Year: 1871

0f heart to heart and soul to soul


The Disappearance Of Robert Farway,
From the Overland Monthly


As Robert farWay swung with care
less. yet graceful step down Main street.
i'll the sunny little town of San Dioso,
| more than one Of the dark eyed senoritas
turned laughing look toward him, tor
he was Il handsome man; and as he
crossed the Plaza into the more modern
and American portion Of the town, there
were cheerful salutatons and gentle good
mornings from the rosy damsels who
Wern busy with their gardens at the time.
tairWay bore the reputation of Il lady's
man; and there We're not wanting Quiet
little bits Of gossip, and slyly told stories
oil his successes i'll the role of roue, to add
thai spice OF danger to an acquaintance
ship which young girls seem 10 love so
we'll, and which, at the early day of which
write, was no bar to entrance into the
best Californian society. Sauntering on,
passing the hotel with its group of oilers.
he turned up the stairs of the first and
only brick building in the village, and
opening door having on it little tin
sign which told of Robert Fairwav, At
torney and Counselor-at-law, walked in.


The place was small, yet neatly fitted up
and tidy. The carefully assorted papers
ON the table which served for 4 desk, the
plain redwood shelves filled with we'll
kept volumes. the spotlcss floor. the
straight, white curtains. and the rose in II
tumbler of waterfall gave tokens of
neatness, if not system. Throwing up
the window-which opened upon bal
cony-and lighting a fresh cigar, he sat
IN the clear morning sunlight, to all out
ward appearance It man thoroughly sat
lStled with himself ana all around him.


Yet this man was throwing himself
away. lie was letting Il land-practice
worth Il competence slip through his fin
gers-was negleeting every interest in
trusted to his care, until clients dropped
away from him one by one-was worse
than wasting the best years of his life.
sui, he was in no want of money. He
always dressed well. and drove the best
teams When he reached into his pocket
ion The elegant little knife with which he
trimmed his dainty nails. there always
issued forth the music Of jngling coins.
His room-rent for the best paror and
bedroom at the widows big house across
the creek, and his board bill at the best
hotel, were paid 10 the hour His purse
was ever open to the call of friendship or
the cry of distress. Educated in the law
IN Louisiana. he had passed his examina-
tlon-whlch, in that State, is rgid-with
honor and credit. But he had also ac-
qulrcd there the seeds of the fatal passion
which was now blighting his life; he
was Il gambler-and Il successful one.
Cool, clear headed, and calculating, he
had made the game OF Poker his study.
and had mastered it. Having cast his
lot among the simple minded and wealthy
opanlards OF the Old Mission OF san Dioso.
with whom gaming was the passion of
'h"ir hr"S, he lotuil ample means to
crafty his taste His office was Il law Of
flee but in name; the little back room
was the real workshop, and the blanket
covered table and a few chairs the tools
Here, night after night was spent in the
game. Almost every man of any conse-
quence in the town had. al some time or
other, taken & seat at the table Judges,
merchants, rancheros and doctors met
there, with one common object The
games were fair and above board; an TO-
nomnous exit would have been the fate
OF any one who should have dared to try
any of the blackleg's games there All
that was done or said at that board was
on honor, and the play was square CON
test OF skill and nerve and pluck, while
neither losses nor winnings made any
change in the courteous demeanor of the
men who changed their gold there One
would hardly realize, as he sat there in
the bright light of this morning, lazilv
pulling his cigar, that this man could
have turned the whole current of his lie
into this channel


A step on the stair started him from his
rcverie, as a tall, dark skinned, black
haired SON of Spain entered the room.
'Caramba, but | envy you your nerves;
here you look rs fresh us Il new blown
rose, and as clear as if you had slept the
sleep OF baby, instead Of being up at
that cursed game till daylight" broke
out the new conner whose energetic salu-
talion was received with courtly smile
by Fairway, who pushed chair toward
him. with q careless ''Oh, it's nothing
when you're used to it." The Spaniard,
who was the heaviest land holder round
about, took The prol1ered chair, and pro-
ducing his packet of cigarettes, proceed
ed to solace himself with the weed. Jose
Alvido had become, upon the death of his
tather sole heil to the vast grant of land,
acquired under the old Spanish Govern
mcnt, known rs the San Silcis Rancho.
which subsequent litigation has made
familiar to every one interested in the
history of land matters in Califor-
MIA. lie had all the improvidence of the
Spaniard; and, disdaining work, was
the source of sustenancc to the many
human leeches who hung around the
wealthy Spaniards at the time we speak
of. Fairway was his legal adviser, as
well as his boon companion; and although
he would have spurned the imputation of
dishonesty, was rapidly, and perhaps
partly unconsciously, drawing him into
the vortex which was destined to mpoy-
erish the one and enrich the other Win
nlng from him ready cash enough to keep
his pockets lined with yellow twenties, he
could well afford to take contingent fees
OF interest in his land in pay for such le-
gal services as he rendered Thus gaining
toothold on the estate, it requires NO
great amount of thought to enable the
reader to comprehend the manner of his
ultimate acquisition of a large part of it.
Matters had reached very near this point
on the morning Of which 1 write. The
night before had been passed in game
where stakes were high and title deeds
formed the pool. But, rs yet, these
heavy losses and winnings were known
only to the two parties interested. Fair
way knew his man well enough to be
content with the simple entry in his pri-
yate memorandum book of the acknowl-
edgement Of debit and Alvido, in his
simplicity, recognized such obligations as
binding in honor, if not in law.


The meeting this morning had been az


ranged between the men for the purpose
of Strengthening out and putting in legal
shape these debts and conveyances.
Books and papers were produced; and
to Alvido's surprise, he found that fully
one half of his property would have to be
conveyed away to clear up the accounts.


He was moody and silent, as the lawyer,
with quick professional skill, commenced
to draw the proper conveyance for one
undivided half of the estate; when sud-
denly drawing himself to his full height,