The Portland daily press., 1899-11-20
ONE INSTITUTE
story OF q Girl who Made n Mis-
take.
BY n. W. PATTON.

y
cling along In blackboard, called a
stage for courtesy, on a lonely road near
the border of Mexico and about>G co miles
from San Diego. The driver. named
Charley, was an honest faced, sturdy and
good natured fellow, about 30 years old
somewhat weather beaten, but good to
look at withal.
We crawled along over the dusty road,
enlivening the way with conversation,
principally sustained by the driver. Sud-
denly l saw Charley's face cloud up.
and, looking ahead, l beheld a vision
which was pure, unadulterated lowell
ness to a man who had seen nothing for
months but dark skinned Mexicans and
brick dust colored squaws. She was a
blond and peach.
As we passed she smiled sweetly on
Charley and gave him a fash of her
eyes and the winningest OF bows. Charley
only grunted and whipped up his horses.
The fountain of conversation seemed
to have dried up, but at the end Of
ten mile silence, when my thoughts were
far away, Charley blurted out, "She can
20 to thunder! l was startled. as the
girl incident had slipped my memory.
Continuing, he said That girl could
shorely had my whole outfit, but she's
about two miles from where we met her,
and I've been haulin her back and forth
fer nigh on to ten months. sides bringin
out bundles and things from Sandyago
fer her
'She alters smiled on to me sweet enuh
to make hound pup leave his milk, and
swan, she uster chin bout my noble
brow and brawny arm and how nice IT
would be to have big, strong man-with
stage and mail route-to protect her.
Zone day she cum out to the stage and
Civ me a big bundle and asst me to leave
II at laundry in Sandyago. Well, sir,
II was only wrapped In ole newspapers,
and hole got busted in the paper, and
what do you think / seed stickin outf
1t war white thing with lace on to it,
which the same I'd seen a little of when
she'd lifted up her dress to cline into my
ole wagon and which alters made me feel
dizzy and gone. likes il war on a steep
grade, goin down without brake and
with heaven at the other end.
"Well, sir, covered that piece of pet
ticut up the same as il it had been a
sleepin child, and the worst pang of ny
blasted life was when l Civ 1t into the
hands of yellow son OF gun at the
washhouse. l took the bundle, which
was about four times bigger, back with
me on the next trip, and Dora-that's the
name OF that there whitewashed sepul-
cher OF schoolteacher-said, 'Oh,
Chawley, l'in goin to Sandyago tomor-
row to tend the institoot, and won't we
have a nice long ride togetherp
~ grinned and said I'd be on time, and
you bet had the ole blackboard cleaned
up, and them hosses shone like a silk
waist l onct saw on to Dora. i had a
sope box under the seat, too, and into
that box war a suit Of clo'es, the best
that 81 Gaskell had in his store at Cam
po. 1t war a beautiful suit, sorter white
and black plaid. with few dashes of
red here and green there. You see,
was afraid Dora 'ud be lonesome down
in that big city 'mong strangers, and /
made up my mind to beau her round a
spell when she warn't workin at the in
stitoot and sorter peek her up and give
her some of them Manhattan cocktails
and gin fzzes which all them Sandyago
gals takes TO like ducks duz to water.
Mother thing, I'd most made up my mind
to asst Dora to take my noble brow,
strong arm, 10 bronchos. $1,000 I'd saved
up and a ranch in Jamul, and / wanted
to be drest purity slick when done 1t.
"Next mornin l got along early, and
there stood Dora by the road lookin
sweeter'n any wild flower l ever seed.
She had on a white dress with pink spots,
jest like cherry blossoms. and she had a
hat biggern a Mexican sombrero with a
whole field of poppies on to it. l tell you,
stranger, / felt jest like layin down thar
In the dust and lettin that gal tramp all
over me with her little feet. / knowed
had no business to be ridin along on the
same seat with her, and started to help
her into the hind seat; but, bless your
soul, she gathered her dress around her.
shown bout foot of white stuff and
bout an inch of black stockin, and flop
ped on to the front seat as clipper as a
bluebird.
"I'll never forgit that ride so long as
live. Dora was full of chatter and was
nicer to me than she'd ever bin. l tried
TO offer her them brows and arms and
things, but every time she'd look at me
my heart 'u'd 60 down into my butes and
refuse to come up ag'in.
"When we got to Sandyago. took her
to the place she war goin to stop and
then went and put up my hosses.
After supper l dressed myself up In
that star suit of mine, found out whar
the insttoot was bein hen and started
out to comfort that little gal who was in
among all them strangers.
yum " n Dis OullQin WndE tuhr war
lights a-shinin and fiddles a-goin, and
thought / must a-got into the wrong
pew. But braced up stairs, opened the
door, and thar saw the durndest site
of my life. The room was full Of vim
men in white dresses. with flowers on to
EN-. and actually some of them wimmin
didn't seem to be more'n half drest. They
looked 8 IL they'd bin scufflin and got
their duds torn often 'em. The men war
a measly let of fellers with common
black clo'es on, same 3 niger walters
wear. knowed war heap site better
drest'n any Of 'em.
II was hinder dazed at first. but finally
j got my eyes on to Dora, and I'm jig
gered IL she warn't caperin around the
room in the arms Of dod blasted. pipe
stem legged, curly headed son Of a gun.
And she had less clo'es on to the upper
part OF her than any gal In the room