The morning call., 1893-05-28
Paris or the Pines.
BY JOAQUIN MILLER.

AA city. Then you know the honest
fellow went back TO visit his old
Maine lumber town in The pines OF Maine; and
there he met her; black-eyed pretty petite,
anu a.. ambitions as BOnaparte. She married
him. | say she married him advisedly. In
fact, 1t Is the woman who mGrries the man, as
rule. 1t is not popular 10 say this. but 1t IS
true, especially OF old Cafornians. We used
to have an old song in the mines with this
couplet for chorus:
For woman can do more with man
Than a King and whole armee.
And oh, now TO grt out of that lumber camp
and out of that lumber cabin where she was
born. and never see it or the lie of It again!
She took him TO Paris; the rich California
lumber merchant. They always prefix rich TO
California Then she dropped "lumber." Then
she dropped 'mercbant" For, To- merchants
do not go TO court in Europe. He was now
simply Colonel John BrOthern. rich Callfor-
nian.
And how miser Bile they were in Paris; how
splendidly mi=erabe--he in trying to Keep his
lumber above water here, she in trying TO keep
her pretty little mead bright in the social
waters there. But she managed spleDdldly.
Why the day their boy baby was year old an
old French Duke. an old English lord AID an
old American gen-ral all called. All, her
son would be monsieur! He would speak
Freuch; he would be able to say
trade grew better and they could keep a car
rage. But it grew worse. Rival companies,
til u that shipwreck, you may remember it;
and John Brothern came back without ship or
money 10 open a lumber camn up on the south
side of Mount Shasta; leaving the proud and
ambitious little wife to revel in the glory OF her
beloved Paris on what remittance, by hard
toll and close economy. he could send.
Five wears, tenl And then dark strange
stories came 10 her in Paris of an old hairy
hermit on mOuntainSde; her husband.
And yel not quite hermit, for little brown
boy was with him Then Wild visions of The
brown LADS Indian mother. And with her son
she started at once.
AT last then, she was coming! The great
big heart of the great big lumberman was in
his throat. He hurried away with the Indian
boy. Toddles or Tod" through the dense
woods TO meet his spouse and her PHrisian son,
with a heart as light as feather. He saw her.
He knew her pIetty face from tn dimple in
her chin. A radiant beauty still, polite, pi oud.
Vassar chrome. he rushed forward, whip
IN hand, and threw out his huge arms Tue
man of nature and the woman OF culture stood
face TO face.
She did not stir. nor speak, nor lift a hand.
COldly, suavely and entirely seif.possessed she
stood second and calmly counted the loss or
gain Of what she should do or say. and then,
shifting her pink para -ol and resting her right
hand she cried. with pretty exclamation and
with just the least BIT of F. ench accent, John
Brohern!' And that was all. The man of the
wids has real pride; The woman of tile city too
often has only vanity.
As lie drove Dack through tn black. wild
woods and ferns and clouds OF colored butter
fes she talked to her son In French. but the
man was silent.
When they drew up at the door of the pine
log cabin the little lady from Paris saw 10 her
dSmay that II an exact copy of The one in
which she was born. She caught her breath
and pr ssed the finger ends of her left hand so
tightly IN her ralm that ii almost sta ted the
blood through her thin French gloves, while
her right hand held the parasol SO tigh ly that
IL trembled Was she never TO escape the
memories and the reprOach of that pine woods
lOgging-eamp? Even he dirty tin basin on a
low black stump, the dirty bit of plain soap in
dirty ardine-b box, the dirty basin II full of
dirty, soapy waier. The dirty towel on roller
by lie door, the dirty doursl ep, the dirty grass
growing at the sides, he very sunflowers at the
end OF tie cabin seemed dirty, SO exactly were
they like those of Maine.
When he got down at the cabin door he
lifted her out, taking care not 10 touch her
clothes, and then, turning abeut, he mex took
the Indian boy tenderly from out the wagon.
Th he lifted down her son.
Her brow darkened, but again she began to
distinctly sum up and calculate, and coldy
measure every look aud word and deed
How she regretted having come. How
ashamed of all the dismal surroundings. Bu
like guod general, who suddenly finds himself
In ambush, she kept her senses well in lac.
She had come o California for her sons fortune.
She must not fail of that. The son In a minute
was happy with the half Indian chasing but
terfes, Hing back 10 the California qnails
that with casqGe and helmet ana noddiug
flumes whiStIed through The Wild flower, and
The woods. Very hungry they all sal down TO
supper. Old othern was almost happy, aud
began to talk of Maine.
She lifted up the pretty dimple ia her chin
and looked out nd over and away as If be
talked OF something she had never seen or
known. And when the pretty dimpe dropped
to Its natural position her pretty brows drew
closer together. "a II thin ing about the pres
ence of TIL little brown boy at the table by The
side OF her son.
Eyes. yes there is woman around!" The
pretty brows ran together again IN consulta-
ton; and his was he verdict 8 old Brothern
drew out the irundle bed ana began To dress
II" with snow-whue linen for he lad of Paris.
And seeing that his morller was weary from
the long ride by rail and The rough drive in lhe
ranch wagon through the solemn woods he
helprd him uudress and then tucked him away
tendery. the little Indian boy helping silently.
Then he drew down NOR fresh linen from
shelf in the corner aud still more carefully
dress ed the larger bed.
''Yes. yes there Is woman, and she is up
az the mill"
he had taken the Indian boy by the hand,
turned 10 the door and then turned back, after
having lighted The candle and >et IL by her he'd
He kepl the greaf sigh suppressed but only by
Fastening to The door ana out into the NOON
light, saying as he passed, holding tight on the
lille Drown hand: II Will lie right here In the
hay by the horses. YOU'RE as safe as if in old
Maue. Gooa-night."
She was ve3y weary-weary In sbody and
weary in mind. She cleSed the door. Then
kissing the sleeping boy she was soon in bed.
the moon poking pretty White finger through
chink in tie wall straight at the dimple IN
her chin, where she lay on the fragrant bed OF
hay.
She drew in long breath, the gathered lines
ci her br0ws went their WAYS; and somehow
heaven came surely TO her side. She pushed
herself out full length; laid her weary arms
wide out without knowing II and rested there
as the great moon grew higher and higher and
whittier than she had ever seen Is before, and
hen she tried to remember il she had really
ever seen the moon since leaving the woods of
Maine. And then a moment laIer she was
go back 10 Maine again.
No! she must secure he object of her visit
here and escape he woods and a thought of
the woods forever.
"Yes; he said al supper that his Indians
caught and brought him the fine trout the
cream for the tea, the bu ter the milk, all from