News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-03-27
IDENTIFIED.

quick-witted and alert, the Texans hold
proud pre-eminence in the astonish-
ing readiness and dash with which they
handle their shooting irons.
Our "Piker," who was from Mis-
souri,, ha caught the Texan tricks,
and more than once he had owed his
life to his trusty, ready six-shooter; he
was now going home to his family with
the money which had required unceas-
ing and often desperate efforts to keep,
and to save from many wretch who
would commit murder with pleasure to
steal ten dollars or ten thousand.
The miner arrived safely at San
Francisco and straigh way proceeded
to branch of the st. Louis house of
Page, Bacon & Co., which louise
bought his gold dust and gave him
| therefor draft on their main banking
establishment in st. Louis, at which
city he arrived in due course of time,
| late at night.
The next morning man might have
| been seen walking with stalwart tread
| through the streets of St. Louis, the
strong breeze blowing his bronze beard
over his shoulders. There was an alb
sol bed, PARKWAY look in his steel-blue
eyes, an expression pervading his
whole person that he had left the fatal
dangers of his life behind him forever,
and was nearing tie longed-for peace
and happiness of his home.
Presently he arrived at and entered
the banking house of Page, Bacon 4
Co. With quick nod by way of sal
utation. he strobe on into the ashier's
room, and drew out an old pocket
book, took from it and threw on the
table draft from their branch bank
ing house in California.
al want the money for that draft"
he said, simply.
The cashier took IN the paper, exam
ined it closely, turned it on its back,
and saw that it was endorsed in
rough but muscular hand, with the
name of 'EAllan Brayton." Then he
spoke few words TO clerk at desk
near by. Books were opened, name
noted, and "All right, SIR" was re-
turned by the examiner.
eyes," said the cashier, eve have
had advices from our house in San
IL
rect, sir; and now all that is necessary
is for some one to identify you"
A look of dull mystifcation came
into the mans face, and in a slow
vague, questioning vtice, he repeated,
3sI-den-1-fy? L don't know what you
mean"
al mean that some one whom we
know, and you know, must declare
that this is your name on the back of
this draft, and that you are the person
who wrote it."
"Sir"-the grand form dilated, and
the blue eyes blazed-''sir, what do
you take me fora theft"
E'Oh, no; you don't understand"
'sSir, tell you Pm squar man.
Five years ago l went to the mines to
make sumthin' if could. [ moseyed
round till found pocket. 1t did not
pay out very rich; but l worked and
saved till got enough to keep the wife
and chicks decent; and then tell you
| was glad enough to get out of that
murderin' crowd; and hao to dig out
very quiet, too, just as if had perticler
bizzness round the corner. | took my
pile to your men in Frisco, who gave
me that paper, which they said was as
good as the money when showed it to
you. Now all l want you to do is to
give me my money"
"But just listen," said the cashier
earnestly, 1--WE must take the precau-
ton to have you identified. for your
sake as well as for ours. See, now, a
great many merchants come here to buy
goods to sell at the mines; don't you
think that if you look around a little
you might find some one who had seen
you there, and who would step in and
say SOP"
sLook here, Mister" answered the
miner, with a hay, wistful smile, and
pathetic shake of the head, 81 came
into this town last night. l looked
round for some face / had seen be-
fore, for / felt lonesome. / hadn't
friend. Why, felt so bad, I'd been
glad to meet some of those old coons
who used to tell us blood and thunder
stories in Alligator Gulch, tho ] knew
they were lies every one of them. And
coming here this morning, looked at
every man / met, but they were all
strangers; amt man in the hull
place that would cotton to me worth
cent. Now, you just look-a-here," he
continued, coax;ngly, "don't you go
to bein' contrary, panned-out old
settler, but just let me have my dust
My wife and my two little kids are
waiting for me. They don't want no
Identifying of me; they never hearn
3 I, Il inf fN ha
withered old man of a daddy in these
five year. I'm just the same as / were;
so now, just you give me that money,
an let me drift along"
elbow am | TO make you under
stsnd?" said the perplexed cashier.
"See here, my friend, we'll suppose a
care. Suppose away in those mining
regions, where a mans life is hardly
worth snap of the fingers, some
drunken, quarrelsome wretch had
killed You, and, assuming your name
with your money, he had got the draft
from our house in San Francisco and
came here TO have it cashed. Suppose
we believed him and cashed the DRAFT
Afterward it is discovered that you
have been murdered, and the wretch
who had killed you has disappeared
with your money. Your poor wife
and children, to whom it would rightly
belong, are in great want, and the rea-
son she has lost it is that we neglected
to make sure that it was really her
husband and their father who had
come with the draft. Don't you see
that for your sake and their sakes we
must know that you are the man you
represent yourself to be?"
AT this point the good cashier laid
one hand kindly on the miners arm,
and rested the other on his shoulder,
the more strongly to impress his
words.
E'But, in the name of the great Ce-
sar," said the discouraged miner, chow
am / ever to get home! Look a-herc,
stranger, I've given you plain state
ment of Atwood facts about myself.
I'm Allan Brayton! Pm no murderer!
Why, my young ones'd know me in a
minute. They'd come r'Dnin' and
singin' up to me so sTLeC and clipper
that the birds would stop and listen;