Stories by American Authors Volume I Part 7

Mendocino noticed the facts that form the basis of the above meteorological simile, and we believe we gave Mendocino full credit for it at the time. We refer to the matter at this date only because in our remarks of a few days ago we had occasion to mention the fact of the existence of Mr. Zeke Kilburn, an advance agent, who called upon us at the time, to endeavor to induce us, by means apparently calculated more closely for the lat.i.tude of Mendocino, to extend to Miss Saville, before her appearance, the critical approbation which we gladly extended after.

This little item of interest we alluded to at the time, and furthermore intimated, with some vagueness, that there existed in Kilburn's character a certain misdirected zeal combined with a too keen artistic appreciation, are apt to be rather dangerous stock-in trade for an advance agent.

It was twenty seven minutes past two o'clock yesterday afternoon. The chaste white mystery of Shigo Mountain was already taking on a faint, almost imperceptible, hint of pink, like the warm cheek of a girl who hears a voice and antic.i.p.ates a blush. Yet the rays of the afternoon sun rested with undiminished radiance on the empty pork-barrel in front of McMullin's shebang. A small and vagrant infant, whose a.s.sociations with empty barrels were doubtless. .h.i.therto connected solely with dreams of saccharine dissipation, approached the bunghole with precocious caution, and retired with celerity and a certain acquisition of experience. An unattached goat, a martyr to the radical theory of personal investigation, followed in the footsteps of infantile humanity, retired with even greater prompt.i.tude, and was fain to stay its stomach on a presumably empty rend-rock can, afterward going into seclusion behind McMullin's horse-shed, before the diuretic effect of tin flavored with blasting-powder could be observed by the attentive eye of science.

Mr. Kilburn emerged from the hostlery without Mr. McMullin. Mr. Kilburn, as we have before stated at his own request, is a gentleman of imposing presence. It is well that we made this statement when we did, for it is hard to judge of the imposing quality in a gentleman's presence when that gentleman is suspended from the arm of another gentleman by the collar of the first gentleman's coat. The gentleman in the rear of Mr.

Kilburn was Mr. William Beauvoir, a young Englishman in a check suit.

Mr. Beauvoir is not avowedly a man of imposing presence; he wears a seal ring, and he is generally a scion of an effete oligarchy, but he has, since his introduction into this community, behaved himself, to use the adjectivial adverb of Mr. McMullin, _white_, and he has a very remarkable biceps. These qualities may hereafter enhance his popularity in New Centreville.

Mr. Beauvoir's movements, at twenty-seven minutes past two yesterday afternoon, were few and simple. He doubled Mr. Kilburn up, after the fashion of an ordinary jack-knife, and placed him in the barrel, wedge-extremity first, remarking, as he did so, "She is, is she?" He then rammed Mr. Kilburn carefully home, and put the cover on.

We learn to-day that Mr. Kilburn has resumed his professional duties on the road.

DOc.u.mENT NO. 28.

_Account of the same event from the New Centreville "Standard" December 24th, 1878:_

It seems strange that even the holy influences which radiate from this joyous season cannot keep some men from getting into unseemly wrangles.

It was only yesterday that our local saw a street row here in the quiet avenues of our peaceful city--a street row recalling the riotous scenes which took place here before Dead Horse experienced a change of heart and became New Centreville. Our local succeeded in gathering all the particulars of the affray, and the following statement is reliable. It seems that Mr. Kilburn, the gentlemanly and affable advance agent of the Nina Saville Dramatic Company, now performing at Andy Hanks' Opera House to big houses, was brutally a.s.saulted by a ruffianly young Englishman, named Beauvoir, for no cause whatever. We say for no cause, as it is obvious that Mr. Kilburn, as the agent of the troupe, could have said nothing against Miss Saville which an outsider, not to say a foreigner like Mr. Beauvoir, had any call to resent. Mr. Kilburn is a gentleman unaccustomed to rough-and-tumble encounters, while his adversary has doubtless a.s.sociated more with pugilists than gentlemen--at least any one would think so from his actions yesterday. Beauvoir hustled Mr.

Kilburn out of Mr. McMullin's, where the unprovoked a.s.sault began, and violently shook him across the new plank sidewalk. The person by the name of Clark, whom Judge Jones for some reason now permits to edit the moribund but once respectable _Gazette_, caught the eye of the congenial Beauvoir, and, true to the ungentlemanly instincts of his base nature, pointed to a barrel in the street. The brutal Englishman took the hint and thrust Mr. Kilburn forcibly into the barrel, leaving the vicinity before Mr. Kilburn, emerging from his close quarters, had fully recovered. What the ruffianly Beauvoir's motive may have been for this wanton a.s.sault it is impossible to say; but it is obvious to all why this fellow Clark sought to injure Mr. Kilburn, a gentleman whose many good qualities he of course fails to appreciate. Mr. Kilburn, recognizing the acknowledged merits of our job-office, had given us the contract for all the printing he needed in New Centreville.

DOc.u.mENT NO. 29.

_Advertis.e.m.e.nt from the New York "Clipper" Dec. 21st, 1878:_

WINSTON & MACK'S GRAND INTERNATIONAL MEGATHERIUM VARIETY COMBINATION. COMPANY CALL.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Company will a.s.semble for rehearsal, at Emerson's Opera House, San Francisco, on Wednesday, Dec 27th, 12 M sharp. Band at 11. J.B. WINSTON EDWIN R. MACK--Managers. Emerson's Opera House, San Francisco, Dec. 10th, 1878. Protean Artist wanted.

Would like to hear from Nina Saville. 12-11.

DOc.u.mENT NO. 30.

_Letter from Nina Saville to William Beauvoir._

NEW CENTREVILLE, December 26, 1878.

My Dear Mr. Beauvoir--I was very sorry to receive your letter of yesterday--_very_ sorry--because there can be only one answer that I can make--and you might well have spared me the pain of saying the word--No. You ask me if I love you. If I did--do you think it would be true love in me to tell you so, when I know what it would cost you? Oh indeed you must never marry _me_! In your own country you would never have heard of me--never seen me--surely never written me such a letter to tell me that you love me and want to marry me. It is not that I am ashamed of my business or of the folks around me, or ashamed that I am only the charity child of two poor players, who lived and died working for the bread for their mouths and mine. I am proud of them--yes, proud of what they did and suffered for one poorer than themselves--a little foundling out of an Indian camp. But I know the difference between you and me. You are a great man at home--you have never told me how great--but I know your father is a rich lord, and I suppose you are. It is not that I think _you_ care for that, or think less of me because I was born different from you. I know how good--how kind--how _respectful_ you have always been to me--_my lord_--and I shall never forget it--for a girl in my position knows well enough how you might have been otherwise. Oh believe me--_my true friend_--I am never going to forget all you have done for me--and how good it has been to have you near me--a man so different from most others.

I don't mean only the kind things you have done--the books and the thoughts and the ways you have taught me to enjoy--and all the trouble you have taken to make me something better than the stupid little girl I was when you found me--but a great deal more than that--the consideration you have had for me and for what I hold best in the world. I had never met a _gentleman_ before--and now the first one I meet--he is my _friend_. That is a great deal.

Only think of it! You have been following me around now for three months, and I have been weak enough to allow it. I am going to do the right thing now. You may think it hard in me _if you really mean what you say,_ but even if everything else were right, I would not marry you--because of your rank. I do not know how things are at your home--but something tells me it would be wrong and that your family would have a right to hate you and never forgive you. Professionals cannot go in your society. And that is even if I loved you--and I do not love you--I do not love you--_I do not love you_--now I have written it you will believe it.

So now it is ended--I am going back to the line I was first in--variety--and with a new name. So you can never find me--I entreat you--I beg of you--not to look for me. If you only put your mind to it--you will find it so easy to forget me--for I will not do you the wrong to think that you did not mean what you wrote in your letter or what you said that night _when we sang Annie Laurie together_ the last time.

Your sincere friend, NINA.

DOc.u.mENTS NOS. 31 AND 32.

_Items from San Francisco "Figaro" of December 29th, 1878:_

Nina Saville Co. disbanded New Centreville. 26th. No particulars received.

Winston & Mack's Comb. takes the road December 31st, opening at Tuolumne Hollow. Manager Winston announces the engagement of Anna Laurie, the Protean change artiste, with songs, "Don't Get Weary," "Bobbin' Around,"

"I Yoost Landet."

DOc.u.mENT NO. 33.

_Telegram from Zeke Kilburn, New Centreville, to Winston and Mack, Emerson's Opera House, San Francisco, Cal.:_

NEW CENTREVILLE, Dec. 28, 1878.

Have you vacancy for active and energetic advance agent.

Z. KILBURN.

(9 words 30 paid.)

DOc.u.mENT NO. 34.

_Telegram from Winston and Mack, San Francisco, to Zeke Kilburn, New Centreville:_

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 28, 1878

No

WINSTON & MACK.

(Collect 30 cents.)

DOc.u.mENT NO. 35.

_Bill sent to William Beauvoir, United States Hotel, Tuolumne Hollow, Cal.:_

_Tuolumne Hollow, Cal., Dec. 29, 1878._

_Wm. Beauvoir, Esq._

Bought of HIMMEL & HATCH, Opera House Block, JEWELLERS & DIAMOND MERCHANTS,

Dealers in all kinds of Fancy Goods, Stationery and Umbrellas, Watches, Clocks and Barometers.

TERMS CASH. MUSICAL BOXES REPAIRED.

_Dec. 29, One diamond and enamelled locket._........ $75.00 _One gold chain_........................................... 48.00 _______ $123.00

_Rec'd Payt._ _Himmel & Hatch, per S._

PART FIFTH:

DOc.u.mENT NO. 36.

_Letter from Cable J. Dexter, Esq., to Messrs: Pixley and Sutton, San Francisco:_

NEW CENTREVILLE, CAL., March 3, 1879.