Volume 3 (1858-1859) (592 pages)

16 HUTCHINGS’ CALIFORNIA MAGAZINE. She went to the table, took a pen and wrote : My Drar Ma: You have, perhaps, ere this, given me up for lost. I am, dear mother, lost to you. You will never see me again; but grieve not for me, for I shall want for nothing in this life. There is a mystery hanging over me that will never be solved; but be assured that your daughter will always maintain her honor, and never give any one cause to blush for any act of hers. I am to be married to-morrow to a Mr.—” Here she stopped writing, and said: “Now, Mr. Captain, you see what I have written. Will you please give me your real name? Iwant none of your aliases. If I marry you, I must marry the name you had when achild. I will give you my real name if you will give me yours.” “T had sworn never to tell my real name,” said he, “but it will be just as good on the parson’s book as an alias,” He took the pen and wrote where she had left off, in a bold, elegant hand: Oscar Lanz, , Maggie looked at the writing for an instant, and then at him; tears filled her eyes, and she jumped up, threw her arms around his neck, and exclaimed: “My brother! Oh, by brother! Can it be a reality that I now see you? You have said that if I would give you my loye you would be happy. Come, now, leave off your evil ways; go home with me, and I will always love you. Oh, say that you will do it!” Oscar spoke not for some time; Maggie dropped herself into a chair; Oglesberry read the name and understood it all. ‘You, then,” said Oscar, “are the little sister Maggie that I left at home in Virginia some twelve years ago; but. I am ashamed to acknowledge myself your brother. My life has been so bad that you can never forgive it. Oh, that we could drink of the Lethean Spring!” “T can do it,” said Maggie, “and I will try and administer the draught to you. Oh! let us leave this place to-night. I can stand it no longer.” Oscar knelt down by her side: ‘‘ Maggie,” he said, “ Maggie, henceforth you shall be my guardian angel; whatever you say do, I wilido it; you have been sent as a special messenger to rescue me from the path of destruction.” The three talked together for several hours. Oscar told them about how he ran away from home when he was only fifteen years old, and when Maggie was five. e told of his. adventures since then, and how he was induced to become a robber His men were then called from an adjoining room in the cave, and he said to them: “Tam going to leave you, and I leave you all my share of our property, which, believe, amounts to about one hundred thousand dollars. I would advise you to quit the life you are at present leading, and become honest men. Neither of us, then, will ever recognize you if we should happen to meet; nor will we ever say aught to prejudice you in any manner whatever.” “T ’spected you would get chickenhearted after a while, by havin’ that gal around here,” said Bill. “You will recollect,” said Oscar, picking up a pistol and cocking it, “that I am Captain here as long as I stay.” “Task your pardon,” said Bill, “ but I meant no insinivation. We all wish you much joy with your wife, * * * * The moon yet cast a shadow as Maggie, her lover and her brother emerged from the aperture in the rock. When they had passed out a stone rolled, by machinery, into the door, and no human eye could detect it. They walked down the side of the mountain until they reached a small valley, where they were met by a man who had previously been sent out to obtain horses. He held three splendid animals, Our party mounted, and as they put spurs to their animals they bid farewell to Sutter’s Butte. The meeting with their parents I will not attempt to describe. Maggie told them that she had been taken by robbers, and rescued by her brother and Oglesberry ; but that she was not at liberty to give the particulars of her capture or of her rescue. They never knew that Oscar had been a bandit. * * hat ba Five years have passed. Oglesberry and Maggie are married, and are happy. Oscar lives with them; but he is of a melancholy disposition, and all he seems to care for is to minister to the happiness of his sister; while she does all she can (and that is much) to give him the longed for draught of the waters of Lethe.

16 HUTCHINGS’ CALIFORNIA MAGAZINE. She went to the table, took a pen and wrote : My Drar Ma: You have, perhaps, ere this, given me up for lost. I am, dear mother, lost to you. You will never see me again; but grieve not for me, for I shall want for nothing in this life. There is a mystery hanging over me that will never be solved; but be assured that your daughter will always maintain her honor, and never give any one cause to blush for any act of hers. I am to be married to-morrow to a Mr.—” Here she stopped writing, and said: “Now, Mr. Captain, you see what I have written. Will you please give me your real name? Iwant none of your aliases. If I marry you, I must marry the name you had when achild. I will give you my real name if you will give me yours.” “T had sworn never to tell my real name,” said he, “but it will be just as good on the parson’s book as an alias,” He took the pen and wrote where she had left off, in a bold, elegant hand: Oscar Lanz, , Maggie looked at the writing for an instant, and then at him; tears filled her eyes, and she jumped up, threw her arms around his neck, and exclaimed: “My brother! Oh, by brother! Can it be a reality that I now see you? You have said that if I would give you my loye you would be happy. Come, now, leave off your evil ways; go home with me, and I will always love you. Oh, say that you will do it!” Oscar spoke not for some time; Maggie dropped herself into a chair; Oglesberry read the name and understood it all. ‘You, then,” said Oscar, “are the little sister Maggie that I left at home in Virginia some twelve years ago; but. I am ashamed to acknowledge myself your brother. My life has been so bad that you can never forgive it. Oh, that we could drink of the Lethean Spring!” “T can do it,” said Maggie, “and I will try and administer the draught to you. Oh! let us leave this place to-night. I can stand it no longer.” Oscar knelt down by her side: ‘‘ Maggie,” he said, “ Maggie, henceforth you shall be my guardian angel; whatever you say do, I wilido it; you have been sent as a special messenger to rescue me from the path of destruction.”

The three talked together for several hours. Oscar told them about how he ran away from home when he was only fifteen years old, and when Maggie was five. e told of his. adventures since then, and how he was induced to become a robber His men were then called from an adjoining room in the cave, and he said to them: “Tam going to leave you, and I leave you all my share of our property, which, believe, amounts to about one hundred thousand dollars. I would advise you to quit the life you are at present leading, and become honest men. Neither of us, then, will ever recognize you if we should happen to meet; nor will we ever say aught to prejudice you in any manner whatever.” “T ’spected you would get chickenhearted after a while, by havin’ that gal around here,” said Bill. “You will recollect,” said Oscar, picking up a pistol and cocking it, “that I am Captain here as long as I stay.” “Task your pardon,” said Bill, “ but I meant no insinivation. We all wish you much joy with your wife, * * * * The moon yet cast a shadow as Maggie, her lover and her brother emerged from the aperture in the rock. When they had passed out a stone rolled, by machinery, into the door, and no human eye could detect it. They walked down the side of the mountain until they reached a small valley, where they were met by a man who had previously been sent out to obtain horses. He held three splendid animals, Our party mounted, and as they put spurs to their animals they bid farewell to Sutter’s Butte. The meeting with their parents I will not attempt to describe. Maggie told them that she had been taken by robbers, and rescued by her brother and Oglesberry ; but that she was not at liberty to give the particulars of her capture or of her rescue. They never knew that Oscar had been a bandit. * * hat ba Five years have passed. Oglesberry and Maggie are married, and are happy. Oscar lives with them; but he is of a melancholy disposition, and all he seems to care for is to minister to the happiness of his sister; while she does all she can (and that is much) to give him the longed for draught of the waters of Lethe.