The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-04-11
THE GRIZZLY'S POCKET
BY HENRY NEWPORT.

Chats a pretty little girl you got
got with you in the Pullman, Cap
Granddaughter 2"
"NO, she amt no granddaughter, :"
said Cap" looking at the conductor
with aninjured expression 'Iain't no
spring chicken, nor yit ain tho grand
dad"
Daughter, perhaps? ?"
''Nary daughter"
"Niece ?"
"Nur yIt niece"
"Child of friend may be.?"
Cap. gave two or three savage pulls
at the long cigar, which had beguiled
him from the side OF the little girl in
the Pullman into the free and easy
atmosphere OF the smoker, before he
saw fit to answer the conductors last
question. The express ten route to
FL 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 a stop before
the smoker for a chat
See here, young Teller, said Cap. at
last, did pay that little gals way,
or didn't /? Did you punch her cow
pom with that there silver pistol of
yours, or didn't you? Do | owe this
yer road anything FL do, present
yer bill; ef don't, what in tarnation
makes you so alfred keen to know
the whole history OF the case? | ain t
Il kidnappin' her; YOU can bank on
that; but all the same she amt no
klth nor kin er NINE, and she dom
belong to no friend Pm a takin' her
to her mother in St. Louey. Jest heft
that pile"
He twitched req cotton handker-
chief out OF an lnnerpOcket and thrust
it into the surpised conductors
hand.
Jest heft that pile, - he continued,
tits pure, solid twenty-four karat
gold; every grain OF it belongs to that
little gal, and III bet the drinks YOU
can't come within a hundred of it's
value. Jest heft it once"
The conductor held the handkerchief
by it's ends, and gravely "hefted'
something of about the bulk of an
ordinary fist, which was knotted in
the center of the rag.
1T weighs about two pounds. |
Judge, he said after some little hest
tation.
"What is the figger?"
We'll, if it is pure gold, as you say,
IT may be worth $500.
You are Jest a hundred out. She
IS worth S402 %. A greasly bar
played st. Nicholas game last Christ
mas Eve and throwed that handsome
little tribute into the littlegirl's stock
ing. He killed her dad at the same
time and died himself-which was two
NJ the whitest deeds as ever a greasly
uone, to my thinking"
To the conductors way OF thinking.
as well as that of every passenger
within hearing, Cap. was altogeth her
too llght-headed to be trusted with
his own superintendent while making
his tive-days' run between San Fran
cisco and st. Louis, much less to be
the pro tenn. guardian OF a 7-year-Old
girl. He saw the incredulous smile ex.
cited by the remark, and seemed ia
understand the pitying glances which
went with them.
"Ot course, you think | am crazy .
he said simply. They can't be nc
sech thing as that happen. All the
curious things has happened already
There amt no gold in Californv nc
more, and they amt no greaslys il
the Rockies, and they amt nothinl
odd nor outlandish in the whole
world. Everything is dead open and
shet. What you don't see YOU don't
believe. But all the same it's true
and et | told you it happened back in
~ you q believe it; but becuz 1t han
pencd last Christmas Eve. and becu5
M mere ana the gold Is here and the
!lttle gal Is back IN the Pullman asleer
1t seems too much like bringing mira.
Giles home TO you. and you shake your
mead ana say; All a lie; the old man ;
crazy"
He had the knot in the bandkar.
chlet undOne by this time. and gave
the conductor, as well as two or three
OF the passengers. satisfying inspec-
tlon OF the pound and a half Iump OF
dull, yellow metal which it had en-
folded. The conductor pronounced
the metal to be, without doubt. oanu-
Inc gold.
1ousee, 1t was thisway. said Can,
turning about in his seat so that he
could speak to those in the seat be-
nina MN as we'll as to the conductor
III 'front.' me and the old lady aIIus
Gale. late to give our children q little
candy and tin horns and things every
christmas, We amt got much reIiS-
loni but We got that much: and when
the day before Christmas. Icame hone
from the storedown inthe village with
a pound or two in this pocket. and y
few pounds in that. and a sacE mi
sIung overmy shoulder, and a wooden
elephant with a leather trunk and a
Noah.s ark, and a doll baby that
would cry mamma, a busting ont of
a paper sack in my arms, and me a
sneakin' around the back way so AZ
the children might not catch me and
tumble to the racket, l felt like a fuII
growed St. Nicholas and my heart was