The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-14


mendation, and one of them made suggestion
as to refreshments lsetting up the drinks" ne
called it, at his expense. The visitor, well aware
that in the social ethics of the mountains, q
proposition Of this kind is the recognized express
sion of genuine good will. accompanied his
excuses with need of gratitude. Then the
talk became somewhat general, and the hardy
fellows spoke Of lost trails, and snowslides, and
fights with Indians-all the necessary and &C.
cepted concomitants Of their hard and stirring
lives-as the average jewellers in towns talk
of the little variations in their hum-drum exist
ence.
'Say. joe" at last said the newcomer, ''per-
haps You can help me. I'm pretty busy down at
Denver, but I've been putting in all the time l
could spare on still hunt after an old fellow
that think must have come out here from the
States some time ago. He'd got at loggerheads
with things about him, and one day he pulled up
stakes and went fellowknew where. For
some particular reason" he smiled in conscious
way GIVE been anxious to find him. l have
hunted high and low, but up to this month 1
couldn't get on his trail. About two weeks ago,
however, struck a drummer In Denver VINO
saw an old chap up here that seemed IKE nim
You see, he's sure to have changed his name and
not to call himself BY his real one, which is Eph-
RAIN Wilson, and"
"Ephram," interrupted Joe, who had listened
with much interest, ''why, the short for Eph-
rain Is Eph, an, jus ez sure ez yer be a-settin
thar, believe you've struck the old cuss, lvin'
jest like first-class old hermit, up in Hun
cry Gulch. Thar amt one of the boys
ez ever knowed his real name, but what every
blamed one of 'em calls him is Uncle Eph.
They've been helpin' him when they got q
chance-which amt often, yer know, cause he's
ez proud ez Caesar an don't let on when he's
pretty nigh busted He jest keeps to himself
up in his little one-hoss cabin, an gees totterin
about prospectin in q lonesome sort o. way, jest
as If he hedn't no heart in the thing"
"Come along with me, if you've nothing better
to do" said the newcomer; and they bade the
group goodnight.
ssIrs curious, Joe," continued Williams, as
they walked towards the lutte inn, that you
should have remembered the youngster that was
with the Hillerton trail that day; for good
deal has come out Of that meeting with him. The
fact is, he is the of old Ephraim Wilson, and
he has sister-well, can talk to q friend like
you about her. She's as pretty little blue-eyed
creature as you'd meet in summers day; and
when / first saw her it was, all up
with me- as sures Pm living man.
You see, Mr.. Wilson lived in town
in New Hampshire, and was pretty
good business. He was real proud, high spir-
tied chap, but good, loving father to his moth
erless children. One day his partner disap-
peared, taking pile Of money with him. and 1T
broke the old man all up He managed to pay
everything the bank owed, and no right minded
person really thought he was the least to blame
Some mean cuss, however, started story about
| him. and he heard it, and 1t was what you might
call the last straw for it worked on his mind
until he was half crazy, and one day he broke
out and said he would not live any longer in the
town. He put his children under care Of his sis
| ter and went away, saying he would come back
when he could set himself right. His friends
| did their best to stop him, but he told them he
would die or 60 mad if he stayed. He'd not been
! gone very long time before a letter came to
| the children from the partner who had run
away. 1t seems he had been specializing and got
in bad way, and thought there was nothing
for him but to run. He was taken i'll In San
Francisco and had close call for his life
and he had time to think over his ways and
what he'd done. Well, to make long story
short he'd struck it rich out there and he sent
ing the old mans name beyond a whisper, Of
course the boy and his sister were wild to find
their father, and nothing would satisfy the GIRL
| but to start out and look for him. They man
| aged to get some trace of his going West and
| they came out to Denver. They made friends
| wherever they went, and they've been taken
| mighty good care of, but they only think Of one
| thing night and day, and that's to find the old
| gentleman. The boy had got what he thought a
| clew which took him to Hillerton that time met
| Denver with him, and he introduced me to his
sister and them blush came to his brown
| cheek-''ever since that time I've been just as
anxious as they to find their father. To tell you
the truth, I've just little hope that if I should
come across him alive and well, Susie-that's
her name, bless her little heart-would marry
me. Pm in good business and getting ahead,
and I'd be the happiest man in the world if
could win such a prize as that. Do you know,
she and her brother are not far off. They're
-, oh fho uo1lo oo1 ;lza& ~
have you see them in the morning. III tell you
what, you drive down with me after breakfast
and they'll be delighted to meet YOU"
'Wa'al, pard. replied Joe, II amt much Of a
lady's man, but will so with yer ez sure ez
you're alive I'd like to see the little gal, an eff
she'll give me some p'ints about her dad kin tell
her in two shakes eff he is Uncle Eph, or eff he
amt"
..That's capital idea" said William Some
how feel it in my bones that it's he, and that
we're going to be successful. and that I'll be the
happiest man this side of the range"
I'm with yer, pard, thar" said Joe, IAN
what's more, allow that eff yer strike streak of
good luck it would sort o lap over on the camp,
an you bet we need it bad enough, Yer see,
! luck's the queerest thing in the world. When
yer think it's come to stay it'll desart yer quick
! ern wink; an when yere pretty nigh played
ont, some little thngli bring it right back.
When yer come in that saloon to- night with yer
jolly face, among all them fellers that's been
a-waitn an a-hopn till they hedn't no heart
left, it come to me straight tibet suthin good wuz
a-goin' to happen-an' now yer've told me tibet
thar's pretty little gal a-comin' in among the
busted crowd in this we're camp-why, pard. I'm
sartin of it."
The rays Of the next mornings sun, geam-
ing over the smooth eastern hills, had torn the
veil of shadow from the lowest Of the western
peaks, when an old man pushed open the clumsy,
| creaking door Of log cabin and, with hating
steps. crossed the threshold. 1t should here be
said that no one has known the full JOY living un
til he has done just this simple thiDg-opened the
door of a Colorado house on perfect Colorado
morning This is not the assertion Of garru-
lous traveller from distant lands. secure from
contradiction; for you can try it for yourself in
three days time, and the door need not be tina,
of log cabin, but even the ornate portal of a
| Denver hotel, with omnibus standing before
it. All the modern Improvements in the world
cannot effect the rare quality of the air. and a
/ certain sober, middla-aged scribe, whom chance
sent thither some years ago, has told his friends