A Ward of the Golden Gate

sh he had seemed to her that night? Could he look her in the face now-no, he must be quiet-they were so near the house, and everybody could see them!-and say that he had ever believed her capable of m

and her mother had run away with somebody and left her a ward to strangers-was that to be concealed from her, and she left without a name? Th

always that the colonel had bought him off. It was not with HER money. She had sometimes thought that the colonel and he were in confidence, and that was why she had lately distrusted Pendleton. But she had refused to take the name of Arguello again after that scene, and had called he

queer, and, as Milly thought, becoming very miserly and avaricious as he grew older, for he was always quarreling over the hotel bills. But he had Mrs

had been watching from the window for the last ten minutes. Then the appearance of Mr. Woods, Californian and reminiscent, and Mrs. Woods, metropolitan, languid, and forgetful, and t

passage home. It looks as if he might gamble-it's an old Californian complaint." As Paul, who had become suddenly grave again, did not speak, Mrs. Woods reminded them that she had always doubted the colonel's moral principles. Old as he was, he had never got over that freedom of life and social opinion which he had imbibed in early days. For her part, she was very glad h

aul, that the colon

"I tremble to think how that

ing in the woods that you would never, never touch

re, for it seemed to have been indica

he library, Yerba broke in upon them with a pathetic face an

signature, only the line: "Colonel Pendleton

once," said

hould never forgive myself if-AND IT'S ADDRESSED

with us and she can stay at the hotel. Say y

l drove with Yerba rapidly to the hospital. They were admitted to an anteroom. The house surgeon received them respectfully, but doubtingly. The patient was a little better this morning, but very weak. There was a lady

: it must have been sent at h

rtal. He would see if the patient was able to stand anoth

a wonderful man; he had seen a great deal; he talked much of California and the early days; he was very interesting. Ah, it wo

e apparition. Paul started. To his horror, Yerba ran impulsive

rather than the young girl, she said rigidly: "The patient is able to see Mr. Hathaway and Miss Yerba Buena," and passed slowly on. But as she reached the door

startled face on Paul. "Oh, Paul, I hope it isn't a

y a face that was whiter than

and, if he might suggest, if it was anything of family importance, they had better make the most of their time and his lucid interva

white moustache-now so faint and etherealized as to seem a mere spirit wing that rested on his pillow. To their surprise he opened his eyes with a smile of perfect recognition, and, with thin fingers beyond the coverlid, beckoned to them to approach. Yet there was still a shadow of his old reserve

e voice, "that now you are-satisfied with the right-of this young lady-to

out Paul, earnestly, "I NEVER car

el," sobbed Yerba, passionately: "it was all

a vivid-impression-sir-of an-interview I had with you-at the St. Charles-where you s

org

glanced quickly

r-a good boy; and he never leaves me, sir. Only, by gad! sir, he will starve himself and his family to be with me. I

ut a slight film seemed to be closing over his dark eyes,

igger-finger settled any doubt. When the Trust that he took from Man, Woman, or Child was never br

knew that the tide had once more come up to Montgomery