The San Francisco call., 1905-02-26

CHAPTER I.
~ the train stopped for the
q abruptly.
Il think I'll walk the rest
of the way" he said to the
conductor. Just look after my port
manteau, win you? and see that 1t is
left at Yorba with my boxes"
20 K" said the man. But you
must like walking"
Give had spent seven days on the
ocean, three in the furious energy OF
New York, AND six on a transcontinen-
tai train, whose discomforts made him
wonder if he had a moral right to
enter the embarrassing state of mat
rimony with a temper hopelessly
soured. AS he had come to Califor-
mia to marry, and as his betrothed
was at a hotel in the northern red
woods, he did not pause for rest in
San Francisco. He left, two hours
after his arrival. on a narrow gauge
train, which dashed down precipitous
mountain slopes; shot rocking from
side to side, about curves on a road
so narrow that the brush scraped the
windows, or the eye looked down into
the blackness Of canyon, five hun
dred feet below; raced shrieking
swing midway between heaven and
earth; only to siacken, with protest.
ing snort and jerk, when climbing to
some dizzier height. Give had stood for
an hour on the platform, fascinated
by the danger and the bleak solemnity
Of the forests, whose rigid trunks
and short, stiffiy pointed arms looked
as il they had not quivered since
time began. But he felt that he had
had enough, moreover, that he had
not drawn an uncompanioned breath
since he left England. If he was not
possessed by the graceful impatience
Of the lover, he reminded himself
that he was tired and nervous and
had been obliged to go dirty for six
days-enough to knock the romance
out Of any man; the ubiquitous hui
man animal had talked necessarily for
sixteen days, and has legs ached for
want Of stretching.
A twisted old man with sharp eye,
a rusty beard deepening aimlessly
from thin. tobacco-stained mouth,
limped across the platform, rolling a
flag. Give asked him if he could
get TO the Yorba Hotel on foot.
The man stared. well. you be an
Englishman, guess" he remarked.
'Yes, am an Englishman," said
Give, heartily.
"Oh, no offense, but the way you
English do walk beats US. We amt
none too fond of walkin' in Californy.
Too many mountains, I guess. Yes,
you kin walk it, and / guess you'll
have to. There goes your train.
Stranger in these parts?''
i arrived in California to-day"
$50. Coin TO raise cattle, or just
sein the wonders of the Gold
State?"
viii you kindly point out the way?
And I should like to send a dispatch
to the hotel, if possible"
"Oh. sutenly. We don't think much
OF English MANNERS in these parts.
don't mind sayin'. You English act
as if you owned God Almighty when
you come out here. You forget we
licked ye twice. Come after Californy
heiress ?''
Give felt an impulse to throw the
man over the trestle, then laughed.
Il beg your pardon" he said. "I
am sorry my manners are bad, but the
truth is my head is tired and my legs
are not. Come, show me the way"
Being further Modified by a silver
dollar. the old man replied graciously.
"All right, sir. Just amuse yourself
while I send your telegram and fetch
a dark lantern. You'll need it, The
moons doin' well, but the tops of
them redwoods knit together and are
as close as roof"
Give walked idly about the little
walting-roon. The walls were decor
ated with illustrated weekly news
papers and the gratuitous lithograph.
John L. Sullivan, looking, under the
softening influence OF the weekly ar
tist; as if sculptured from mush.
glowered across at Corbett, who dis
played his muscles In a dandi1ed at
titude. There were also several litho-
graphs OF pretty. rather elegant look
ing girls Give noticed that one had
a rude frame of young redwood
branches about 1t, and occupied the
post OF honor at the head of the
room. He walked over and exam
ined 1t As well as he could by the light
OF tee smoking lamp.
The head was in profile, severe in
outline, as classic as the modern head
ever is. The chin was lifted proudly,
the ncstrils looked capable of expan-
sion. The brow and eyes suggested
intellect. the lower part OF the face
pride and self-will and passion, per-
haps undeveioped cruelty and sensu-
ality.
''Who is Miss Belnont?" he asked,
Rs the station agent left the telegraph
table.
"Oh, she's one of the heiresses.
That's our high-toned society paper.
It's printin' a series of Californy heir
esses- One Of the other papers says
as how it's a good guide book for
that's about the size of it. She's got
a million. and nobody but an aunt,
and she has her own way, tell