, as you say,
It may be worth $500"
"You are jest hundred out. She is
worth $402.93. A greasly bar played
st. Nicholas game last Christmas eve
and throwed that handsome little tribute
into the little girls stocking. He killed
her dad at the same time and died him
self-which was two of the whites
deeds as ever greasly done, to my way
of thinking"
To the conductors way of thinking, as
we'll as that of every passenger within
hearing, Cap. was altogether too light.
headed to be trusted with his own SUI
perintendence while making his five
days run between San Francisco and ST.
Louis, much less to be the pro tenn
guardian of year old girl He
saw the incredulous smiles excited BY
the remark, and seemed to understand
the pitying glances which went with
them.
"Of course, you think am crazy" he
said, simply. "They can't be no sucl
thing as that happen. All the curiou.
things has happened already. There
amt no gold in Californy no more, and
they amt no greaslys in the Rockies
and they amt nothing odd nor outland
ish in the whole world. Everything il
dead open and shet. What you dom
see you don't believe. Butall the.same,
it's true, and eff told you it happened
back in 40 you'd believe it; but becui
it happened last Christmas eve, and be
cuz I'm here and the gold is here ant
the little gal is back in the Pullman
asleep it seems too much like bringing
miracles home to you, and you shake
your head and say: All q lie; the ole
mans crazy ...
He had the knot in the handkerchie
undone by this time, and gave the con
ductor, as we'll as two or three of tn,
passengers, a satisfying inspection of th'
pound and half lump of dull, yellow
metal which it had enfolded. The con
ductor pronounced the metal to be, with
out doubt, genuine gold.
"You sec, it was this way" said Cap
turning about in his seat SO that h,
could speak to those in the seat behinC
him as TO the conductor in front-"m
and the old lady allus calc'late to Civ,
our children little candy and thing
every Christmas; but when, the day be
fore Christmas, came home from th'
store down in the village with pount
or two in this pocket, and few pound
i'll that, and sack full slung over m,
shoulder, and a wooden elephant with
leather trunk and q Noah's ark, and
doll baby that would cry mamma,
bursting out, of 3 paper sack in m
arms, aud me a sneakin' around tn
back way SO as the children might no
catch me and tumble to the racket, fel
like full growed st. Nicholas and m
heart was jest singing Peace on eartl
and good will toward men,
"'Abncr, says my old lady when sh
secs my pile, Il don't believe that littl
gal down to Jake Pearson's ranch is go
a blame thing. Jake is that mean tha
he'd never squander a dollar for foo
toys, and it jest natchelly makes M
tired TO think of our brats rolling i
goodies and that little yeller haired ga
without even molasses.'
81 saw her bluff and raised it, 'Gimm
that there doll, old lady, sez, and
tin horse and about two pounds of tha
confectionery, and we'll see if she don
have q Christmas yet, all the same.
81 put 'em in sack and waltzer
along the road tell KEN to the plac