Beautiful but Poor — page 209: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

200 BEAUTIFUL BUT POOR. open-handed, open-hearted welcome which the stranger ever gets in California. To Mr. Morrison, the agent—a splendid young man—Mr. W—— opened his business, asking if he knew a Mr. Harry Porchet, who was mining on the uppermost claim on Feather River. ‘‘T know all of him that any one can know,” said Mr. Morrison. ‘“‘Heis avery singular young man— ever sad and melancholy, strictly temperate, not even touching wine, using no tobacco, seeking no company. I tried to get him to stay afew days at my home; and once, when he came to deposit his gold, as he does every three months, induced him to take tea with me, where I thought my Sister Annie, one of the most gifted girls on this coast, and a fine conver-. sationalist, might draw him out of his melancholy mood. Butit wasnouse. He was polite and gen- tlemanly, but he would not thaw, as we say out here. ’’ “*T must find him,’’ said Mr. W——, with a sigh; for he felt as if he was sealing his own fate as a single man forever, if he found this young man all that he was represented to be, and called him out from the shadow of his gloomy exile into the sun- light of Georgiana Lonsdale’s presence. _ JT will get you mules and a guide, for there is no other means of travel when you get into the moun- tains up Feather River,’”’ said Mr. Morrison; ‘‘and, as you cannot start with everything ready, camping fit-out and all, before morning, take tea with me to-night. ”’ Mr. W—— consented, and when that evening he met the sister of the young banker and express agent, saw and viewed her wonderful beauty, and heard her sing songs of her own composition, ac- (ele) ~comicbooks. m