Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-05-15
THE BANK OF CALIFORNIA
BY PRENTICE MULFoRD.
XVIII.
FOLLY, =.

cidentala and. elf-inficted, one by q bullet
from his W pistol, the other by a fall"
It was q hard thing to say. As the words
were spoken I realized more clearly than ever
how improbable they must sound to others.
She was silent.
"You do not believe mel" I said.
eyes, noto I do"
"Why nowW
81 don't know. Perhaps 1t is because for
the last few months I ave been 80 much
among deceit and lies that my mind became
trained to believe anything"
"You do not seem like the Blanche Seton
Of ten months ago"
"You mean, perhaps, the Blanche you knew
then, or rather as much as you knew of her"
she replied.
81 don't understand you"
81 don't understand myself. wish I did.
You thought me perfection then, did you
mott" she asked.
81 thought you very near it; yes, end do
now" I answered.
"Well, I am not. I'm glad I've found it
out. 1 find I can make great mistakes and
do very foolish things. Perhaps I've done
one lately"
I'm believing all I heard Of you, in addi-
ton to what I saw"
"Saw9 What did you see?
"My first sight Of you in California was in
Chinese Camp yonder. waltzing In . dance
house.. your arm around the waist Of . Mex
can girl" .
Heavens and earthr The fandango hall
was open to the street-it might almost have
been in it so far as privacy was concerned
and this was the n In which I had
been put on free exhibition to Blanche while
on her way that evening from the hotel to
the Chinese Camp "opera house."
"And for that reason you did not recognize
me in the box at the theatreT'
sit is not my business IN the stage to rec
ognize any one in the audience. People do
not pay their money to see an actress nod and
smile at her friends"
"How did you hear of the charge against
mel" l asked.
at was the talk at the hotel table, in that
camp where we played. ThereI first learned
of my uncle's whereabouts and his condition"
''What did they say of meq'
SIN substance, that your life and actions
were suspicious; that you loafed' a good
deal, as they expressed it, always had plenty
Of money, and that no one knew how you
came by it. I think, however, I should not
have judged you so quickly as I did had l
not seen you in the dance house."
''Why did that so set you against meq'
"That's a strange question for you to ask.
Perhaps it wa because Of jealousy-perhaps
contempt" she replied.
I was silent. She continued: "Never mind
that now. My fault is the greater. I want
to see it all, and you must help me. Did not
my manner toward you at the store the
other day excite more prejudice than ever
against you among the minersT'
IT think it did"
II thought So" said she. ~ began to see
and feel it very soon. Well, it shows q
woman's power for good or il-in this case
for ill-and men call us the weaker sex,
What caused the quarrel between you and
my uncleT
''He intruded himself on ground belonging
to me and Broener."
~ gather from my uncle's rambling, de
lirious talk that he imagines the ground in
question not to be yours legally. Is that so7
cit is"
sThen why did you oppose him?"
"Because l thought the circumstances jus
titled it. 1t is ground for which no lega
provision is yet made for holdings"
"Then how can you hold itF'
"Only by the unwritten law Of this land
at present-the Law of might"
"The same law by which your recently dis
missed friends from yonder hollow acted,
was her answer.
"You would make a good lawyer" I said
II think I should. But have you not place.
yourself in an awkward position?"
eyes, either I rave or fate has for me-"
"What do you think my fault has been Il
this matterT' she asked.
81 don't know that there is any. I think
had you known the temper of Bull Bar, yo1
would not unconsciously have brought tn
prejudice against ME to the boiling point b!
cutting me as you did at the store, before 8
many people. That, on your part, was cause
by ignorance. I think though, that 20
might first have sought me out and hear
my story before Judging me-" l said.
II should AVE done so. 1t was a grea
mistake. Any moreF' she asked.
Swell, you may have made a similar mis-
Judgment in another direction, as to seein
me as you did in the-the dance house."
''Indeed! l think I understand. You wer
very free country
'"That's your way of putting itw
"What is your way of putting itW .
reverse the case, and you had seen me in tina
place, whirling in the arms Of a Drawn
minerT
cts not a supposable case" I answered.
"Thank you In other words you woul
say that mo lady would visit such a place!
IF I say so, then I suppose you will as
me why should a gentleman visit it,"
eyes" said she. 'That was my intention
On second thought I take the question bacl
Imay want possibly to reserve for mysel
some time or other some Of the privileges O
you gentlemen"
We were silent for some minutes.
"Why did you not inquire of Broener wit
regard to the affairY' I asked.
II had reasops-perhaps right, perhar
wrong-for not doing SO. I knew that q
your partner, and an interested party, h
sympathies would be in your behalf.
wanted to find out for myself and place m,
self under as little obligation as possible
any one in doing what I had to do. Perhap
in that, I made a mistake"
"You mean, then, that had you bee
guided by Broener you might not have bee
misled as you were regarding meT
Guided is rather too strong a wor,
Still, I think now his judgment in the ms
ter would have been better than mine" 81
This phase Of the subject was not agfe
able to me-. I.avoided present further me-
ton Of it; but that dreadful dance hou
picture of myself before Blanche now tot
full possession of me. I could not help tai
ing Of it. I said:
GAS we are talking very plainly to eat
other tonight, may I ask of you exact
your Judgment of me from seeing me at Il
f~andangoT'
my Judgment regarding it is one thin
my emotion may. be quite another. As
judgment or Judging you in the matter,
WI I am not able to do 1t. You are a m
living among men, Influenced possibly