The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-17
The San Jaguelo Nine

To Joshua Mains widow it had always
seemed simple thing for people to sup
port themselves. Did not girls and
women do it oftentimes? Was there ever
any difficulty about it?
Yet, when she herself was left alone at
the age of twenty, she did not know In
which direction to turn.
She was soft eyed, timid little woman,
with absolutely no experience at all in
the ways of the world; and so she went
to her cousin--a brisk, bustling widow,
who kept a wayside hotel on the high
road to Santa Barbara.
'What am I to do?" said she, looking
very small and pale in her deep mourn
ing robes. "What is to become of me?'
why don't you go to Joshua's folks?"
Mrs. Chebburn, who was frying crabs
for a party of excursionists who had ar
rived by the noon stage.
Ihave no money!" said Alice. "Be-
side, wrote to his father, aud he wrote
back that we didn't ask his advice about
getting married. and he certainly
shouldn't interfere in my business now.
Such a cross curt, hateful lettern'
"Just like them!" said Mrs. Cheb-
burn, fercely dredging her pan of crabs
with flour. "Couldn't you keep miners
to board2"
II don't think I have courage for
that!" whispered poor Alice. "Beside,
it would require large house, furniture,
capital"
Might sew7" suggested Mrs. Cheb-
burn. who had quick, abrupt way of
speaking which was very apt to discon-
cert stranger.
II am dreadfully slow and awkward
with the needle" confessed Alice. "You
see, Cousin Chebburn, I was brought up
in boarding-school. can play on the
piano, and speak tolerabie French,
and"
20, myw burst in Mrs. Chebburn.
"And p'raps you could paint on velvet
and make wax flowers, or any such other
accomplishment which would be so use
full out in these California mountains.
There, Alice, don't cry! I don't want to
hurt your feelings, child, but peoples
ideas about educating girls are so queer.
Get me platter-two big platters-for
these crabs. You can stay here for a
while. It's possible you may be able to
help me with the housework. But I've
no use for your French and your piano
playing"
For all Mrs. Chebburn's short, blunt
speech, there was kindly sparkle in her
honest, gray eyes, and Alice Main ac-
cepted her invitation in the spirit in
which it was given.
It was strange existence for the girl
who had been brought up in the artificial
surrounding gs of San Francisco life, this
wild home on the plateaus, with monster
redwood trees keeping watch on the
heights above, passion-vines swinging
in purple fringes over the edges of the
cliffs, and figs ripening against the sunny
rocks.
With the coming and going of the
daily stage, travellers came and went,
also, of all varieties, and Mrs. Chebburn,
assisted only by pair of pallid China
men, and a fat old colored woman in the
kitchen, ruled, an absolute queen, over
the place.
'It's hard work, to-be-sure," she would
say; "but am my own mistress here,
and I render an account to no one. If a
miner talks too loud, I can turn him out
of the house. If traveller finds fault
with the fricasseed chicken, I can bid
him 90 further and suit himself better.
.Joshua's widow is welcome to home
here, though I misdoubt me she'll turn
out poor, shiftless timid thing"
But Mrs. Chebburn was favorably dis
appointed. Joshua's widow proved to
be possessed of better qualities than she
had thought.
She was quick and dainty with the
desserts, tasteful in the arrangement of
the rooms, and affectionately anxious to
spare her cousin oil that she could of
work or worry.
IT may make something of the girl
Iyet," said Mrs. Chebburn. "Poor dear !!
she's very young to be left widow.
What selfish scamp that old father-in-
aaw of hers must be-! Joshua was as
fine fellow as ever lived! Guess he
wasn't like the rest of his folks though. "
It was one December evening, when
the heavy winter rain was pattering on
the roof of the house and beating down
the shuddering boughs of the redwood
trees, and the stage was several hours be-
hind time.
.Surper'll be clean spoiled" said Mrs
Chebburn, with dscontented glance
toward the kitchen, "and then they'll all
be grumbling. Men are so inconsiderate :"
Just then, however, Linn, the tallest
and yellowest of the Cinnamon, came
shuf1ing in. with the news that the rain
had washed away part of the steep and
narrow road that wound through the
gorge, that the stage was overturned and
1'allee folksee killedw
Linn, you are fool!'' said Mrs. Cheb-
burn.
"Missee look for sheself," persisted
Linn. "Allee dead! Horsee leg broken'
And presently two or three men came
up the hill, bearing the senseless body of
an old man, who represented the ''allee
folks e" of Linn's terrible tale.
With this exception, the travellers had
been more frightened than hurt
''Is he dead2" said frightened Alice,
with glance at the yellow pallor of the
face, temporarily pillowed on folded
shawl.
NO." said Mrs. Chebburn, who had
no contemplate knowledge of simple
surgery, ''he isn't dead. But there are
some ugly bruises on his head, and I
think there's rib or two broken. Get