第9章

Theeditorialsanctumofthe“CalaverasClarion“openeduponthe“composing-room“ofthatpaperontheoneside，andgaveapparentlyupontherestofCalaverasCountyupontheother。For，situatedontheveryoutskirtsofthesettlementandthesummitofaverysteephill，thepinesslopedawayfromtheeditorialwindowstothelongvalleyoftheSouthForkand——infinity。ThelittlewoodenbuildinghadinvadedNaturewithoutsubduingit。Itwasfillednightanddaywiththemurmurofpinesandtheirfragrance。Squirrelsscamperedoveritsroofwhenitwasnotpreoccupiedbywoodpeckers，andaprinter\'sdevilhadonceseenanest-buildingbluejayenterthecomposingwindow，flutterbeforeoneoftheslantingtype-caseswithanairofdeliberateselection，andthenflyoffwithavowelinitsbill。

Amidstthesesylvansurroundingsthetemporaryeditorofthe“Clarion“satathissanctum，readingtheproofsofaneditorial。

Ashewasoccupyingthatpositionduringasixweeks\'absenceofthebonafideeditorandproprietor，hewasconsequentlyreadingtheproofwithsomeanxietyandresponsibility。Ithadbeensuggestedtohimbycertaincitizensthatthe“Clarion“neededafirmerandmoreaggressivepolicytowardstheBillbeforetheLegislatureforthewagonroadtotheSouthFork。SeveralAssemblymenhadbeen“gotat“bytherivalsettlementofLibertyHill，andascathingexposureanddenunciationofsuchmethodswasnecessary。

Theinterestsoftheirowntownshipwerealsotobe“whoopedup。“

Allthishadbeenvigorouslyexplainedtohim，andhehadgraspedthespirit，ifnotalwaysthefacts，ofhisinformants。Itistobefeared，therefore，thathewasperusinghisarticlemorewithreferencetoitsvigorthanhisownconvictions。Andyethewasnotsogreatlyabsorbedastobeunmindfulofthemurmurofthepineswithout，hishalf-savageenvironment，andthelazytalkofhissolecompanions，——theforemanandprinterintheadjoiningroom。

“Betyourlife！I\'vealwayssaidthatamanINSIDEanewspaperofficecouldholdhisownaginanyoutsiderthatwantedtoplayroughortriedtoraidtheoffice！Thar\'sthepress，andthar\'stheprintin\'inkandroller！Folkstalkaheapo\'thepowero\'thePress！——Itellye，yedon\'thalfknowit。Why，whenoldKernelFishwaseditin\'the\'SierraBanner，\'oneo\'thembulliesthathe\'dlampoonedinthe\'Banner\'foughthiswaypasttheKernelintheoffice，intothecomposin\'-room，towreckeverythin\'and\'pye\'allthetypes。Spoffrel——yedon\'trememberSpoffrel？——littlered-

hairedman？——wasforeman。Spoffrelfendedhimoffwiththerollerandgotonegooddabinterhiseyesthatblindedhim，andthenSpoffrelsorterskirmishedhimovertothepress，——aplainleverjustlikeours，——wharthelocked-upformoftheinsidewasstilla-lyin\'！Then，quickaslightnin\'，Spoffreltiltshimoveraginit，andHEthrowsouthishandandketchesholdo\'theformtosteadyhimself，whenSpoffreljustrunstheformandthehandunderthepressanddownwiththelever！Andthatheldthefellerfastasgrimdeath！Andwhenatlasthebegsoff，andSpoffletshimloose，thehullo\'that\'erelampooningarticleheobjectedtowasprintedrightontotheskino\'hishand！Fact，anditwouldn\'tcomeoff，either。“

“Gosh，butI\'dliketohevseenit，“saidtheprinter。“Thereain\'tanychance，Ireckon，o\'suchasighthere。Thebossdon\'ttakenoriskslampoonin\'，andhe“(theeditorknewhewasbeingindicatedbysomeunseengestureoftheunseenworkman)“ain\'tthatstyle。“

“Yeneverkintell，“saidtheforemandidactically，“whatmighthappen！I\'veknowneditorstogetintoafightjestforalittleinnercentbedevilin\'o\'theoppositeparty。Sometimesforamisprint。OldmanPritchardofthe\'Argus\'oncethadaholeblownthroughhisarmbecausehisproofreaderhadcalledColonelStarbottle\'sspeechan\'ignominious\'defense，whentheoldmanhedwritten\'ingenuous\'defense。“

Theeditorpausedinhisproof-reading。Hehadjustcomeuponthesentence:“WecannotcongratulateLibertyHill——initssuperiorelevation——upontheignominioussilenceoftherepresentativeofallCalaveraswhenthisinfamousBillwasintroduced。“Hereferredtohiscopy。Yes！Hehadcertainlywritten“ignominious，“——thatwaswhathisinformantshadsuggested。Butwashesuretheywereright？Hehadavaguerecollection，also，thattherepresentativealludedto——SenatorBradley——hadfoughttwoduels，andwasa“good“

thoughsomewhatimpulsiveshot！Hemightalterthewordto“ingenuous“or“ingenious，“eitherwouldbefinelysarcastic，butthen——therewashisforeman，whowoulddetectit！Hewouldwaituntilhehadfinishedtheentirearticle。Inthatoccupationhebecameobliviousofthenextroom，ofasilence，awhisperedconversation，whichendedwitharappingatthedoorandtheappearanceoftheforemaninthedoorway。

“There\'samanintheofficewhowantstoseetheeditor，“hesaid。

“Showhimin，“repliedtheeditorbriefly。Hewas，however，consciousthattherewasasingularsignificanceinhisforeman\'smanner，andaneagerapparitionoftheotherprinterovertheforeman\'sshoulder。

“He\'scarryin\'ashot-gun，andisamantwiceasbigasyoube，“

saidtheforemangravely。

Theeditorquicklyrecalledhisownbriefandasyetblamelessrecordinthe“Clarion。““Perhaps，“hesaidtentatively，withagentlesmile，“he\'slookingforCaptainBrush“(theabsenteditor)。

“Itoldhimallthat，“saidtheforemangrimly，“andhesaidhewantedtoseethemanincharge。“

Inproportionastheeditor\'sheartsankhisoutwardcrestarose。

“Showhimin，“hesaidloftily。

“WeKINkeephimout，“suggestedtheforeman，lingeringamoment；

“meandhim，“indicatingtheexpectantprinterbehindhim，“isenoughforthat。“

“Showhimup，“repeatedtheeditorfirmly。

Theforemanwithdrew；theeditorseatedhimselfandagaintookuphisproof。Thedoubtfulword“ignominious“seemedtostandoutoftheparagraphbeforehim；itcertainlyWASastrongexpression！Hewasabouttorunhispencilthroughitwhenheheardtheheavystepofhisvisitorapproaching。Asuddeninstinctofbelligerencytookpossessionofhim，andhewrathfullythrewthepencildown。

Theburlyformofthestrangerblockedthedoorway。Hewasdressedlikeaminer，buthisbuildandgeneralphysiognomywerequitedistinctfromthelocalvariety。Hisupperlipandchinwereclean-shaven，stillshowingtheblue-blackrootsofthebeardwhichcoveredtherestofhisfaceanddependedinathickfleeceunderhisthroat。Hecarriedasmallbundletiedupinasilkhandkerchiefinonehand，anda“shot-gun“intheother，perilouslyathalf-cock。Enteringthesanctum，heputdownhisbundleandquietlyclosedthedoorbehindhim。Hethendrewanemptychairtowardshimanddroppedheavilyintoitwithhisgunonhisknees。

Theeditor\'sheartdroppedalmostasheavily，althoughhequitecomposedlyheldouthishand。

“ShallIrelieveyouofyourgun？“

“Thankye，lad——noa。It\'smoorcoomfortablewi\'me，andit\'smaindangersometohandleonthehalf-cock。That\'swhyIdidn\'tleave\'imonthehorseoutside！“

Atthesoundofhisvoiceandoccasionalaccentaflashofintelligencerelievedtheeditor\'smind。Herememberedthattwentymilesaway，intheillimitablevistafromhiswindows，layasettlementofEnglishnorth-countryminers，who，whilefaithfullyadoptingthemethods，customs，andevenslangoftheCalifornians，retainedmanyoftheirnativepeculiarities。Thegunhecarriedonhisknee，however，wasevidentlypartoftheCalifornianimitation。

“CanIdoanythingforyou？“saidtheeditorblandly。

“Ay！I\'vecoomheretobillmawoife。“

“I——don\'tthinkIunderstand，“hesitatedtheeditor，withasmile。

“I\'vecoomheretogetyetoputintoyourpaaperawarnin\'，anotiss，thatonlessshereturnstomyhouseinfourweeks，I\'llhavenowttodowi\'heragain。“

“Oh！“saidtheeditor，nowperfectlyreassured，“youwantanadvertisement？That\'sthebusinessoftheforeman；I\'llcallhim。“

Hewasrisingfromhisseatwhenthestrangerlaidaheavyhandonhisshoulderandgentlyforcedhimdownagain。

“Noa，lad！Idon\'twantnoaforemannorunderstrapperstotakethisjob。Iwanttotalkitoverwi\'you。Sabe？Mywoifeshebinupandawaathesesixmonths。Wehadabitofdifference，thatain\'therenorthere，butsheskedaddledoutermyhouse。Iwanttogiveherfairwarning，andletherknowIain\'tpayin\'anydebtso\'

hersarterthisnotiss，andIain\'ttakin\'herbackarterfourweeksfromdate。“

“Isee，“saidtheeditorglibly。“What\'syourwife\'sname？“

“ElizaJaneDimmidge。“

“Good，“continuedtheeditor，scribblingonthepaperbeforehim；

“somethinglikethiswilldo:\'Whereasmywife，ElizaJaneDimmidge，havingleftmybedandboardwithoutjustcauseorprovocation，thisistogivenoticethatIshallnotberesponsibleforanydebtsofhercontractingonorafterthisdate。\'“

“Yemustbealawyer，“saidMr。Dimmidgeadmiringly。

Itwasanoldenoughformofadvertisement，andtheremarkshowedincontestablythatMr。Dimmidgewasnotanative；buttheeditorsmiledpatronizinglyandwenton:“\'AndIfurthergivenoticethatifshedoesnotreturnwithintheperiodoffourweeksfromthisdate，Ishalltakesuchproceedingsforreliefasthelawaffords。\'“

“Coom，lad，Ididn\'tsayTHAT。“

“Butyousaidyouwouldn\'ttakeherback。“

“Ay。“

“Andyoucan\'tpreventherwithoutlegalproceedings。She\'syourwife。Butyouneedn\'ttakeproceedings，youknow。It\'sonlyawarning。“

Mr。Dimmidgenoddedapprovingly。“That\'sso。“

“You\'llwantitpublishedforfourweeks，untildate？“askedtheeditor。

“Mebbelonger，lad。“

Theeditorwrote“tillforbid“inthemarginofthepaperandsmiled。

“Howbigwillitbe？“saidMr。Dimmidge。

Theeditortookupacopyofthe“Clarion“andindicatedaboutaninchofspace。Mr。Dimmidge\'sfacefell。

“Iwantitbigger，——inlargeletters，likeaplay-card，“hesaid。

“That\'snogoodforawarning。“

“Youcanhavehalfacolumnorawholecolumnifyoulike，“saidtheeditorairily。

“I\'lltakeawholeone，“saidMr。Dimmidgesimply。

Theeditorlaughed。“Why！itwouldcostyouahundreddollars。“

“I\'lltakeit，“repeatedMr。Dimmidge。

“But，“saidtheeditorgravely，“thesamenoticeinasmallspacewillserveyourpurposeandbequitelegal。“

“Neveryoumindthat，lad！It\'sthelooksofthethingI\'marter，andnottheexpense。I\'lltakethatcolumn。“

Theeditorcalledintheforemanandshowedhimthecopy。“Canyoudisplaythatsoastofillacolumn？“

Theforemangraspedthesituationpromptly。Itwouldbebigbusinessforthepaper。“Yes，“hesaidmeditatively，“thatbold-

facedelectiontypewilldoit。“

Mr。Dimmidge\'sfacebrightened。Theexpression“bold-faced“

pleasedhim。“That\'sit！Itoldyou。Iwanttobillherinaportionofthepaper。“

“Imightputinacut，“saidtheforemansuggestively；“somethinglikethis。“Hetookavenerablewoodcutfromthecase。Igrievetosayitwasonewhich，untilthemiddleofthepresentcentury，wascommonenoughinthenewspaperofficesintheSouthwest。Itshowedtherunningfigureofanegrowomancarryingherpersonalpropertyinaknottedhandkerchiefslungfromastickoverhershoulder，andwassupposedtorepresent“afugitiveslave。“

Mr。Dimmidge\'seyesbrightened。“I\'lltakethat，too。It\'salittledark-complectedforMrs。P。，butitwilldo。Nowroonaway，lad，“hesaidtotheforeman，ashequietlypushedhimintotheouterofficeagainandclosedthedoor。Then，facingthesurprisededitor，hesaid，“Theer\'sanothernotissIwantyetoputinyourpaper；butthat\'satweenUS。NotawordtoTHEM，“heindicatedthebanishedforemanwithajerkofhisthumb。“Sabe？Iwantyoutoputthisinanotherparto\'yourpaper，quiteinnocent-like，yeknow。“Hedrewfromhispocketagraywallet，andtakingoutaslipofpaperreadfromitgravely，“\'IfthisshouldmeettheeyeofR。B。，lookoutforM。J。D。Heisonyourtrack。WhenthisyouseewritealinetoE。J。D。，ElktownPostOffice。\'Iwantthistogoinas\'PersonalandPrivate\'——sabe？——likethemnotissesinthebig\'Friscopapers。“

“Isee，“saidtheeditor，layingitaside。“Itshallgointhesameissueinanothercolumn。“

ApparentlyMr。Dimmidgeexpectedsomethingmorethanthisreply，forafteramoment\'shesitationhesaidwithanoddsmile:

“Yeain\'tseein\'themeanin\'o\'that，lad？“

“No，“saidtheeditorlightly；“butIsupposeR。B。does，anditisn\'tintendedthatanyoneelseshould。“

“Mebbeitis，andmebbeitisn\'t，“saidMr。Dimmidge，withaself-

satisfiedair。“Idon\'tmindsayingatweenusthatR。B。isthemanasI\'vesuspicionedashavin\'somethingtodowithmywifegoin\'away；andyesee，ifhewritestoE。J。D——that\'smywife\'sinitials——atElktown，I\'LLgetthatletterandsomakesure。“

“Butsupposeyourwifegoestherefirst，orsends？“

“ThenI\'llketchherorhermessenger。Yesee？“

Theeditordidnotseefittoopposeanyargumenttothisphenomenalsimplicity，andMr。Dimmidge，aftersettlinghisbillwiththeforeman，andenjoiningtheeditortothestrictestsecrecyregardingtheoriginofthe“personalnotice，“tookuphisgunanddeparted，leavingthetreasuryofthe“Clarion“unprecedentedlyenriched，andtheeditortohisproofs。

Thepaperdulyappearedthenextmorningwiththecolumnadvertisement，thepersonalnotice，andtheweightyeditorialonthewagonroad。Therewasasingulardemandforthepaper，theeditionwasspeedilyexhausted，andtheeditorwasproportionatelyflattered，althoughhewassurprisedtoreceiveneitherpraisenorcriticismfromhissubscribers。Beforeevening，however，helearnedtohisastonishmentthattheexcitementwascausedbythecolumnadvertisement。NobodyknewMr。Dimmidge，norhisdomesticinfelicities，andtheeditorandforeman，beingequallyinthedark，tookrefugeinamysteriousandimpressiveevasionofallinquiry。NeversincethelastSanFranciscoVigilanceCommitteehadtheofficebeensobesieged。Theeditor，foreman，andeventheapprentice，werebuttonholedand“treated“atthebar，buttonoeffect。Allthatcouldbelearnedwasthatitwasabonafideadvertisement，forwhichonehundreddollarshadbeenreceived！

Thereweregreatdiscussionsandconflictingtheoriesastowhetherthevalueofthewife，orthehusband\'sanxietytogetridofher，justifiedtheenormousexpenseandostentatiousdisplay。Shewassupposedtobeanexceedinglybeautifulwomanbysome，byothersaperfectSycorax；inonebreathMr。Dimmidgewasaweak，uxoriousspouse，wastinghissubstanceonacreaturewhodidnotcareforhim，andinanotheramaddened，distracted，henpeckedman，contenttopurchasepeaceandrestatanyprice。Certainly，neverwasadvertisementmoreeffectiveinitspublicity，orcheaperinproportiontothecirculationitcommanded。ItwascopiedthroughoutthewholePacificslope；mightySanFranciscopapersdescribeditssizeandsettingundertheattractiveheadline，“HowtheyAdvertiseaWifeintheMountains！“ItreappearedintheEasternjournals，underthetitleof“WhimsicalitiesoftheWesternPress。“ItwasbelievedtohavecrossedtoEnglandasaspecimenof“TransatlanticSavagery。“Therealeditorofthe“Clarion“

awokeonemorning，inSanFrancisco，tofindhispaperfamous。Itsadvertisingcolumnswereeagerlysoughtfor；heatonceadvancedtherates。Peopleboughtsuccessiveissuestogazeuponthismonumentalrecordofextravagance。Asingularidea，which，however，broughtfurtherfortunetothepaper，wasadvancedbyanastutecriticattheEurekaSaloon。“Myopinion，gentlemen，isthatthewholeblamedthingisabluff！Thereain\'tnoMr。

Dimmidge；thereain\'tnoMrs。Dimmidge；thereain\'tnodesertion！

ThewholerottenthingisanADVERTISEMENTo\'suthin\'！Ye\'llfindaforeyegetthroughwithitthatthattherewifewon\'tcomebackuntilthatblamedhusbandbuysSomebody\'sSoap，ortreatshertoSomebody\'sparticularStarchorPatentMedicine！Yejestwatchandsee！“Theideawasstartling，andseizeduponthemercantilemind。

Theprincipalmerchantofthetown，andpurveyortotheminingsettlementsbeyond，appearedthenextmorningattheofficeofthe“Clarion。““Yewouldn\'tmindputtin\'this\'ad\'inacolumnalongsideo\'theDimmidgeone，wouldye？“Theyoungeditorglancedatit，andthen，withaserpent-likesagacity，veiled，however，bythesuavityofthedove，pointedoutthattheoriginaladvertisermightthinkitcalledhisbonafidesintoquestionandwithdrawhisadvertisement。“Butifwesecuredyoubyanofferofdoubletheamountpercolumn？“urgedthemerchant。“That，“respondedthelocumtenens，“wasfortheactualeditorandproprietorinSanFranciscotodetermine。Hewouldtelegraph。“Hedidso。Theresponsewas，“Putitin。“Whereuponinthenextissue，sidebysidewithMr。Dimmidge\'sprotractedwarning，appearedacolumnwiththeannouncement，inlargeletters，“WEHAVEN\'TLOSTANYWIFE，butWEarepreparedtofurnishthefollowinggoodsatalowerratethananyotheradvertiserinthecounty，“followedbytheusualpricelistofthemerchant\'swares。Therewasanunprecedenteddemandforthatissue。Thereputationofthe“Clarion，“bothasashrewdadvertisingmediumandacomicpaper，wasestablishedatonce。ForafewdaystheeditorwaitedwithsomeapprehensionforaremonstrancefromtheabsentDimmidge，butnonecame。WhetherMr。

Dimmidgerecognizedthatthisnewadvertisementgaveextrapublicitytohisown，orthathewasalreadyonthetrackofthefugitive，theeditordidnotknow。Thefewcuriouscitizenswhohad，earlyintheexcitement，penetratedthesettlementoftheEnglishminerstwentymilesawayinsearchofinformation，foundthatMr。Dimmidgehadgoneaway，andthatMrs。DimmidgehadNEVER

residedtherewithhim！

Sixweekspassed。ThelimitofMr。Dimmidge\'sadvertisementhadbeenreached，and，asitwasnotrenewed，ithadpassedoutofthepagesofthe“Clarion，“andwithitthemerchant\'sadvertisementinthenextcolumn。Theexcitementhadsubsided，althoughitsinfluencewasstillfeltinthecirculationofthepaperanditsadvertisingpopularity。Thetemporaryeditorwasalsonearingthelimitofhisincumbency，buthadsofarparticipatedinthegoodfortuneofthe“Clarion“astoreceiveanofferfromoneoftheSanFranciscodailies。

Itwasawarmnight，andhewasaloneinhissanctum。Therestofthebuildingwasdarkanddeserted，andhissolitarylight，flashingoutthroughtheopenwindow，felluponthenearerpinesandwaslostinthedark，indefinableslopebelow。Hehadreachedthesanctumbytherear，andadoorwhichhealsoleftopentoenjoythefreshnessofthearomaticair。Nordiditintheleastmarhisprivacy。Ratherthesolitudeofthegreatwoodswithoutseemedtoenterthroughthatdoorandencompassedhimwithitsprotectingloneliness。Therewasoccasionallyafaint“peep“inthescanteaves，ora“pat-pat，“endinginafrightenedscurryacrosstheroof，ortheslowflapofaheavywinginthedarknessbelow。Thesegentledisturbancesdidnot，however，interrupthisworkon“TheTrueFunctionsoftheCountyNewspaper，“theeditorialonwhichhewasengaged。

Presentlyamoredistinctrustlingagainstthestragglingblackberrybushesbesidethedoorattractedhisattention。Itwasfollowedbyalighttappingagainstthesideofthehouse。Theeditorstartedandturnedquicklytowardstheopendoor。Twooutsidestepsledtotheground。Standingupontheloweronewasawoman。Theupperpartofherfigure，illuminatedbythelightfromthedoor，wasthrownintogreaterreliefbythedarkbackgroundofthepines。Herfacewasunknowntohim，butitwasapleasantone，markedbyacertaingood-humoreddetermination。

“MayIcomein？“shesaidconfidently。

“Certainly，“saidtheeditor。“Iamworkingherealonebecauseitissoquiet。“Hethoughthewouldprecipitatesomeexplanationfromherbyexcusinghimself。

“That\'sthereasonwhyIcame，“shesaid，withaquietsmile。

Shecameupthenextstepandenteredtheroom。Shewasplainlybutneatlydressed，andnowthatherfigurewasrevealedhesawthatshewaswearingalinsey-woolseyriding-skirt，andcarriedaserviceablerawhidewhipinhercotton-gauntletedhand。Shetookthechairheofferedherandsatdownsidewaysonit，herwhiphandnowalsoholdingupherskirt，andpermittingahemofcleanwhitepetticoatandasmart，well-shapedboottobeseen。

“Idon\'tremembertohavehadthepleasureofseeingyouinCalaverasbefore，“saidtheeditortentatively。

“No。Ineverwasherebefore，“shesaidcomposedly，“butyou\'veheardenoughofme，Ireckon。I\'mMrs。Dimmidge。“Shethrewonehandoverthebackofthechair，andwiththeothertappedherriding-whiponthefloor。

Theeditorstarted。Mrs。Dimmidge！Thenshewasnotamyth。Anabsurdsimilaritybetweenherattitudewiththewhipandherhusband\'sentrancewithhisgunsixweeksbeforeforceditselfuponhimandmadeheraninvinciblepresence。

“Thenyouhavereturnedtoyourhusband？“hesaidhesitatingly。

“Notmuch！“shereturned，withaslightcurlofherlip。

“Butyoureadhisadvertisement？“

“Isawthatcolumnoffoolnonsenseheputinyourpaper——efthat\'swhatyoumean，“shesaidwithdecision，“butIdidn\'tcomeheretoseeHIM——butYOU。“

Theeditorlookedatherwithaforcedsmile，butavaguemisgiving。

Hewasaloneatnightinadesertedpartofthesettlement，withaplump，self-possessedwomanwhohadacontraltovoice，ahorsewhip，and——hecouldnothelpfeeling——anevidentgrievance。

“Toseeme？“herepeated，withafaintattemptatgallantry。“Youarepayingmeagreatcompliment，butreally“——

“WhenItellyouI\'vecomethreethousandmilesfromKansasstraightherewithoutstopping，yekinreckonit\'sso，“sherepliedfirmly。

“Threethousandmiles！“echoedtheeditorwonderingly。

“Yes。Threethousandmilesfrommyownfolks\'homeinKansas，wheresixyearsagoImarriedMr。Dimmidge，——aBritishfurrinerascouldscarcelymakehimselfunderstoodinanyChristianlanguage！

Well，hegotroundmeanddad，allowin\'hewasareg\'larout-and-

outprofeshnalminer，——hadlivedinmineseversincehewasaboy；

andso，notknowin\'whatkindo\'mines，anddadjustbilin\'overwiththegoldfever，weweremarriedandkemacrosstheplainstoCaliforny。Hewasagoodenoughmantolookat，butitwarn\'tthreemonthsbeforeIdiscoveredthatheallowedawifewasnobetternoraniggerslave，andhethemaster。Thatmademeopenmyeyes；butthen，ashedidn\'tdrink，anddidn\'tgamble，anddidn\'tswear，andwasagoodproviderandlaidbymoney，whyIshiftedalongwithhimasbestIcould。WedrifteddownthefirstyeartoSonora，atRedDog，wheretherewasn\'tanotherwoman。Well，Ididtheniggerslavebusiness，——neverstirringouto\'thesettlement，neverseein\'atownoracrowdo\'decentpeople，——andhedidthelordandmaster！Weplayedthatgamefortwoyears，andIgottired。Butwhenatlastheallowedhe\'dgouptoElktownHill，wheretherewasapasselo\'hiscountrymenatwork，withneverasigno\'anyotherfolks，andleavemealoneatRedDoguntilhefixedupaplaceformeatElktownHill，——Ikicked！Igavehimfairwarning！Ididasotherniggerslavesdid，——Iranaway！“

ArecollectionofthewretchedwoodcutwhichMr。Dimmidgehadselectedtopersonifyhiswifeflashedupontheeditorwithanewmeaning。Yetperhapsshehadnotseenit，andhadonlyreadacopyoftheadvertisement。Whatcouldshewant？The“CalaverasClarion，“althougha“Palladium“anda“SentinelupontheHeightsofFreedom“inreferencetowagonroads，wasnotaredresserofdomesticwrongs，——exceptthroughitsadvertisingcolumns！Hernextwordsintensifiedthatsuggestion。

“I\'vecomeheretoputanadvertisementinyourpaper。“

Theeditorheavedasighofrelief，asoncebefore。“Certainly，“

hesaidbriskly。“Butthat\'sanotherdepartmentofthepaper，andtheprintershavegonehome。Cometo-morrowmorningearly。“

“To-morrowmorningIshallbemilesaway，“shesaiddecisively，“andwhatIwantdonehasgottobedoneNOW！Idon\'twanttoseenoprinters；Idon\'twantANYBODYtoknowI\'vebeenherebutyou。

That\'swhyIkemhereatnight，androdeallthewayfromSawyer\'sStation，andwouldn\'ttakethestage-coach。Andwhenwe\'vesettledabouttheadvertisement，I\'mgoingtomountmyhorse，outtharinthebushes，andscootouterthesettlement。“

“Verygood，“saidtheeditorresignedly。“OfcourseIcandeliveryourinstructionstotheforeman。Andnow——letmesee——Isupposeyouwishtointimateinapersonalnoticetoyourhusbandthatyou\'vereturned。“

“Nothin\'o\'thekind！“saidMrs。Dimmidgecoolly。“Iwanttoplacardhimashedidme。I\'vegotitallwrittenouthere。

Sabe？“

Shetookfromherpocketafoldedpaper，andspreadingitoutontheeditor\'sdesk，withacertainprideofauthorshipreadasfollows:——

“Whereasmyhusband，MicahJ。Dimmidge，havinggivenoutthatI

havelefthisbedandboard，——thesamebeingabunkinalogcabinandporkandmolassesthreetimesaday，——andhavingadvertisedthathe\'dpaynodebtsofMYcontractin\'，——which，astharain\'tany，mightbeeasiercollectedthandebtsofhisowncontractin\'，——

thisistocertifythatunlesshereturnsfromElktownHilltohisonlyhomeinSonorainoneweekfromdate，payin\'thecostofthisadvertisement，I\'llknowthereasonwhy——ElizaJaneDimmidge。“

“Thar，“sheadded，drawingalongbreath，“putthatinacolumnofthe\'Clarion，\'samesizeasthelast，andletitwork，andthat\'sallIwantofyou。“

“Acolumn？“repeatedtheeditor。“Doyouknowthecostisveryexpensive，andICOULDputitinasingleparagraph？“

“IreckonIkinpaythesameasMr。DimmidgedidforHIS，“saidtheladycomplacently。“Ididn\'tseeyourpapermyself，butthepaperascopiedit——oneofthembigNewYorkdailies——saidthatittookupawholecolumn。“

Theeditorbreathedmorefreely；shehadnotseentheinfamouswoodcutwhichherhusbandhadselected。Atthesamemomenthewasstruckwithasenseofretribution，justice，andcompensation。

“Wouldyou，“heaskedhesitatingly，——“wouldyoulikeitillustrated——

byacut？“

“Withwhich？“

“Waitamoment；I\'llshowyou。“

Hewentintothedarkcomposing-room，litacandle，andrummaginginadrawersacredtoweather-beaten，old-fashionedelectrotypedadvertisingsymbolsofvarioustrades，finallyselectedoneandbroughtittoMrs。Dimmidge。Itrepresentedabareandexceedinglystalwartarmwieldingalargehammer。

“Yourhusbandbeingaminer，——aquartzminer，——wouldthatdo？“heasked。(Ithadbeenpreviouslyusedtoadvertiseablacksmith，agold-beater，andastone-mason。)

Theladyexamineditcritically。

“ItdoeslookalittlelikeMicah\'sarm，“shesaidmeditatively。

“Well——youkinputitin。“

Theeditorwassowellpleasedwithhissuccessthathemustneedsmakeanothersuggestion。“Isuppose，“hesaidingenuously，“thatyoudon\'twanttoanswerthe\'Personal\'？“

\'Personal\'？“sherepeatedquickly，“what\'sthat？Iain\'tseenno\'Personal。\'“Theeditorsawhisblunder。She，ofcourse，hadneverseenMr。Dimmidge\'sartful“Personal；“THATthebigdailiesnaturallyhadnotnoticednorcopied。Butitwastoolatetowithdrawnow。Hebroughtoutafileofthe“Clarion，“andsnippingouttheparagraphwithhisscissors，laiditbeforethelady。

Shestaredatitwithwrinkledbrowsandadarkeningface。

“AndTHISwasinthesamepaper？——putinbyMr。Dimmidge？“sheaskedbreathlessly。

Theeditor，somewhatalarmed，stammered“Yes。“Butthenextmomenthewasreassured。Thewrinklesdisappeared，adozendimplesbrokeoutwheretheyhadbeen，andthedetermined，matter-of-factMrs。

Dimmidgeburstintoafitofrosymerriment。Againandagainshelaughed，shakingthebuilding，startlingthesedate，melancholywoodsbeyond，untiltheeditorhimselflaughedinsheervacantsympathy。

“Lordy！“shesaidatlast，gasping，andwipingthelaughterfromherweteyes。“IneverthoughtofTHAT。“

“No，“explainedtheeditorsmilingly；“ofcourseyoudidn\'t。Don\'tyousee，thepapersthatcopiedthebigadvertisementneversawthatlittleparagraph，oriftheydid，theyneverconnectedthetwotogether。“

“Oh，itain\'tthat，“saidMrs。Dimmidge，tryingtoregainhercomposureandholdinghersides。“It\'sthatblessedDEARolddunderheadofaDimmidgeI\'mthinkingof。Thatgetsme。Iseeitallnow。Only，sakesalive！IneverthoughtTHATofhim。Oh，it\'sjusttoomuch！“andsheagainrelapsedbehindherhandkerchief。

“ThenIsupposeyoudon\'twanttoreplytoit，“saidtheeditor。

Herlaughterinstantlyceased。“Don\'tI？“shesaid，wipingherfaceintoitspreviouscomplacentdetermination。“Well，youngman，Ireckonthat\'sjustwhatIWANTtodo！Now，waitamoment；let\'sseewhathesaid，“shewenton，takingupandreperusingthe“Personal“paragraph。“Well，then，“shewenton，afteramoment\'ssilentcompositionwithmovinglips，“youjustputtheselinesin。“

Theeditortookuphispencil。

“ToMr。J。D。Dimmidge——Hopeyou\'restillonR。B。\'stracks。Keepthere！——E。J。D。“

Theeditorwrotedowntheline，andthen，rememberingMr。Dimmidge\'svoluntaryexplanationofHIS“Personal，“waitedwithsomeconfidenceforalikefranknessfromMrs。Dimmidge。Buthewasmistaken。

“Youthinkthathe——R。B——orMr。Dimmidge——willunderstandthis？“

heatlastaskedtentatively。“Isitenough？“

“Quiteenough，“saidMrs。Dimmidgeemphatically。Shetookarollofgreenbacksfromherpocket，selectedahundred-dollarbillandthenafive，andlaidthembeforetheeditor。“Youngman，“shesaid，withacertaindemuregravity，“you\'vedonemeaheapo\'

good。Ineverspentmoneywithmoresatisfactionthanthis。I

neverthoughtmucho\'the\'powero\'thePress，\'asyoucallit，afore。Butthishasbeenarightcomfortablevisit，andI\'mgladI

ketchedyoualone。Butyouunderstandonething:thisyervisit，andWHOIam，isbetwixtyouandmeonly。“

“OfcourseImustsaythattheadvertisementwasAUTHORIZED，“

returnedtheeditor。“I\'monlythetemporaryeditor。Theproprietorisaway。“

“Somuchthebetter，“saidtheladycomplacently。“Youjustsayyoufounditonyourdeskwiththemoney；butdon\'tyougivemeaway。“

“Icanpromiseyouthatthesecretofyourpersonalvisitissafewithme，“saidtheyoungman，withabow，asMrs。Dimmidgerose。

“Letmeseeyoutoyourhorse，“headded。“It\'squitedarkinthewoods。“

“Icanseewellenoughalone，andit\'sjustaswellyoushouldn\'tknowHOWIkemorHOWIwentaway。EnoughforyoutoknowthatI\'llbemilesawaybeforethatpapercomesout。Sostaywhereyouare。“

Shepressedhishandfranklyandfirmly，gatheredupherriding-

skirt，slippedbackwardstothedoor，andthenextmomentrustledawayintothedarkness。

EarlythenextmorningtheeditorhandedMrs。Dimmidge\'sadvertisement，andthewoodcuthehadselected，tohisforeman。Hewaspurposelybriefinhisdirections，soastoavoidinquiry，andretiredtohissanctum。Inthespaceofafewmomentstheforemanenteredwithaslightembarrassmentofmanner。

“You\'llexcusemyspeakingtoyou，sir，“hesaid，withasingularmixtureofhumilityandcunning。“It\'snobusinessofmine，I

know；butIthoughtIoughttotellyouthatthisyerkindo\'thingwon\'tpayanymore，——it\'saboutplayedout！“

“Idon\'tthinkIunderstandyou，“saidtheeditorloftily，butwithaninwardmisgiving。“Youdon\'tmeantosaythataregular，actualadvertisement“——

“Ofcourse，Iknowallthat，“saidtheforeman，withapeculiarsmile；“andI\'mreadytobackyouupinit，andso\'stheboy；butitwon\'tpay。“

“ItHASpaidahundredandfivedollars，“saidtheeditor，takingthenotesfromhispocket；“soI\'dadviseyoutosimplyattendtoyourdutyandsetitup。“

Alookofsurprise，followed，however，byakindofpityingsmile，passedovertheforeman\'sface。“Ofcourse，sir，THAT\'Sallright，andyouknowyourownbusiness；butifyouthinkthatthenewadvertisementwillpaythistimeastheotheronedid，andwhoopupanothercolumnfromanadvertiser，I\'mafraidyou\'llslipup。It\'salittle\'offcolor\'now，——not\'uptodate，\'——ifitain\'taregular\'backnumber，\'asyou\'llsee。“

“MeantimeI\'lldispensewithyouradvice，“saidtheeditorcurtly，“andIthinkyouhadbetterletoursubscribersandadvertisersdothesame，orthe\'Clarion\'mightalsobeobligedtodispensewithyourSERVICES。“

“Iain\'tnoblab，“saidtheforeman，inanaggrievedmanner，“andI

don\'tintendtogivetheshowawayevenifitdon\'tPAY。ButI

thoughtI\'dtellyou，becauseIknowthefolksroundherebetterthanyoudo。“

Hewasright。Nosoonerhadtheadvertisementappearedthantheeditorfoundthateverybodybelievedittobeasheerinventionofhisownto“oncemoreboom“the“Clarion。“IftheyhaddoubtedMR。Dimmidge，theyutterlyrejectedMRS。Dimmidgeasanadvertiser！

Itwasastalejokethatnobodywouldfollowup；andontheheelsofthiscamealetterfromtheeditor-in-chief。

MYDEARBOY，——Youmeantwell，Iknow，butthesecondDimmidge“ad“

wasamistake。Still，itwasabigbluffofyourstoshowthemoney，andIsendyoubackyourhundreddollars，hopingyouwon\'t“doitagain。“Ofcourseyou\'llhavetokeeptheadvertisementinthepaperfortwoissues，justasifitwerearealthing，andit\'sluckythatthere\'sjustnownopressureinourcolumns。Youmighthavetoldabetterstorythanthathogwashaboutyourfindingthe“ad“andahundreddollarslyinglooseonyourdeskonemorning。

Itwasratherthin，andIdon\'twondertheforemankicked。

Theyoungeditorwasindespair。AtfirsthethoughtofwritingtoMrs。DimmidgeattheElktownPost-Office，askinghertorelievehimofhisvowofsecrecy；buthisprideforbade。Therewasahumorousconcern，notwithoutatouchofpity，inthefacesofhiscontributorsashepassed；afewaffectedtobelieveinthenewadvertisement，andaskedhimvague，perfunctoryquestionsaboutit。

Hispositionwastrying，andhewasnotsorrywhenthetermofhisengagementexpiredthenextweek，andheleftCalaverastotakehisnewpositionontheSanFranciscopaper。

HewasstandinginthesaloonoftheSacramentoboatwhenhefeltasuddenheavypressureonhisshoulder，andlookingroundsharply，beheldnotonlytheblack-beardedfaceofMr。Dimmidge，litupbyasmile，butbesideitthebeaming，buxomfaceofMrs。Dimmidge，overflowingwithgood-humor。Stillalittlesorefromhispastexperience，hewasabouttoaddressthemabruptly，whenhewasutterlyvanquishedbytheheartypressureoftheirhandsandtheunmistakablelookofgratitudeintheireyes。

“Iwasjustsayingto\'LizyJane，“beganMr。Dimmidgebreathlessly，“ifIcouldonlymeetthatyoungmano\'the\'Clarion\'whatbroughtustogetheragain“——

“You\'dbewillin\'topayfourtimestheamountwebothpaidhim，“

interpolatedthelaughingMrs。Dimmidge。

“ButIdidn\'tbringyoutogether，“burstoutthedazedyoungman，“andI\'dliketoknow，inthenameofHeaven，whatbroughtyoutogethernow？“

“Don\'tyousee，lad，“saidtheimperturbableMr。Dimmidge，“\'LizyJaneandmyselfhadqua\'lled，andwejustunpackedourfoolnonsenseinyourpaperandletthehullworldknowit！Andwebothfeltkinderskeertandshamedlike，anditlookedsuchsmallhogwash，andofsolittleaccount，forallthetalkitmade，thatwekinderfeltlonelyastwoseparatedfoolsthatreallyoughttosharetheirfoolishnesstogether。“

“Andthatain\'tall，“saidMrs。Dimmidge，withaslyglanceatherspouse，“forIfoundoutfromthat\'Personal\'youshowedmethatthisparticularoldfoolwasactooallyjealous！——JEALOUS！“

“Andthen？“saidtheeditorimpatiently。

“AndthenIKNEWhelovedmeallthetime。“

THESECRETOFSOBRIENTE\'SWELL

EventotheeyeofthemostinexperiencedtravelertherewasnodoubtthatBuenaVistawasa“played-out“miningcamp。There，seamedandscarredbyhydraulicengines，wastheoldhillside，overwhosedenudedsurfacethegrasshadbeguntospringagaininfitfulpatches；thereweretheabandonedheapsoftailingsalreadyblackenedbysunandrain，andwornintomoundslikeruinsofmasonry；therewerethewaterlessditches，likegiantgraves，andthepoolsofslumgullion，nowdriedintoshining，glazedcement。

Thereweretwoorthreewooden“stores，“fromwhichthewindowsanddoorshadbeentakenandconveyedtothenewersettlementofWynyard\'sGulch。Fourorfivebuildingsthatstillwereinhabited——

theblacksmith\'sshop，thepost-office，apioneer\'scabin，andtheoldhotelandstage-office——onlyaccentedthegeneraldesolation。

Thelatterbuildinghadaremotenessofprosperityfarbeyondtheothers，havingbeenawaysideSpanish-Americanposada，withadobewallsoftwofeetinthickness，thatshamedthelatershellsofhalf-inchplank，whichwereslowlywarpingandcrackinglikedriedpodsintheoven-likeheat。

Theproprietorofthisbuilding，ColonelSwinger，hadbeenlookeduponbythecommunityasapersonquiteasremote，old-fashioned，andinconsistentwithpresentprogressasthehouseitself。HewasanoldVirginian，whohademigratedfromhisdecayingplantationontheJamesRiveronlytofindtheslaves，whichhehadbroughtwithhim，freedmenwhentheytouchedCaliforniansoil；tobedrivenbyNorthernprogressand“smartness“outofthelargercitiesintothemountains，tofixhimselfatlast，withthehopelessfatuityofhisrace，uponanalreadyimpoverishedsettlement；tosinkhisscantcapitalinhopelessshaftsandledges，andfinallytotakeoverthedecayinghostelryofBuenaVista，withitsdesultorycustomandfew，lingering，impecuniousguests。Here，too，hisoldVirginianideasofhospitalitywereagainsthisfinancialsuccess；hecouldnotdunnorturnfromhisdoorthoseunfortunateprospectorswhomtheebbingfortunesofBuenaVistahadleftstrandedbyhisside。

ColonelSwingerwassittinginawicker-workrocking-chairontheverandaofhishotel——sippingamintjulepwhichheheldinhishand，whilehegazedintothedustydistance。Nothingcouldhaveconvincedhimthathewasnotperformingaseriouspartofhisdutyashotel-keeperinthisattitude，eventhoughtherewerenotravelersexpected，andtheroadatthishourofthedaywasdeserted。OnabenchathissideLarryHawkinsstretchedhislazylength，——onefootdroppedontheveranda，andonearmoccasionallygropingunderthebenchforhisowntumblerofrefreshment。Apartfromthiscommunityofoccupation，therewasapparentlynointerchangeofsentimentbetweenthepair。Thesilencehadcontinuedforsomemoments，whenthecolonelputdownhisglassandgazedearnestlyintothedistance。

“Seein\'anything？“remarkedthemanonthebench，whohadsleepilyregardedhim。

“No，“saidthecolonel，“thatis——it\'sonlyDickRugglescrossin\'

theroad。“

“Thoughtyoulookedalittlestartled，ezifyou\'dseenthatarwanderin\'stranger。“

“WhenIseethatwanderingstranger，sah，“saidthecoloneldecisively，“Iwon\'tbesittin\'longinthisyerchyar。I\'lllethimknowinabouttensecondsthatIdon\'tharboranyvagrantsprowlin\'aboutlikepoorwhitesorfreeniggersonmypropahty，sah！“

“Allthesame，Ikinderwishyedidseehim，foryou\'dbesettledinYOURmindandI\'dbeeasierinMINE，efyoufoundoutwhathewasdoin\'roundyer，oryehadtoadmitthatitwasn\'tnoLIVIN\'

man。“

“Whatdoyoumean？“saidthecolonel，testilyfacingaroundinhischair。

Hiscompanionalsoalteredhisattitudebydroppinghisotherfoottothefloor，sittingup，andleaninglazilyforwardwithhishandsclasped。

“Lookyer，colonel。Whenyoutookthisplace，IfeltIdidn\'thavenocalltotellyeallIknowaboutit，nortopizenyermindbyanydarnedfoolyarnsImouthevheard。Yeknowitwasoneo\'themoldSpanishhaciendas？“

“Iknow，“saidthecolonelloftily，“thatitwasheldbyagrantfromCharlestheFifthofSpain，justasmypropahtyontheJamesRiverwasgiventomypeoplebyKingJamesofEngland，sah！“

“Thatezasmaybe，“returnedhiscompanion，inlazyindifference；

“thoughIreckonthatCharlestheFifthofSpainandKingJamesofEnglandain\'tgotmuchtodowithwhatI\'mgoin\'totellye。Yesee，IwasherelongaforeYOURtime，oranyoftheboysthathevnowclearedout；andatthattimethehaciendabelongedtoamannamedJuanSobriente。Hewasthatkindo\'foolthathetooknostockinmining。Whentheboyswerewhoopin\'uptheplaceandfindingthecoloreverywhere，andtherewasahundredmenworkingdownthereinthegulch，hewaseitherridin\'roundlookin\'upthewildhorsesheowned，orsittin\'withtwoorthreelazypeonsandInjinsthatwasfedandlookedarterbythepriests。Gosh！nowI

thinkofit，itwasmightylikeYOUwhenyoufirstkemherewithyourniggers。That\'scurious，too，ain\'tit？“

Hehadstopped，gazingwithanodd，superstitiouswondermentatthecolonel，asifovercomebythisnotveryremarkablecoincidence。

Thecolonel，overlookingortotallyoblivioustoitssomewhatuncomplimentarysignificance，simplysaid，“Goon。Whatabouthim？“

“Well，ezIwassayin\'，hewarn\'tinitnohow，butkeptonhisreg\'larwaywhentheboomwasthebiggest。Someoftheboysalloweditwasmightyoncivilforhimtostandofflikethat，andothers——whenherefusedabigpileforhishaciendaandthegarden，thatranrightintothegold-bearingledge——warforlynchinghimanddrivinghimouterthesettlement。Butashehadaprettydarterorniecelivin\'withhim，and，exceptforhisparticklercussednesstowardsmining，waskinderpeaceableandperlite，theythoughtbetterofit。Thingswentalonglikethis，untilonedaytheboysnoticed——particklerlytheboysthathadslippedupontheirluck——thatoldmanSobrientewasgettin\'rich，——hadstockedaranchoverontheDivide，andhadgivensomegoldcandlestickstothemissionchurch。Thatwouldhavebeenonlyhumannatureandbusiness，efhe\'dhadanyduringthemflushtimes；buthehadn\'t。

Thiskinderpuzzledthem。Theytackledthepeons，——hisniggers，——

butitwasall\'Nosabe。\'Theytackledanotherman，——akindofhalf-breedKanaka，who，exceptthepriest，wastheonlymanwhocametoseehim，andwassupposedtobemightysweetonthedarterorniece，——buttheydidn\'tevengetthecolorouterHIM。ThenthefirstthingweknowedwasthatoldSobrientewasfounddeadinthewell！“

“Inthewell，sah！“saidthecolonel，startingup。“Thewellonmypropahty？“

“No，“saidhiscompanion。“Theoldwellthatwasafterwardsshutup。Yourswasdugbythelasttenant，JackRaintree，whoallowedthathedidn\'twantto\'takeanySobrienteinhisreg\'larwhiskeyandwater。\'Well，thehalf-breedKanakaclearedoutaftertheoldman\'sdeath，andsodidthatdarterorniece；andthechurch，towhomoldSobrientehadleftthishouse，letittoRaintreefornexttonothin\'。“

“Idon\'tseewhatallthathasgottodowiththatwanderingtramp，“saidthecolonel，whowasbynomeanspleasedwiththishistoryofhisproperty。

“I\'lltellye。AfewdaysafterRaintreetookitover，hewaslookin\'roundthegarden，whicholdSobrientehadalwayskeptshutupaginstrangers，andhefindsalotofdried-up\'slumgullion\'*

scatteredallaboutthebordersandbeds，justasiftheoldmanhadbeenusingitforfertilizing。Well，Raintreeain\'tnofool；

heallowedtheoldmanwasn\'tone，either；andheknewthatslumgullionwasn\'tworthnomorethanmudforanygooditwoulddothegarden。SoheputthisyertogetherwithSobriente\'sgoodluck，andallowedtohimselfthattheoldcoyotehadbeensecretlygold-washin\'allthewhileheseemedtobestandin\'offaginit！

Butwherewasthemine？Whardidhegetthegold？That\'swhatgotRaintree。Hehuntedalloverthegarden，prospectedeverypartofit，——yekinseetheholesyet，——butheneverevengotthecolor！“

*Thatis，aviscidcement-likerefuseofgold-washing。

Hepaused，andthen，asthecolonelmadeanimpatientgesture，hewenton。

“Well，onenightjustaforeyoutooktheplace，andwhenRaintreewasgettin\'justsickofit，hehappenedtobewalkin\'inthegarden。Hewaspuzzlin\'hisbrainagintoknowhowoldSobrientemadehispile，whenallofasuddensthesawsuthin\'a-movin\'inthebrushbesidethehouse。Hecallsout，thinkin\'itwasoneoftheboys，butgotnoanswer。Thenhegoestothebushes，andatallfigger，allinblack，startsoutaforehim。Hecouldn\'tseeanyface，foritsheadwascoveredwithahood，buthesawthatitheldsuthin\'likeabigcrossclaspedaginitsbreast。Thismadehimthinkitwasonethempriests，untilhelooksaginandseesthatitwasn\'tnocrossitwascarryin，\'butaPICKAXE！Hemakesajumptowardsit，butitvanished！Hetraipsedoverthehullgarden，——wentthoughev\'rybush，——butitwascleangone。Thenthehullthingflasheduponhimwithacoldshiver。Theoldmanbein\'

founddeadinthewell！thegoin\'awayofthehalf-breedandthegirl！thefindin\'o\'thatslumgullion！TheoldmanHADmadeastrikeinthatgarden，thehalf-breedhaddiscoveredhissecretandmurderedhim，throwin\'himdownthewell！ItwarnoLIVIN\'manthathehadseen，buttheghostofoldSobriente！“

Thecolonelemptiedtheremainingcontentsofhisglassatasinglegulp，andsatup。“It\'smyopinion，sah，thatRaintreehadthatnightmorethanhisusualallowanceofcorn-juiceonboard；andit\'sonlyawonder，sah，thathedidn\'tseeafewpinkalligatorsandsky-bluesnakesatthesametime。Butwhat\'sthisgottodowiththatwanderin\'tramp？“

“They\'reallthesamething，colonel，andinmyopinionthattheretrampain\'tnomorealivethanthatfiggerwas。“

“ButYOUweretheonethatsawthistrampwithyourowneyes，“

retortedthecolonelquickly，“andyouneverbeforealloweditwasaspirit！“

“Exactly！Isawitwharaminitaforenothin\'hadbeenstandin\'，andaminitafternothin\'stood，“saidLarryHawkins，withacertainseriousemphasis；“butIwarn\'tgoin\'tosayittoANYBODY，andIwarn\'tgoin\'togiveyouandthehaciendaaway。AndeznobodyknewRaintree\'sstory，Ijestshutupmyhead。ButyoukinbetyourlifethatthemanIsawwarn\'tnolivin\'man！“

“We\'llsee，sah！“saidthecolonel，risingfromhischairwithhisfingersinthearmholesofhisnankeenwaistcoat，“efheeverintrudesonmypropertyagain。Butlookyar！don\'tyegosayin\'

anythingofthistoPolly，——youknowwhatwomenare！“

AfaintcolorcameintoLarry\'sface；ananimationquitedifferenttothelazydeliberationofhispreviousmonologueshoneinhiseyes，ashesaid，withacertainroughrespecthehadnotshownbeforetohiscompanion，“That\'swhyI\'mtellin\'ye，sothatefSHE

happenedtoseeanythingandgotskeert，ye\'dknowhowtoreasonheroutofit。“

“\'Sh！“saidthecolonel，withawarninggesture。

Ayounggirlhadjustappearedinthedoorway，andnowstoodleaningagainstthecentralpillarthatsupportedit，withonehandaboveherhead，inalazyattitudestronglysuggestiveofthecolonel\'sSouthernindolence，yetwithagraceentirelyherown。

Indeed，itovercamethenegligenceofhercreasedandfadedyellowcottonfrockandunbuttonedcollar，andsuggested——atleasttotheeyesofONEman——thecurvingandclingingofthejasminevineagainsttheoutercolumnoftheveranda。LarryHawkinsroseawkwardlytohisfeet。

“Nowwhatareyoutwomenmumblin\'andconfidin\'toeachother？

Youlookforalltheworldliketwooldwomengossips，“shesaid，withlanguidimpertinence。

Itwaseasytoseethataprivilegedandrecognizedautocratspoke。

NoonehadeverquestionedPollySwinger\'srighttointerrupting，interfering，andsaucycriticisms。Secureinthehopelessorchivalrousadmirationofthemenaroundher，shehadrepaiditwithafranknessthatscornedanycoquetry；withanindifferencetotheordinaryfeminineeffectorprovocationindressorbearingthatwasasnaturalasitwasinvincible。NoonehadeverknownPollyto“fixup“foranybody，yetnooneeverdoubtedtheeffect，ifshehad。Noonehadeverrebukedhercharmingpetulance，orwishedto。

Larrygaveaweak，vaguelaugh。ColonelSwingerasineffectivelyassumedamockparentalseverity。“Whenyouseetwogentlemen，miss，discussin\'politicstogether，itain\'tbehavin\'likealadytointerrupt。Betterrunawayandtidyyourselfbeforethestagecomes。“

Theyoungladyrepliedtothelastinnuendobytakingtwospiralsofsofthair，like“cornsilk，“fromherovalcheek，wettingthemwithherlips，andtuckingthembehindherears。Herfather\'sungentlemanlysuggestionbeingthusdisposedof，shereturnedtoherfirstcharge。

“Itain\'tnopolitics；youain\'tbeenswearingenoughforTHAT！

Come，now！It\'sthemysteriousstrangerye\'vebeentalkingabout！“

Bothmenstaredatherwithunaffectedconcern。

“WhatdoYOUknowaboutanymysteriousstranger？“demandedherfather。

“Doyousupposeyoumenkinkeepasecret，“scoffedPolly。“Why，DickRugglestoldmehowskeertyeallwereoveranentirestranger，andheadvisedmenottowanderdowntheroadafterdark。

IaskedhimifhethoughtIwasapickaninnytobefrightenedbybogies，andthatifhehadn\'tabetterexcuseforwantin\'\'toseemehome\'fromtheInjinspring，hemightslide。“

Larrylaughedagain，albeitalittlebitterly，foritseemedtohimthattheexcusewasfullyjustified；butthecolonelsaidpromptly，“Dick\'safool，andyoumighthavetoldhimtherewereworsethingstobemetontheroadthanbogies。Runawaynow，andseethattheniggersareonhandwhenthestagecomes。“

Twohourslaterthestagecamewithaclatterofhoofsandacloudofreddust，whichprecipitateditselfandadozenthirstytravelersupontheverandabeforethehotelbar-room；itbroughtalsotheusual“express“newspapersandmuchtalktoColonelSwinger，whoalwaysreceivedhisguestsinaloftypersonalfashionatthedoor，ashemighthavedoneinhisoldVirginianhome；butitbroughtlikewise——marveloustorelate——anACTUALGUEST，whohadtwotrunksandaskedforaroom！HewasevidentlyastrangertothewaysofBuenaVista，andparticularlytothoseofColonelSwinger，andatfirstseemedinclinedtoresentthesocialattitudeofhishost，andhisfrankandfreecuriosity。Whenhe，however，foundthatColonelSwingerwasevenbettersatisfiedtogiveanaccountofHISOWNaffairs，hisfamily，pedigree，andhispresentresidence，hebegantobetraysomeinterest。Thecoloneltoldhimallthenews，andwouldnodoubthaveevenexpatiatedonhisghostlyvisitant，hadhenotprudentlyconcludedthathisguestmightdeclinetoremaininahauntedinn。Thestrangerhadspokenofstayingaweek；hehadsomeprivateminingspeculationstowatchatWynyard\'sGulch，——thenextsettlement，buthedidnotcaretoappearopenlyatthe“GulchHotel。“Hewasamanofthirty，withsoft，pleasingfeaturesandasingularlithenessofmovement，which，combinedwithanut-brown，gypsycomplexion，atfirstsuggestedaforeigner。Buthisdialect，tothecolonel\'sears，wasdistinctlythatofNewEngland，andtothiswasaddedapuritanicalandsanctimoniousdrawl。“Helooked，“saidthecolonelinafteryears，“likeablanklightmulatter，buttalkedlikeablankYankeeparson。“Forallthat，hewasacceptabletohishost，whomayhavefeltthathisreminiscencesofhisplantationontheJamesRiverwerepallingonBuenaVistaears，andwasgladofhisnewauditor。

Itwasanadvertisement，too，ofthehotel，andapromiseofitsfuturefortunes。“GentlemenhavingpropahtyinterestsattheGulch，sah，prefertostayatBuenaVistawithanothermanofpropahty，thantotrusttothosenew-fangledpapah-collared，gingerbreadboothsfortradersthattheycall\'hotels\'there，“hehadremarkedtosomeof“theboys。“Inhispreoccupationwiththenewguest，healsobecamealittleneglectfulofhisoldchumanddependent，LarryHawkins。Norwasthistheonlycircumstancethatfilledtheheadofthatshiftlessloyalretainerofthecolonelwithbitternessandforeboding。PollySwinger——thescornfullyindifferent，thecontemptuouslyinaccessible，thecoldlycapriciousandpetulant——wasinclinedtobepolitetothestranger！

ThefactwasthatPolly，afterthefashionofhersex，tookitintoherprettyhead，againstallconsistencyandlogic，suddenlytomakeanexceptiontohergeneralattitudetowardsmankindinfavorofoneindividual。Thereason-seekingmasculinereaderwillrashlyconcludethatthisindividualwastheCAUSEaswellastheobject；

butIamsatisfiedthateveryfairreaderofthesepageswillinstinctivelyknowbetter。MissPollyhadsimplyselectedthenewguest，Mr。Starbuck，toshowOTHERS，particularlyLarryHawkins，whatsheCOULDdoifshewereinclinedtobecivil。Fortwodaysshe“fixedup“herdistractinghairathimsothatitssilkenflossencircledherheadlikeanimbus；shetuckedherovalchinintoawhitefichuinsteadofabuttonlesscollar；sheappearedatdinnerinanewlystarchedyellowfrock！Shetalkedtohimwith“companymanners；“saidshewould“admiretogotoSanFrancisco，“andaskedifheknewheroldfriendstheFauquiergirlsfrom“Faginia。“Thecolonelwassomewhatdisturbed；hewasgladthathisdaughterhadbecomelessnegligentofherpersonalappearance；hecouldnotbutsee，withtheothers，howitenhancedhergraces；buthewas，withtheothers，notentirelysatisfiedwithherreasons。Andhecouldnothelpobserving——whatwasmoreorlesspatenttoALL——thatStarbuckwasfarfrombeingequallyresponsivetoherattentions，andattimeswasindifferentandalmostuncivil。NobodyseemedtobesatisfiedwithPolly\'stransformationbutherself。

Buteventuallyshewasobligedtoassertherself。ThethirdeveningafterStarbuck\'sarrivalshewasgoingovertothecabinofAuntChloe，whonotonlydidthewashingforBuenaVista，butassistedPollyindressmaking。Itwasnotfar，andthenightwasmoonlit。AsshecrossedthegardenshesawStarbuckmovinginthemanzanitabushesbeyond；amischievouslightcameintohereyes；

shehadnotEXPECTEDtomeethim，butshehadseenhimgoout，andtherewerealwaysPOSSIBILITIES。Tohersurprise，however，hemerelyliftedhishatasshepassed，andturnedabruptlyinanotherdirection。Thiswasmorethanthelittleheart-breakerofBuenaVistawasaccustomedto！

“Oh，Mr。Starbuck！“shecalled，inherlaziestvoice。

Heturnedalmostimpatiently。

“Sinceyou\'resocivilandpressing，IthoughtI\'dtellyouIwasjustrunnin\'overtoAuntChloe\'s，“shesaiddryly。

“Ishouldthinkitwashardlytheproperthingforayoungladytodoatthistimeofnight，“hesaidsuperciliously。“Butyouknowbest，——youknowthepeoplehere。“

Polly\'scheeksandeyesflamed。“Yes，IreckonIdo，“shesaidcrisply；“it\'sonlyaSTRANGERherewouldthinkofbeingrude。

Good-night，Mr。Starbuck！“

ShetrippedawayafterthisParthianshot，yetfeeling，eveninhertriumph，thattheconceitedfoolseemedactuallyrelievedatherdeparture！Andforthefirsttimeshenowthoughtthatshehadseensomethinginhisfacethatshedidnotlike！Butherlazyindependencereasserteditselfsoon，andhalfanhourlater，whenshehadleftAuntChloe\'scabin，shehadregainedherself-esteem。

Yet，toavoidmeetinghimagain，shetookalongerroutehome，acrossthedriedditchandoverthebluff，scarredbyhydraulics，andsofell，presently，upontheoldgardenatthepointwhereitadjoinedtheabandoneddiggings。ShewasquitesureshehadescapedameetingwithStarbuck，andwasglidingalongundertheshadowofthepear-trees，whenshesuddenlystopped。Anindescribableterrorovercameherasshestaredataspotinthegarden，perfectlyilluminatedbythemoonlightnotfiftyyardsfromwhereshestood。Forshesawonitssurfaceahumanhead——aman\'shead！——seeminglyontheleveloftheground，staringinherdirection。Ahystericallaughsprangfromherlips，andshecaughtatthebranchesaboveherorshewouldhavefallen！Yetinthatmomenttheheadhadvanished！Themoonlightrevealedtheemptygarden，——thegroundshehadgazedat，——butnothingmore！

Shehadneverbeensuperstitious。Asachildshehadheardthenegroestalkof“thehants，“——thatis，“theHAUNTS“orspirits，——

buthadbelieveditapartoftheirignorance，andunworthyawhitechild，——thedaughteroftheirmaster！ShehadlaughedwithDickRugglesovertheillusionsofLarry，andhadsharedherfather\'scontemptuousdisbeliefofthewanderingvisitantbeinganythingbutalivingman；yetshewouldhavescreamedforassistancenow，onlyforthegreaterfearofmakingherweaknessknowntoMr。Starbuck，andbeingdependentuponhimforhelp。AndwithitcamethesuddenconvictionthatHEhadseenthisawfulvision，too。Thiswouldaccountforhisimpatienceofherpresenceandhisrudeness。Shefeltfaintandgiddy。Yetafterthefirstshockhadpassed，heroldindependenceandpridecametoherrelief。Shewouldgotothespotandexamineit。Ifitweresometrickorillusion，shewouldshowhersuperiorityandhavethelaughonStarbuck。Shesetherwhiteteeth，clenchedherlittlehands，andstartedoutintothemoonlight。Butalas！forwomen\'sweakness。ThenextmomentsheutteredascreamandalmostfellintothearmsofMr。Starbuck，whohadsteppedoutoftheshadowsbesideher。

“SoyouseeyouHAVEbeenfrightened，“hesaid，withastrange，forcedlaugh；“butIwarnedyouaboutgoingoutalone！“

Eveninherfrightshecouldnothelpseeingthathe，too，seemedpaleandagitated，atwhichsherecoveredhertongueandherself-

possession。

“Anybodywouldbefrightenedbybeingdoggedaboutunderthetrees，“

shesaidpertly。

“Butyoucalledoutbeforeyousawme，“hesaidbluntly，“asifsomethinghadfrightenedyou。ThatwasWHYIcametowardsyou。“

Sheknewitwasthetruth；butasshewouldnotconfesstohervision，shefibbedoutrageously。

“Frightened，“shesaid，withpalebutloftyindignation。“Whatwastheretofrightenme？I\'mnotababy，tothinkIseeabogieinthedark！“ThiswassaidinthefainthopethatHEhadseensomethingtoo。IfithadbeenLarryorherfatherwhohadmether，shewouldhaveconfessedeverything。

“Youhadbettergoin，“hesaidcurtly。“Iwillseeyousafeinsidethehouse。“

Shedemurredatthis，butasshecouldnotpersistinherfirstboldintentionofexaminingthelocalityofthevisionwithoutadmittingitsexistence，shepermittedhimtowalkwithhertothehouse，andthenatoncefledtoherownroom。Larryandherfathernoticedtheirentrancetogetherandtheiragitatedmanner，andwereuneasy。Yetthecolonel\'spaternalprideandLarry\'slover\'srespectkeptthetwomenfromcommunicatingtheirthoughtstoeachother。

“Theconfoundedpuphasbeentryin\'tobefamiliar，andPolly\'ssethimdown，“thoughtLarry，withglowingsatisfaction。

“He\'sbeentryingsomeofhissanctimoniousYankeeabolitiontalkonPolly，andsheshockedhim！“thoughtthecolonelexultingly。

ButpoorPollyhadotherthingstothinkofinthesilenceofherroom。Anotherwomanwouldhaveunburdenedherselftoaconfidante；

butPollywastooloyaltoherfathertoshatterhisbeliefs，andtoohigh-spiritedtotakeanotherandalesserpersonintoherconfidence。ShewascertainthatAuntChloewouldbefullofsympatheticbeliefandspeculations，butshewouldnottrustaniggerwithwhatshecouldn\'ttellherownfather。ForPollyreallyandtrulybelievedthatshehadseenaghost，nodoubttheghostofthemurderedSobriente，accordingtoLarry\'sstory。WHY

heshouldappearwithonlyhisheadabovegroundpuzzledher，althoughitsuggestedtheCatholicideaofpurgatory，andhewasaCatholic！PerhapshewouldhaverisenentirelybutforthatstupidStarbuck\'spresence；perhapshehadamessageforHERalone。TheideapleasedPolly，albeititwasa“fearfuljoy“andattendedwithsomecoldshivering。Naturally，asagentleman，hewouldappeartoHER——thedaughterofagentleman——thesuccessortohishouse——

ratherthantoaYankeestranger。Whatwasshetodo？Foroncehercalmnerveswerestrangelythrilled；shecouldnotthinkofundressingandgoingtobed，andtwoo\'clocksurprisedher，stillmeditating，andoccasionallypeepingfromherwindowuponthemoonlitbutvacantgarden。Ifshesawhimagain，wouldshedaretogodownalone？Suddenlyshestartedtoherfeetwithabeatingheart！Therewastheunmistakablesoundofastealthyfootstepinthepassage，comingtowardsherroom。Wasithe？Inspiteofherhighresolvesshefeltthatifthedooropenedsheshouldscream！