The San Francisco call., 1899-10-22

Cling to keep the "reminiscences N
straight line.
He did-but wait"
stood corrected. 1t was not my turn
yet TO tell the story.
He stayed in Europe a long time and
when he came back 1 was with the deaf
old maid. He learned where 1 was and
he came to see me, but she locked me
in a back room and told him that l had
gone away She was bound to keep me.
1 heard what went on and 1 resolved from
that day to find Mr. Chambers and tell
him how l was treated.
Il wrote him a letter on a long ribbon
Of paper-the only stationery I could find.
I pinned it in the front of my little low
necked dress, with the pin on the out
side. l was waiting for chance to send
it.
"See how things happen. The old maid
wanted n pin and she saw that one on the
front of my dress. She told me to give 1t
to her, and as I did so the paper slipped
and rustled and poked a corner out. She
was suspicious of the least thing, so she
clutChed at the paper and l clutched too,
and l managed to bite off little bits Of 1t
IN the struggle. But there was enough
left for her to make out, and when she
knew what l was about she made matters
worse than ever for me.
If 1 should see the wicked old maid
come upon the stage and happen to want
q pin at the critical moment and hap
pen to light upon the critical pin, l should
wax blase and I should snap at the
dramatist for a man of cheap device.
But if 1 can look into Mrs. Chambers
wide eyes and doubt, then is the moon
made of green cheese and the earth as
fiat as a dinner plate.
"Of course, he came and took you away
from her." l pushed on, shifting a fairy
prince ladder afar
No; 1 ran away instead. I took my
little dresses and the Polly and 1 escaped
Then I managed to send Mr.. Chambers
word and he soon took care of me. He
put me with a Mrs. Bates, who kept
house on the HILL and there 1 lived un-
til 1 was IA years Old
Il was very happy.
When l was Il Mr.. Chambers and 1
were married. He was 43 years old and
l only a child. but that never mattered
to me- He was always like husband and
father both. We were so happy"
1 watched my patent leather tip
dawdling with the tiger tail on the floor.
The questions stood abashed. l firted
Imply with the bisque serenader on the
shelf The woman before me was strug-
Cling like mad with a jerking lower lip. l
would have slipped thankfully through
any loophole of escape, and the four
winds take the rest of the story.
Then relief came where / least looked
for 1t. For with the majesty of her race
she drew a tight rein and went on
my husband lived almost eighteen
years after our marriage. His wealth,
which was great at the time l married
him, increased through the years, and we
lived in luxury. / had everything 1
wanted before l had chance to want 1t.
"Mr. Chambers owned property every
where and of all kinds His buildings
were all over San Francisco-buildings
that YOU could not find stone or
shingle of now. The rentals from these
amounted to $4S50 a month. His ranch
lands stretched all around. There were
acres and acres in the San Joaquin Val
lev. and at one time the whole of what
was then the San Pablo ranch was his.
He had mining stocks and water
shares-at the time when the water rate
was $50 per month. 1t was because of
this interest that Mr.. Sharon managed
+o get nv water rate reduced after l was
left destitute.
"Did Mr.. Chambers acquire all his
wealth in Californian
Yes. the whole Of It. He came here In
40 with Mr.. Parrott-John Parrott. He
was without means then.
s'But California proved lucky land to