The San Francisco call., 1905-02-26


much harm of her as of some that's
more quiet. You'n meet her, l guess,
if you're goin' to stay at Yorba, for
she's got big house in the redwoods
and knows a lot of the hotel folks
and the Bohemian Club fcllers. l like
her. She rides this way once a year
or so. and we have good chin about
politics. She knows thing or two,
you bet, and she believes in Grover"
How old is she? And why doesn't
she marry?" asked Give idly, as
they walked UP the road.
She's twenty-six. and she's goin'
to nnarry-a Moo York feller; one of
offers, l guess. Three of your lords,
I know OF. But lords don't stand
much show with Californy girls-them
as was raised here, anyhow. They
don't give a damn for titles, and they
scent a fortune-hunter before he's off
the dock. They've put their heads
together and talked him over before's
money. SO l guess he's all right. Be
you d lord ?"
i am not. / am a barrister. and
the son of barrister."
What may that be?"
Il believe you call it lawyer out
here"
"O-h-h-a lawyers a gay bird.
am ne Anu uOn ne nave a goOO
timer" The old man chuckled.
Il never found them different from
other men. What do You mean?'
ours are rippers. I've been in
Californy since AZ, and 1 could spin
some yarns that would make your
hair curl, young man. Lord, Lord,
the old ones were tough. The young
ones amt quite so bad, but they're
doing their best
California is rather wild place,
isn't it?"
1T was. It's quietin' down now,
and IL amt near so interestin'. Jack
Belmont, that there young lady's
father, was a lawyer when he first
come here, but he struck it rich in
warn't he a ripper. Oh, LordI He
was a terror. But he done his duty
by his girl; had her eddicated in Paris
and Moo York, and never let no one
cross her. He was as fine lookin'
a man as / ever seen, almost as tall
and clean made as you be, and awful
open-handed and popular. although a
terrible enemy. He's shot his man
twice over, they say, and / believe it.
His wife died ten years before him.
She was fond of him, too, poor thing,
and he made no bones about bein' un-
faithful TO her-they don't out here.
A mans no good if you can't tell
yarn or two about him. Well, Jack
Belmont died five years ago and left
about a million dollars to his girl.
He'd had long sight more, but she
was lucky to git that. They say as
how she was awful broke UP when he
died.
You're a regular old chronique
scandaleuse," said Give, much inter.
ested. What sort of social position
has this Miss Belmont? Is she re-
ceived %
Received? Glory, man-why, her
father was a Southern gent-Mary-
land, as 1 remember. and her mother
was from Boston. They led society
here in the sixties: they're one of the
old families of Californy. That's the
reason Miss Belmont does as she
damned pleases, and nobody dares say
boo--that and the million. She's an
cient aristocracy, she is. Received
oh, Lordi"
Give. much amused, asked, What
does she do that is so dreadful?''
"Oh, she's been engaged about ff-
teen times; she rides about the coun-
try in boys clothes, and sits up all
night under the trees at Del Monte
tallsin' to a man. or gives all her
dances to one man at a party and
then cuts him the next day on the
street; and when she gets tired of
people comes UP here without even
her aunt. She used to run to fires,
but she gave that up some years ago.
She travels about the country for
weeks without chaperon, and once
went camping alone with five
men. Sometimes she'll fill her
house up with men for
week, and not have no other
woman, savin' her aunt. Lately she's
more quiet, they say, and has become
a terrible reader. Last winter she
stayed up here for three months alone.
/ hear as how people talked. But I
didn't sec nothin. She's all right, or
my name amt 10 Bagly. Well, here
You arc, sir. Good luck to We! Keep
10 the road and don't strike off on any
of them side trails, and you can't go
wrong. Evenin'."
Give went into the dark forest.
What the old man had told him of
Miss Belmont had quickened his. i'm
agination, and he speculated about
her for some moments: then his
thoughts wandered to his English
betrotbed. He had not seen her for
two years. Her mothers health fail
ing, her father had taken his family
to Southern California. A year later
Mrs. Gordon had died and her hus-
band, having bought ranch in which
he was much interested. had written
to Give that he wanted his eldest
daughter for another year; by that
time her sister would have finished
school and could take her place as
head of the household. Lately he
and Mary had felt the debilitating
influence of the southern climate and
had gone to the redwoods of the