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〃Go！〃 whispered Brace quickly； 〃YOU'LL GAIN TIME！〃
Parks' face changed； and he turned to Carpenter。 〃Enough；〃 he said
gravely。 〃I reserve what I have to say of these proceedings till I
join you there。〃 He stopped； whispered a few words to Brace； and
then disappeared as the men descended the stairs； and； joining the
crowd on the pavement； proceeded silently towards the Town Hall。
There was nothing in the appearance of that decorous procession to
indicate its unlawful character or the recklessness with which it
was charged。
There were thirty or forty men already seated in the Hall。 The
meeting was brief and to the point。 The gambling saloons were to
be 〃cleaned out〃 that night； the tables and appliances thrown into
the street and burnt； the doors closed； and the gamblers were to be
conducted to the outskirts of the town and forbidden to enter it
again on pain of death。
〃Does this yer refer to Jovita Mendez' saloon？〃 asked a voice。
To their surprise the voice was not Parks' but Shuttleworth's。 It
was also a matter to be noted that he stood a little forward of the
crowd； and that there was a corresponding movement of a dozen or
more men from Fiddletown who apparently were part of the meeting。
The chairman （No。 10） said there was to be no exception； and
certainly not for the originator of disorder in Buckeye！ He was
surprised that the question should be asked by No。 72； who was an
old resident of Buckeye； and who； with No。 73； had suffered from
the character of that woman's saloon。
〃That's jest it；〃 said Shuttleworth； 〃and ez I reckon that SAUNDERS
AND ME did all the disorder there was； and had to turn ourselves
out o' town on account of it； I don't see jest where SHE could come
into this affair。 Only；〃 he turned and looked around him； 〃in one
way！ And that way； gentlemen； would be for her to come here and
boot one half o' this kempany out o' town； and shoot the other
half！ You hear me！that's so！〃 He stopped； tugged a moment at
his cravat and loosened his shirt…collar as if it impeded his
utterance； and went on。 〃I've got to say suthin' to you gentlemen
about me and Saunders and this woman； I've got to say suthin'
that's hard for a white man to say； and him a married man； too
I've got to say that me and Saunders never had no QU'OLL； never had
NO FIGHT at her shop： I've got to say that me and Saunders got shot
by Jovita Mendez for INSULTIN' HERfor tryin' to treat her as if
she was the common dirt of the turnpikeand served us right！ I've
got to say that Saunders and me made a bet that for all her airs
she wasn't no better than she might be； and we went there drunk to
try herand that we got left； with two shots into us like hounds
as we were！ That's so！wasn't it； Saunders？〃
〃With two shots inter us like hounds ez we were；〃 repeated Saunders
with deliberate precision。
〃And I've got to say suthin' more； gen'lemen；〃 continued
Shuttleworth； now entirely removing his coat and vest； and
apparently shaking himself free from any extraneous trammels。 〃I've
got to say thisI've got to say that thar ain't a man in Buckeye；
from Dirty Dick over yon to the mayor of this town； ez hasn't tried
the same thing on and got leftgot left； without shootin' maybe；
more's the pity； but got left all the same！ And I've got to say；〃
lifting his voice； 〃THAT EF THAT'S WHAT YOU CALL DISORDERLINESS IN
HERif that's what yo'r turnin' this woman out o' town forwhy〃
He stopped； absolutely breathless and gasping。 For there was a
momentary shock of surprise and shame； and then he was overborne
by peal after peal of inextinguishable laughter。 But it was the
laughter that precipitated doubt； enlightened justice； cleared
confusion； andsaved them！
In vain a few struggled to remind them that the question of the
OTHER saloons was still unaffected。 It was lost in the motion
enthusiastically put and carried that the Committee should
instantly accompany Saunders and Shuttleworth to Jovita's saloon to
make an apology in their presence。 Five minutes later they halted
hilariously before its door。 But it was closed； dark； and silent！
Their sudden onset and alarm brought Sanchicha to the half…opened
door。 〃Ah； yes！ the Senorita？ Bueno！ She had just left for
Fiddletown with the Senor Parks； the honorable mayor。 They had
been married only a few moments before by the Reverend Mr。 McCorkle！〃
THEIR UNCLE FROM CALIFORNIA。
PART I。
It was bitterly cold。 When night fell over Lakeville； Wisconsin；
the sunset； which had flickered rather than glowed in the western
sky； took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness； until at
last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith。
Nothing else stirred； in the crisp still air the evening smoke of
chimneys rose threadlike and vanished。 The stars were early； pale；
and pitiless； when the later moonlight fell； it appeared only to
whiten the stiffened earth like snow； except where it made a dull；
pewter…like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the
town。
The site of the town itself was rarely beautiful； and its pioneers
and founders had carried out the suggestions they had found there
with loving taste and intelligence。
Themselves old voyageurs； trappers； and traders； they still loved
Nature too well to exclude her from the restful homes they had
achieved after years of toiling face to face with her。 So a strip
of primeval forest on the one side； and rolling level prairie on
the other； still came up to the base of the hill； whereon they
had built certain solid houses； which a second generation had
beautified and improved with modern taste； but which still retained
their old honesty of foundation and wholesome rustic space。 These
yet stood among the old trees； military squares； and broad sloping
avenues of the town。 Seen from the railway by day； the regularity
of streets and blocks was hidden by environing trees； there
remained only a picturesque lifting of rustic gardens； brown roofs；
gables； spires； and cupolas above the mirroring lake： seen from the
railway this bitter night； the invisible terraces and streets were
now pricked out by symmetrical lines and curves of sparkling
lights； which glittered through the leafless boughs and seemed to
encircle the hill like a diadem。
Central in the chiefest square； and yet preserving its old lordly
isolation in a wooded garden； the homestead of Enoch Lane stood
with all its modern additions and improvements。 Already these
included not only the latest phases of decoration； but various
treasures brought by the second generation from Europe； which they
were wont to visit； but from which they always contentedly returned
to their little provincial town。 Whether there was some instinctive
yearning； like the stirred sap of great forests； in their wholesome
pioneer blood； or whether there was some occult fascination in the
pretty town…crested hill itself； it was still certain that the
richest inhabitants always preferred to live in Lakeville。 Even the
young； who left it to seek their fortune elsewhere； came back to
enjoy their success under the sylvan vaults of this vast ancestral
roof。 And that was why； this 22d of December； 1870； the whole
household of Gabriel Lane was awaiting the arrival from California
of his brother； Sylvester Lane； at the old homestead which he had
left twenty years ago。
〃And you don't know how he looks？〃 said Kitty Lane to her father。
〃I do； perfectly； rather chubby； with blue eyes； curly hair； fair
skin； and blushes when you speak to him。〃
〃Papa！〃
〃Eh？Oh； well； he USED to。 You see that was twenty…five years
ago； when he left here for boarding…school。 He ran away from
there； as I told you； went to sea； and finally brought up at San
Francisco。〃
〃And you haven't had any picture； or photograph of him； since？〃
〃Nothat isI say！you haven't； any of you； got a picture of
Sylvester； have you？〃 he turned in a vague parenthetical appeal to
the company of relatives and friends collected in the drawing…room
after dinner。
〃Cousin Jane has； she knows all about him！〃
But it appeared that Cousin Jane had only heard Susan Marckland say
that Edward Bingham had told her that he was in California when
〃Uncle Sylvester〃 had been nearly hanged by a Vigilance Committee
for protecting a horse thief or a gambler； or some such person。
This was felt to be ineffective as a personal description。
〃He's sure to wear a big beard； they all do when they first come
back；〃 said Amos Gunn； with metropolitan oraculousness。
〃He has a big curling mustache； long silken hair； and broad
shoulders；〃 said Marie du Page。
There was such piquant conviction in the manner of the speaker； who
was also a very pretty girl； that they all turned towards her； and
Kitty quickly said；
〃But YOU'VE never seen him？〃
〃Nobut〃 She stopped； and； lifting one shoulder； threw her
spirited head sideways； in a pretty deprecatory way； with elevated
eyebrows and an expression intended to show the otherwise
untranslatable character of her impression。 But it showed quite
as pleasantly the other fact； that she was the daughter of a
foreigner； an old French military explorer； and that she had
retained ev