The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-03
LID man doicher sat at the door
lof Ills ropd .liolise. smoking
A corr col, pipe and study
lux over Il stttol,ltni III The
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li'E over np'o ~ az - sa AN
Era ncIsco Chronicle. The landscape lay
beaten tlat and gray under the rctrcatllls
sunshine 81 Santa Clara, the hottest.
fklndcst sun that smiles on CALIFORNIA
l'le oil Mo Of gracn frhit trees, bending
like wecpisg willows Under their llair-
Il ,pe loads, stretched back 10 tho NOUN
tana. rho sun dropped low and lower.
Old man Gocher Hatered and fed the
stock. then built a tire III the kitchen
range and Net thin bcefsteak frying ~
water. lie laid Tie table for one ~ w g
kitchen, dladalhlng t1o WHITE , p,as.erte 60
dining room Of his llttle Inn There ne
ate. Yoolsing dtt across The orchards 70
tic lights OF the city Of San Jose. Just
beginning To twinkle In the dusk ana Us
lie looked lie shook Ills head as ore who
ponders something quite beyond his uh Z
Outstanding.
1TThe nirht fcli darker Then n blaze
OF red ire glowed between the electric
lights. q rocket mounted and ratt US
stately course skyward. ffs fancled he
could almost hear the distant Hound 81
cheering and the poufping Of brass bands.
After flna! examination Nof his STOCK.
the nla inan pulled down the shutters
and began TO prepare Tor bed
Just then a wheel scraped on the bll
u
mood for patrons now, Eolcher kept
quiet listening for The Knocking on the
door to cease. fnstcad.git grew tnomen-t
,ariiv more violent. and then he heard
m easy, iinpr,idcnt voice saying: M s@
Darned L ] don't believe ne went e 20
the Fiesta after all. Well. we'll have to
annex the house and lott
Not n1y lio,,sc, sou WON'T! shouted
tho proprielor through the door. bctray-
Ing himself by his sudden rage.
..IIcllo! thoaght we could make got,
loosen up said the voice, az the old man
opened the door as n NJ II
Golcher turned The reflector Of his coal
: oil lamp upon the visitor. and saw Il
large easily bntlt lad Of perhaps twenty
four years. From under his cap shock
~ warm. Irish hair struggled toward ne
light. At first sight YOU realized that ne
we're glad Of t.. His chin was asgres-
n siyc. his nose lmpudent and his eyes
alert and merry.
Gro proceed 10 business" he began;
"can you put me onto the course trod
5,hls evening by the fairy feet OF Mrs.
Gocher? take It that she no y "a. a.
horne, and that you represent the ram
ily."1
,.oh, certainly, anything YOU want. OF
* course! Bless you. my child, take my
wife, take the helIse. take the COW, tax
the prune orchard, but kindly leave me
the Olu apple Tree over III lHe#'oAh ~
cause my father planted n sald Gptcher,
sarcasm seeming to him TO be the only
,css,ble defense "But II II amt too
much tro,iDie, would YOU please let me
IN on who 1t Is that's succecdin' mo IN
the affections OF Bee Golcher?'
Certainly, said the d-haired lna,
~ am proprietor. general manager ana
advance agent Of the worst managed
ranch between San jose and Campbell 9.
nnd the proud author Of forthcoming
work on How to Fall in Prunc Farm
IL ing
..Irron tile description" sajd old Golcf1-
or. that would be the Parrish place.
Ting, ting. bull, s-eye! salu ihe
stranger in assent.
THE old woman's at her Aunt Helens,
an. II you can get her. It's moren can
do" said Gochcr
The lad opened the door and called ont
to7 a city hack which was standing IN
front OF the road house. Mrs. Win
n,on' g. stral light ahead for a half milel
third gate To THE iaft?" he said. 'feil
Mrs C;olrhcr that tho cows got the coiic.
TEL her Bill G6lchei's been elected 70 the
Assembly. and wants to begin rejoicing;
Tell her anything, ! want her, ana
r:o,cber wants her: he don't know 1t yet,
but he will in a minute
Sitting with Indignant astonlshnent.
Gochcr reached for buug starter Inc
yo1ing man put his hand in his POCKET
and drew out a heap OF gold pieces. one
Nv one he strung them out on the bar
,intiI h. had counted five cleaning eagles,
saying: n,
tonight, that is for the hire OF this house
tll&nocn to- morrow" He laid down an
other. THAT Is for Mrs. Golcher.
Another. THAT Is for the good will Of
56 the concern"
."rnis is respectable house,
old Golcher began.
This deal is straight and pcrrendicu-
lar in every respect. It's on the double
dead level and so strictly correct that
we've sent FOR q cliaperon, That's why
| dispatched tile courier OF the czar for
Mrs G. Chaperons are scarce III Fiesta
9, times but we have gone to this expense
10 have the best In tile county. shes
known to be copper shentehcd ninety
proof and comes to lis highly recommend
cd by the elite OF Golchorville. Prithee,
am singing on the key? DO you find
my pipe upside down? Arc you with us
or forninst us? Speak. or forever after.
hold your peace"
II guess you can count me In, said
Colchcr as no swept the gold into the
cash drawer
"Nucli obliged" said the youth. you're
all right, II You do have fits. Il
II guess can afford To SGT EN- up, on
the strength Of that" said Golcher, as he
pushed alrgc hottie across the counter.
"lIavc one on the house lie set out
two glasses.
"Wcl," said the newcomer here's to
Mrs, william g. Golcher, She's the
Pearl OF Picking and the roscnte five
pointed star OF the sixty ,nfth magnitude.
Long may she wHve! And II Is my giori-
Gus hope that when she daWns on tho
horizon OF r. Parrish. Esd, she u prove
te be as good follow as you are
"Wcll dunno. Mis- Golcher's some
times considered an ACQUIRED taste, She
was to mo, any way. II takes time to I'M.
derstand her. But Shea the Kind that
grows on YOU II you know what mean
~ do not. IN very trtlth.' said Tie lad
but It sounds horrible. What d'you
mean? Say, | hope she won't veto this
treaty What you say goes, don't Az
mo sir!N said Golcher, 1T don't go
an eighth Of an inch II the old lady don't
like the smell Of II! WAS twelve years
slgnin contracts for myself and repil-
diatin' 'em for Mrs. Golcher before