ADELE HAMILTON
 
 Adele Hamilton 
 
 BY 
 
 DELIA BUFORD ELLIOTT 
 
 NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON 
 
 THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY 
 1907
 
 Copyright, 1907, by 
 THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY
 
 TO MY BEST FRIEND 
 
 MR. THOMAS NELSON PAGE 
 
 222S40S
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 I LEAVING HOME 11 
 
 II IN CALIFORNIA : .~ 20 
 
 III MAMMY'S TRIALS 26 
 
 IV MAKING A LIVING 32 
 
 V DESPONDENT DAYS 43 
 
 VI A CONFESSION 51 
 
 VII BERTRAM RANCH 55 
 
 VIII MOURNING FOR THE PRESIDENT*. . 70 
 
 IX THE CONVICT 75 
 
 X ROSE'S DISAPPEARANCE .... 84 
 
 XI THE DARKEST HOUR 98 
 
 XII ADELE HELPS SAN FRANCISCO.. 109 
 
 XHI CHRISTMAS EVE . . 123
 
 ADELE HAMILTON
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 LEAVING HOME 
 
 MRS. HAMILTON sat in the library, closely 
 examining business papers. She was 
 dressed in deep mourning; and her hair 
 smoothed low over her white ears and 
 blue-veined temples, reminded one of black 
 satin. 
 
 Her husband had engaged in cotton 
 planting on too extensive a scale ; and now 
 every one said, "If he could have lived 
 only a little longer, he would have come out 
 way ahead ! But as it is, his family is left 
 with almost nothing!" 
 
 It was the knowledge of this that caused 
 Mrs. Hamilton to determine to go far away 
 with her five little girls to go far away 
 and seek a support for them by her own 
 efforts. 
 
 As she sat alone this afternoon the door 
 at the other end of the library opened, and 
 11
 
 12 'Adele Hamilton 
 
 an old black woman entered. She was 
 Mammy Harriet; and as she approached 
 her mistress her tone was persuasive. 
 
 "Yes, I've decided to go, Mammy. Noth- 
 ing can alter my determination. There will 
 be little left after the debts are paid. We 
 are outcasts now, and I can never live here 
 again," said Mrs. Hamilton mournfully. 
 
 With a protecting movement, Mammy 
 drew nearer to her, and said : 
 
 "Aw, now, honey, doan' take on so. Yo' 
 's still got yo' ole niggah. Yo' has to leab 
 me now; but I's boun' to fin' yo' some day. 
 Nothin' ain' gwine sep'rate us. De war 
 couldn' do it; an' nothin' else ain' gwine 
 to. An', honey, yo' 's still got dem li'P gals 
 to lub an' to lub yo'." 
 
 "Mammy, do you know what I'm going 
 to do?" interrupted Mrs. Hamilton. 
 
 "Dat's hard to tell, honey," answered 
 Mammy in bewilderment, shaking her head. 
 
 "I am going to California, where work 
 is no disgrace, and where everybody has 
 an equal chance; and I am going to make 
 a living for myself and little girls," fin- 
 ish od Mrs. Hamilton with much determin- 
 ation.
 
 Leaving Home 13 
 
 Mammy tossed her head and gave a con- 
 temptuous laugh. 
 
 "Dem li'l' han's ain' so much ez b'en 
 s'iled, let 'lone yo' talk 'bout workin'. Yo' 
 ain' never had to put 'way yo clo'es even. 
 "What work yo' gwine do, I'd lek to know, 
 honey?" 
 
 "I have the will, and the way will be 
 provided; but I now wish that Adele had 
 been a boy." 
 
 Entering just in time to hear the last 
 sentence, Adele, a girl of sixteen, came 
 close to her mother. She was rather be- 
 low the medium height, and just prettily 
 plump, and as she threw her arms around 
 her mother's neck one could not help notic- 
 ing her small, white, dimpled hands. Her 
 eyes were large and gray; and her dark 
 brown hair was combed straight back from 
 her high, fair forehead and coiled in a loose 
 knot at the back of her well-shaped head. 
 
 * * I 'low Miss Lady '11 be wuth all de boys, 
 Mistress; an' dis puts me in min' o' de 
 time when yo' li'l' white Rose was 'bout 
 a week ole. Mars Jeems, he come home 
 dat night, smilin' to hisse'f, an' said dat 
 ole Miss Betsy Trainer tole 'im dat he sut-
 
 14 Adele Hamilton 
 
 tinly had de 'po' man's leg'cy a houseful 
 o' gals.' Miss 'Zynka, she say, 'Uncle 
 Jim, why didn' you tell her dat she had a 
 ole maid's leg'cy an' a mighty slim one at 
 datf ' " concluded Mammy, trying hard to 
 divert her mistress and bring back a smile 
 to her sad face. 
 
 But Mrs. Hamilton heard little of what 
 was being said. Her eyes were filled with 
 tears, and her thoughts had reverted to the 
 time when her youngest daughter was a 
 tiny baby, five years before; and how 
 happy were those days, those days when 
 every wish was gratified. 
 
 The Hamilton home was a grand old 
 Southern mansion of twenty-one rooms. 
 Mrs. Hamilton had lived here a long time, 
 and was warmly attached to the place and 
 to the servants. She now threw her arms 
 about Mammy and said: 
 
 "It breaks my heart to leave you, Mam- 
 my; and we are too poor to take you with 
 us; but I hope to send for you some day." 
 
 "An' ef I dies, I'll b'long to yo' in de 
 Home up yonder, honey," answered Mam- 
 my in a comforting way. 
 
 Then, taking her mother's hand, Adele
 
 Leaving Home 15 
 
 quietly drew her from the house. They 
 went over the garden. The crepe myrtle 
 had been stripped of its blossoms, and was 
 beautiful no longer. Adele reached out her 
 hand and plucked a leaf from the magno- 
 lia tree as she passed. Then up through 
 the orchard and across the rye lot they 
 went, saying "good-by" to everything. But 
 when they reached the family burying- 
 ground, another was before them; for old 
 Jupo, Mr. Hamilton's favorite hunter, lay 
 on his master's grave. At their approach 
 he raised himself on his haunches and 
 bayed piteously. Here was the grave of a 
 brother who had died abroad and was 
 brought home to be buried near the rest. 
 Over there was another, who had been the 
 pride of the family, a college graduate, one 
 skilled in languages, a talented lawyer. 
 Mrs. Hamilton sighed and turned to a new- 
 made mound, and laid down a bunch of 
 shining immortelles, saying a tender fare- 
 well; but there was no response save the 
 soughing and sighing of the wind in the 
 pine. 
 
 They walked on and on; and as they 
 passed the cow-pen the little brown pet
 
 16 Adele Hamilton 
 
 "Peggotty" thrust her head expectantly 
 through the bars. They went next to the 
 stable, and rubbed and patted the neck of 
 "Major," and he whinnied and stamped, 
 impatient to be off on a fox-hunt. They 
 took a last look at the carriage horses; 
 then went up to the "quarters" and shook 
 hands with all the negroes men, women, 
 and children. As they neared Aunt Susan's 
 cabin they heard Silvia, a negro girl, say : 
 "Aun' Susan, whar yo' gwine?" "I am' 
 gwine nowhar. I's done b'en whar I 
 gwine," answered Aunt Susan shortly. 
 
 Adele and her mother chose the old, fa- 
 miliar, well-beaten path back to the house, 
 and Mammy seated her mistress in a 
 rocker before a roaring hickory fire, took 
 off her shoes, warmed her feet, and placed 
 on them a pair of little slippers; grum- 
 bling all the while in an undertone about 
 "de chile's gwine up to de quarters an' 
 cotchin' 'er deaf o' cold all fV dem fool 
 niggahs." 
 
 Being unable to sleep that night, Adele 
 got up, dressed herself, and seeing a faint 
 light in Mammy's cabin, stole quietly out
 
 Leaving Home 17 
 
 of the house, ran across the back yard, and 
 peeped in at the window. 
 
 There were Mammy's snow-white bed, a 
 long shelf to one side of the chimney, with 
 odd pieces of china and old Delft ware, 
 long since discarded by her mistress. Over 
 the mantel hung the key-basket (for Mam- 
 my always carried the keys) and the old 
 dinner-horn. Swinging from a rafter were 
 long strings of red peppers from Mam- 
 my's own garden, and Mammy herself, 
 Mammy who had been so brave and cheer- 
 ful when near her mistress, knelt there in 
 the firelight, and Adele heard these words : 
 
 "Good Lord, tek good keer o' my chile 
 an' 'er li'P lambs; an' doan' le' no harm 
 come to 'em. He'p me to git dar, too, to 
 take all de hard part off o' 'em; 'ka'ze T's 
 use' to it 'an' dey ain'." 
 
 Here Mammy broke down and cried 
 aloud ; and Adele, in tears, slipped back to 
 the house, went across the portico on tip- 
 toe, into her room and into bed, unob- 
 served. She could not help thinking of the 
 niglits Mary and she had gone out to 
 Mammy's house; and how, when it had 
 pleased Mammy's fancy, she had woven
 
 18 Adele Hamilton 
 
 wonderful stories for them. Sometimes it 
 was a marvelous ghost-story, after which 
 they would be afraid to go back to the 
 house, for fear of seeing "a tall 'oman all 
 in white wi'dout a head on." After being 
 assured, however, that "nobody can't see 
 sperits 'cep'n' dey's born wid a caul over 
 dey eyes," they ran for dear life without 
 looking behind them, until the back portico 
 was reached and they were safe inside. 
 
 The servants of "Greenwood" were up 
 bright and early next morning, hurrying 
 from the kitchen to the house, and from the 
 house to the kitchen again ; busily packing 
 lunch-baskets, slyly slipping in humble of- 
 ferings from the "quarters" chestnuts, 
 hickory-nuts, walnuts, and peanuts; and 
 getting everything ready for the long jour- 
 ney to California. Although it was two 
 o'clock in the morning when Mrs. Hamil- 
 ton and her girls were driven to the depot, 
 Jack Lewis, "Uncle" Re Ash, Mat, Davey, 
 Frank, Alfred, Landon, Columbus, Don, 
 Anthony, and a number of others from the 
 quarters, with their wives and children, 
 were there waiting to say good-by. 
 
 Mammy kissed each of the Hamilton
 
 Leaving Home 19 
 
 children and wound her black arms around 
 her mistress, lovingly. 
 
 ' ' Far '-you- well ; tek good keer o ' yo 'se 'f ; 
 de good Lord bless yo', honey!" Then she 
 whispered into Adele 's ear : * ' Nuver f o 'git 
 who yo' is, honey, an' recollec' yo's kin to 
 two o' de Presidents." 
 
 Mrs. Hamilton took one long, long look 
 at the dusky group as if to impress each 
 one indelibly on her memory ; then dropped 
 her thick black veil. Just then old Jupo, 
 who had made his escape from Mammy's 
 cabin, gave a tremendous bound toward his 
 mistress on the platform, and was thrown 
 back by the moving train, still barking his 
 farewell. 
 
 Heavy with heart-ache, the Hamiltons 
 were at last speeding away to a strange 
 and far-off Iand 4
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 IN CALIFORNIA 
 
 THEY traveled for days, until they 
 reached the little town where they decided 
 to begin life anew. It was in a beautiful 
 green valley, almost surrounded by lofty 
 mountains, many of them capped with 
 snow. On the side of one mountain was a 
 distinct and gigantic arrowhead, so perfect 
 that it could be seen for miles. And later 
 they were informed that there were num- 
 erous legends concerning this freak of na- 
 ture. One of them declared the arrow a 
 "sign of good omen guiding a weary tribe 
 to a haven of rest below its point," and an 
 Indian legend read as follows: "A mark of 
 fiery arrows shot in mortal combat between 
 the Good Spirit of the Rain and the Evil 
 Spirit of the Drought." Another declares 
 it to have been "branded upon the moun- 
 20
 
 In California 21 
 
 tain-side by the head of a fiery arrow from 
 heaven. ' ' 
 
 The day after their arrival, Adele and 
 her mother started out in quest of a house 
 to rent. Everybody and everything seemed 
 to be in a hurry. Instead of black folks, 
 there were red, brown, and yellow men, 
 that they knew were Indians, Mexicans, 
 and Chinamen. 
 
 As they passed a low frame building 
 opening on the street, they heard such a 
 queer noise that Adele walked to the open 
 door and looked in. She saw a number of 
 Chinamen ironing clothes; and instead of 
 dipping their fingers into a pan of water 
 and sprinkling the clothes as she had often 
 seen Aunt Patsy do, they filled their 
 mouths with water; and exhaling a great 
 breath, squirted it over the clothes. 
 
 Adele and her mother next passed a 
 large corral, and saw a Mexican come out 
 on the back of a refractory-looking horse, 
 but before going far, the horse stopped 
 suddenly, planted his fore-feet firmly on 
 the ground, then quickly raising his hind 
 feet in the air, precipitated the man over 
 his head. A crowd had gathered, and they
 
 22 Adele Hamilton 
 
 heard some one say, ''There ! he has bucked 
 the vaqu-ero off." But the rider was soon 
 up and on the horse 's back again, none the 
 worse for having been dumped off so 
 rudely. 
 
 Many houses were built of mud bricks, 
 which the people called adobes; but Mrs. 
 Hamilton at last decided to take a house 
 in the poorest part of town, where rent 
 was cheap. It was a very plain-looking 
 little cottage with five rooms and a front 
 porch. The house was raised some dis- 
 tance from the ground, and had a lattice 
 work around the lower front part, the back 
 part being entirely open. A man of ordi- 
 nary height could walk under it almost 
 without brushing the floor above him. It 
 was meagerly furnished and made as cozy 
 as their circumstances would allow; and 
 Mrs. Hamilton said that Adele displayed 
 much ingenuity in her home-made furni- 
 ture furniture contrived of boxes, with 
 covers and curtains, concealing here and 
 there a convenient shelf or two. 
 
 The back yard was shaded by two im- 
 mense pepper trees. The small front yard 
 boasted of an orange, a lemon, and two
 
 In California 23 
 
 big palm trees. In an obscure corner 
 bloomed a sweet-scented acacia, while a 
 thrifty honeysuckle beautified the front 
 porch. 
 
 In the lot just back of them was a very 
 large stable and corral; and Mrs. Hamil- 
 ton and her girls would frequently rush to 
 the back door and windows to watch with 
 keen enjoyment the well-trained vaquero 
 mount his horse, ride at full speed, all the 
 time swinging his lariat around and 
 around, high above him, then throw it, nev- 
 er failing to slip the noose safely over the 
 head of one of a dozen or more refractory 
 plunging bronchos. 
 
 The domestic work was divided among 
 them all, each doing her share ; and despite 
 the adage, "Too many cooks spoil the 
 broth," all helped to get the first breakfast. 
 
 "It is fortunate I used to go into the 
 kitchen and watch Aunt Hannah cook,'* 
 said Adele, as she took off the lid of the 
 coffee can and carefully measured out one 
 heaping tables poonful for each cup. "Aunt 
 Hannah used to say that grandpa liked his 
 coffee strong enough to 'b'ar up a i'on 
 wedge!' " she finished, laughing.
 
 24 'Adele Hamilton 
 
 "I can never live on cold light bread, 
 and hot waffles are too expensive. I be- 
 lieve I shall try my hand at hot biscuits 
 the kind that Mammy used to make. I 
 think I remember perfectly well how she 
 did it," declared Mrs. Hamilton, as she 
 filled the sieve with flour and vigorously 
 tossed it back and forth from one hand to 
 the other. 
 
 " Won't they be good, though?" said 
 Mary, smacking her lips in anticipation, 
 for she was beginning to tire of cold bread. 
 
 The pans were soon filled with the round 
 cakes of dough, and Mrs. Hamilton slid 
 them into the oven and shut the door. 
 
 "It makes my mouth water to think 
 about them," said Anna, and they all 
 watched eagerly when the biscuits were re- 
 moved from the oven and put on the table. 
 
 "These are not like Aunt Hannah's. 
 They are as yellow as gold, and as tough 
 as leather," remarked Mary, disappointed- 
 ly, as she tried to open hers to butter it. 
 
 "This is cruelty to animals," said good- 
 natured Isabel, chewing one desperately. 
 
 When Mrs. Hamilton quit laughing, she 
 said:
 
 In California 25 
 
 "I forgot the shortening entirely; and 
 must have used too much soda two heap- 
 ing teaspoonfuls to one of cream of tartar, 
 I was sure Mammy used. Well, exper- 
 ience is the best, but sometimes the dear- 
 est teacher," she concluded, smiling. 
 
 Distributing the household duties as 
 equally as possible, Adele and Mary 
 washed the dishes and kitchen utensils, 
 longing many times for Mammy. Anna 
 and Rose "made the beds," while Isabel 
 flew about over the house with broom and 
 duster. They employed the time in many 
 profitable ways; for Adele frequently re- 
 minded her sisters that industry is a sure 
 cure for discontent.
 
 CHAPTER HI 
 
 MAMMY'S TEIALS 
 
 BACK at the old home Mammy sat in her 
 cozy cabin busy with her knitting. Mammy 
 had lived in that place so long that she 
 could not bear the idea of going to 
 another ; so she had arranged with the new 
 owner to do washing and ironing for the 
 use of her little cabin. And each day 
 Mammy 's determination to follow her mis- 
 tress was increased. She thought of how 
 she had declared to her mistress that she 
 would find her some day, as she occasion- 
 ally bent to " chunk de fire an' lay on de 
 wood" till it was "brief enough." 
 
 After Mrs. Hamilton and her girls had 
 gone, Mammy went about her work with 
 renewed zeal and determination. She knit, 
 pieced quilts, did mending and various 
 other pieces of needlework, saving every 
 cent but what was needed to buy the most 
 
 26
 
 Mammy's Trials 27 
 
 necessary food. Every nickel and dime 
 that she could possibly do without, went 
 into her little hoard. Mammy had not been 
 converted to the Christian Science faith; 
 and at times her "mizry" would trouble 
 her so that she deemed medical attention 
 necessary, which would reduce her little 
 sum almost to the starting point. But she 
 never gave up ; a pair of little white hands 
 seemed always before her, as she said, 
 "beckonin' ' to her, and she would drop 
 on her knees and say: 
 
 "Keep 'em safe, good Lord, an* doan' 
 le' no harm come to 'em; an' he'p me to 
 git dar." Then with renewed energy she 
 would begin all over again. Mammy spent 
 nothing for clothes and denied herself 
 everything that it was possible for her to 
 do without. To keep herself warm in win- 
 ter she wore old coats and shoes which 
 were once her master's. 
 
 To-night she wondered when her savings 
 would be sufficient to enable her to go to 
 her mistress, and care for her as she had 
 done before their separation. She ate her 
 hot cornmeal hoe-cake and thin slice of 
 bacon with a keener relish than usual, then,
 
 28 Adele Hamilton 
 
 getting out her precious little money-bag, 
 she counted her hard-earned savings, and 
 restoring it to its hiding-place she said al- 
 most inaudibly: "Yes, I'll soon hab 
 'nough." Suddenly reminded of the time 
 by the shrill crow of her old buff rooster, 
 she went to bed and was soon asleep hold- 
 ing her mistress's tiny white hand in one 
 of her big black ones, and was wholly un- 
 conscious of the eager, anxious eyes that 
 had been peering at her through the 
 chink near the chimney; and "blissfully 
 ignorant" of the base intention of one to 
 secure the treasured little money sack, the 
 hiding place of which, between the mat- 
 tress and her feather-bed, had been dis- 
 closed. 
 
 Next morning found Mammy lost in 
 meditation something like this, "I's de 
 only one o' de fam'ly lef ' yere. Mis' Lady 
 mus' be a young 'oman now po' chile!" 
 
 The reverie was broken by a child's pat- 
 tering footsteps coming toward her cabin. 
 In a moment, yellow Susan's boy, Richard, 
 dashed into the room, almost breathless 
 with running and excitement. 
 
 "Aw, Aun' Harriet, my mammy done
 
 Mammy's Trials 29 
 
 gone an' slip, an' fell, an' broke 'er arm; 
 an' Jake done sont me to ax yo' to come 
 an' stay wid 'er till he go an' fotck de doc- 
 tor." 
 
 The boy was busily mopping his eyes 
 with his fists, the personification of wretch- 
 edness and fright. So without further de- 
 lay Mammy snatched her old plaid shawl 
 from its hook, and, hastily locking her 
 door, went quickly to yellow Susan's house. 
 She found all of the children crying, even 
 to the big-eyed baby, who was usually roll- 
 ing and tumbling in glee. 
 
 The first thing Mammy did was to make 
 Susan as comfortable as she could be made 
 under the circumstances. She next turned 
 her attention to the children, beginning 
 with the baby, and ending with Richard. 
 Taking each in turn, she rubbed and 
 scrubbed their faces until they shone like 
 ebony, then flourishing the broom in a 
 threatening manner she sent them out to 
 play. She flew about and had things ready 
 for the doctor, who came soon, and was 
 followed some time after by Jake. 
 
 When Mammy went home that evening 
 she met the Reverend 'Lige Pugsley; who,
 
 30 Adele Hamilton 
 
 after hearing the news, raised his silk hat 
 slightly, scratched his head reflectively, 
 and said: 
 
 "I'm 'feared dem boys gwine bring Sis 
 Susan down in disgrace; 'ka'ze I seed 'em 
 bofe playin' marvels; an' yo' know, Sis 
 Harriet, dat de Bible say, 'marvel not,' an' 
 dey 's gwine directly 'g'inst its precep's." 
 
 Before lighting her candle, Mammy's 
 attention was arrested by voices from the 
 outside : 
 
 "Yo' des gib dat yere; dat b 'longs to 
 me, I tell yo'." 
 
 "It doan' nuther, I got it fus'; an' 'sides 
 yo' has to git it 'fo' it's yourn." 
 
 Then another voice said: 
 
 "Nary one o' yo' gwine hab it; 'ka'ze 
 I's de bigges' niggah; so pass it right ober, 
 or I'll bus' yo' wide 
 
 The sentence was never finished; for 
 Mammy, seizing "ole Marster's" dinner- 
 horn, put one end to her mouth and the 
 other through the little window, and blew 
 such a prolonged blast that it had a quiet- 
 ing effect. The group dispersed, leaving 
 a small share of their booty behind, for 
 lying almost at Mammy's door was a
 
 Mammy's Trials 31 
 
 bright silver dollar. Not knowing to whom 
 it belonged, she decided to drop it into her 
 money-bag. So slipping her hand between 
 the feather bed and the mattress, she felt 
 for the little sack. It was not there. She 
 felt again. No, it was not to be found. It 
 was surely gone. 
 
 Mammy sank down on the floor, covered 
 her face with her apron, and rocking to and 
 fro, sobbed hopelessly.
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 MAKING A LIVING 
 
 MRS. HAMILTON and her five girls sat 
 around the fireside discussing the subject 
 of making a living. "I shall make a few 
 rules by which we must abide," said Mrs. 
 Hamilton, definitely and firmly. 
 
 "First. We must ask God's guidance 
 and help in all things. 
 
 "Second. We will do without, rather 
 than go in debt for anything, for debt took 
 our home from us. 
 
 "Third. We will not accept charity as 
 long as we are in our right minds and have 
 the right use of our fingers. 
 
 "Fourth. We will remember Mammy's 
 parting injunction, and maintain our self- 
 respect, regardless of our poverty. Our 
 resources are slender and it is necessary 
 that we do something at once. The ques- 
 tion is: What shall it be? Speak, Adele. 
 You are the oldest." 
 
 32
 
 ^Making a Living 33 
 
 "I have determined to get a certificate 
 to teach school," said Adele. "Miss 
 Eleanor wishes me to try for one at the 
 next examination, which will be in June. 
 Public school teachers are highly respect- 
 ed, and make good salaries, too, in Califor- 
 nia. Miss Eleanor is a teacher, you know. 
 I shall devote my mornings wholly to 
 study; for after I have started, nothing 
 shall cause me to turn back, or shall pre- 
 vent me from getting a certificate. And if 
 I should fail the first time, I shall try and 
 try again until I do succeed. In the mean 
 time, I shall go to Mrs. Randall's and ask 
 for button-holes to work. I used to watch 
 Mammy make them, and she taught me. I 
 can also make tatting to sell. I shall go to- 
 morrow and try to dispose of some; for I 
 have several yards already made, and I 
 need shoes badly," she finished, glancing 
 at her shoes, which were almost worn 
 through. 
 
 When Mary's turn came, she said timid- 
 ly, "I can make sponge cake, ' ' which made 
 the rest laugh, for Mary was very proud 
 of this accomplishment. 
 
 "I won't tell what I'm going to do,"
 
 34 Adele Hamilton 
 
 said Isabel. "Anna and Rose are in the 
 secret, for we are going to be partners ; but 
 don 't tell, ' ' she said, giving them a wink. 
 
 "I have been called a good performer 
 on the piano, so I shall try to secure a few 
 music pupils; and if I should fail at this, 
 I shall try something else. We are here to 
 make a living ; and a living we must make, ' ' 
 concluded Mrs. Hamilton with determina- 
 tion. 
 
 When her mother had finished speak- 
 ing, light-hearted Isabel snatched up the 
 guitar from its corner, and began to sing ; 
 while Anna and Rose joined in the chorus : 
 
 "Oh, what is the use of repining? 
 
 For where there's a will there's a way. 
 To-morrow the sun may be shining, 
 Although it is cloudy to-day." 
 
 She was beginning another verse, when 
 Rose whispered, "Here comes Mrs. 
 Prye!" All looked up, and saw a woman 
 somewhat past middle age, with terra- 
 cotta hair, and weak blue eyes. She wore 
 a brown dress decorated with purple 
 flowers; and slightly askew on her head 
 was a gaudy-flowered bonnet, partly con-
 
 Making a Living 35 
 
 cealed by a green barege veil. She came 
 up the steps; and before any of the girls 
 could invite her in, she spun into the mid- 
 dle of the room; and the next moment 
 asked in a sharp, nasal whine: 
 
 "Why wasn't y'all out to meetin' las' 
 night? You oughter b'en there to hyeard 
 the new preacher. He's little, but he's 
 loud." The significant way in which she 
 took off her glasses, wiped them and re- 
 adjusted them on her long sharp nose 
 caused all to suspect she must have start- 
 ling news to communicate, so they pre- 
 pared to receive it. 
 
 "I guess you've hyeard the latest news 
 in this part of town, hain't yer? Pete, the 
 convict, 's done come home. He lives in 
 that there little cabin over yonder; and 
 must sho'ly pass here on his way to town. 
 I, for one, wouldn' like to meet 'im face to 
 face, after dark. His look is 'nough to 
 cuddle your blood; an' he wouldn' mind 
 kill in' you no more 'n going to sleep. We 
 ain't never hyeard tell of his equal in this 
 place. The bigges' de'il that ever walked 
 on legs ; and he 's jest got home from ser- 
 vin' out his sentence in San Quentin."
 
 36 Adele Hamilton 
 
 Just then, Anna, who had vacated the 
 room on Mrs. Prye's arrival, thrust her 
 head inside. 
 
 ''Come, Isabel, and see what this boy 
 says." 
 
 Isabel, who had acquired a few Spanish 
 words, ran out and found a little Mexican 
 seated on a load of chaparral knots or 
 roots. He had stopped his horses in front 
 of the gate, and was gesticulating with his 
 whip as he made another effort at being 
 understood. 
 
 "No sdbe," she answered. 
 
 He again touched the wood with his 
 whip, saying with greater emphasis : 
 
 "Dos pesos. Quien sdbe?" 
 
 "Quien sake case," again answered 
 Isabel, but the boy, not easily outdone, held 
 up two fingers and repeated slowly: 
 
 "Dos pesos." 
 
 Isabel then knew that he wished to sell 
 the load of grease-wood for two dollars; 
 so she was compelled to shake her head 
 again, and he drove on. 
 
 Mrs. Prye gossipped about every one in 
 the neighborhood and then rose to go. 
 Now, Adele had been busy in the kitchen,
 
 Making a Living 37 
 
 and the sound of the oven-door opening and 
 shutting had been sometimes heard, and 
 the delicious aroma of boiling coffee greet- 
 ed their nostrils ; when the knob of the door 
 turned, and in she came, bearing before her 
 a tray with two cups of smoking coffee and 
 a small plate of tea-cakes which she hand- 
 ed to her mother and Mrs. Piye. The old 
 lady was evidently surprised, and pleased 
 too; for she looked hard at Adele from 
 over her spectacles, and said : 
 
 "You be a handy girl, child. You don't 
 say you made 'em by yourself?" she in- 
 quired with a pleased ring in her voice. 
 
 Adele only said: 
 
 "I thought you and mama would enjoy 
 a cup of coffee ; and I wanted you to taste 
 some of mine, Mrs. Prye. And I should 
 feel disappointed if you went home with- 
 out eating with us once, at least." 
 
 "You beat all for hospitableness, child, 
 I declare!" she ejaculated, helping herself 
 to a tea-cake, and Isabel shot out of the 
 room like an arrow from a bow, and 
 crammed her handkerchief into her mouth 
 to keep from laughing at Mrs. Prye's fun- 
 ny mistake.
 
 38 Adele Hamilton 
 
 Next morning, Mrs. Hamilton took some 
 of her old music with her to Mrs. Hade's, a 
 mile away, to solicit a music pupil. She 
 was asked to play, and selected "Lucretia 
 Borgia." As her fingers touched the keys, 
 filling the room with delicious melody, 
 Isabel and Anna sat listening, feeling very 
 proud of their mother. They fully expect- 
 ed she would be showered with compli- 
 ments, but Mrs. Hade had not been so 
 entertained. She moved nervously in her 
 seat, first one way and then the other, and 
 when Mrs. Hamilton had finished, Mrs. 
 Hade heaved a deep sigh of relief, and 
 turning to Isabel, said: 
 
 "Well, she's through at last. It was 
 quite lengthy." 
 
 The daughter, however, was more appre- 
 ciative, and decided to take lessons of Mrs. 
 Hamilton. When they were home again, 
 Mrs. Hamilton and the girls enjoyed a 
 hearty laugh over it. 
 
 Adele studied assiduously. She made 
 yard after yard of beautiful tatting; but 
 found little sale for it, and she finally de- 
 cided to take it with her from house to 
 house. She sought out the largest house
 
 Making a Living 39 
 
 in town, the house of a retired merchant. 
 As she rang the door-bell her heart 
 thumped loudly, and she trembled from 
 head to foot. Mrs. Brine took the card of 
 trimming, partly unwound it, laid it on a 
 red plush sofa, then held it up before her, 
 rather longingly, it seemed to Adele; but 
 hesitated, hemmed, and hawed, and finally 
 said that the price was too high. 
 
 Adele 's color rose at the thought of the 
 labor she had expended on it ; and she was 
 charging only a trifle more than the cost 
 of the thread it had taken to make it. She 
 had hoped to sell enough to buy a cheap 
 pair of shoes ; but she was so indignant at 
 this woman's meanness that she put away 
 the tatting and determined to go directly 
 back home ; and, if need be, barefooted, be- 
 fore she would lower the price one cent. 
 
 She was now approaching a large one- 
 story brick residence with no front yard, 
 but a wide, roomy porch, on which sat a 
 lady and a very tall, well-proportioned and 
 distinguished-looking gentleman, beyond 
 middle age. He had piercing black eyes, 
 but there was a kindly expression in them. 
 On his well-shaped nose rested a pair of
 
 40 Adele Hamilton 
 
 gold-rimmed glasses. Adele hesitated, as 
 if she had not quite decided to stop, but 
 the lady smiled pleasantly, and rising, of- 
 fered her a seat, as she looked tired, she 
 told her. 
 
 "Lena," she called. 
 
 She spoke brokenly, and Adele now knew 
 that they were Hebrews. At her mother's 
 call, a sweet, refined-looking young lady 
 came forward. She held a book in her 
 hand, and when she had spoken a few sen- 
 tences, Adele understood that she was edu- 
 cated and cultured. She priced the trim- 
 ming, and Adele fancied she noticed the 
 shoes; for they said a few words in Ger- 
 man to each other. Then the young lady 
 turned to her, and told her that she thought 
 the trimming beautiful. The old lady 
 asked Adele if she made it, and said they 
 would take it all. Adele asked two dollars 
 for it; but the old gentleman ran his hand 
 down into his pocket and brought out a ten- 
 dollar gold piece, saying it was worth every 
 cent of it. 
 
 "I thank you very much," said Adele, 
 slightly coloring, "but I ask two dollars 
 for it ; and if I accepted more, it would be
 
 Making a Living 41 
 
 charity. I thank you very much for your 
 kindness, but I can not accept charity." 
 She would take only the original price; so 
 inclining her head, she bade them good- 
 
 by. 
 
 ''She is very proud, if she is poor," they 
 said after she had gone. 
 
 Adele bought her shoes, then hurried on 
 to tell the news at home. She was rushing 
 at headlong speed, thinking the while of 
 the difference in people, and turning a cor- 
 ner hastily ran squarely into the arms of 
 a young man. Her bundle flew in one di- 
 rection, and she would have gone in 
 another if he had not caught and steadied 
 her. 
 
 "I beg your pardon a thousand times, 
 Miss," he said, as he lifted his hat, then 
 stooped and picked up her bundle and gave 
 it to her. 
 
 Adele blushed and stammered some- 
 thing, she did not know just what. Lifting 
 his li,-it .-rj;iin, the young man passed on. 
 
 ""VVlmt; splendid eyes!" Adele thought; 
 but her face burned from mortification, 
 and she was so ashamed of her heedless-
 
 42 Adele Hamilton 
 
 ness that all the rest of the way home she 
 kept saying to herself : 
 
 1 1 What a simpleton I was! what a sim- 
 pleton !"
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 DESPONDENT DAYS 
 
 THERE came a time when very little 
 money was taken into the Hamilton cot- 
 tage; for Mrs. Hamilton and her girls 
 found it was much more easy to spend 
 money than to make it. 
 
 The music pupils wished a vacation, and 
 went away on a "paseo" (pleasure trip), 
 Isabel said. It seemed to Adele that every- 
 body's buttonholes had been worked for 
 years to come ; there was a sudden lull in 
 her money-making. Rent was due, fuel 
 was out, and the water bill had to be met. 
 
 Mrs. Hamilton wrung her hands and 
 paced the floor. Then one day she sud- 
 denly stopped, darted into the kitchen, and 
 raised the lid of the big leather trunk. She 
 reached her hand down and drew out a lit- 
 tle box containing a handsome gold watch, 
 bearing the family crest, a hand grasping 
 
 48
 
 44 Adele Hamilton 
 
 a dart. It had been her husband's. She 
 looked at it a long time as if considering; 
 then she shook her head and put it away 
 again. She next took out a seal ring, which 
 also bore the crest. It was likewise 
 dropped back. She sank down and cov- 
 ered her face with her hands. 
 
 Next morning found them without any- 
 thing to eat in the house. Yet they said 
 they would starve before they would let it 
 be known, or ask for charity. Isabel, Anna, 
 and Rose ran races in the back yard until 
 they were tired. Then Mary said, * * Come, 
 let us play post-office." 
 
 They carried boxes and boards to one of 
 the front corners of the house, and went 
 to work, turning them upside down, and 
 piling them on top of each other. Mary 
 stood sometimes at the general delivery 
 window, then she assorted piles of letters 
 which she had just emptied from two large, 
 pretended mail sacks. The fastening of 
 the front gate clicked; but she was too 
 much absorbed to hear it. She glided from 
 one end of the office to the other, placing 
 letter after letter in different boxes. In- 
 cidentally looking up, she saw a gentleman
 
 Despondent Days 45 
 
 standing at the end of the porch above her, 
 smiling as if he were amused. He was low 
 in stature, but not insignificant looking. 
 She remembered having seen him before. 
 He was Mr. Brice, the postmaster. He 
 winked at little Rose, and walked back to 
 the front door, which Adele had just 
 opened. He asked if she would go out that 
 day and work buttonholes for his wife. 
 
 Adele had eaten no breakfast, and the 
 night before she had given her share of 
 supper to Rose. Now, faint and trembling 
 from hunger, she hurried on her things; 
 and, appreciating this opportunity to make 
 something, started for Mrs. Brice 's, two 
 miles distant. As she passed the court- 
 house she saw the steps and porches 
 thronged with people. A criminal case 
 was to be tried that day, and the crowd 
 had already, at that hour, begun to as- 
 semble. Clerks and officers found it almost 
 impossible to push their way through. 
 Those in the court-yard were gazing in- 
 tently at one of the high upper windows. 
 Across the street, women waved handker- 
 chiefs; and Adele glanced up to see a tall 
 and handsome figure step from a ladder
 
 46 Adele Hamilton 
 
 through the high open window into the 
 court-room. She knew him to be the same 
 young man with whom she had had a col- 
 lision on the street. With a little catch of 
 her breath, she hurried on, wondering. She 
 resolved to put her best efforts on her work 
 that day; for the thought of mother and 
 sisters was uppermost. After she had 
 worked faithfully for two hours she leaned 
 her head on her hand, and felt that it would 
 be impossible to get through the morning, 
 and she must surely give up. But the faces 
 of her loved ones at home carne again be- 
 fore her, and she exerted every energy and 
 bent over her work. The very room seemed 
 suddenly to stand on end, then began to 
 whirl around and around, and she felt her- 
 self going backward. She knew nothing 
 more until she found she was lying on a 
 snowy bed with kind Mrs. Brice bending 
 over her. Mrs. Brice half suspected 
 Adele 's secret, for her tears were dropping 
 on Adele 's forehead. 
 
 "Brave little girl, why didn't you let 
 me know?" she said, and quickly leaving 
 the room, she soon returned with a boun- 
 teous and substantial luncheon.
 
 Despondent Days 47 
 
 As Adele lay there on Mrs. Brice's bed, 
 seeing in Mrs. Brice, only the noble, the 
 good, and the true, there was naught of bit- 
 terness in her heart as she thought, "She 
 came from Michigan and I from the South- 
 land." 
 
 Mrs. Brice insisted on Adele taking a 
 full day's pay, saying she deserved it. But 
 Adele would not hear of this, and accepted 
 only what she had earned for two hours' 
 work. Adele was sent home in Mrs. Brice's 
 carriage, and was much surprised to find 
 a hot supper awaiting her; for a lady had 
 heard of her tatting, and had bought sev- 
 eral yards. There was another surprise 
 for her too Mr. Brice had given Mary a 
 position in the post-office, to help distribute 
 mail there. She was to begin work the 
 week after the next, at a salary of twenty 
 dollars a month. 
 
 Adele studied harder than before. Miss 
 Eleanor arranged a little room in the back 
 part of her yard, so they could study to- 
 gether every Friday after school had 
 closed for the week. 
 
 Miss Eleanor True was a teacher in the 
 town school; and often lent Adele the
 
 48 Adele Hamilton 
 
 necessary books to study. She would say 
 to Adele: 
 
 "Of course, you need not feel dis- 
 appointed, dear, if you should fail the first 
 time ; but I am so anxious that you should 
 see and know what the examinations are. 
 The experience will be good for you ; and 
 should you fail, it will help you to succeed 
 next time." 
 
 And Adele, whose heart was touched by 
 Miss Eleanor's kindness, would answer 
 with tears in her eyes : 
 
 "I will succeed. I shall never give up 
 trying until I get a certificate. ' ' 
 
 Miss Eleanor was no ordinary woman. 
 She was tall, slight, and fair, with golden 
 brown hair, and such a dignified bearing 
 that she commanded the respect of all who 
 knew her. Adele loved her as her best 
 friend. 
 
 Missing Isabel, Anna, and Hose from the 
 house one morning, Mrs. Hamilton saw 
 them in the back yard hard at work. They 
 were pulling weeds, and piling them up to 
 burn; raking and hoeing; and Isabel was 
 actually spading the loose soil in the fur- 
 ther end of the yard.
 
 Despondent Days 49 
 
 "I am going to make a garden just like 
 Mammy used to make. I have watched her 
 many and many a time. I know just how 
 she fixed the ground; and I have helped 
 her plant some things," she declared, as 
 she resumed her spading. She was digging 
 away in earnest when she heard a noise be- 
 hind her; and turning discovered one of 
 the old men who kept the corral just back 
 of them, coming toward her with a loaded 
 wheelbarrow. He stopped, lifted his hat, 
 and said: 
 
 "Seein' you be hard at work mekin' of 
 a gyardin, I thought I'd len' you a helpin' 
 hand and fertilize it for you." 
 
 No sooner said, than he tilted the barrow 
 over to one side, and out went the contents 
 on the ground in a heap. He took the spade 
 from Isabel's hands and shovelled vigor- 
 ously for a few minutes, until the heap had 
 disappeared, and the ground was evenly 
 covered. Isabel told him she hoped to send 
 liini a dish of strawberries some day. He 
 pulled his hand down his long grizzly beard 
 and smiled. 
 
 "\Vlion they were not busy inside, the 
 girls found their garden a source of enjoy-
 
 50 Adele Hamilton 
 
 ment as well as a profitable employment. 
 And they persisted in this work until they 
 had a large garden spot ready for plant- 
 ing; and the old corral man was heard to 
 say: 
 
 " Them's the pluckiest little gals I ever 
 see. I wonder whar they come from?"
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 A CONFESSION 
 
 A LONG time had passed, and still there 
 was no clue by which Mammy could find 
 her money. She was kept very busy most 
 of the time. To-night she thought of the 
 big revival meetings which were being held 
 at an old dilapidated building some dis- 
 tance away, and it was not an unheard of 
 thing, at this season of the year, for a 
 snake to find its way within the walls. 
 
 Mammy sat in her door-way, inhaling 
 the perfume of jasmine, and stooped now 
 and then to listen. Could those sounds be 
 feet coming her way ? she asked herself ; or 
 was it a confusion of sounds the cheerful 
 chirrup of crickets, the dismal croak of 
 frogs, and the musical tinkle of cow-bells 
 down in the green pasture? 
 
 The night was intensely warm, and she 
 had sat there longer than usual. It was 
 
 51
 
 52 Adele Hamilton 
 
 growing late, and save for these sounds all 
 was stillness. But twelve strokes of the 
 clock called Mammy to her feet, and giving 
 a great yawn, she untied her apron and 
 prepared to step inside ; then she was con- 
 vinced that footsteps were indeed ap- 
 proaching, and a panting voice not far off 
 said: 
 
 "Dat you, Aun' Harriet? You up yit?" 
 
 " Who's you, anyhow?" inquired Mam- 
 my. 
 
 ''It's Jake, Aun' Harriet Aun' Susan's 
 Jake." 
 
 "An' what's you doin' roun' hones' 
 folks' houses dis time o' night?" 
 
 "I's come, Aun' Harriet, to mek a 'fes- 
 sion to you." Then shuffling up to the 
 steps and taking his seat, Jake said : ' ' Ez 
 I was gwine 'long by de buildin' whar de 
 colored folks 's holdin' meetin's I 'lowed 
 des fo' fun, I'd go in an' see what dey 's 
 doin', de singin' soun' so putty. Den de 
 preacher axed ev'ybody dat wanted dey 
 sins washed 'way, to come up to dat foun- 
 tain. I went up wid de res'; but ev'y time 
 I'd try to pray, sumpin' 'd pyear to say, 
 'Yo' can't git de blessin' while yo' has sin
 
 A Confession 53 
 
 in yo' heart; fus' go an' mek res'tution; 
 be raconciled to yo' brother.' I hyeard de 
 preacher say de las' line; den sumpin' done 
 drapt right down 'twixt me an' chicken- 
 stealin' Billy. I jumps up, an' law! dar 
 wuz de bigges' black snake I eber see. Dat 
 suttinly wuz de ole sarpent de ole boy 
 hisse'f ez sho' ez my name's Jake. Den 
 I des meks tracks neber lookin' behin' me 
 till I reach yo' do'. 
 
 "Now comes de 'fession. I hyeard yo' 
 tell Mammy how yo' wuz gwine to yo' mis- 
 tress soon ez yo' could save up money 
 'nough to buy yo ' ticket. Den I done hyear 
 Unc' Ant'ny tell how he use to dribe a hack 
 in Atlanty; an' how much money he use to 
 make. I fought ef I could des git hoP o' 
 yo' money, I'd go to Atlanty too. Dat 
 night I wuz peepin' froo de crack by yo' 
 chim'ly. I saw yo' git yo' money-bag, an' 
 put it back 'g'in. Den I foun' out what I 
 wanted to know whar yo' kep' yo' money. 
 
 "Ev'ythin' wuz on my side, it pyeard 
 lok; 'ka'ze nex' mornin' Mammy fell an' 
 broke 'er arm; an' I sont fo' yo'. I went 
 fo' de doctor, an' sont 'im on ahead, an* I 
 went home by yo 'house. Yo' locked yo'
 
 54 Adele Hamilton 
 
 do' in sich a hurry it did n' ketch; so I 
 pushed it open, walked right to de baid, an' 
 tuck de sack long wid me." 
 
 Here Mammy bounced up, doubled her 
 fist and shook it at him, crying : 
 
 1 ' Yo ' good-f o '-nothin '-low-down-triflin ' 
 roscal, yo'!" 
 
 Jake raised his elbow as if to ward off a 
 blow, and continued apologetically: 
 
 "I knowed I wuz ongrateful; but now I 
 fetches it all back to yo', an' axes yo' par- 
 don 'sides, Aun' Harriet. I ain' seed no 
 peace sence I tuck it; an' I 's feared I won't 
 have no luck till I fotch it back 'gin." 
 
 As he thrust the money-bag in her lap, 
 Mammy clasped both hands together and 
 said: 
 
 "De good Lord He done sont it, ef de 
 debil did fotch it back. De Good Book say 
 dat 'hones' 'fession is good fo' de soul.' 
 Yo's in a fa'r way to git de blessin', Jake."
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 BERTRAM RANCH 
 
 ONE day Mrs. Hamilton looked up from 
 her sewing and said to Mary: 
 
 "And you say Mrs. Bertram has invited 
 you to go out and visit them before you 
 take your position in the post-office?" 
 
 "Yes, mama," answered Mary, who was 
 busy looking over her wardrobe. "She 
 said that Adele and I could expect the car- 
 riage for us to-morrow afternoon. So we 
 must be ready, you know. Isn't it fortu- 
 nate that we can go? Bring the satchel, 
 Isabel, and help us pack our things," she 
 continued. "It's a mighty good thing the 
 'big leather trunk' is here to help us out!" 
 
 "It certainly is a treasure-trove," de- 
 clared Adele, "with its linens and its la cos. 
 Tliore would be a slim chance for us to #o 
 from home without diving into its depths." 
 
 65
 
 56 Adele Hamilton 
 
 "I am ready for the party-dresses," said 
 Mary, surveying them with a feeling of 
 deep satisfaction. "What a grand success 
 they are; and fashioned out of some of 
 mama's old ones, too. Nobody else will 
 have lovelier ones, if we are poor," she 
 continued with a great deal of pride. 
 
 "Thanks to Mamma's ingenuity," quiet- 
 ly spoke Adele. "Yes, it is indeed a for- 
 tunate thing that I have some of my old 
 finery with which to dress my girls. If we 
 had to buy it we could not afford anything 
 like this," said Mrs. Hamilton, holding up 
 a piece of exquisite Irish point lace. ' ' Some 
 of these pieces, girls, were ten dollars a 
 yard. This little collar and these cuffs 
 were eighteen dollars; and this black lace 
 point was forty-five. If you will promise 
 to be very careful with them, Adele may 
 use my white Canton crepe shawl ; and you, 
 Mary, this velvet wrap." 
 
 "Adele will look like a canary-bird in 
 that yellow silk," interposed Eose, admir- 
 ingly, for she was very much attached to 
 Adele. 
 
 "I wore that silk dress years ago to a 
 brilliant reception given to the Lady Amel-
 
 Bertram Ranch 57 
 
 ia Murry when she visited the United 
 States, and was the guest of my sister in 
 New Orleans," Mrs. Hamilton said, a little 
 sadly, as old memories rose before her. 
 
 '"They are going to have a very grand 
 party, too, while we are out there," con- 
 tinued Mary, still thinking of their intend- 
 ed visit to Bertram Ranch. "It is going to 
 be given to Marie; as she has just gradu- 
 ated and come home from college. An or- 
 chestra has been engaged ; and what danc- 
 ing we will have!" she finished, thoroughly 
 enjoying the prospect, as she held up her 
 dress with one hand and waltzed around 
 the room. She was extremely fond of dan- 
 cing, and was always delighted to be invited 
 where there would be any. So the next af- 
 ternoon, when the Bertram carriage rolled 
 up to the modest Hamilton cottage, Adele 
 and Mary were eager to start on their visit. 
 It was not the first one they had made to 
 Bertram Ranch, so they could well imagine 
 what was in store for them. 
 
 Bertram Ranch was a large fruit ranch, 
 consisting of two or three hundred acres, 
 the vineyard alone comprising one hundred 
 acres, twenty of which were the choicest
 
 58 Adele Hamilton 
 
 varieties of grapes for family use. There 
 were two or three large orange and lemon 
 groves. 
 
 "Bertram House" was situated on a ris- 
 ing eminence, and its observatory peeped 
 up far above the green, graceful boughs of 
 the two mammoth pepper-trees. It was 
 built of brick, and had many rooms, which 
 were hospitably thrown open to friends 
 and strangers. Here those who were in 
 trouble found sympathy, the needy receiv- 
 ed help, and no one was ever turned away 
 from its doors hungry. 
 
 On Bertram Ranch was a large stream 
 of water, known as the "irrigating ditch." 
 For some distance along this stream were 
 different varieties of figs; and it was a 
 common sight to see here several squaws 
 engaged in washing clothes; and not far 
 away could be seen the wigwams of these 
 and of other hired Indian help. 
 
 Marie Bertram was well accustomed to 
 driving, so she drove into town for Adele 
 and Mary. Myrtle and Queen were full of 
 spirit, and after they had crossed the wide 
 arroi/o and had ascended the steep bank 
 beyond, Myrtle reared and stood almost
 
 Bertram Ranch 59 
 
 upright in the harness. Fearing she would 
 become unmanageable, and they would be 
 plunged backward down the steep ascent, 
 and obeying the impulse of the moment, 
 Adele screamed loudly and shut her eyes. 
 When she looked up again, a tall gentle- 
 man on horseback was holding Myrtle's 
 rein. He rode by her head a short distance, 
 until she was quieted ; then, lifting his hat, 
 he turned his horse toward town, and was 
 soon out of sight. Adele knew that he rec- 
 ognized her, and her face colored as she 
 remembered with mortification their un- 
 ceremonious meeting on the sidewalk not 
 many weeks before. 
 
 "Who is he?" she asked. 
 
 "Mr. Elwood, one of the deputy sher- 
 iffs," replied Marie. "He is an expert 
 penman, and attends to the sheriff's cor- 
 respondence; and also has charge of the 
 tax-books, I've heard my brother say. He 
 is very handsome, isn't he? Did you no- 
 tice his fine eyes; and his white teeth 
 through his brown moustache, when he 
 smiled, and lifted his hat, as he rode off? 
 My brother knows him quite well and likes 
 him very much."
 
 60 Adele Hamilton 
 
 Adele made no reply, but her thoughts 
 were busy. 
 
 Next morning after breakfast, Mary and 
 Marie missed Adele and went in search of 
 her, calling, as they went : 
 
 ''Adele! where are you?" 
 
 "Here, upstairs, on the veranda. Do 
 come up. It is lovely. I can see over the 
 entire ranch. Marie will have enough rais- 
 ins to live on plum pudding and fruit cake 
 forever!" 
 
 "And thousands of pounds to sell, be- 
 sides," said Marie, laughing. "Oh, girls, 
 come and let us go down and see them 
 make wine." 
 
 "What are those barefooted Indians do- 
 ing!" asked Adele. 
 
 "Why, they are tramping out the juice 
 of the grapes. The wine is said to be of 
 much finer flavor when made this way, than 
 when machinery is used, as machinery 
 bruises the seeds of the grapes," explain- 
 ed Marie. 
 
 "Ugh! I do not care for any of your 
 finely-flavored wines," put in Mary, mak- 
 ing a wry face. 
 
 They were nearing the wine-makers
 
 Bertram Ranch 61 
 
 now; and, as his turn caine, each stalwart 
 Indian stepped into the large, square press 
 of grapes. They tramped and tramped, up 
 and down, around and around, each one 
 trying to outdo the other and attract the 
 most attention. 
 
 Large wagons filled with grapes were 
 brought from the vineyard; and one of 
 them, with a white driver, stopped near 
 Adele. The man selected a large and full 
 bunch of luscious mission grapes, soused it 
 into a bucket of fresh water, shook it vigor- 
 ously, and held it out to Adele. She hesi- 
 tated, then did what a moment later she 
 wished she had not done took the grapes 
 and thanked him for them. An Indian 
 nearby grunted, and she caught sight of an 
 evil, half-satisfied look in the white man's 
 face. 
 
 The white man was a perfect giant in 
 size. His black eyes were evil-looking, and 
 on one cheek and extending under one eye 
 was a hideous-looking red mark, much re- 
 sembling a piece of raw meat. He was 
 dressed in overalls, and wore a sombrero, 
 as the Indians did. He seemed to be on the 
 most intimate terms with the Indian, and
 
 62 Adele Hamilton 
 
 called him ' ' Jim. ' ' Adele turned to Marie, 
 who, with Mary, had been too much occu- 
 pied in watching the men trample the 
 grapes to notice what Adele had been do- 
 ing, and said: 
 
 ''Can we not go back to the house now?" 
 
 As they walked on, Mary, who had not 
 seen the white man, asked : 
 
 "Are all the men Indians?" 
 
 "All but one; he is a white man, and 
 does the driving; but he lives with the In- 
 dians, and acts as interpreter for them. 
 They say when he gets mad he is a des- 
 perate sort of fellow; but we hire him be- 
 cause he is an excellent worker, and can 
 talk with and manage the Indians so well. 
 
 Adele thought of the man's evil-looking 
 eyes, and wished more than ever that she 
 had never touched the bunch of grapes. 
 
 The three girls went back to the house, 
 and Adele tried to dispel the whole inci- 
 dent from her mind; but, try as hard as 
 she might, a pair of evil-looking eyes and 
 a loathsome red mark stood out before her, 
 and troubled her dreams that night. How- 
 ever, as she did not see the interpreter
 
 Bertram Ranch 63 
 
 again, she gave herself up to the enjoy- 
 ment of her visit. 
 
 The week was fast slipping away, and 
 each day brought new pleasures. There 
 were carriage-drives, trips to the "old mis- 
 sion" nearby; and one day the beautiful 
 grays, Prince and Queen, were saddled and 
 brought out for Adele and Marie to ride. 
 They had swung into an easy canter and 
 had gone some distance, when suddenly 
 Adele 's saddle turned and she slipped off 
 gracefully to one side of the road. 
 
 Prince had been curbed with a Spanish 
 bit that day, and, finding himself free, he 
 started straight for home; but before he 
 had gone far another rider from another 
 direction intercepted him, and a gloved 
 hand caught the bridle. Adele sprang to 
 her feet in much embarrassment as she 
 saw that the horseman was no other than 
 the young man who had come to their res- 
 cue and quieted the carriage horses a few 
 days before. He brought her horse to her, 
 and she saw a smile hovering about his 
 moustache as he said : 
 
 " Allow me to bring your horse to you. I 
 hope you are not hurt, Miss."
 
 64 Adele Hamilton 
 
 "Not in the least; and I thank you very 
 much. But how am I to mount him again?" 
 said confused Adele, partly to the young 
 man and partly to Marie, who, having fall- 
 en far behind spirited Prince, had at that 
 moment come up. Elwood solved the dif- 
 ficulty, and Adele was soon seated in the 
 saddle again. 
 
 "I thank you again," said Adele, slight- 
 ly inclining her head toward him. 
 
 "I am only happy to be of service to 
 you, Miss." 
 
 Then, lifting his white straw sailor, he 
 galloped down the road toward town. 
 
 When Edwin Elwood was some distance 
 away, he drew something from his vest- 
 pocket, pressed it to his lips, then return- 
 ed it to its hiding-place. It was only a scar- 
 let pomegranate flower that had fallen 
 from Adele 's dark hair when she slipped 
 from the saddle. Elwood reined-in his 
 horse and fell to musing as he rode leisure- 
 ly along toward "Base Line." 
 
 "The villain! the scoundrel!" he said 
 aloud, as his right hand unconsciously 
 sought his pistol. "If he but had his de- 
 serts he would be serving a sentence in San
 
 Bertram Ranch 65 
 
 Quentin, instead of working in vineyards. 
 He will bear close watching, and Burk- 
 hart's men will be equal to him." 
 
 Adele and Marie walked their horses the 
 rest of the way home ; and just as the set- 
 ting sun's rosy tints left "Old Greyback," 
 they were dismounting before Bertram 
 House, where Mrs. Bertram and Mary had 
 been anxiously watching for them. 
 
 It seemed to Adele that the perfume of 
 the roses, the carnations, and the orange- 
 blossoms was never sweeter; and the vine 
 of the passion-flower, climbing up and 
 twining its clinging tendrils over the front 
 porch, never more graceful for a pair of 
 beautiful, large eyes, fringed with long, 
 dark lashes, had banished the evil ones; 
 and that night her dreams were of happi- 
 ness and love. 
 
 Next morning, after breakfast, Mrs. Ber- 
 tram said: 
 
 ' ' Come, girls, I have something to show 
 you." 
 
 They followed her out into the backyard 
 under the great pepper trees, and there 
 they found two aged Indians, so old and 
 small, dried up and thin looking, it seemed
 
 66 Adele Hamilton 
 
 that a puff of wind might blow them away. 
 The Indians were industriously sweeping 
 the yard, which they were accustomed to do 
 once a week. They were barefooted, and 
 when Mrs. Bertram spoke to them in their 
 own language, they threw down their 
 brooms and fell to dancing; and the "High- 
 land Fling" and "Cutting the Pigeon 
 Wing" were not to be compared with the 
 comical steps and antics of old Perfect and 
 his squaw. Under the long, drooping 
 boughs, in the shade of the pepper trees, 
 then out in the sunlight, around and around 
 they danced, and up and down with an oc- 
 casional flat-footed slap on the hard 
 ground. 
 
 The three girls laughed until they cried ; 
 but kind Mrs. Bertram slipped away into 
 her brick store-room, and mysterious bun- 
 dles and packages constituted the reward 
 of the aged couple. 
 
 The greater part of the next day was 
 rustle, bustle, and excitement; for that 
 night the party was to be, and everything 
 was in readiness before time for the guests 
 to arrive. Japanese lanterns adorned the 
 porches and swung in the trees. After the
 
 Bertram Ranch 67 
 
 girls made their toilets, Mrs. Bertram com- 
 pared them to the flowers. The house was 
 soon filled with guests; and as the orches- 
 tra began to play, a tall young man, whom 
 the girls designated " Spider Legs," sin- 
 gled out Mary, and asked the pleasure of a 
 waltz with her. Away they went around 
 the room. Others chose partners and went 
 whirling around too. Marie leaned over 
 and whispered into Adele 's ear: 
 
 "If there isn't Mr. Elwood, the deputy 
 sheriff. My brother is bringing him over 
 to introduce him." 
 
 Adele looked and saw Elwood 's hand- 
 some, erect figure coming in their direc- 
 tion. They were soon chatting pleasantly, 
 then Adele became aware that Marie and 
 her brother had also waltzed off, leaving 
 her and Elwood to themselves. Mary seem- 
 ed to be enjoying the dance immensely; 
 and when she and her partner sped by 
 them, Elwood turned to Adele and said, 
 pleasantly : 
 
 "Do you not dance, Miss Hamilton?" 
 
 "No, I do not dance; so I must content 
 myself to-night with being a wall-flower." 
 
 Elwood would have given a great deal
 
 68 Adele Hamilton 
 
 just then to say, "And a very sweet one, 
 too ' ' ; but he dared not. Instead, he said : 
 
 ' ' How fortunate ! ' ' Then he added, * ' Do 
 you think it wrong to dance!" and waited 
 for her answer. 
 
 "When a thing is doubtful I think it the 
 best plan to keep on the safe side and lean 
 the other way. I never regret it, because 
 it gives me a clear conscience, and a clear 
 conscience is worth everything and makes 
 one truly happy." 
 
 If Adele could have only known how Ed- 
 win Elwood respected and admired her for 
 what she had said, it would have made her 
 very happy ; but their conversation was cut 
 short by the announcement of supper. 
 
 The company formed itself into couples, 
 and Elwood offered Adele his arm, and 
 they followed the rest, the Senator and his 
 wife leading the way to the long and spa- 
 cious dining-room. 
 
 "When will you return to town, Miss 
 Hamilton?" asked Elwood, as he held out 
 his hand to say good-by at the close of the 
 festivities. 
 
 "To-morrow will end our visit, and we 
 will go home then," Adele answered.
 
 Bertram Ranch 69 
 
 "And may I have the pleasure of calling 
 some evening?" he concluded, smiling 
 down at her. 
 
 ' ' Certainly ; mama and the rest of us will 
 be pleased to see you almost any evening, ' ' 
 Adele replied. 
 
 The Senator and his wife and baby were 
 to spend the night at Bertram Ranch ; and 
 as Adele passed through the bedroom 
 where the hats and wraps were, she saw 
 Louise, the half-grown Indian nurse of the 
 Senator's wife, deeply immersed in the 
 pages of "Daniel Deronda."
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 MOURNING FOB THE PEESIDENT 
 
 JUST across the street from Mrs. Hamil- 
 ton's cottage was the King House, a lodg- 
 ing-house of many rooms. It was here that 
 Edwin Elwood stayed. One morning little 
 Rose said: 
 
 "There's a new lady stopping at the 
 King House. She is tall. Has black hair, 
 a long nose, and the smoothest voice 
 
 "And when she laughs, her mouth 
 spreads all over her face," chimed in Isa- 
 bel, who stood listening. 
 
 "Yes, but the very funniest part of all 
 is her name. She is named Miss Sally 
 Scrubby," finished Rose with a laugh. 
 
 "Plebeian name," remarked Mrs. Ham- 
 ilton, without looking up from her sewing. 
 
 "She tries to put on airs. I don't like 
 her," said Rose. 
 
 "That is the truth, Rose. This morn- 
 
 70
 
 Mourning for tHe President 71 
 
 ing when I passed by she was saying to an- 
 other lady, 'I can't bear this place. Mama 
 has always been used to so much.' And 
 every time Mr. Elwood goes away, she 
 rushes out and tries to walk down the street 
 witli him," said Isabel in a tone of disgust. 
 
 Notwithstanding her dislike for the 
 place, Miss Sally Scrubby began to take an 
 active part in town parties and church so- 
 cials. 
 
 There came a day in September when all 
 of the stores, schools, and public buildings 
 were closed, and their flags flying at half- 
 mast. The court-house and the whole town 
 was draped in deepest mourning; for a 
 telegram had brought intelligence of the 
 saddest of calamities: the death of the 
 President the ruler of the nation. The 
 church-bells tolled out solemnly the sad 
 tidings, and the one thought and the one 
 sentence was, "Our President is dead!" 
 
 Arrangements were being made for me- 
 morial services to be held at the court- 
 house. While passing a group of women, 
 Adele heard one say: 
 
 "You wouldn't ask her, would you? 
 She's a full-fledged"
 
 72 Adele Hamilton 
 
 Adele well divined her meaning; and, 
 turning quickly, saw it was Sally Scrubby 
 speaking. Adele 's lips curled with scorn, 
 and she passed on quickly, giving no seri- 
 ous thought to what had been said. 
 
 As she sang in one of the choirs, Adele 
 presumed that her name had been suggest- 
 ed as that of one of the singers. So at the 
 appointed hour, in a plain suit of gray, 
 with a strip of black crape tied on her arm, 
 she started for the court-house. Not far 
 behind her were Sally Scrubby and her 
 mother going to the court-house, too. 
 
 "She's about to be overcome by her en- 
 vironment," Sally Scrubby said, loud 
 enough for Adele to hear. 
 
 Adele whirled and looked her full in the 
 eye before she answered, in a quiet but 
 resolute voice: 
 
 "This is a free country, and I am an 
 American ! ' ' 
 
 Without so much as deigning to look at 
 her again, Adele hurried on, but the throng 
 was so dense that she was compelled to el- 
 bow her way through. At last the side 
 entrance to the court-yard was reached. 
 The singers were already there on the east
 
 Mourning for tUe President 73 
 
 porch. She could see them seated high 
 above the crowd. 
 
 "How shall I ever get through this mass 
 of people?" she asked herself; and was 
 considering what was just the best thing 
 to do, when a tall and familiar form came 
 down from the porch and was pushing his 
 way toward her. She saw Elwood coming 
 and waited for him. It was but a few min- 
 utes until she took his proffered arm, 
 reached the porch with little difficulty, and 
 ascended the steps. Elwood conducted-her 
 to a seat beside Miss Eleanor, who was 
 there, beckoning to her and making room 
 for her to sit down. Looking up, Adele saw 
 a large picture of President McKinley in 
 massive frame and sombre drapery, look- 
 ing down at her. She felt that the eyes of 
 another, who, with uncovered head, stood 
 very near, were also looking toward her; 
 but, giving no sign that she knew it, she 
 sang the funeral hymns. 
 
 At the close of the services Elwood of- 
 fered Adele his arm; and they went 
 through the loog corridor and out on the 
 other side to the less crowded street. As 
 she turned to thank him for his kindness,
 
 74 Adele Hamilton 
 
 she saw Sally Scrubby coming at no great 
 distance behind them. 
 
 "I am very glad you were there to-day, 
 Miss Hamilton," Elwood said; and as he 
 walked slowly back to the sheriff's office 
 he thought, and said to himself, "I was 
 proud to know her to-day." Then he 
 stooped to pick up Sally Scrubby 's hand- 
 kerchief, which had been artfully dropped. 
 
 As Adele turned into another street she 
 saw Sally Scrubby still detaining Elwood. 
 
 Adele shuddered unconsciously as she 
 thought of the distasteful familiarity; and 
 she said, half-aloud : 
 
 "What a coarse, coarse woman!"
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 THE CONVICT 
 
 SOME time passed, and Mrs. Hamilton 
 and her girls failed to see any one answer- 
 ing Mrs. Prye's description of the convict; 
 though sometimes they would notice a 
 large man with broad shoulders, shabbily 
 dressed, and always with a big hat drawn 
 low over his eyes, come out of the dilapi- 
 dated cabin and go in again. 
 
 One afternoon Adele sat working dili- 
 gently at her tatting. It was a legal holi- 
 day; and Mary, being at home from the 
 post-office, sat nearby working buttonholes 
 for her sister. Adele 's gaze wandered from 
 her work to the old cabin, then her shuttle 
 dropped from her fingers and spun away 
 on the floor. 
 
 "What's the matter?" asked Mary, 
 somewhat startled. 
 
 "I haven't seen that man go into or come 
 
 75
 
 76 Adele Hamilton 
 
 out of his cabin for two whole days. I won- 
 der if he is sick?" Adele said, with some- 
 thing akin to pity in her tone. 
 
 " Can't prove it by me," answered Mary 
 promptly. "We are not supposed to know 
 the business of other people," she added 
 with a slight degree of asperity. 
 
 "But he might be suffering; and if we 
 were to go over we might do something for 
 him," replied Adele earnestly. 
 
 "Why, Adele Hamilton! You surely do 
 not mean to go to that convict's house, and 
 alone?" 
 
 "That is exactly what I mean to do 
 that is, if you refuse to go with me, ' ' Adele 
 retorted. 
 
 "That man who has been in the peniten- 
 tiary?" 
 
 "He's a human being; and if we let him 
 suffer, or die right here in plain sight, sim- 
 ply because we think that we are better 
 than he, God will hold each of us responsi- 
 ble," finished Adele with emphasis. 
 
 ' ' I shall not let you go alone. If you will 
 go, I shall go with you; but your good 
 heart will be the death of you some day." 
 
 Mary's tone had softened; so both girls
 
 The Convict 77 
 
 put away their work, and as Mrs. Hamil- 
 ton had gone to give a music lesson, and 
 had not returned, they told Isabel where 
 they were going, and were soon at the con- 
 vict's cabin. 
 
 They knocked at the door, but there was 
 no response. With some trepidation, Adele 
 opened it and put her head inside. No one 
 was to be seen in this room, but they heard 
 a groan in the next. Mary put her arm 
 around Adele and together they stepped 
 into the room. 
 
 "Who's that come a-interferin' in my 
 quarters, I'd like to know?" growled a 
 voice from the adjoining room. 
 
 ''We were afraid you were ill, and have 
 come to do something for you," softly an- 
 swered Adele. 
 
 While she spoke, both girls stepped to 
 the door and looked in. Things were more 
 miserable than they even suspected. The 
 man was apparently very ill, and lay upon 
 a straw-pile, with an old coat under his 
 head for a pillow, and a few old rags which 
 once deserved the name of quilts answer- 
 ed for covering. His cheeks were very red, 
 and he seemed to have a consuming fever.
 
 78 Adele Hamilton 
 
 Adele searched about until she found a 
 tin-cup. She washed it and gave him a 
 drink of fresh water. A "norther" was 
 sweeping down the "Pass," and every 
 gust of wind shook the cabin and caused 
 the man to shiver perceptibly. They hunt- 
 ed for fuel, but could find none. They ran 
 home and soon returned with a large bun- 
 dle, and part of their wood, and there was 
 not a very large supply left at home. 
 
 After making a comfortable fire, which 
 brightened the room, Adele took from the 
 bundle a quilt that she had taken from her 
 own bed. She handled it almost tenderly, 
 for Mammy, back at the old home, had 
 wrought every stitch. Adele spread it over 
 the sick man ; then, taking up a heavy cloak 
 overcoat, which came also from the bundle, 
 spread it on him too. She lifted one piece 
 of warm clothing after another. They had 
 belonged to her father. 
 
 There was a gentle tap on the outer door, 
 and Anna came into the room with a bowl 
 of hot gruel, which Mrs. Hamilton had sent. 
 
 Adele forgot all else except that the man 
 was very ill, and she did everything in her 
 power to relieve his suffering. Placing a
 
 The Convict 79 
 
 cup of water within easy reach, they left 
 the desolate little cabin and went home. 
 
 Not long after they had closed the con- 
 vict's door, a man opened it and went in- 
 side. He looked about him wonderingly 
 and remarked, half -aloud : 
 
 ''What good fairy has wrought the 
 change f ' ' 
 
 Then, going to the bed of straw, he rais- 
 ed the sick man's head and gave him a 
 drink of water. At the same time he said, 
 kindly : 
 
 4 ' I am sorry to find you sick, Pete. ' ' 
 
 "Mos' done up this time, Mr. Elwood. 
 The fever makes me flighty. Thought the 
 sheriff and his men were comin' to take me 
 in ag'in," he said brokenly. 
 
 "No, they are not coming. Just one of 
 his men is here; and he is going to stay 
 all night and take care of you. It looks 
 very much as if you've had an angel's visit 
 things are so bright." 
 
 There was no answer, except a violent fit 
 of coughing and then a groan. 
 
 Edwin Elwood sat by the convict's bed 
 all night, administering soothing remedies 
 and doing all he could to alleviate his suf-
 
 80 Adele Hamilton 
 
 fering; and next morning the patient was 
 so much improved that before Elwood left 
 him the man had dropped into a restful 
 sleep. On awaking he saw Adele and Mary 
 with a dainty breakfast the kind they had 
 seen Mammy prepare for her patients. He 
 appeared not to remember their visit of the 
 day before, and Adele said : 
 
 "I am glad you are better. If you can 
 eat something now, I think you will get 
 well. Try this breakfast we cooked for 
 you. This hot tea will do you good. 
 
 She placed the things on the only chair 
 in the room, which Mary had drawn up; 
 and it was then that she noticed a newspa- 
 per of the day before had slipped from it, 
 and that the fire had been recently replen- 
 ished. 
 
 "If you can eat something you will get 
 better," she said, reassuringly. The man 
 looked up quickly and said : 
 
 "Do you know who I be? I'm Big Pete, 
 the convict, that the whole town is 'feared 
 of. 'Tain't no use to git better when you 
 know the whole world is ag'in' you; and 
 hope is clean gone. Every time you try to 
 lift up your head and start over, they trace
 
 The Convict 81 
 
 you back to the penitentiary, and p'int 
 their fingers at you, and say, 'He's a jail- 
 bird.' Then they give you another kick 
 lower than the fust jist like that ole wom- 
 an's 'cross the lot yonder." 
 
 He pointed toward Mrs. Prye's house 
 and continued: "She's a heap too good to 
 help them that needs help. She'd be 
 p'isoned if she'd speak to a po' scrub like 
 me." 
 
 He covered his eyes with his arm, as if 
 to shut out some unpleasant recollection, 
 while he seemed to be thinking, and talk- 
 ing half-aloud, and as if no one else could 
 hear: 
 
 "Thar ain't no use in tryin'. Thar's 
 jes' one thing for sich as me to do." 
 
 "Yes, get well and try to find work," 
 said Adele tactfully, half-guessing his 
 meaning. 
 
 He passed his palm over his shaven 
 head, saying: 
 
 "That's a stamp that everybody knows 
 me by. Who'd hire me if I did want to 
 work?" 
 
 * ' Wear a wig, ' ' suggested Adele. ' * I can 
 get one which was used once in theatricals.
 
 82 Adele Hamilton 
 
 Take it and wear it ; and go where you are 
 not known." 
 
 "Why not change your name to Peter 
 Work ? ' ' put in Mary. 
 
 The man was now listening interestedly 
 to all that was being said to him. 
 
 "My dad left me a piece of ground up 
 yonder in another county," he said. "It's 
 so po' it wouldn't sprout spuds. If I could 
 jes' git even with Bill Macy. (He lives 
 with the Injuns and interprets for 'em; 
 and sent me to San Quentin in Injun Jim's 
 place. He set fire to Reade's barn and laid 
 the s'picion on me.) I say if I could jes' 
 git even, I'd go up there and work that 
 piece of ground. But I swore if I ever did 
 git out, I'd make Bill Macy pay up. There 
 was jes' one man that them fellers couldn't 
 fool. He didn't believe their lies. That 
 was the young man that stays in the sher- 
 iff's office and does his writin' for 'im. And 
 ain't nobody in the town can beat 'im writ- 
 in'. He's got the bigges' heart in him. It 
 was him that set here by my bed all last 
 night to give me water to drink and see 
 that I didn 't need nothin '. ' ' And he wiped 
 his eyes with the back of his rough hand.
 
 The Convict 83 
 
 Placing everything that would be need- 
 ed during the day close at hand, Adele and 
 Mary went home. While Adele cooked food 
 for the sick man, Mary rummaged through 
 the "big leather trunk" until she found 
 what she desired an old black wig. They 
 made one more trip to the cabin, and took 
 the things with them. 
 
 "Promise to try," said Adele and Mary 
 simultaneously, as they were leaving. 
 
 The outcast lifted his hand high above 
 his head, and said solemnly, reverently: 
 
 "God help me!" 
 
 The "norther" was still blowing, and 
 Mrs. Hamilton and her girls sat around 
 tlioir fireside. The low melody in the chim- 
 ney reminded them of Mammy's spinning- 
 wheel. And that night Adele dreamed she 
 was securely nestled in the black arms of 
 Mammy, listening to the crooning of her 
 favorite lullaby.
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 ROSE'S DISAPPEARANCE 
 
 ROSE had been in a mischievous mood all 
 that morning. They remembered that af- 
 terward. When Adele had seated herself at 
 her table of books, and was absorbed in her 
 studies, Rose slipped quietly behind the 
 chair and clapped both hands over Adele 's 
 eyes. 
 
 "It is Rose; and please do not interrupt 
 me while I am studying, ' ' spoke Adele, not 
 a little nettled. As soon as she had got in 
 a fair way of studying again, Rose loosened 
 the coil of hair at the back of Adele 's head 
 and, giving it a smart jerk, down her hair 
 slipped, a wavy mass, reaching to the floor; 
 while naughty Rose ran away, laughing. 
 Adele was much irritated; but, having al- 
 ways great patience with her sisters, and 
 seeing that Rose was determined on teas- 
 ing, sat very still, apparently much en- 
 
 84
 
 Rose's Disappearance 85 
 
 grossed in studying history, until Rose 
 snatched the book out of Adele 's hands, 
 and ran out of the house as fast as her fat 
 little legs would carry her. 
 
 Adele was so exasperated she could stand 
 it no longer. So away she went, close to 
 Kose's heels, trying to seize her dress; but 
 Rose always managed to elude her, strik- 
 ing out straight ahead, darting this way 
 and that way, but always keeping ahead of 
 Adele and just out of her reach. At last, 
 turning, she made a direct line for the 
 house ; but, stepping into a little ditch, con- 
 cealed by long grass, she tripped and fell. 
 
 Adele seized her, gave her a vigorous 
 shaking and three severe slaps on the 
 cheek, saying, as she did so : 
 
 "I wish a great big Indian would get 
 you ! ' ' 
 
 Before the thoughtless words were well 
 out of her mouth, she regretted having said 
 them, and little did she dream how soon 
 her careless wish was to be realized. 
 
 It was Rose's part of the work to get in 
 the wood and kindling the night before for 
 the breakfast fire next morning. The wood 
 pile was behind the house and next to a va-
 
 86 Adele Hamilton 
 
 cant lot on one side of the house. This lot 
 had no fence, and one could see a horseman 
 gallop across it at almost any time. Rose 
 was still pouting with Adele for having 
 slapped her, and Adele still treated her 
 with silent indifference. 
 
 It was late in the afternoon when Eose 
 went outside, as usual, to fill her basket 
 with kindling. She did not come back, and 
 all were so busy that they had quite for- 
 gotten her. Mrs. Hamilton was first to dis- 
 cover her absence, and she went to the win- 
 dow and looked out, saying: 
 
 "I wonder where Eose is? She has not 
 brought in her wood yet. ' ' 
 
 Adele 's words and wish of that morning 
 came to her, and she sprang to the door, 
 calling : 
 
 ''Eose, oh, Eose!" But Eose apparent- 
 ly was not within hearing distance. Fol- 
 lowed by the rest, Adele ran to the wood 
 pile. There was the basket half full of 
 kindling, but no little Eose. Mrs. Hamil- 
 ton and each of the girls ran in different 
 directions, calling her name as they went, 
 but there was no response. Mrs. Hamilton 
 was wringing her hands and crying aloud :
 
 Rose's Disappearance 87 
 
 "Oh, what has become of my baby?" 
 
 The tears were streaming down Adele's 
 face as she, put her arms around her moth- 
 er and said : 
 
 "If we could only have her back again, 
 I should never say another cross word to 
 her. Oh, I shall die if we do not find her. 
 T ic ill find her. You go and tell the sheriff, 
 Mary. You stay with mama, Anna and Isa- 
 bel." And she darted away, not knowing 
 whither she went. 
 
 One of the neighbors now remembered 
 having seen a man, near sunset, ride rap- 
 idly across the vacant lot, lean far over 
 and snatch up something she could not 
 tell what, as she was paying little atten- 
 tion then gallop away at full speed. All 
 were convinced that he must have been an 
 Indian, as no white man could have been 
 so dexterous in the saddle. 
 
 Adele's only thought was to get some 
 trace of Rose before dark. So, not think- 
 ing nor caring about her own safety, she 
 sped on and on, not knowing her destina- 
 tion, only stopping now and then to take 
 breath or to listen. She could hear the im- 
 patient whinny of a horse in the bushes not
 
 88 Adele Hamilton 
 
 far off, and the distinct bark of dogs came 
 to her ears. Then she knew that she was 
 near "Squaw Flat." 
 
 The sun dropped out of sight ; and so in- 
 tent on finding Rose was she, that Adele 
 realized, for the first time, that she was 
 standing in a sandy road with a dense 
 growth of willows on both sides. She had 
 found no clew to little Rose, and it was al- 
 most night and she was far from home. 
 She now became thoroughly frightened, 
 and, turning quickly, tried to run; but it 
 seemed that her feet only slipped back into 
 the deep sand. She thought she heard a 
 step so she stood and listened. The wil- 
 lows shook and parted, and a man stepped 
 directly in her path. She remembered his 
 wicked eyes, and knew him to be the Indian 
 interpreter who had had charge of the 
 grape wagon while she had watched the 
 wine-making at Bertram Ranch. Paralyzed 
 with fright, she stood staring at him. Then 
 she tried again to run away; but her feet 
 seemed to be glued to the spot. She tried 
 to scream, but she could not utter a single 
 sound. The ruffian seized her instantly. 
 
 "Not so fast, my pretty Miss ! You don't
 
 Rose's Disappearance 89 
 
 git away that easy! IVe had my eyes on 
 you a long time." 
 
 "Loosen your hold on my arm, please," 
 said Adele, trying to be calm and to think 
 what to say. 
 
 "Now don't give me any of that. You 
 can't come that game over me !" he said in- 
 solently. "S'pose you'd like to know where 
 the little gal is now wouldn't you, 
 though ? " he said, glaring in her face in a 
 tantalizing manner. * * I '11 strike a bargain 
 with you. You come and be my squaw and 
 I'll take you to her. She's safe and sound; 
 but jes' let you say 'no,' and you bet her 
 sweet life won't be wuth much," he finished 
 as he tightened his hold on Adele 's arm. A 
 wicked expression shone in his evil eyes as 
 he said : 
 
 "You can give me a sweet kiss with them 
 red lips of yourn. Come, sweet 'art." He 
 tried to encircle her with his big, rough 
 arm ; but Adele shrank back with loathing 
 and indignation ; and, having the use of her 
 faculties, and of her right hand as well, she 
 dealt him a hard blow across the lips. She 
 saw the blade of a long knife raised and 
 ready to strike; thoughts of her mother
 
 90 Adcle Hamilton 
 
 and sisters flashed over her, and she closed 
 her eyes. But something happened just 
 then something unexpected. A big man 
 bounded from a clump of willows, and was 
 on the ruffian's back like a tiger. Adele 
 knew, almost without seeing him, that it 
 was the convict. She saw a stream of blood ; 
 and, uttering a loud scream, she fell for- 
 ward in the sand. She was answered by a 
 dozen voices; the quick gallop of horses 
 was heard; and Sheriff Burkhart and his 
 men dashed in. 
 
 Lying to one side was Adele, uncon- 
 scious ; and not many feet away were signs 
 of a struggle having taken place; but no 
 one but Adele was there. 
 
 Edwin Elwood was in the lead, and was 
 the first to see Adele. He dismounted and 
 ran toward her, fearing she was dead. 
 Finding she was unharmed, and had only 
 fainted, and having an important search on 
 hand, the sheriff said : 
 
 "Elwood, we leave the young lady to 
 you. We must be off; for there's no time 
 to lose if we would find the little girl." 
 
 They clattered on, and, after Elwood had 
 thrown his bridle over the limb of a tree, he
 
 Rose's Disappearance 91 
 
 knelt by Adele. Her dark-brown hair was 
 combed back, exposing her high, fair fore- 
 head. 
 
 "What a beauty!" Elwood thought. He 
 bent his head until his hair almost touched 
 hers, and his lips were very near to the 
 beautiful curve of her lips. He took her 
 little hands in his; first one, and then the 
 other, and chafed them. As his hand closed 
 over the little, dimpled fingers, Adele sigh- 
 ed and opened her gray eyes. 
 
 ' 'Where am I?" she asked. 
 
 * ' You have had an accident, and I am go- 
 ing to take you home," Elwood answered 
 with feeling in his words. 
 
 Finding a stream of water nearby, he 
 took his hunting-cup from his pocket and 
 gave her a drink, and helped her to rise. 
 
 It was now dusk, and they could hear the 
 yelp of a coyote in the distance. 
 
 * * Can you ride ? ' ' Elwood asked her. 
 
 1 'I am afraid to ride alone ; my head feels 
 so dizzy," she replied. 
 
 He helped her into the saddle; then 
 mounted behind her. If he could have seen 
 her face, so pale a few minutes before, he 
 would have discovered plenty of color now.
 
 92 Adele Hamilton 
 
 "Let me have the bridle, and I will guide 
 the horse safely back into the main road. 
 It isn't safe in these willows after dark," 
 he told her ; ' * and if you get dizzy just lean 
 against me," he added gently. 
 
 Adele knew that his protecting arms 
 were around her, though they did not touch 
 her ; and Elwood was conscious that she sat 
 very erect, so there would be little danger 
 of her leaning against him. At last she 
 said: 
 
 "I am afraid he will kill her. He said 
 he would." 
 
 "Who said he would!" asked Elwood 
 quickly and keenly. 
 
 "That wicked man, the Indian inter- 
 preter. ' ' 
 
 Elwood now understood. It was Bill 
 Macy, as he had suspected; but, fearing 
 that Adele might lose consciousness again, 
 he said, consolingly: 
 
 "Trust Burkhart and his men to bring 
 her safely. They will not give up the search 
 until they find her for you. They are out 
 hunting for her now." 
 
 Elwood and Adele could now see the 
 light in Mrs. Hamilton's cottage; and they
 
 Rose's Disappearance 93 
 
 knew that she was waiting for her eldest 
 daughter and for her baby. 
 
 As Elwood lifted Adele from the horse, 
 and she thanked him, he could feel her 
 breath on his cheek, and it sent a thrill 
 through him. He waited and watched her 
 go slowly up the steps. He saw the front 
 door open and shut again, and knew that 
 she was safe inside. 
 
 Elwood mounted his horse and galloped 
 off in an opposite direction from that 
 chosen by the sheriff and his men. After 
 making two or three detours, he crossed a 
 bridge and stopped before an old mill on 
 the outskirts of the town. Here he dis- 
 mounted and cautiously tied his horse in 
 the shadow. Not far away was a dilapi- 
 dated building which had once been a 
 dwelling. A criminal had afterward used 
 it as a hiding-} )lace, and it was now the 
 abode of bats and owls. To this Elwood 
 directed his steps. Approaching cautious- 
 ly, he crawled through the rickety fence 
 and dropped down in the tall sunflowers, to 
 await developments. He reasoned that if 
 the one who had the child in charge should 
 find out there was danger of her rescue, he
 
 94 Adele Hamilton 
 
 would spirit her away to another hiding- 
 place. 
 
 Elwood had not waited long, when he 
 heard the back door creak, and two men 
 came out. They were standing but a short 
 distance from him; and, although it was 
 dark, he was certain that one was an In- 
 dian, the other the interpreter. 
 
 "She'll be all right here, for they are 
 scenting in the wrong direction. After 
 things are good and quiet to-night, take her 
 away; and, once over the line, she'll be safe 
 enough. Soon as the big girl gits home 
 they'll be after my scalp. So I must va- 
 moose. Sabe, Jim?" 
 
 The Indian gave the usual grunt of as- 
 sent. 
 
 "By sunrise," the man said, "be well on 
 the way." 
 
 Again Jim grunted audibly. 
 
 "We'll fool 'em this time." 
 
 The speaker started off, but came back 
 and said: "Don't let 'em catch you here. 
 If they happen to find this place, you be 
 somewhere else. Sabe?" 
 
 Another grunt came from the depths of 
 Jim's broad chest, and both men walked
 
 Rose's Disappearance 95 
 
 away together and crossed the bridge in 
 the darkness. 
 
 Elwood reached for his revolver, but re- 
 membered he had handed it to Corbett be- 
 fore dismounting in the "Willows." So 
 he waited until they were at the top of the 
 hill and beyond hearing distance. He sup- 
 posed the two men were going for a drink 
 of whiskey, and suspected that the Indian 
 would come back soon. 
 
 Elwood went noiselessly to the back 
 door, tried it, and found it to be unfasten- 
 ed. Opening it, he stepped cautiously in- 
 side. He had groped his way to the middle 
 of the room, when something struck him 
 full in the face. It proved to be only a bat. 
 Elwood felt in his vest-pockets and found 
 some matches. Striking one, he looked 
 around, and saw, crouched in a corner, with 
 hands and feet bound, and a bandage 
 across her eyes and mouth, leaving only the 
 nostrils free, poor little Rose Mrs. Hamil- 
 ton's baby! 
 
 "Do not be afraid, little girl. It is a 
 friend who has come to take you home to 
 your mama," said Elwood gently, going to 
 the child. "But we must be quick."
 
 96 Adele Hamilton 
 
 With the help of his knife he took the 
 bandage from her face. Then he severed 
 the thongs which bound her hands and feet. 
 The child seemed not to think of herself, 
 but asked, anxiously: 
 
 ' * Is Adele safe f I was mean to her ; and 
 I'm afraid they are going to hurt her. The 
 white man makes the Indian do everything 
 bad for him." 
 
 ' ' She is quite safe, I saw her to-night, ' ' 
 said Elwood as he tried to stand Rose on 
 her feet. But she almost screamed aloud 
 with pain, and said her feet were asleep. 
 
 After a minute's rest Elwood took her 
 in his arms and hurried from the building. 
 
 The eastern sky had been growing 
 brighter, and now a full moon came into 
 view above ' ' Greyback, ' ' making the valley 
 as light as day. But Elwood, with his arms 
 close around little Rose, and thinking all 
 the while of Adele, rode rapidly away and 
 up to Mrs. Hamilton's gate. The door open- 
 ed quickly, expectantly. Elwood handed 
 Rose down for she could now stand and 
 saw her mother's arms around her; but, 
 not caring to intrude on so sacred a fam- 
 ily scene, he was soon riding away to the
 
 Rose's 'Disappearance 97 
 
 sheriff's office to arm himself. The sher- 
 iff's party had not returned, and, soon af- 
 ter, three distinct shots rang out in the 
 moonlight. These were soon answered by 
 two other shots in the distance ; and the lit- 
 tle town knew that Rose had been found. 
 
 After Elwood had given the signal 
 agreed upon, he went back to the building 
 where he had rescued the little girl, and 
 awaited the return of Indian Jim, hoping 
 to make an important arrest. He kept 
 watch all night; but, as Jim failed to ap- 
 pear, it was certain that he and the inter- 
 preter were well on their way to Mexico, 
 and would soon be "over the line." 
 
 The convict had not been back to his cab- 
 in, and though Elwood searched diligently 
 for him there was no clew to his disappear- 
 ance. It was known, though, that the in- 
 terpreter had seen him last.
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 THE DAEKEST HOUfi 
 
 DAYS and months had lengthened into 
 years. Little Rose was quite a young lady 
 now. She sang like a nightingale, and had 
 a decided talent for drawing and painting. 
 Her chief delight was to take her pencil 
 and shut herself up in a little back room 
 with canvassed walls, which Mrs. Hamilton 
 used as a place for storing boxes and 
 trunks, and make pictures to her heart's 
 content. Before it was discovered what she 
 was doing, the four walls, from base-board 
 to ceiling, were almost covered. There were 
 faces and figures so true that they were at 
 once recognized by the rest of the family. 
 
 Anna had grown to be an excellent house- 
 keeper. She often cleaned the house thor- 
 oughly, and Mrs. Hamilton would frequent- 
 ly remark that to be a good housekeeper 
 was one of the highest accomplishments, 
 
 98
 
 The Darkest Hour 99 
 
 and one of which any girl ought to be very 
 proud. 
 
 Isabel was passionately fond of music, 
 and still practised religiously on the little 
 table, with the hope of getting a piano some 
 day. 
 
 Mary had given perfect satisfaction in 
 the post-office, and was steadily advancing. 
 
 Though Adele had been before the 
 " Board" twice, and had failed to get a cer- 
 tificate each time, she did not give up ; but 
 continued to persevere in her efforts to suc- 
 ceed, and resolved to make another trial. 
 
 The morning of the examination she was 
 awakened by the singing of the mocking- 
 bird in the tall eucalyptus tree across the 
 street, and the perfume of orange-blossoms 
 floated in through her window, as if to 
 cheer and comfort her. Then, while she sat 
 at her desk, carefully weighing every ques- 
 tion before writing her answer, the joyful 
 notes of a meadow lark in the distance 
 came, as it were, to gladden her heart and 
 give her new hope. How anxiously she wait- 
 ed for the close of the week. It came at last. 
 The examination was over, though she had 
 not learned the result for her.
 
 100 Adele Hamilton 
 
 Mary was starting to the post-office, but 
 ran back into the house, where Adele was 
 busily sweeping. "Mr. Jimswing is at the 
 door and wishes to see you," she said to 
 Adele. 
 
 Mr. Jimswing was president of the 
 Board of Education, and was also one of 
 the examiners. 
 
 As if anticipating his errand, Adele 
 rushed to the door; and, after Mr. Jim- 
 swing had gone, she flew back into the room 
 where her mother and sisters were, wav- 
 ing her hands excitedly and triumphantly 
 above her, as she shouted, "Consequitur 
 quodcunque petit!" 
 
 "Why, daughter," said Mrs. Hamilton, 
 in a gratified tone, "did you get a certifi- 
 cate?" 
 
 Mary, who had lingered to hear the news, 
 cried : 
 
 "Three cheers for our school teacher!" 
 
 Anna, who had been washing dishes, for- 
 got what she was doing, and tossed away 
 the dish-rag. Kose wound her arms around 
 Adele 's neck, and Isabel, always ready with 
 some of her fun, chasseed around the 
 room, quoting the words of Mrs. Benson,
 
 THe Darkest Hour 101 
 
 of the neighborhood: ''I'm mazemerized 
 up to the ceiling ! ' ' 
 
 Adele succeeded very soon in getting a 
 school; but it was some distance in the 
 country, and she would be compelled to 
 stay there most of the time, only coming 
 home at the close of the week. She was 
 now deeply anxious about her mother ; for 
 she seemed not at all well; and though 
 Mrs. Hamilton insisted on Adele going to 
 the school, she went with a heavy heart and 
 a deep foreboding of ill ; and, after having 
 taught two weeks, she returned home to 
 find her mother no better, and growing 
 steadily worse. The doctor was called in, 
 and he pronounced the case typhoid fever. 
 
 There was an ache in Adele 's heart, and 
 a great lump in her throat a feeling she 
 could not dispel. Taking entire charge of 
 her mother, she gave all the medicines, en- 
 trusting her to the care of no other. She 
 nursed her both day and night, rarely clos- 
 ing her eyelids in sleep. Anna, with the 
 help of Isabel and Eose, did the housekeep- 
 ing, and they all depended on Mary for 
 "daily bread," so she kept faithfully at 
 the office work. Kind friends came to
 
 102 Adele Hamilton 
 
 offer sympathy; and Miss Eleanor True 
 stood the test and proved herself a real 
 friend; for every Friday evening, at the 
 close of her week's school work, she came 
 to sit up all night, so that Adele might have 
 the necessary rest. However fatigued she 
 might have been, she never failed to come, 
 and to have her with her was Adele 's 
 greatest comfort. 
 
 It was one of these nights when Miss 
 Eleanor was there, and after Mrs. Hamil- 
 ton had been delirious four long weeks, that 
 Adele, with frightened face, ran into the 
 sitting-room, where Miss Eleanor sat, 
 whispering : 
 
 "Oh, I heard Mammy's screech-owl the 
 bird which Mammy says portends death! 
 Can it be over the house, in the sycamore 
 tree?" 
 
 They went into Mrs. Hamilton's room 
 and listened again. Then Adele went to 
 her mother and bent over her. She heard 
 the fevered breath coming in fitful gasps 
 a perfect imitation of the screech-owl. 
 Adele dropped by the bed and buried her 
 face in the cover. 
 
 The doctor was untiring. He came in the
 
 TKe Darkest Hour 103 
 
 day, or any hour of the night, and made no 
 charge, but Adele said: 
 
 "Give her the very best attention, Doc- 
 tor, and, if necessary, I will teach ten years 
 to pay you. ' ' 
 
 One day the doctor made his usual visit. 
 He looked very grave ; and, before leaving, 
 called Adele out of the room. 
 
 "Miss Hamilton, as you are the oldest, 
 I think I ought to speak frankly and tell 
 you that I can give you no hope for your 
 mother. You are nursing her faithfully; 
 continue doing it, child ; for if there should 
 be a change for the better it will come 
 through the nursing. Do not depart from 
 the doctor's directions a single hair's 
 breadth; but, to be perfectly honest with 
 you, your mother may die any time. ' ' 
 
 The doctor was very gruff, but under a 
 rough exterior he had a big heart. When 
 he had finished speaking, Adele could con- 
 trol her feelings no longer. Her gravest 
 fears had been confirmed, and she burst out 
 crying. 
 
 "Now, if you want to cry," he said, "go 
 out into the chimney-corner and cry; for I 
 might cry too."
 
 104 Adele Hamilton 
 
 He whirled about suddenly, went down 
 the steps, and out of the front gate. 
 
 Adele went back to the fireplace, sank 
 clown in the little rocker where her mother 
 had so often sat, and thought, ''How dark 
 the days! Will they never grow bright 
 again?" 
 
 Another week passed ; and still there was 
 no visible change in Mrs. Hamilton. The 
 doctor had made his usual visit, and gone 
 home. It was now nearing midnight. 
 Adele had given the medicine and had tak- 
 en her seat by her mother's bedside. She 
 heard a heavy step on the porch, and re- 
 membered she had forgotten to lock the 
 front door after the doctor had gone. She 
 tried to reach it, to secure it, but before 
 she could get there the knob turned, and 
 the door began to move, and the next mo- 
 ment a man's hand was thrust inside. 
 Fearing if she called to the rest it might 
 disturb and excite her mother, she threw 
 herself against the door and pushed with 
 all her strength. She felt that she was fast 
 giving away, and was about to call Mary, 
 when the door shut with a loud bang, and 
 the unwelcome intruder was hurled back-
 
 THe Darkest Hour 105 
 
 ward off of the porch. Edwin Elwood had 
 come just in time, but before he could get 
 a light the man disappeared into the dark- 
 ness, and no trace of him could be found. 
 
 Elwood told her how he had feared her 
 mother might be worse, and Adele need 
 help, and how he had gone to his window 
 and looked out toward her cottage for the 
 light which she had promised to place in 
 her window, should she need him ; and how 
 he had seen, instead, a stream of light cross 
 her porch, and the form of a man against 
 her door. 
 
 "Give yourself no uneasiness, Miss 
 Adele," he said. "I shall not be far away, 
 and shall watch your house until morn- 
 ing." 
 
 Adele thought she had never seen him 
 look quite so noble and handsome as he 
 looked just then, and she answered: 
 
 * ' Oh, he might hurt you, Mr. Elwood ! Do 
 be careful!" She felt as if she would like 
 to add, "Be careful for my sake"; but she 
 only thought it instead, and did not know 
 how her solicitude for his safety had filled 
 Elwood with hope, and repaid him for all 
 his trouble.
 
 106 Adele Hamilton 
 
 "If I only had the right to stay there and 
 help her nurse her mother," Elwood 
 thought; "but I love her too well to sub- 
 ject her to remarks ; and it is for her sake, 
 and for love of her, that the street divides 
 us; but I am sometimes tempted to spend 
 my nights, without her knowledge, on her 
 porch." 
 
 It was with a happier heart that Adele 
 again took her seat by her mother's bed; 
 for she knew that one whom she loved bet- 
 ter than all others paced noiselessly back 
 and forth in the shadow of the orange- 
 trees, keeping silent watch over her. 
 
 Another night, and Mrs. Hamilton seem- 
 ed no better, having been in a stupor most 
 of the day. Adele went in to give the medi- 
 cine, and saw Isabel, usually so light- 
 hearted and contented, and brimful of fun, 
 kneeling by her mother, with one of her 
 mother's hands hugged close to her heart. 
 At Adele 's entrance she looked up with 
 tears dropping from her eyes, and said : 
 
 "Oh, Adele, it will kill me! Her poor 
 hands just break my heart ! ' ' 
 
 She kissed and caressed them again and 
 again. The hands which were once white
 
 THe Darkest Hour 107 
 
 and tapering were now brown and knotted 
 with toil. 
 
 "It will kill me! It will kill me! Dear 
 Lord, take everything we have, and let us 
 starve, if need be, but spare our mother to 
 us," she moaned. 
 
 Adele put her arms about her and took 
 her from the room. 
 
 ''Oh, Isabel, you must not do that again. 
 The only chance for our mother's life 
 might be in keeping things perfectly quiet. 
 You must not give way to your feelings be- 
 fore her," spoke Adele, whose own heart 
 was so full it was near to bursting. 
 
 "I want to do something for her," said 
 Isabel ; and begged to be allowed to go back 
 into her mother's room. Poor, changed 
 Isabel ! Once so full of laughter, now griev- 
 ing her life away. She went back to her 
 mother's bedside and watched her silently 
 until the morning. 
 
 But after despair came hope; and after 
 the darkest hour, the dawn. Mrs. Hamil- 
 ton awakened and recognized her girls. She 
 was very weak, but she had regained her 
 reason. And as the sun burst out in all its 
 splendor, and shot its beams athwart the
 
 108 Adele Hamilton 
 
 sick-room, lighting up its bare walls, which 
 now seemed beautiful, the doctor peeped in 
 to see his patient. He looked at Mrs. Ham- 
 ilton, then at Adele. 
 
 "The doctor didn't do it. It was the 
 nursing, ' ' he said. 
 
 "You are mistaken, Doctor. It is in an- 
 swer to Isabel's prayer," said Adele ear- 
 nestly. 
 
 "Give your mother some of this stimu- 
 lant now," the doctor directed, handing 
 Adele a bottle of brandy. "Be careful 
 about the nourishment, and she will get 
 well," he added. 
 
 All were so happy that each tried to do 
 something for her mother ; and after Mrs. 
 Hamilton began to improve she conva- 
 lesced very rapidly. But something had 
 evidently gone wrong with Elwood. He did 
 not come, as usual, to inquire about Mrs. 
 Hamilton; and it seemed to Adele that he 
 tried to avoid her, as she saw him now only 
 at a distance. More than once she had seen 
 Sally Scrubby walk hastily to catch up with 
 him; and then they would walk down the 
 street together.
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 ADELE HELPS SAN FRANCISCO 
 
 WITHOUT allowing herself any rest, after 
 her long nursing and fatigue, Adele began 
 to make preparations to return to her 
 school. Her cheeks had lost their roses, 
 and there was a continual gnawing at her 
 heart, which she tried hard to subdue. Her 
 pride was stung through and through; but 
 she determined never to let Elwood know 
 how much she really cared. Then, as she 
 remembered his many kindnesses, her eyes 
 would fill with tears. She was convinced 
 that something had wounded him deeply; 
 and she would resolve to unravel the mys- 
 tery, then her pride would predominate 
 and her resolution would weaken, and she 
 would feel powerless to do anything. She 
 told herself that she was entirely mistaken 
 in his feelings for her ; and she was sure he 
 
 109
 
 110 Adele flamilton 
 
 was not the man to do any act that would 
 lower him in her estimation. 
 
 ' ' Though it is all such a mystery, I shall 
 never believe anything against him," she 
 would say. ' ' I shall always believe in him, 
 though he cuts me to the quick. Some day 
 the mystery will be solved all will be ex- 
 plained. But the hardest part to bear is, 
 that I have wounded the best and noblest 
 man in the world; and how I have done it 
 I can not imagine; and the worst of it is 
 that I am utterly helpless powerless to do 
 anything. ' ' 
 
 And when she would be alone she would 
 cry out, ' * Oh, dearest and best friend ! You 
 are the last one on earth whom I would 
 have wounded." Then she would tell her- 
 self that she was a very foolish girl ; and if 
 Elwood had really cared for her he would 
 have taken the trouble to right matters. 
 She admired him the more for his pride; 
 but love must be still stronger, or it was 
 not worth having. So, with an aching 
 heart, Adele accepted her burden bravely 
 and went back to the tiresome routine of 
 the schoolroom. 
 
 It might have been a delusion, but early
 
 Adele Helps San Francisco 111 
 
 one Monday morning, as Adele was driving 
 away to her school in the country, she hap- 
 pened to glance toward the King House, 
 across the street, and thought she saw El- 
 wood's face at his window, watching her. 
 She looked the second time; but saw in- 
 stead only the lace curtain against the win- 
 dow pane. With a palpitating heart she 
 drove on, without looking again in that di- 
 rection. So the days dragged heavily for 
 Adele until another spring had come. 
 
 It was April, and Adele 's school had 
 closed for the term, and she had come home 
 to spend her vacation. The tall eucalyptus 
 nested the same old mocking-bird of two 
 summers ago, with another family of young 
 birds, making the nights sweet with mel- 
 ody. The orange and lemon blossoms sent 
 forth their delicious perfumes, and the far 
 distant notes of meadow larks floated on 
 the balmy air of morning. To tired Adele, 
 who swung in the hammock behind the fra- 
 grant honeysuckle, it was all very restful. 
 The click of the front gate caused her to 
 look up, and she saw Dr. David Jones come 
 in. She knew that something unusual must 
 have happened, for he walked rapidly and
 
 112 Adele Hamilton 
 
 appeared much excited. So she met him at 
 the steps. 
 
 "Earthquake ! child ! an earthquake ! San 
 Francisco has had a big earthquake. The 
 city is on fire and its water mains broken 
 so they can't stop it. Everything's going! 
 Hundreds killed and injured. Awful catas- 
 trophe! awful! five telegrams already," 
 said the doctor in one breath. Without 
 waiting to hear more, Adele flew into the 
 house to tell the news to her mother and 
 sisters; while the doctor followed close at 
 her heels. 
 
 * * They need help ! help I I am getting old, 
 but my days of usefulness have not passed. 
 I start up to-night with a carload of nurses 
 and medicine. I am out looking for volun- 
 teers. I want women with nerve and en- 
 durance, women that will not faint away at 
 the sight of blood. I am looking for brave 
 women. Can't you go with us, child? You 
 can be depended on. I have seen your nurs- 
 ing before now. Those poor stricken peo- 
 ple need you." 
 
 For an instant the blood seemed to leave 
 Adele 's face, she turned so deathly pale. 
 Then she was her old, brave self again.
 
 Adele Helps San Francisco 113 
 
 "Yes, I will go, and gladly, Doctor, if I 
 can be of any help." 
 
 A newsboy came by shouting extras. Dr. 
 David Jones hurried away on his mission 
 of mercy, while Adele ransacked the trunks 
 in search of old linen. Everything was in 
 a state of excitement. Adele could hear 
 women running to and fro through the 
 streets, and neighbors were talking loudly. 
 "Wagons were being loaded with cooked 
 provisions and taken to the depot for im- 
 mediate shipment to the unfortunate city. 
 Subscriptions were being taken throughout 
 the town. Merchants furnished goods ; and 
 the blacksmith's wife and wives of other 
 laboring men met with the wife of the 
 mayor and wives of bankers and capital- 
 ists, and sewed for the sufferers. Capital 
 and labor had formed a union at last, they 
 united to help suffering humanity. Mrs. 
 Hamilton converted her remaining loaves 
 of bread into sandwiches, and baked forty 
 biscuits to go with the first carload. Adele 
 and other volunteers reached San Francis- 
 co early Thursday morning. They were 
 greeted by the massive Ferry tower which 
 was still standing; and they could look
 
 114 Adele Hamilton 
 
 clear across three and one-half square 
 miles of what was, a few hours before, a 
 city. The fires made it splendid still, in its 
 desolation ; for before their eyes was three- 
 quarters of the burnt-out district lit up 
 with smouldering flames, with here and 
 there what remained of massive buildings 
 blazing fitfully; while to the right were 
 buildings burning fiercely. On the left, 
 miles long, was the great fire line eating 
 into the big buildings, and throwing its 
 flames skyward. But on Friday they be- 
 held only prostrate ruins and charred stubs 
 of walls, looking up to Heaven in mute ap- 
 peal. The city was under martial law; and 
 though officers and men were patient and 
 painstaking, they were firm in doing their 
 duty, and pressed with rigor their demands 
 for obedience. One man who had given evi- 
 dence of deepest sorrow over the death of 
 a pretended relative bit off the ears of the 
 dead woman to secure her costly diamond 
 ear-rings. The ghoul was promptly shot 
 on the very spot of his dastardly act. 
 
 This vast throng of homeless ones dis- 
 played marvelous cheerfulness, patience, 
 courtesy, kindness and courage. People
 
 Adele Helps San Francisco 115 
 
 were wandering about trying to find places 
 for the night; and Adele shuddered when 
 she saw two well-born ladies, wrapped in 
 expensive opera cloaks, coming out of a 
 cemetery where they had spent the night 
 before, with a grave for their pillow, walk- 
 ing resignedly on to find a place of refuge, 
 a haven of rest in Golden Gate Park, or the 
 Presidio. Exhausted ones were sleeping on 
 doorsteps or anywhere they could drop 
 down, soon to be aroused and pushed on out 
 of reach of the fast consuming fire. The 
 lofty and the low shared alike, from the 
 millionaire to the "heathen Chinee." Ev- 
 ery man who was able to handle a spade 
 was required to assist in digging trenches 
 for the dead. 
 
 Adele joined the "Bed Cross" nurses 
 and found sweet Grace Allen and other 
 Berkeley girls were already there, never 
 swerving from the path of duty; but were 
 firm at their posts binding up wounds and 
 broken limbs; and never once giving a 
 thought to self. These days of affliction 
 brought out much that was noble in human 
 character. North, South, East, and West 
 poured help and sympathy into the doom-
 
 116 Adele Hamilton 
 
 ed city. Human nature meant more to 
 Adele than it had ever meant before. 
 
 On Wednesday, the day of the earth- 
 quake, a woman had been rescued from a 
 hotel, the foundation of which had caved 
 in, causing the building to be pitched into 
 the street. The woman was not dead, but 
 was fatally injured. The doctor hurried to 
 Adele and sent her to the patient, who was 
 dying. She recognized Adele; and Adele 
 found her to be none other than Sally 
 Scrubby. Adele saw that she wished to 
 tell her something ; and bending close to her 
 lips, she heard her say, inarticulately, "I 
 wrote it. ' ' Adele did not comprehend, and 
 thought that the woman was delirious ; but 
 she repeated, slowly and firmly, "I wrote 
 it to him and signed your na " A hard 
 paroxysm seized her. Adele dipped a cloth 
 into water to moisten her lips; but the 
 woman had passed into eternity. Adele 
 gently closed the still eyelids, and dropped 
 tears of forgiveness on the quiet face. Some 
 one touched her lightly on the shoulder, 
 and turning she saw Elwood, who offered 
 his arm and drew her away. She wondered 
 if he had heard what had been said, but he
 
 Adele Helps San Francisco 117 
 
 gave no sign of having heard, and this was 
 no time to think of one's self. There were 
 too many suffering ones; and even while 
 these thoughts crowded themselves into her 
 brain, there was the doctor beckoning her 
 to another patient. 
 
 "You here?" she had said to Elwood, 
 as his unexpected presence had filled her 
 with surprise. He had answered: 
 
 "Yes; and for the same reason that you 
 are here. And and to watch over you," 
 he had added in a lower tone. They were 
 by the other patient now, so Elwood went 
 away to his works of mercy, leaving in the 
 heart of Adele a deeper love for him. 
 
 "That young man," said the doctor, 
 pointing to Elwood 's retreating figure, 
 ' ' has just rescued from some of the ruins a 
 live but almost starved baby in the arms of 
 its dead mother. He carried the little thing 
 as tenderly as a father could have done; 
 and one of the nurses over there has it now, 
 trying to revive it." 
 
 Adele felt that the compassionate old 
 doctor was watching her narrowly ; and she 
 did not look up, though her thoughts were 
 thoughts of Elwood. For nothing touches
 
 118 Adele Hamilton 
 
 the heart of a womanly woman as does the 
 cry of a tender, helpless babe. 
 
 Seven long, weary weeks, and Adele re- 
 turned home to her mother and sisters. 
 And though she had not seen Elwood again 
 before her departure for home, she knew 
 that he was still caring for the injured, the 
 dying, and the dead ; and was doing what- 
 soever his willing hands found to do. What 
 a noble work this caring for suffering hu- 
 manity! And Adele recognized still fur- 
 ther Elwood 's true worth and nobility of 
 character; and her love for him took 
 deeper root. 
 
 The summer days slipped slowly away 
 until the cool, delightful autumn breezes 
 gently shook the fig trees, scattering their 
 yellow leaves down. The walnuts and al- 
 monds had begun to fall. Adele patiently 
 shouldered her burden, and went back to 
 another term of teaching school. El wood's 
 image was ever present, and his words, "to 
 watch over you," constituted her dearest 
 comfort in the long days which were before 
 her. 
 
 One of the exercises Adele gave her pu-
 
 Adele Helps San Francisco 119 
 
 pils, and one to which she attached great 
 importance, was that of saluting the flag. 
 The children soon came to enjoy this thor- 
 oughly, and the last half hour of school 
 every Friday was given to saluting the 
 "Stars and Stripes." One Friday after- 
 noon Adele had draped the long fiag pret- 
 tily, and, putting it in the hands of the 
 youngest pupils, that stood on the high 
 platform erected for speaking, she had the 
 school rise and step into the aisles, then 
 give the salutation, repeating slowly the 
 impressive words. She was so interested 
 in the exercise that she did not see a tall 
 figure darken the doorway and slip into the 
 nearest seat. School closed, and the last 
 child bowed himself out. 
 
 "You are patriotic out this way," said a 
 familiar voice; and Adele looked up and 
 saw Edwin Elwood smiling at her. She 
 was taken greatly by surprise, and blushed 
 deeply as he continued : 
 
 "I see you are laying the foundation of 
 good citizenship, Miss Adele." 
 
 He held out his hand to her and said he 
 had come to take her home. It seemed to 
 Adele that he had aged ten years since she
 
 120 Adele Hamilton 
 
 had seen him last, and she knew now that 
 he had sorrowed with the sorrowing and 
 had suffered with the suffering ones. 
 
 The day was a bright and balmy one of 
 December. They had gone but a short dis- 
 tance when Elwood took a note from his 
 pocket and spread it before Adele. It read : 
 
 "Mr. Elwood: 
 
 "It will be entirely unnecessary for you 
 to come here again. 
 
 "ADELE HAMILTON." 
 
 As Adele scanned the words, Elwood 
 said: 
 
 "And you didn't write it?" 
 
 "You heard what she said?" Adele ask- 
 ed, remembering the words of the dying 
 woman. 
 
 "Yes, I heard," he answered, "and I 
 have wanted to talk with you ever since. I 
 have something for you. I made it ex- 
 pressly for you many months ago. I did 
 not give it to you, because after I received 
 the note my pride was piqued." 
 
 "And you must have thought me a heart- 
 less, ungrateful wretch; after all you had 
 done for us, too," said Adele.
 
 Adele Helps San Francisco 121 
 
 "No, I am the heartless one for not hav- 
 ing shown you the note before," replied 
 Elwood, as he reached under the buggy seat 
 and drew out a package which he opened. 
 It was a beautiful pen drawing a bird in 
 its nest, and her mate flying toward her 
 with food in his bill. It was exquisitely 
 done, and was entitled "Home, Sweet 
 Home." Every stroke had to stay where 
 it was put, and it had required many hours 
 of delicate labor to make it. 
 
 "It is by far too lovely a gift for me," 
 said Adele, examining it admiringly ; hold- 
 ing it near and then farther from her. 
 
 El wood's eyes shone and his tone was 
 very tender as he bent nearer and asked : 
 
 "Were I to build a real nest, would you 
 be the little wife to keep it, Adele ? I have 
 loved you, sweetheart, since the day I first 
 saw you." 
 
 Adele made no answer, save that her 
 cheek pressed his shoulder. Elwood put his 
 arm about her and drew her still closer, 
 and kissed her. Now that they understood 
 each other they were very happy. 
 
 Elwood became a frequent visitor at the 
 Hamilton cottage. Mrs. Prye whispered
 
 122 Adele Hamilton 
 
 around, without authority, there would be 
 a quiet wedding in the little church on the 
 first day of the New Year; but when ques- 
 tioned, Adele was reticent on the subject.
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 CHRISTMAS EVE 
 
 MARY came from the post-office the day 
 before Christmas anl found her mother and 
 sisters seated around the glowing fire. Rose 
 had just finished hanging the stockings by 
 the chimney, for it was Christmas Eve. 
 
 "I can scarcely realize that it is Christ- 
 mas again," said Mrs. Hamilton slowly. 
 
 1 'Those empty stockings hanging there 
 make it more real," said Adele, laughing. 
 
 Mary handed her mother a newspaper, 
 and they sat down to supper. 
 
 "This is an old paper; but stale news is 
 better than none," Mrs. Hamilton remark- 
 ed, as her eyes ran down one column after 
 another. 
 
 "Surprise of surprises! do listen!" she 
 said. 
 
 " 'Ventura, Dec. 10. Big oil strike. 
 
 123
 
 124 Adele Hamilton 
 
 Mr. Peter Work, an industrious rancher, 
 has made the biggest strike in oil that was 
 ever made in this county. A few weeks 
 ago Mr. Work was a poor man, to-day he 
 is a millionaire. There are as many as six 
 gushers on his little ranch, pouring out 
 thousands of dollars a day.' : 
 
 Suddenly remembering, Mary bounced 
 up from the table ; ran her hand down into 
 her pocket, and brought up a letter, which 
 she tossed in her mother's lap. The five 
 girls crowded around eagerly and tried to 
 see the postmark. Mrs. Hamilton tore open 
 the envelope and drew out two slips of pa- 
 per. One was a cheque for fifty thousand 
 dollars; on the other were scrawled these 
 words, "A rousin' big Krismus to them 
 that wasn't too good to save a pore skrub 
 like me." 
 
 "Krymony!" ejaculated Isabel, unmind- 
 ful of her slang. "Fifty thousand dollars !" 
 
 ;< The convict did it. I know it," said 
 Mary. "Our good papa's clothes wrought 
 the change." 
 
 Adele held the slip of paper close to the 
 light, and appeared to read it; but her eyes
 
 Christmas Eve 125 
 
 were so full of tears slie could not see a 
 single word. Anna was sobbing behind 
 Rose. Jolly Isabel sat on the rug with her 
 hand before her eyes, pretending to shield 
 them from the firelight; but, in truth, to 
 hide the tears which rolled over her cheeks 
 and dropped through her thin fingers. 
 
 The room grew strangely still. No sound 
 was heard save the tick of the clock and the 
 pop of the fire. The quiet, before long, was 
 broken by a slight knock at the front door. 
 Mrs. Hamilton, with her girls about her, 
 opened it. An old woman with a black, 
 wrinkled face, and a faded plaid shawl 
 around her, stepped into the room. Mrs. 
 Hamilton flew into her arms ; and the girls 
 almost smothered her with kisses; for 
 Mammy had saved enough to come, and 
 had found them at last.
 
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