Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-03
CHAPTER III.

II OLD CABIN AT MOUNT ABL
Come now with me to Mount Diablo and we
viii 60 right along with the story about the
Buried River.
She put her two hands wide out, leaned for
ward over the low, dirty doorsill of the old
cabin, laid her two hands hold of the two sides
Of the open joorand said:
"ls IL houseS2 or is it land?'
Tn man at the rough hoard table had not
looked up. The day was hot, and SO the door
was open. Besides. he liked the birds, he liked
the squirrels; the trees. But it was clear he
did not like people, else he had lifted up his
head from the curious lines on the crumpled
and not very clean paper before him.
land? or our houses?'
There was a sting in the words, but not in
the voice, hard as the girl Tried to make it. The
man looked up, quietly, calmly. Then he
slowly rose, lifted his slouched hat, and taking
up the only STOOL the place afforded, stepped
forward and set it before her, smiling pleas
sanity, half sadly. as be did so.
The color came and went in her face. Her
pretty dimpled hands forgot the sides of the
open door. They clasped each other for a
second; and then the right ole sought the
legion of her heart, as if to still its too tremu-
rous beating.
IL beg your pardon-I-I beg your pardon,
There was melody in her voice. and her beau
NAAoA SIAAoAO wac cO nOnCcA dlO 81 True ludL
the young artist, engineer, adventurer. poet
II you please, all in one-was vanquished In
stantly.
9Th fact isl the girl began hastily. Dmy
father-that's his house over yonder Ty Red
wood Park-you can see Mount Diablo from
our door-my father is AWAY from home now.
gone TO the islands for sea birds eggs-you can
see the islands out this way through the Golden
Gate. l go with him after TO-DAY. Sister went
with him to-day-wel, ] was going to say that
nobody must come to this cabin: and ! came to
tell you-to tell you thaU-that."
he had lifted his eyes to hers slowly, mod.
estly, very respectfully. That was all he did as
they stood there in the doorway with the one
little stool limping and leaning on its three
queer legs between them.
"a found the door OPEN" he began QUIETLY:
squirrels were here, coming and going by
dozens. Look there. They have been hulling
hazelnuts on the hearthstone."
He turned half way around, pointed to the
little brown heap of hulls on the hearthstone,
and then glanced uneasily at his miserable
little store of provisions and equipments on
the shelf in the corner.
"Yes, yes, oh. we can't get rid of the souri,
rels. They eat up everything. Yes. they are
neat housekeepers. They do put the bulls Of
the hazelnuls in a neat heap. but they are 40
Ro1o for all that; they eat up the wheat, the
corn, the everything; and we can't get rid Of
them"
"And so, as you can't get rid of a little brown
california squirrel. you think you can get rid
OF a big Italian ~artist?"
The man had crossed his arms on his breast
before her. frowned in mock severity, and set
his right foot down heavily on the hard-trodden
earth floor as he spoke.
BIS ease, and bis audacity. too, pleased her,
and she took the little bench at his feet and sat
down, throwing back her heavy hair as she did
so.
Nov tel me what harm 1 am doing here, or
am likely to do, and if you can make out a case,
1 will move out myJrations of dried beef and
crackers and camp pnder a redwood tree"
The girl rose quickly, and, going TO the wall
opposite, put her hand and strong shapely arm