Year: 1878




which case we can notify each other"


So we separated. For days we lounged
carelessly about town, watching and
listening but we got no information
whatever. The thief, whoever he was,
evidently possessed an unusual share of
discretion. We then changed our tao
tics, and cautiously pushed inquiries in
every conceivable direction, but without
result. At the end of a month we had
made no progress whatever. 1t may be
wondered that we did not secure the
services of a sharp detective; but the
truth is there was not one of that class
in the State whom we would have been
willing to trust nor is it likely that
the most consummate skill would have
availed in this case. Again we changed
our tactics, advertising the robbery ex-
tensively, and offering large reward
for the recovery of the missing dust
The reward was not claimed and Dick
Stapleton, who had now well nigh ex-
hausted his means in the fruitless search,
accepted his loss as absolute, and pre-





course he was compelled TO forego his
project of damming the Yuba; but he
soon possessed himself of good min
ing claim, and went earnestly to work
with fair success.


When Jessie Fairbanks was informed
of Dick IS loss she was undeniably cha
grined and disappointed. Her affianced
husband, instead of possessing COM
Portable share of worldly wealth, was q
poor man dependent upon his own mus
Gle and energy for a livelihood. But
she loved him none the less, and declar-
ed that she would marry him if she had
to support him by the labor of her own
hands. Her parents, however, did not
look upon the matter in that disinter-
ested light. They were desirous that
their daughter should marry well and
while they made no objection to Dick
so long as they supposed him to be mod
erately rich, they would have much pre-
ferred that Jessie should have selected,
as she might indeed have done, a
wealthier suitor.


Now that Dick was poor, they re-
solved to break off the match and Mrs.
Fairbanks, who was bold as well as o
shrewd woman, took the first opportu-
nifty that presented itself to hint that, in
his altered circumstances, the family
would not consider an alliance with him
desirable, and to suggest to him that as
an honorable man 1t was duty to release
Jessie from an engagement which could
no longer be considered suitable to her.
Dick, to whom this assault was not al
together unexpected, replied that he was
perfectly willing to leave the whole ques-
ton to the young lady herself, and to
abide by her decision. Jessie remained
steadfast to her pligh.ed troth. J


A rather exciting family scene here
upon ensued; and the end of it was that
Dick was forbidden the house, while
Jessie was subjected to severe treatment,
and compelled to receive the attentions
of wealthy suitor, whom her parents
encouraged to resume his Wooing. The
prosecuted lovers, however, found means
to meet and communicate pretty often,
and while they deemed it best to post
pone their marriage for time, in the
hope that by another turn of the wheel
of fortune the course of their true love
might be diverted into a smoother chan
mel, they resolved at all hazards to defy
the parental tyranny, and, if necessary,
to openly and decidedly rebel against
| it.


1t is rather uphill work in matters of
this kind to combat an experienced
matron, and so our lovers found it,
Having set out to do Dick Stapleton
serious wrong fol, look at it in what way
you will, it amounted to just that-she
began to hate him quite cordially, and
she invented and practised no end of
devices to embitter his existence. l
suppose there is no torture equal to that
which spiteful woman can wreck upon
a sensitive man, who is restrained from
retaliating by the natural respect he has
for the sex of his mother, and so Dick
was fain to acknowledge after limited
experience.


But Jessie's faithfulness compensated
him for all the mental agony he was
made to endure, and his daily toll was
cheered by the assurance that she was
wholly his, and ready at his bidding to
leave father and mother to share his
fortune, good or bad. And so he quick