The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-18

her father. He rose, and. crossing over ia
Hookcrs table, clapped him heartily on
the hack.
"How do. Hooker9 1 didn't recognize
you in them fine clothes. but Phoebe
guessed as how it was you
Flushed, disconnected, irritated-but al.
ways in wholesome awe of Mr.. Hopkins
Jim returned his greeting awkwardly and
half Historically. How he would have re-
ceived the more tlmid Phoebe is another
question. But Mr.. Hopkins, without ap-
parently noticing these symptoms, went
on: We're only just down-Phnsbe and
old times, we'll come alongside o. you.
Hold on and I'll fetch her."
The interval gave the unhappy Jim a
chance to recover himself, to regain his
vanished cuffs, display his heavy watch
chain. curl his inustache and otherwise re.
sumo his air Of blase fastidiousness. But
the transfer made, Phoebe, after shaking
hands, became speeches. under these per-
fectlons. Not so her father.
IF there's anything in looks You seem
to be prospering," he said, grimiy. ''unless
you're in the tailorin' line and you're only
shown Oft stock. What mout We be do
ingg"
reckon 2" suggested Jim. with patronizing
mo, we only came this morning." re-
turned Hopkins.
"And you amt bin to the theater ?"
continued Jim.
.Nor moved much in-in--gin'ra FASH
nable sassiety?"
mot yet. 'interposed Phoebe, with an
air of faint apology.
Nor seen any of them large posters on
the fences Of The Prairie Flower or Red
Handed Dick'-three act play with five
tabieaux-just the biggest sensation out
runnin' for forty nights-money turned
away every night-standin' room only, ("
continued Jim with prolonged toiesation.
'sNo."
swell, I play Red Handed Dick.
Thought you might have seen it and rec
ognized me. All those present over
there"-darkly indicating the long table
know me. A fellow can't stand it. you
know, being stared at by such a vulgar.
low.bred lot. It's gettin' too fresh here,
I'll have to give the landlord notice and
cut the whole hotel. They don't seem to
sional before"
"Then you're play actor now {" said
the farmer in q tone which did not, how
ever, exhibit the exact degree of admira-
ton which shone in Phebe's eyes.
'.For the present." said Jim with lofty
AuOlucEcuC0. on see 1-WdS-1n-ln
partnership with McClosky, the manager,
and didn't like the style of the chump
that was doin' Red Handed Dick, so I
offered to take his place one night to show
him how. And by links! the audience,
after that night, wouldn't let any body else
play it; wouldn't stand even the biggest.
highest priced star in it! reckon" he
darned thing in all the big towns in
CaiifOrnia-if l don't have to go
the business. But it's an awful grind
on a man--leaves him no time. along of
the invitations he gets, and what with
being run after in the streets and stared at
in the hotels he don't get no privacy.
table that jist lie in wait for me here till I
come, and don't lift their eyes off me. I
wonder they don't bring their opery
glasses with them"
Concerned, sympathizing and indig-
nant poor Phoebe turned her brown head
and honest eyes in that direction.
But because they were honest they
table did not seem to be paying the
slightest attention to the distinguished
impersonater of Red Handed Dick.
Perhaps he had been overheard.
"Then that was the reason We didn't
come back to your location. I always
guessed it was because you'd got wind Of
the smash-up down there afOre we did,"
said Hopkins, grimly.
what smash-up?" asked Jim, with
slightly resentfui quickness.
"Why, the smash up of the Sisters ii.
tie. Didn't you hear that7''
There was slight movement of relief
and q return of hauteur in Jim's manner.
on in the COW counties up here"
Eye mout. considerin' it concerns some
O. your friends, J" returned Hopkins. dryly.
"For the Sisters title went smash as
soon as it was known that Pedro Valdez,
the man as started it, had his neck broken
outside the walls o. Robes rancho, and
they do say as this yer Brant, your friend.
had suthin' to do with the breakin' of
ghost Of old Peyton. Anyhow there
was such big skeer that
one of the Greaser gang, who thought he'd
seen the ghost, being Papist. to save his
everlasting soul, went to priest and con-
fessed. But the priest wouldn't give him
absolution until he'd blown the hull
turned out that all the dockyments for the
title-and even the custom house paper
were forged by Pedro Valdez, and put on
the market by his confederates. And
that's just were your friend Clarence
Brant comes in, for he bought up the
whole title from them fellers. Now either,
IS some say. he was in the fraud from
the beginnin' and never paid anything.
or else he was an all-round fool, and had
parted with his money like one. Some
allow that the reason was that he
was awfully sweet on Mrs. Peyton'a
adopted daughter, and ez the parents
didn't approve of him. he did this SO a. to
get hoit over them by the property. But
he's q ruined man anyhow now, for they
say he's such a darned fool that he's goin'
to pay for all the improvements That the
folks who bought under him put into the
land, and that'il take his last cent.
thought I'd tell you that, for I suppose
you've lost heap in your improvements,
and will put in your claim"
81 reckon put nearly as much into it
as Clair Brant did," said Jim, gloomjly,
"but l amt goin' to take cent from him,
or go back on him now" The rascal
could not resist this last mendacious OPP
pOrtunity, although he was perfectly sim
cere in his remuneration, touched in his
sympathy, and there was even q film Of
moisture in his shifting eyes.
Phoebe was thrilled with the generosity
of this noble being, who could be unsel-
fish even in his superior condition. she
added softly: and they say that the girl
did not care for him at all, but was actu-
stopped her and sent for Mrs. Peyton."
To her surprise Jim's face flushed vio-
lently. "It's all dod-blasted lie," he
said in thick stage whisper. "It's Only
the hog-wash them Greasers and Pike
county galoots ladle out to each other
around the stove in q country grocery.
But" recalling himself loftily and with a
tolerant wave of his bediamond hand,
''wot kin you expect from one Of them
n IN