, 1888-11-22

with rich color as the arUergIow STAINS SKY
and water with its hueS. Turning away.
Tulita proceeds with her occupation of
gathering roses which this celestial pageant
had interrupted. while the air grows heavy
with their perfume. Behind Tulita is 4 large
So called '.,lIccu A:,..c' cottage, and on the
veranda sits hey EIo.Gc:'. llzily rocking and
tanning herself -;c-,s to the sonora sits
an elderly gentleman, and on the back of tho
elderly gcntlcluan'i chair leans Mr.. Brown,
of Philad9lpaia. As Tu.ttl passes the side of
t..c porch, she dcxtcro.!jly tOase5 rose to the
elderly gentleman, ami laughs, as he success
fully catches it, and presses it to his lips with
gallant bow.
well, well, we'll, lie says, breaking the 81
lencr. ''iinaginc being out of door without
wrap, gathering roses on Christmas Eve. And
you really mean TO tell me, Frank, that this
place has been set cut only ycar.'
Yes, SIR replied tic young man, just
about You see, father, III this country water
iscverythinS. If you can only get plenty Of
water, things grow like magic. l remember
that is what worried Us most when we put
Lunavarita town lots on the market, water
was the great question, and we were afraid
we wonld have to pipe it from town. But az
soon as We struck that artesian well we were
twenty -four hours, and We sold enough lots
the first week to pay for laying out the town,
putting down water and sewer pipes, and
substituting q street car line to run a motor
out here. After that the people used TO come
and stand in line all day long at our Office
waiting to buy lots. We raised the price re-
ligiOuSly on the first of each month, and now
you can't buy q lot in Lunavarita for less
than 500. Water is king i'll California. There
is a company formed to flume it down from
the mountains about sixty miles from here;
it is a good scheme, too"
at must cost n great deal, said the elder
Mr.. Brown, doubtfully.
"Oh, no. said his son, "a million ought TO
do itn
"a mere trifle," said the old gentleman,
mimicking Franks airy tone. Upon my
soul, he continued, with sudden energy, '.if
stay here much longer l shall be as stark,
staring mad as all of the rest of you are. Why,
they tell me that that peninsula over there,
with that absurdly big hotel, which they will
never fill in the world"-"AlI of the rooms
are engaged already" murmured Frank, but
his father, with a snort of incredulity, pro-
cceded without needing him-"with its
parks, and its drives, and its geological gar
dens, and God knows what, begging your
pardon, madame, they tell mo that that was
q sage brush desert last year. don't believe
u won't believe itv'
'AIy dear father,n said his son, t'two or
three years ago San Diego itself was little
more than that-you could have bought
pretty near the whole place for a short bit.
But railroad came in here and that brought
people, and when the world at large began
toiind out what magnificent harborn-
There, thcrel" exclaimed his father,
hastily, ''don't get started now. [ have
heard all about the harbor.n
''And the glorious climate!n
''Yes," said Mr.. Brown, emphatically,
"and the climate, too"
II am afraid you don't appreciate it,
though" said his son, reproachfully. "Just
think of the Boston east wind tonight and
compare it with this air, where you can feel
your lungs grow. Why, 1 believe 1 have
been here"
81 believe that you have, my dear boy"
said the old gentleman, chuckling, ''from tho
amount of talking that you do, believe that
you have. Eth, sonora, 1 rather think 1 got
him therei Did you hear that, Tulita, my
dearl Hal hal haIn
AT this moment carriage was seen coming
up the hill toward the house.
"Ah!n cried TzAta, there comes Aladdin
The carriage stopped, and Benton descend
ed. Tulita, waving the bunch of roses before
nis face, bade him good evening.
well, sir, said the elder Mr.. Brown, ''ani
how many towns have you built today"
''Not many said Benton, laughing Then
drawing from his coat pocket package Of
papers, he handed it to Mr.. Brown, saying:
Here are your deeds and abstracts; they are
all rightn
WHAT" shouted Frank. Father, have
you"-but here he burst out laughing
Father" he continued, regaining his gravi-
ty, ''father, look me in the eye. Is it possible
that you, you, a conservative merchant of
Philadelphia, have, at tho present ruinous
prices, been indulginS in wild, insane specu-
lation, that you"-
There, there, Master Frank" said his
father, joining in the laughter; ''we all know
that you have sprouted an extra lung"
Don't mind him, Mr.. Brown" said Ben
ton. "You have got a bargain As soon as
you get your vines well under way one years
crop Of raisin grapes will pay for it."
'Oh, of course of course" said the old
gentleman, ''it is bargain. They all are.
Though to my mind, i" he continued, putting
his arm around Tulita and drawing her to
his side, "this is the best bargain ever got in
southern California"
YES" said his son, looking ut his wife
proudly, ''and to think that only had to put
up So for the option"
"Men are so conceited, )" said Tulita, con-
fdingly to her father-in-law; ''that was not
the way of it at all. 1t was I who gave a
dozen lavender sticks for husband and the
town of Lunavarita."