The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 11, 1904, Page 6

' k Corw RaGeliffe, author of prize sic vy for this week, “Ken- k Randall's we,” is a newspa- per man by traiing. elthough at pres- nt occupying the position of chief of title records in the Central Pacific land department in this ity Mr. Radcliffe, who comes of a family of newspape: was at one time edi- men tor of the Colusa Herald and later was with the Sacramento Bee. Len Low, author of “The Adoption of Little Bell,” the winner of last week’s prize, is a resident of Sacra- meato when the stage w onsignment of d ese 4 his conc 1 galoot ch as Wells,Fargo & Co. had cluded after the successful termi e previous affairs that the longer afford to conduct an tution for the benefit they had dis- e on Hank's line had fallen directly of dust from the oled with.the in- ler on the late et the traditions n as to have tance shot at the resu ed hi opular exciteme co 1l of blood ne of the alleged at paralleled the Para- e road. Four miles blood had ceased to cke continued their identity in led trail, which directly doctor” had re- t he had a gunshot wound uck” Randall, the r of a worthless end of the Flat. e in camp Xen- ishing but incongruous 3 been a disinglina- surprising ability 1 which to buck White’s faro bank. doctor said Kentuck’s injury, ¥, had been extracting a but he had seen didn’t allow that dinarily carried 41-caliber the doctor’s practice being i 1 ualties inflicted h class of proj , his words ere not without weight. Two hours later, while a portion of committee commiserated with the luckless Kentuck, another section of that righteous body succeeded in un- Just back of his cabin, a but varied assortment of cans and bags, all filled with dust and each bearing the private mark of some res- dent of the Flat. Three hours later Randall had made a full confession of his iniguitous course and the had retired to con- gider of and ncerning its verdict, leaving a guard at the malefactor's door. The disgust herctofore mentioned became apparent during the retirement f the jury. “Ef the dern skunk had gone over and robbed the Placerville stage it wouldn't have been so bad,” said Par- White, who, by common consent, was the leader of the committee. “but 18t be ongrateful enough to steal nts he has been livin' with and has always treated him white.” verdict of the self-constituted was such a foregone conclusion ts retirement was a proceeding perfunctory than necessary and arbiters of Kentuck’s destiny soon : the cabin. ' said Parson White, “the sittin’ in its wisdom, has decided that you've done the meanest thing on earth—you've stolen from ur friends.” The special meanness consistin’ of the fact that I got their stuff before it went into your brace game,” interrupt- ed Kentuck. . The remarks is irrelevant and im- material,” sald the Parson, who was not legally inexperienced, “but the court is not disposed to deal harshly with the defendant considerin’ he is of few days and full of trouble. Which I was sayin’, Kentuck, the fury has found you guilty of a heenious offense. but these gents has got their money back, thanks to your foresight in bury- in’ it where it could be found. and they | be lenient. Paradise Flat has never hanged a man and don’t want to begin now—-" - “Your sentiments does you credit,” interjected the prisoner. “So we've decided vou can be shot SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY - CALL. Y s their chore: 1 understand,” said Randall I don't want anybody to b n' on r nt ¢ me exactly v ere,” said ward and plac th blue len shi Kentuck's heart Thanks,” s which 1 wouldn’t have t I'd knowed I wasn't go » more. By the way, I don't y gent has brought his bot- a finger on pose with n ‘Don’t get sarcastic,” White, as each man pres flered a flask to the condemned { the Kentuck by Bill Dig ccepted , propri one proffered Do- of the Ei rado saloon, remarking that for onc in his life he believed he w d like bugjuice that wasn't half water, took a long pull at its contents, then re- ceived from the Parson’s hand a big revolver and placed its mu the spot indicated by the doctor. Good-by, boys,” he said cheerfully. “Here's hopin’ for better luck next tim There of blue on was a sharp report, a puff smoke ascended to the black- iling of the little cabin and the slowly and silently wended its ¥ to the El Dorado. S i From the spludge he’s makin’, Hank have a high-toned load on to- said a lounger in front of the 2l Dorado one evening about two months after the committee had in- duced “Kentuck” to effect his own de- mise. A few minutes late; er's claims to pr ere fully recognized, for Hank up to the door of the Flat's only hotel, threw his lines to a hostler and, jumping down, essisted to a firma, with many gallant flourish, the daintiest morsel of humanity Paradise had ever seen. First a little foot was firmly planted on the wheel, then about a sixteenth of an inch of a bewitching ankle became visible as Hank swung its owner to the ground, and as “Mam” Roberts conducted her into the hostelry the boys saw a petite figure and a profu- sion of golden curls, the whole appari- tion being clad in somber black. Hank was immediately invited to drink by the visible population of the camp, and as the crowd lined up to the bar the query, *“Who 18 she?” as- sailed him from all sides, but he wait- ed until the foothill dust was washed from his capacious throat before he spokee. “You fellers has got Into a nice box,” he finally remarked, as he leaned his back against the bar. “She’s Ken- tuck Randall's daughter and she's me to look after her pap's estate. “‘Oh, Lord,” groaned Bill Diggs. “Have another, boys; it's on me.” “And you gents wants to treat her white,” intimated Hank, accepting the invitation, but taking no further notice of the interruption. “She’s been tellin’ me all the way from Marysville what a good man her pap was, and, of course, I kinder had to agree with her, and I allow as how you fellers will stand in too when she opens her bazoo. She says a kind friend of her pap wrote her about his passin’ in his checks, but she didn’t mention no names.” “'Fill "em up again, Bill,” said Parson White. “I may as well tell you now, boys, it was me as wrote the little gal. I was chinnin’ with the late lamented one day and learned as how he had an old woman and a kid in the States, and after his untimely takin’ off I was lcok- in’ over his things and found the gal's address. I didn’t think it was any use sayin’ anything to you boys about it, but I jest set down and wrote her as how her dad had had an accident with a shootin iron and had blew hisself to kingdom come, but, of course, I didn't calc'late on her comin’ out to take charge of his property—which, between me an’ you, ain’t much. 'T any rate, we'll have to let her down as easy as we can.” The greater portion of an O X WIN arded itself, but that night every miner in the Fiat evinced a determina- up at the hotel, and for an hour whose trade had hitherto nfined mainly to bacon and rub- kept busy disposing of white ts at fabu- t demand for ion so t a bargain with m Robert n the young lady 3 she in cons: jere was not been cc nces o supply t the arments that did not to ¢ to the edifica- somewhat wearer. Then the fact that it had 1 sartorial way, » at Bill Diggs’ d waited in tre- the’ morrow. Miss Randall, R expressed a de- Parson White, who she d_was the leading Citizen of Flat, as well as a few more promine inhabitants. There- an hour later the Parson, with five lights (there beigg only six white marched into the little cach man exerted him- behind his feilow, the re- of the Flat iting the while El Dorado to hear the result of When the landlady, in srformed the intro- the young lady, deputation of leading citi- 4 earance of a blue- »d angel, murmured a :n_words of thanks to them dness which she knew from their appearsz they had extended to her voor. = vapa, whereat each member of the delegation felt strongly disposed to exercise his pedal extremi- on himself, but upon his well, as his mind reverted rts, to ge ma at the t conference few for \‘\v busines: she flnally re- “Poor papa sent us so much while he was alive that mamma knew he must have left quite and 1 an estate, so I concluded to brave the hardships of the journey 3and come out take charge of it. Do you knc which bank he put his money in?" arson White's”—began one of the be but he was interrupted by a kick in the shins and a volley of ferocious Jooks and discreetly subsided. “The gentleman was about to remark that th had appointed me to be spokesman,” said the Parson. “I don't really think your father put his money into any bank. You see, we ain't got no banks here and the boys mostly takes re of their own money.” When they are lucky,” muttered one of the delegation. passibly papa buried his “Then oy suggested Miss Randall. Possibly,” gravely assented the en-" tire crowd. “He was syccessful, was he not?” queried the girl. “Well, fairly,” sald the Parson. “When the other boys done well, he done well."” “But didn’t he have a good claim?” asked Miss Randall. “Well, it wan't the best in ecamp,” answered Parson White, “and so he occasionally relieved the other gents and made a little that way, but he were not of a savin’ disposition, gen- FRESH and suggestlve phrase has recently come from the pcn of the brilllant young Scotch writer, John Kelman, who speaks of life as an affalr of honor. How fruitful in suggestiveness it is. Do you mean to say, Mr. Scotch- man, that these commonplace and often listless days of ours are to be regarded from that point of view, that this dull routine—eight hours for sleep, eight or ten for labor and the rest of the day spent chiefly upon inconsequential mat, ters—goes toward the making up of a record as honorable as that of the sen- tinel guarding a redoubt, the soldier pressing hard upon his foe, the Em- bassador charged with large responsi- bilities. Yes, indeed, life is an affair of honor. Infinite trust is reposex in us mor- tals. We are granted large liberty of thought and action. We are not un- der the lash of the overseer or the constant esplonage of the schoolmas- ter. We are not trcated as servants or as children. We are put into this world, given our capacities, our free- dem, our opportunity, and left in large measure then to ourselves, to our own honor, to our own sense of what is right and fair. The Creator repo:es in us an almost subli:ae confidence that we will play a man’s part, How different this conception of life from the theory that we are creatures of fate tossed and buffeted hither and thither with little power of initiative, with hardly any real freedom. How different also from the theory that goes iffe \ R o T T P BB ast she ; 3 a o e ’ ‘ 1#’ ,"o oy avs_ g b e fi S g é"%fi%fig 4 s At}l ave t B gave, the, the 11 er’ly speakin’, and so I don’t think he left much.” C. ‘'Oh, but I am sure he did,” insisted the girl, “and that is what I desired to talk to you about. I am not well versed {n business affairs, but I know that such kind-hearted gentlemen as Yyou will assist me. Would you aid me to the opposite extreme and looks upon each man as the sole arbiter of his own destiny, his life meaning nothing to a higher power than himself, never to account to that power for the use of his time, talents and oppdrtunity. And agaln, how different is this theory from the butterfly conception of human life that we are here to flit aimlessly from one soft resting place to another: that we are to make no provision for the morrow; that to brim to-day’s cup with R A O LIFE AS AN AFFAIR OF HONOR happiness is to be our sole endeavor. Far nobler it is to_conceive of life as an affair of honor. For that concep- tion is, first of all, an appeal for forti- tude. Because we are placed here to work out our own salvation we are not to whine when misfortune comes nor to shrink from losses, defeats and disappointments. We are to bear up under them as the soldier calmly en- dures hardship and peril. We are to burn our own smoke, because it would be dishonorable in us to do gnything %r&erto digup A this afternoon in making a search through his effects?" “Certain,” vociferously shouted the entire six. In fact thev would have cheerfully undertaken the task of Jumping across the canyon if she had requested it. Then they returned to the El Dorado with the understanding else, recreancy to what of us. Again it is an appeal for magnani- mity. If we are.really here to play the part of honorable men and women we can afford to oyverlook apparent slights and wrongs, because all these when meekly taken strengthen and perfect character. We can refrain from answering back, from returning unkindness for unkindness. What is shabby treatment, what are baseless accusations compared with keeping our own record clean and fine and magnanimous? And still again this conception of life as an affair of honor is a mighty appeal for achievement. Just because Wwe are given such large latitude, just because we are made in the images of God with divine capacities, just be- cause we are permitted to think and talk and act as, we please, we are bound to do something and think something from day to day that is worth while. We are bound ‘to be doers, not parasites or drones. No matter if life is short and the years fly swiftly and we are not as gifted as some others are and the circle of our influence ‘is small, we can still rise to the level of this conception of life which has been expressed so beauti- fully by a poet, Edward R. Sill, who was on earth only a few years when he wrote Forenoon and afterncon and night, is expected Forenoon nd afternoon and night, 5 Forenoon and— What! The empty lay repeats itself mo more? Yea, that is life: Make this forencon sublime, this aftsrmoon s psalm, this night a prayer, Ang Time g conquered, and thy sTown is won, that in the afternoon they would es- cort her to her deceased parent's late residence. “Well, I'm dammed,” ejaculated one of the six as they solemnly walked in- to Diges’ place and invited the assem- blage to imbibe. ¢ ‘‘There's only one way out of this thing,” sald Parson White, after the story had been told. “In course, Ken- tuck didn’t leave no estate, leastways of his own, and so he's got to have one made to order. I'll start it with a hundred.” So saying he slapped a bag of dust on the bar. . “That's the talk,” shouted a score of voices and in almost no time every man present had added a donation to Kentuck Randall's estate. A delega- tion was appointed to seal the pile in an old can and bury it in the dirt floor of the cabin and soon the task was reported as duly perfermed. Early in the afternoon the half doz- en prominent citizens called for Miss Randall and solemnly escorted her down the hill to her father's cabin, The girl shed a few tears as she gazed on the walls of the dreary hut, but these evidences of grief were soon dried as the men, under her direction, searched every nook and cormer of the place. At last she gave the order to dig up the floor and a dogen willing hands seized half as many shovels and for several minutes dug in every place but the right one. *'Tain’'t mo use,’” said one of the workers, finally, throwing down his shovel, “there ain't nothin’ yere.” But at that moment & shout from an- other perspiring but cheerful laborer drew everybody to his side. He had uncovered the can, which was soon cut open and its contents dumped out on a table. “How much is there?” quired the hefress. “As nigh as I can calc’late by lookin® at It, there is clost onto seven thousang eagerly in- ¥y T N x.\ KR dollars, and all your'n,” sald the Par« son, and at his words Miss Randall gave a glad cry and fainted. But joy is never fatal except in sto- ries, and the young lady was soon In & condition to be taken to the hotel, ace companied by the preclous cam and every man in camp, The next morning before the stage left she made them a little speech of thanks for their kind assistance, and there was not a donor to the estate of Kentuck Randall, deceased, whe did not feel fully repaid for his contribu- tion. At the last moment Parson White announced that he was going along to protect the young lady and her valuable treasure, and, although Hank Dillard sald privately that so long as Kentuck was dead, the stage “didn’'t need no protectin”,” yet the Parson allowed he needed a trip any- how and the boys applauded his gener- ous action. Two weeks later Bill Diggs, with a lugubrious countenance, read to the as- sembled citizens of Paradise Flat the following letter: AN FRANCISCO, June 8 1852 1 thought as how the boys wauld s. Dear Bill: Be on the amer bound for New York. Which say was a Randall is only a perlite way of lettin’ you know who I mean, for she never was no more be, as she knows on e was a clever actress at ome of the theayters that I met when I was down at the city last winter. I knew the boys at the Flat would like to see 3 little play- sctin’. 30 T wrote & play and had her coms up 1o act it and I know you'll all jine me in a Randall than you sayin’ she done firstrate, even show was a leetie high M best respeets and hopes you you comes to New York. Y PARSOD There was a long silence, spoke: “If Parson White ever comes back there’ll be another estate administrated on, I'm thinkin’, but until that time the Probate Court of this here fool camp 13 takin’ a vacation. Boys, whatll you have?™ then Bill