Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-04-25
THE GRIZZLY'S POCKET.
BIZ HENRY NEWPORT.


''That's a pretty little girl you got
with you in the Pullman, Cap. Grand
daughteT9"
no, she amt no granddaughter. !"
said Cap looking at the conductor
with an injured expression. II amt no
spring chicken, and yit / amt no gran
dad"
Daughter. perhaps7n
Mary daughter
'tNiecei"
''Nur yit niece"
s'Child of friend, may be9v
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 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 stop before
him. the conductor had strolled into the
smoker for q chat.
s'See here, young feller," said Cap. at
last, ''did pay that little gals way, or
didn't /? Did you punch her cowpon
with that there silver pistol of yours, or
didn't you? Do owe this yer road any
thing9 Eff do, present yer
bill; eff / don't, what makes
you so ALFRED keen to know the
whole history of the case2 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 red cotton handkerchief
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 (;
ever grain of it belongs to that little gal,
and I'll bet the drinks you cant come
within hundred of its value. Jest heft
it once"
The conductor held the handkerchief
by its ends, and gravely 'sheftedn some
thing of about the bulk of an ordinary
fist which was knotted in the center of
the rag.
''Itweighs about two pounds. Judge, !"
he said, after some little hesitation
"Whati is the figgerl"
4 II
it may be worth $500.
"You are jest hundred out. She is
worth $402 90. 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 whitest
deeds as ever greasly done, to my way
of thinking"
To the conductors way of thinking, as
well as that of every passenger within
hearing, Cap. was altogether too light
headed to be trusted with his own SUI
perintendence while making his Eve
DAYS run between San Francisco and st.
Louis. much less to be the pro tenn.
guardian of . seven-Year-old girl He
saw the incredulous smiles excited by
the remark, and seemed to understand
the plying chances which went with
them.
.Of course, you think am crazy he
said, simply. HThey cant be no such
! b ng as that happen. All the curious
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 worIo. Everything Is
dead open and shet. What you don't
see you don't believe But all thelsamee
it's true. and ef told you it happened
back in 40 you'd believe it; but becuz
il happened last Christmas eve, and be-
cuz I'm here and the gold is here and
the little gal is back in the Pullman
asleep it seems too much like bringing
miracles home to you, and you shake
your head ard say: sAll lie; the old
mans crazy
He had the knot in the handkerchief
undone by this time. and gave the con-
ductor. as we'll as two or three Of the
passengers, satisfying inspection Of the
pound and half lump of dull, yellow
metal which it mad EMBODIED. The con-
ductor pronounced the metal to be, with
out doubt, genuine gold.
You sec, Il was this way" said Cap.
turning about il his seat SO that he
could speak 20 those in the seat behind
him Is 20 the conductor in front me
and the Old lady alIus calc'Iate to give
our children little candy and things
every Christmas; but when, the day be-
fore Christmas, came home from the
store down ia the village with pound
or two in this pocket, and few pounds
in that, and & sack full slung over nv
shoulder. and 3 wooden elephant with 4
leather trunk and a Noah's ark. and !
doll baby that would CRY mamma, !
bursting out Of 9 paper sack u M
arms and me a-sneakin' around ths
back way 20 = the children might nol