conclusions to this
veracious chronicle. As they agree in result, though not in theory or
intention, I may venture to give them both. To one coming from the lips
of the charming heroine herself I naturally yield the precedence. "Oh,
the bear story! I don't really remember whether that was before I was
engaged to John or after. But I had known him for some time; father
introduced him at the Governor's ball at Sacramento. Let me see!--I
think it was in the winter of '56. Yes! it was very amusing; I always
used to charge John with having trained that bear to attack our carriage
so that he might come in as a hero! Oh, of course, there are a hundred
absurd stories about him,--they used to say that he lived all alone in
a cabin like a savage, and all that sort of thing, and was a friend of
a dubious woman in the locality, whom the common people made a heroine
of,--Miggles, or Wiggles, or some such preposterous name. But look
at John there; can you conceive it?" The listener, glancing at a very
handsome, clean-shaven fellow, faultlessly attired, could not conceive
such an absurdity. So I therefore simply give the opinion of Joshua
Bixley, Superintendent of the Long Divide Tunnel Company, for what it is
worth: "I never took much stock in that bear story, and its captivating
old Forester's daughter. Old Forester knew a thing or two, and when he
was out here consolidating tunnels, he found out that Jack Tenbrook was
about headed for the big lead, and brought him out and introduced him
to Amy. You see, Jack, clear grit as he was, was mighty rough style, and
about as simple as they make 'em, and they had to get up something to
account for that girl's taking a shine to him. But they seem to be happy
enough--and what are you going to do about it?"

And I transfer this philosophic query to the reader.

THE YOUNGEST PROSPECTOR IN CALAVERAS

He was scarcely eight when it was believed that he could have reasonably
laid claim to the above title. But he never did. He was a small boy,
intensely freckled to the roots of his tawny hair, with even a suspicion
of it in his almond-shaped but somewhat full eyes, which were the
greenish hue of a ripe gooseberry. All this was very unlike his parents,
from whom he diverged in resemblance in that fashion so often seen in
the Southwest of America, as if the youth of the boundless West had
struck a new note of independence and originality, overriding all
conservative and established rules of he