A Waif of the Plains

closed to him what might have been the opening of a new career. For it had been Judge Peyton's intention in adopting Susy to include a certain guardia

o fate which was one of his characteristics, was too proud to correct the impression by any of the hypocracies of childhood. He had also a cloudy instinct of loyalty to Jim in his disgrace, without, however, experiencing either the sympathy of an equal or the zeal of a partisan, but rather-if it could be said of a boy of his years-with the patronage and protection

st feverish and overmastering thrill of the gold-seekers. Breathlessly he followed the breathless questions and careless replies. The gold had been dug out of a placer only thirty miles away. It might be worth, say, a hundred and fifty dollars; it was only HIS share of a week's work with two partners. It was not much; "the country was getting played out with fresh arrivals and greenhorns." All this falling carelessly from the unshaven lips of a dusty, roughly dressed man, with a long-handled shovel and pickaxe strapped on his back, and a frying-pan depending from his saddle. But no panoplied or armed knight ever seemed so heroic or independent a figure to Clarence. What could be finer than the noble scorn conveyed in his critical survey of the train, with its comfortable covered wagons and appliances of civilization? "Ye'll hev to get rid of them

condemned Government stores with "a boy's" seaman suit and a brass-buttoned pea-jacket. To this outfit Mr. Peyton added a small sum of money for his expenses, and a letter of explanation to his cousin. The stage-coach was to start at noon. It only remained for Clarence to take leave of the party. The final parting with Susy had been discounted on the two previous days with some tears, small frights and clingings, and the expressed determination on the child's part "to go with him;" b

," said Mrs. Peyton sharply. "

n's evident annoyance at his reappearance he felt his legs suddenly tremble, and his voice left him. He did

ll be gone aw

ent the yearning blood that had settled

r-for Jim, ma'am," he

Jim, whom he really hadn't thought of, darkly watching the last strapping of luggage. With a manner calculated to convey the impression to the other passengers that he was pa

hoarse, but perfectly audible whisper. "Me and them's bound to part company a

behind him all the shackles of dependence and custom, and plunging into a life of freedom, drove all else from his mind. He turned at last from this hopeful, blissful future, and began to examine his fellow passengers with boyish curiosity. Wedged in between two silent men on the front seat, one of whom seemed a farmer, and the other, by his black attire, a professional man, Clarence was finally attracted by a black-mantled, dark-haired, bonnetless woman on the back seat, whose attention seemed to be monopolized by the jocular

a voyage

d Clarence; "I came

a laugh at this which perplexed Clarence. Observing it, the humorist kindly condesc

es on the back seat, "get any clothes at Stockton but these; I s

lady and regarded him curiously. Clarence blushed slightly and became silent. Presently the vehicle began to slacken its spee

y, nodding her black-veiled head t

e next hill, following the example of an outside passenger, he jumped down to walk. At the top of the hill he rejoined the stage, flushed and panting, but car

n nodded a pleasant acknowledgment, and coquettishly wound the vine in her gloss

eckon ye won't find much trouble gettin' a man's

he lady looked out of the window. He came to the conclusion that he had made a mistake about alluding to his clothes and his size. He must

ancisco sandhill and water lots; the jocular occupants of the middle seat were still engrossed with the lady. Clarence slipped out of the stage and entered the bar-room with some ostentation

ng the farmer-looking passenger who had been most civil to him. A dead silence

with him," explained one of the men to Clar

n, changing his astonished expression to one of

aid Clarence timidly to the passenger who had expla

ith the greatest formality, and appealing to the others. "A compliment

mmodore's head is level," returned

e led them, a little frightened, into the bar-room. Here, unfortunately, as he was barely able to reach over the counter, the barkeeper would have again

and leaning back with an air of respectful formality. "I will take straight whiskey. The Commodore,

ss of countermanding his guest's order, and perhaps slightly embarrassed by the fact that all the other

da for me

ter with professional deliberation, "is right. No matter how much a man may be accustomed all his

rence, brightening,

roud on this

s before, "that there can be but one toast here, gentlemen. I gi

ty; he wondered if men always drank together so stiffly. And it occurred to him that it would be expensive. Nevertheless, he had his purse all ready ostentatiously in his hand; i

he barroom. "I think you said treats for the cro

c effort, he controlled himself, and with slightly nervous fingers counted out the money. It struck him, however, as curious, not to say ungentlemanly, th

ack to the barkeeper, who had begged also to inspect it, and who, with an air of scrupulous ceremony insisted upon placing it himself in Clarence's side pocket, as if it were an important part of his function. The driver here called "all aboard." The passengers hurriedly reseated themselves, and the episode abruptly ended. For, to Clarence's surprise, these attentive friends of a moment ago at once became interested in the views of a new pass

he latter had asked him if he came off a voyage, and that the nickname of "Commodore" given to him, Clarence, was some joke intended for the captain's understanding. He missed them, for he wanted to talk to them about his relative at Sacramento, whom he was now so soon to see. At last, between sleeping and waking, the end of his journey was unexpectedly reached. It was dark, but, being "steamer night," the shops and business places were still open

been deeply engrafted in the boy's recollection. Stop! it might be the name of a customer who had given his address at the bank. The clerk who made this suggestion disappeared promptly to make inquirie

d hopeless; it was not his injured pride at appearing to have willfully deceived Mr. Peyton, which was more dreadful than all else; but it was the sudden, sickening sense that HE himself had been deceived, tricked, and fooled! For it flashed upon him for the firs

t, or indeed anything but his own breathless thoughts, for he was conscious of wondering afterwards why the clerk was leading him through a door in the counter into an inner room of many desks, and again throu

e found, eh? Never mind that," as Clarence laid Peyton's letter before him.

, recovering his v

ness, though. Kn

boy, in sudden reckless desperation. He was the more fu

oks a little like it, don't it?" he said, smilin

lit

w m

ook out two ten-dollar gold pieces. "I'll go twenty better," he said, laying them down on the desk. "That'll give you a chance to look arou

he coin. "I'm not a be

urveyed the boy with two keen eyes. "Yo

ce, as he glanced into

fix, I'd take that money

nce, a little ashamed, and considerably frightene

he man, bending o

ed it since it was returned to him in the bar-room, and it struck him that it was heavy and full-in

had only twenty dollar

d blushing. "I spent twenty dollars for drinks at the bar-a

id the man, laying down his pen, and lean

gentlemen of the stage, si

t the whole s

nd the bar-keeper. But everything's

make much difference with YOU," s

rriedly, "and that's how the thing happened. Somebo

" said the

e, a little relieved, but somewhat emb

other quietly, "you don't re

ho it belongs to, and give it back again. Perhaps," he added timidly, "I might

and the twenty dollars he had just received. The balance unaccounted for was forty dollars

. R

ad shown Claren

He stopped and turned in

aid Clarence, color

e paused as the clerk retired with a wondering gaze at the money, looked again at Clarence

ggar, for this important man had disclaimed the idea, but absolutely as a customer! a depositor! a business man like the grown-up clients who were thronging the outer office, and before the eyes of the clerk who had pitied him! And he, Clarence, had been spoken to by this man, whose name he now recognized as the one that was on the door of the building-a man of whom his

arence's fellow-passenger. Evidently a privileged person, he was at once ushered as "Captain Stevens" i

tters f

alphabetically labeled pigeon-holes against the wall. The captain,

e for some chap called 'John Silsbee.' Th

el

the plains. The 'Frisco papers had all the particulars last night; ma

d that the letter had been left by a ce

d since that shootin' affair at Angels' I hear he's skipped to the southern coast so

e from Stockton this afterno

ile Station-rode the

old-fashioned kid-about so hi

sir, he treate

m his chair. "The

ade it good for the little chap

the outer office beside the cl

that boy Brant

s,

did h

know,

taurants, and gin-mills near here, and hunt him up. Take some one

ps, counting-houses, drinking-saloons, and gambling-hells. The streets were yet full of eager, hurrying feet-swift of fortune, ambition, pleasu