USA > California > A picture of pioneer times in California, illustrated with anecdotes and stores taken from real life > Part 21
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in his hand, instead of being in its proper place, on his head, through Montgomery street and up Merchant street to the City Hall, and to the Chief's office.
The protector of the lives and property of the people of San Francisco heard his story all through; but instead of showing any sympathy or being properly aroused into indignation, a smile showed itself on his face.
"No joke," exclaimed Murphy. " Chief, I like a joke as well as any man in California; every one knows that; but this is no joke. Fifteen thousand dollars is a little too much to pay for a joke on one morning, even if it is California! No, it is no joke, and I will not, Mr. Chief, put up with it as a joke."
The Chief, without answering, took up a copy of the Alta Cali- fornia, of that morning, and pointing to an advertisement, said: " Read that, Mr. Murphy."
Dan could not see what an advertisement had to do with his loss, but he did as he was told, and read the following adver- tisement, which was headed-
" ROBBERY MOST VILE.
" If the wretch who stole my valise from the San Jose coach, last evening, which contained valuable specimens of quartz rock, and four dirty shirts, will return the quartz, which can be of no use to him, he can keep the shirts if he needs them; and besides I will give him two dollars to get a good square meal with. I can be found at the wholesale grocery store, No. 105 Sansome street, from ten o'clock to one in the afternoon. The meeting will be strictly private, all on honor, and no questions to be asked."
Now Dan's whole countenance changed. He shook all over with a low, suppressed laugh, while he exclaimed:
" That fellow has got me, sure. I am in for it-suppers, champagne, theater and all. Yes, as sure as there is a grizzly in California. Yes, the fellow will take advantage of me, and have a crowd there to receive me large enough to fill a whole theater. But there is no help for it; I must face the music, for he has me sure."
So Dan returned to the bank, gathered up the quartz, shirts and all, put them into the valise, locked it carefully, and, with the look of a martyr, while fun, however, twinkled in his eye, marched off boldly to 105 Sansome street, muttering to himself, as he walked and turned his head from side to side in an uneasy 14
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way, "Yes, strictly private; I know what that means. He in- tends to have half the town there. No questions to be asked; I know what that means. I am not to be allowed to ask any ques- tions about my money until I have paid d-d well for it. Oh, yes, he has got me. The miner is master of the situation, and I have only to face the music, that is all."
He was not mistaken. The miner had him, sure enough! A crowd of choice fellows were there to receive him.
Dan, unfortunately, asked a question about his valise. This, it was declared, nullified the promises given in the advertisement. So Dan was arrested forthwith, tried in the back room of the store, by a jury taken from the crowd found in waiting, and, of course, found guilty of stealing the quartz and four dirty shirts, and fined the suppers, champagne and theater tickets, just as he had foreseen.
Dan Murphy always declared that it cost him over three hun- dred dollars to pay that fine, and " put the crowd through all right." But it is quite certain that no one enjoyed the spending of that money, or the fun of that afternoon, more than did Dan Murphy himself.
.
ELLEN HARVEY;
OR,
THE WIFE'S DISAPPOINTMENT.
CHAPTER I.
ON BOARD OF THE STEAMER.
In a late Summer month of 1850 came steaming through the Golden Gate one of the Pacific Mail Company's fine ships, al- ways so welcome to us Californians, as they brought us news of our old homes, and of friends dearly loved, with whom we had so lately parted. It was one of our finest days, which are not surpassed by those of any land or clime on earth. The sun shone out beautifully, and the bay was smooth and calm. The luxur- iant grass and wild flowers that covered the hills to the north in the Spring, were not there ; yet, those grand old mountains looked imposing and beautiful in the distance, while even the broken sand hills, on which stood all of San Francisco that was then in existence, looked cheerful and bright.
It was about ten o'clock in the morning; the steamer deck was crowded with passengers-men, women and children. There were twenty men to one woman or child. To look at, they were a fine body of people; healthy, young and vigorous. As you looked you could not help feeling that they were just the sort for a new State. Easy self-reliance. and bold, persevering courage shone out in all their movements, and in every expression of word or look you drew from them; while at the same time, anx- ious thoughts, hope, pleasure and a sort of sadness too, were plainly discernible. Such expressions as, " How beautiful those hills to the north look in the distance !" " What a magnificent bay!" "So this is San Francisco," you could hear on every side.
The gentlemanly captain, released of his charge by the pilot, was the only entirely careless and happy looking man in sight. As he answered the eager questions of his passengers, his voice rang out with a cheerful, light, happy tone. There was a kind
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gentleness in it, too, when he spoke to his lady passengers, with whom he appeared a great favorite. He now walked across the deck to where a gentleman and lady stood, each holding the hand of a sweet little girl of twelve, who was standing on a chair between them, and whose face was beaming with excite- ment and pleasure, as she gazed with her father and mother on the scene before them. The captain said, as he approached, "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Dicks; where is your charge, Mrs. Harvey? Why is she not on deck, to enjoy this first sight of her new home and the pleasant termination of her journey?"
" Oh, yes; where is Mrs. Harvey, sure enough," said Mrs. Dicks; " why is she not here ? Emma, my dear," she con- tinued, addressing her little daughter, "run and look for Mrs. Harvey, and ask her to join us." She added in a lower tone, be- fore letting go her little daugliter's hand: "Tell her the Cap- tain asked for her." Off the little girl bounded. Let us follow her. In a moment she is in the cabin; not a soul is there; she runs to one of the staterooms, and, without ceremony, throws the door open. There, seated near a small table, is the lady Emma is looking for, her elbow resting on the table and her head leaning forward on her hand, apparently absorbed in deep thought. She is young, not over twenty-one; she is dressed without show or pretence, but most becomingly, and, for the oc- casion, with exquisite taste. No ornament but her watch and chain, a diamond ring that guards the plain gold one on her wedding finger, and the bright diamond cross-pin that fastens collar and dress close to her throat, an emblem of unselfish love and of truth and purity that it is impossible to dim or tarnish; it looks so useful and so in keeping with her own surpassing beauty, that you do not remark it, but feel that you would miss it if it were not there. She is a little over middle height; her hair, of which she has a profusion, is as black as the glossy wing of a raven; her eyes are a dark hazel, full of soul, tenderness and decided character, as such eyes always are; her beautiful and fully developed figure is as faultless in form and outline as the expression of her countenance is dignified, sweet and bewitch- ingly charming.
" Oh! Mrs. Harvey," said Emma, " we are almost in the bay; San Francisco is clear in sight, and looks so beautiful! and we are all so happy! and mamma says, come up on deck, and that the Captain asked for you." Off Emma bounded, without wait-
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ing for a reply. Mrs. Harvey arose quickly, and, turning to a good looking and prepossessing girl, who was evidently her wait- ing maid, and who was then engaged in packing and making all ready to leave the steamer, said:
" Katie, I must go on deck. Where is my warm shawl?"
" Here, ma'am, "said Katie, placing the shawl upon the lady's shoulders. "But why," continued Katie, " do you look almost sad, my own dear Mrs. Harvey, and say must go on deck; I should think you would be the happiest woman on earth at this moment, just going to meet your dear husband, and such a husband as he is! He was counted the handsomest young man in Philadelphia, and the best and truest, too, and he always loved the very ground you walked on; though, surely, he was not to be praised for that, for he could not help himself."
" Yes, Katie, I should be happy, and am happy, you good, dear girl; I always like to hear you praise my darling husband, and no one can praise him enough; but, oh! Katie," she con- tinued, taking the girl's hand in hers, while every feature of her beautiful face became intensely expressive, and her sweet voice for a moment sank low and tremulous, yet was clear and deep, "as I near the spot where I am to meet him, a strange forebod- ing sometimes seizes on me that I can in no way account for or at once shake off; a foreboding" (here her voice for a moment choked, and leaning forward until her lips touched Katie's ear, as if she herself feared to hear the words she was trying to utter) she continued, " a foreboding that Frank and I are not again to meet." There was something so earnest in her look and man- ner that Katie trembled to her very feet, but, recovering herself, she said in a cheerful voice, " My dear, dear Mrs. Harvey, you must not let such bad thoughts haunt you; you will see that it is the Evil One who is tormenting you, and that you will be happy with your husband this very day. There, now," said Katie, "go on deck; the only fault I find with you is that you are too hand- some, and that you make all those fellows up there so sorry that you are married, poor fellows! I do pity them when I see them trying to say something complimentary to you, but are afraid of your eyes to do so, as I heard one of them say the other day."
" Ah! Katie, you must not be such a flatterer; however, I know what you are at now, you want me to laugh at your ab- surdity, so I forgive you this time, and somehow you do make me feel better and happier. I do believe it must be the Evil
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One, as you say, who torments me, and I will drive him away. Did I tell you, Katie," she continued, " that those horrid forebod- ings tormented me the week after my marriage, when first we heard of gold being discovered in California, and before Mr. Har- vey said a word of wishing to leave me to go to California. Was it not strange ?"
" No," said Katie, " because the bad One saw you were too happy, and he wanted to bother you; that is his old trick."
Mrs. Harvey could not help laughing outright at Katie's off- hand and confident way of accounting for thoughts and feelings that gave her so much trouble. The dark shadows that but a few moments before had oppressed her so heavily were now al- most wholly gone; she began to feel light hearted, joyous and happy in the almost certainty, it now appeared to her, of being in another hour, perhaps, clasped in the arms of her loved husband. Before going on deck she turned once more to Katie, and once more took her hand; this time, in a totally different manner. There was a sweet, arch expression, almost a smile, on her lips, as she said:
"Katie, you are a good girl. I think you have a secret."
At this Katie's handsome face crimsoned to her hair.
" I see I am right," said Mrs. Harvey, with almost affection in her tone. "It is not through idle curiosity I speak to you now, but to say to you that though I feel very much disappointed at losing you, for I know I never can get a girl like you or one I can think half so much of, yet I am pleased with your choice, for from what the captain says of Peter, I think you cannot fail to be happy with him. He is of your own religion, and is moreover an excellent young man in every way. Is it settled between you ?"
" Yes, ma'am; I believe so, if you do not object," said Katie, her voice trembling a little as she spoke. She regained her self-possession, however, and raising Mrs. Harvey's hand to her lips she kissed it affectionately, and continued, " Peter says he has saved a handsome sum, out of which he has bought a nice little cottage in San Francisco, and that in a little more time he will have enough to get a partnership he is offered in a good wholesale grocery business, and that then he will give up his place here as assistant engineer and remain at home all the time. I am sure I do not know what he sees in me to make him so will- ing to share everything he has with me; but," said Katie, with
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an honest, womanly pride and frankness, "I know one thing; I will do my part, and do all I can to be a good, loving and use- ful wife to him. Of course I will never leave you and Mr. Har- vey until you are all nicely fixed, and have suited yourselves in another girl."
" I feel sure of that, Katie," said Mrs. Harvey, " and I do not care how good Peter is or how much money he has saved; the bargain is as good for him as it can be for you; and now, Katie, if we can do anything for you both, to make things run smoothly, you have only to mention it, to be sure of the right response. There, I must go on deck; the captain may have something to tell me. I spoke to you of your own affairs, as you might want to speak to Peter before you went on shore."
As Mrs. Harvey finished speaking, she turned round to the little table, and without allowing Kate an opportunity to thank her, dropped on her knees in prayer. Katie joined her, and for five minutes God and His angels alone filled their thoughts, as they implored protection in their new home.
As Mrs. Harvey came on deck the steamer was just passing the now famous Alcatraz Island, at that time the undisturbed residence of thousands of wild fowl. She joined Mr. and Mrs. Dicks, under whose protection she had made the voyage. In a moment they were surrounded by twenty gentlemen, all of whom seemed anxious to have a parting word with the charming girl. She was kind, polite and affable to all, and to all equally so. There was something of the queen in her bearing towards them; something that made them feel that they were her subjects and must stand at a distance, and respect as much as they admired. To their joyous jokes of the approaching sad loss of her grass widowhood and freedom, she retorted with charming wit, and in the general mirth and laughter half hid the enchanting blush that the allusion spread on her cheeks. The captain now came forward, and said in the kindest manner:
" I congratulate you sincerely, Mrs. Harvey, on your ap- proaching happiness; but I want to tell you that I am full two days ahead of our usual time, and therefore that you must not be too much disappointed if Mr. Harvey is not here before the river boats get in to-night."
Mrs. Harvey did feel very much disappointed. Her cheeks grew pale, and she did not speak. The captain continued:
" I could not see you this morning when the pilot-boat was
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leaving, so I took the liberty of writing a note to your cousin, Mr. Philips, whom I know very well, to say that you were on board; so he will meet you, in any event, as the steamer drops the anchor."
" Thank you, Captain," said Mrs. Harvey; "you were very kind to think of me with all your own duties pressing you at such a time."
"Oh," said the captain, " to see to my passengers is one of my duties. and in this case a most pleasing one."
" Thank you, thank you, Captain, a thousand times, for this and all your other kind attentions, to which I owe so much of the pleasure of my voyage." As she said this she extended her hand to him with frank cordiality, and continued: "If you ever have time to visit us in our new home, be assured of a most welcome reception from my husband as well as myself, and it may perhaps give us an opportunity of showing you how sin- cerely we appreciate all your kind attentions."
Just at that moment, while the Captain was replying in his own gallant way, the steamer dropped her anchor and the boats from shore surrounded her. In a minute more Henry Philips, Mrs. Harvey's cousin, was before her. He greeted her with the same warm affection he would have done a loved sister, calling her " Darling Cousin Ellen."
In the following chapters Ellen's story is told by Henry Phil- ips, as he repeated it to me.
CHAPTER II.
A PLEASANT LUNCH PARTY-RETROSPECT.
To Cousin Ellen's eager inquiry for Frank, I told her that he was not in San Francisco, but would be as soon as the river boats got in that night. " We did not expect the steamer," I told her, " until the day after to-morrow. But do not fear, we will take care of you, dear cousin, until he comes," said I.
Ellen tried hard, I saw, to hide her disappointment as much as it was possible, and busied herself introducing me to Mr. and Mrs. Dicks, who were compelled to leave that afternoon in the Sacramento boat.
" Then," said I, " I will myself stay on board until Frank gets here. I know how you are disappointed, cousin Ellen, but it cannot be helped, and you can just pass the time in telling me all about my dear father and mother, Aunt Mary and Uncle John; and all about my own little Jennie, and how she gets on without me. You know you will not have time to tell me after Frank arrives."
I spoke in such joyous spirits that Ellen could not but feel happy, though disappointed. Just then Katie made her appear- ance. She was an old acquaintance of mine, having lived with my aunt, Mary Harvey, for some years; so I shook both her hands and welcomed her to California, saying at the same time that I had a husband picked out for her, all ready to marry her on sight. Katie laughed and blushed, and before she could reply Ellen told me that she thought I was too late, for that Katie's market was made, and well made, too. At this I pre- tended to be very mad, and declared the fellow I had engaged her to would undoubtedly sue me for a breach of promise, as women in California were very scarce. Just then camea message from the Captain that lunch was waiting for Mrs. Harvey and her friend. Ellen took my arm, and we descended to the cabin. There we found spread a lunch that looked most inviting. It would, in fact, have done honor to a first-class hotel.
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" Why," said Ellen, " is this California, and does it afford such a lunch as that before us ?"
" Oh, Mrs. Harvey," said the Captain, evidently pleased, "this is nothing to what you will find on shore."
I personally knew almost all present who had come on board to welcome the Captain. There was Mr. Merideth, the popular agent of the Pacific Mail Company, Charles Minturn, John W. Geary, William D. M. Howard, Charles Griswold, David C. Broderick, John Middleton and several other prominent citizens of our new State. I recollect well how delighted Cousin Ellen was with this California company. She seemed to enjoy their easy, off-hand ways, so entirely devoid of formalities, and she said to me, afterwards, that it appeared to her, after the first five minutes had passed, that she had been acquainted with the Cap- tain's guests all her life. Cousin Ellen was, of course, the center of attraction, for in those days a lady in California felt herself a queen, with but few to dispute her sway. I have since often thought of this lunch, and when I do Cousin Ellen's sweet, ring- ing laugh comes back to me with indescribable sadness.
Now I must go back and give you some of Frank Harvey's and Ellen's early history, so that their characters may be un- derstood, while I faithfully relate the events that followed fast after that lunch :
Well, to commence with myself, I am the only son of John Philips, of the well-known firm of Philips & Moncks, wholesale grocery merchants of Philadelphia. My father had a sister, who married a Mr. Steward, a lawyer in handsome practice in Lan- caster, Pennsylvania. They had but one child, whom they called Ellen, and her they left an orphan at the age of eight years, both father and mother having died of cholera in one short week. On hearing the sad news, my father at once went to Lan- caster, collected all of the property (and it was not much) his brother-in-law had left, and invested it for little Ellen, whom he brought to our house to be her future home. She was a perfect little beauty, and as good as she was beautiful. My mother had a sister Mary, who was married to a Mr. Harvey, a rich farmer near Harrisburg. They also had but one child, a son, whom they called Francis. About the time Ellen lost her parents, Frank, then fourteen years old, lost his father. Mrs. Harvey remained on her farm, and an old bachelor brother of hers, Uncle John Grant, came to live with her, taking charge of her busi-
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ness, and so they lived to their deaths. Frank, by the urgent invitations of my father, had lived much with us in the city, and had always attended the same schools I did. Now, we were more than ever together. Little Ellen was a new feature in our house, a perfect little beam of sunshine for us all, and we all vied with each other in acts of loving kindness to her. She was every one's pet and darling. Frank and Ellen were both my cousins, but they were not cousins to each other; nevertheless, we called each other cousin, all round. The Grant family were an old Catholic family from Maryland, so that mother and Aunt Mary Harvey were both Catholics; and as father left all religious train- ing to mother, we were all three brought up strict Catholics. So passed four years of the happiest childhood that ever mortal children knew; not one cloud, worth naming, can I recollect to have crossed our path in all that time. Ellen was now nearly thirteen and we boys were eighteen, when father announced that he wished us to go to Georgetown College and Ellen to the famous Catholic school at Emmetsburg. We were glad to go; but, oh, how hard we found it to part with our sweet little Nellie. It seemed so lonesome that she should go away alone. The day came, however, and as Ellen parted with each of us, she kissed and hugged us and sobbed as if her little heart would break That was one of the days in my past life I shall never forget. Frank and I remained three years at Georgetown; Ellen remained four years at Emmetsburg, and it so happened that Frank and Ellen never met in all that time, for, though all our vacations were spent at home, yet the Emmetsburg vacation was at a dif- ferent time from ours.
I had seen her twice during the last year of her school, but Frank, on both occasions, was unavoidably absent at his moth- er's. At length they met. How changed were both since the day Ellen so lovingly flung her arms around Frank's neck, and, while sobbing herself, kissed and wiped his tears away, telling him not to cry, for they would soon meet again. Frank was now a tall, handsome, fine-looking man, with whiskers to match his dark hair, instead of the smooth, boyish face and figure he had then. Ellen stood, a beautiful, fully developed, charming woman, instead of the weeping child he had left her. I was by when they met. It was a scene I would not have missed for anything. Ellen had been at home a week when Frank arrived from his mother's. When Ellen heard that Frank was in the
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parlor she rushed in to see him. Frank, hearing her step, ran to the door to meet her, and he evidently thought to clasp her in his arms as he had so often done of old. The door opened -they met; but, instead of embracing each other, they stopped short, and each regarded the other in perfect amazement for per- haps half a minute, without a word of utterance. I could see that there was pleasure and unbounded admiration, as well as astonishment in the countenance of each. Ellen was the first to recover herself. She extended her hand and said:
" Why, Frank, dear Frank! I am so glad to see you." Frank grasped her hand as he said:
" And is this all after being away four years ?"
" But, Frank, you are a man."
" But, Cousin Ellen, you are a woman."
" Yes, I know, dear Frank; but we are not, in fact, cousins, you know, and I am sorry we are not, and both children, as we used to be."
She said this with a tender earnestness that awoke a new, strange feeling in Frank's heart.
" And I would be a child forever," said he, half reproachfully, " rather than endure such a cold meeting as this with you."
" We cannot help having grown up, even if we are sorry for it, dear Frank," said Ellen, half laughing; " so let us make the best of it, and not be foolish."
In a few days, it appeared to me they became reconciled to the change time had wrought in them, and I fully believe that Ellen was not so sorry after all that Frank was not, in fact, her cousin, as she expressed it, and was a handsome grown-up man, nor do I believe Frank was so very sorry that Ellen was a beauti- ful woman. Anyway, if they were sorry, they showed it in a very strange way, for neither seemed to be happy except the other was in sight. Here I will just mention, though I am not writing a word of my own history, that at the time I am now speaking of, I had a little sweet-heart myself, a perfect little witch, that could make me happy or miserable for a week, with just one look; a great pet, too, of my father and moth- er, Miss Jennie Moncks, daughter of my father's partner. When I left home for California, Jennie and I were engaged, and she was in the habit of writing letters to me, full of tor- menting fun. Sometimes she would tell me in glowing terms about returned Californians hunting for wives, who visited her,
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