St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-22

jealous super7iSion of the paternal Mott.
She seldom penetrated the crowded center of
the growing city, her rare excursions were
confined to the old ranch st Petalutna.
whence she brought howsrs and plants aud
eeen eHtempQrized hsuging-gardeh on the
quarterback.
It WAS still raining, aud the wind, which
had increased to a gale, WIS dashing the
drops against the slanting cabin nwindows with
q sound like spray va n Mr.. A51sr 'tt SIT.
before table. seriously engaged with his ae-
counts. FnI it was Steamer night t'--as
that moinentous dav of reckoning before the
sailing of the regular mail steamerwas briefly
known to commercial San Franciscc--and
Mr. Mott was subject at such times to Sc
verely practical rrlapses. \ swinging light
seemed TO bring into greater relief that Pc
culiar en- .ased easket-like security OF the low
timbered, tightly. fitting apartment, With its
toy-like utilities OF space, and made the
pretty oval face of Rosey Mott appear char
acteristic ornament. The sliding door Of
the cabin communicated with the main deck
now rooted in and partitioned of so as TO
form q small passage that led 10 the open
starboard gsngwaY, where a narrow, enclosed
staircase built on the ships side took the
kiaCC VI TUE sup COhulcis
and opened in the street.
A dash Of rain against the window caused
Rosey II lift her eyes frum her book.
''lts much nicer here than at the ranch,
father she said coaxipgls, ''even leaving
alone it's being a beautiful ship instead Of
shauty, the wind don't whistle through the
cracks and blow out the candle when you're
reading, or the rain SPOIL your things hung
up against the wall. And you look more
like gentlemaG sitting in his Own--snip-
you know, looking over his bills and getting
ready to give his ORDER
Vague and general as Miss Rosev's com
piment was. it had its fun effect upon her
father. who was at times dimly con =eious Of
his hopeless rusticity aud its iucongruity
with his Surroundings. Yes he said
awkwar lly, with ! slight relaxation OF his
aggressive attitude: ives, in course its more
baug-up style, but il dun't pay, Rosey. it
don't pay. Yer's the Pontiac that oHghter
be briugin' in. ez rents go. at least three
hundred a month. don't make her taxes. I
bin thinkin' seriously Of sellin' her.
As RDsev knew her father had experienced
this serious cOntemp plation on the first of
every month for the last two Years, ana
checrfully ignored it the next day, she only
SAID: "i'n sure the vacant rooms and lofts
are all rented, father
That's it, returned Mr.. Mott thought
fully, plucking at his bushg whiskers with
his fingers and thumb as il he were remuy-
ing dead and sapless encumbrances 10 its
growth, 'tha's just what il is-them's ez in
il themselves don't pay, aud them ez has left
their goods the goods don't pay. The feller
ez stored them iron sugar kettles in the fore
hold, after trying TO get me 10 make another
l.
sacrifice 'em TO me after all, and only b.gs
I'd give him a chance Of buying back the half
Of 'em ten years from now, at double what
advanced him. The chap that left them 500
cases of hair dye tween decks and then
skipped out to Sacramento, met me the other
day in the street and advised me to use
bottle ~ an advertisement, or try it ON the
sLarn Of the Pontiac for fire-prOof paint.
That foolishness ez all he's good for. And
yet thar might be suihin in the paint, il Il
feier had pigger luck. Theirs that New
York chap ez bought up them damaged boxes
Of plug terbaker for fifty dollars q thousand,
and sold 'em for foundations for that new
building in Sausome strest at a thousand
clear profit It's all luck, Rosey."
Tne girls eyes had wandered again TO the
pages of her book. Perhaps she was already
familiar with the text Of her fathers mono
logue. But recognizing an additional quer-
ulousncss in his voice, she laid the. book
aside, and patiently folded her hands In her
lap.
Theirs right-for I've suthin to tell ye.
The fact is, Sirigbt wants to buy the Pontiac
out and out. just rz she stands, with the two
fifty vara lots she stands on"
''Sleight wants 10 buy her! SleightH'
echoed Roscy incredulously.
lyon bet Sleight, the big financier, the
smarrst man in Frisco"
''What does he want to buy her FORE
asked Rosey, knitting her pretty brows.
The apparently simple question suddenly
puzzled Mr.. Mott He glanced fecb.y at his
daughters face, and froSned In vacant ir-
ritatiOn.
''Tuats So" ne said, drawing a long
breath, "there's suthin in that"
''What did he sayi' continued the young
girl implticntlv.
Not much You've got the Pontiac,
Nutt' sez he 'You bet sen l. 'What'll you
take for her and the lot she stands onr SCI
be. short and sharp. Some fvller, Rosey,"
said Mott with a cunning smile, would nev
blurtrd out biz dggrr and been cotched.
That amt ny stvle. just looked at him.
III wait fur your iggers until next steamer
day,' sea he,aud nG b. goes Ike a shot. He's
awfully sharp, Ro>ey."
''But il be- is sdarp. father. and he really
wants To buy the ship,'' returned Rosrv,
thuughtfully. Its only because be krruws
it's valuable property, and not because he
likes il as we do. He can't take that value
away even II We don't sell it to him, aud all
The while We have the comfort Of the dear old
Pontiac, dom you see.''
This exhaustive commercial reasoning Vas
so sympathetic 10 Mr.. Noii's instincts that he
accepted II as conclusive. He, however
deemed II wise TO still preserve his practical
attitude. "Bui that dou't make il pas by the
month, Rosey. Suthin' must be done. I'm
thinking I'll clean out that photographer"
'Nut just after he's taken such pretty
view OF the cabin front Of the Pontiac from
the street, father! No, He's gsng to give
US a copy, and put the other in a shop win
dow iu Montgomery street"
That's so said Mr. Nott musiucly, ''ifs
no sluuch uf an adv ertisemeut. The Pontiac
the property Of y. Mott. ESQ. of ST tu., Mis-
souri,. Send it on 10 your aunt PhPbe: sorter
make the old folks opeu their eyrs-ehi Well
seein' he's been 10 some expense itiin' DIP
an rntraucv from the other street. wen let
him slide. But as Ia that id old French-
man Ferrcrs, in The next loft. with his stuck
up airs and hlghialutin sjyle we mus, get
quit Of him; he's regularly gUugcd me in that
ere horsrbair spesiiaiiOn.'
How can you say that father," said
Rosry, with slight increase Of color. 1T
was yuur own offer. You know those bsies
Of curled horsrhair were left behind by 4e.
late tenant to pay his rent. When Mr. tei
Frrricres rented the room afterwarI. you told
him you'd throw them in jhe place os srBairs
and furniture. Il was YOUR own oder''
Yes but I didn't reckon ther'd eSer bc
big price per pound paid for the dsrned siuG
for sofvs and cushions aud sica.
How do yUu know be knew it, fAtherfr
responded Rosey.
Then wLv did he hook - siIly at first, ana