Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-01-10

observed stranger approach and ride
up TO the door of my shanty. He was
mounted upon a powerful iron gray
horse, and drove a pack mule and an
Indian pony.
Ny name was on an deliberately paint
ed single over the door. 1t was my
own handiwork, and quite lion in that
region. l felt whenever l inspected
that bit Of high art that, fail or win at
the mine, l had a resource. Indeed,
my Pike neighbors seemed to consider
that l was unjustiiably burying my
artistic talents. Many not unseemly
octagonal slug, with Moffatt & Co.'s i'm
primatur of value, had been offered me
If would paint up some miners hell,
as The True Paradise" or 1.-THE Shades
and Caffy de Paris"
The newcomer read my autograph on
the single, looked about, caught sight
Of me az work in the hot shade, dis
mounted, fastened his horses, and came
toward ne. 1t was not the fashion in
California at that time TO volunteer CT
Witty or acquaintance. Men had TO an
nounCe themselves and prove their
claims. / sat where l was and surveyed
the stranger.
THE Adonis OF the copperskins" l
said TO myself. This is the Young
Eagle or the Sucking Dove, or the
'Maiden's Bane,' or some other great
chief of the cleanest Indian tribe on the
continent A beautiful youth! o Feni-
more, why are you dead? There are
dozen romances in one look OF that
young brave. One chapter might be
written on his fringed leggings, with
their stripe of porcupine quilts, and one
short chapter on his moccasins, with
their scarlet cloth instep piece, and his
cap OF otter fur decked with an eagles
feather. What poem the fellow Is! l
wish | was an Indian myself for such
companions; or, better, squaw, to be
made love TO by him"
As he approached, preceived that he
was not copper, but bronze. a paleface
certainly. That is, pale face t!nged
by the braZen sun Of California sum-
mer. Not less handsome, however, as
Saxon, than an Indian brave. As soon
as l identified him as one OF my own
race, began TO fancy | had seen him
before.
If he were but shaved and clipped,
black coated, booted, gloved, HATED
with shiny cylinder, diSarned OF his
dangerous looking arsenal, and armed
with plaything OF cane-in short, II
he were metamorphosed from a knight
Grant into a carpet knight, changed
from a smooth rough into smooth
smooth-seems TO me / should know
him, or know that l had known him
once.
He came up, laid his hand Familiarity
on nv arm and said: What Wade?
Don't you remember me? John Brent. y
~ hear your voice. begin to see
you now. Hurrah"
How was it | did not recognize you?'
said I, after a fraternal greeting.
Ten years have presented me with
this for Disguise" said he, giving his
mustache a twrl. Ten years OF eX-
perience have taken all the girl out Of
me-
what have you been doing these ten
years since college, o many sided man.
"Grinding my sides against the ada
mant, every one"
has y Upl uldluOuu OCb vi w SSS 10 -
and shine?"
The polishing dust dims it STILL"
Glow have you found life, Kind or
cruel?"
Certainly not kind, hardly cruel, un-
less Indifference is cruelty"
but indifference, want Of sympathy,
must have been a positive relief after
he aggressive cruelty of your younger
days
And what have you been doing,
Richard?"
"Everything that Yankees do-diE-
ging last"
Odd talk this may seem, to hold with
an old friend. Ten years apart! We
ought to have met in merrer mood.
We might, if we had parted with happy
memories. But it was not so. Youth
had been harsh season 10 Brent. IL
fate destines man TO teach, she com
pelS him to learn-bitter lessons, too,
whether he will or no. Brent was a
man OF genius. All experience, there
fore, piled itself upon him. He must
| learn the immortal consultations by prob
ing all suffering himself.
TO BE CONTINUED.