Page:The Overland Monthly, Jan-June 1894.djvu/261



1894.]

An Episode in the Life of Robert the Simple.

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" The stars that twinkle in the sky, The dew-drop on the flowers, All bring fragrant thoughts to us Of that dead one of ours."

Jack's Partner, 1849.

" I don't understand this country, But this river these mountains hem, I long have looked for gold dust ; But in this grave I find a gem."

Prospector, 1850.

W. Arthur Jones.

AN EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF ROBERT THE SIMPLE.

NOBODY ever knew just how " Robert the Simple" ever happened to come there. He was undoubtedly very much out of place, and Steve Robinson, who had been an artist back home before he came to Tacoma to sell town lots, and was therefore looked upon as an author- ity on all esthetic questions, declared that he destroyed the perspective of the city, and further, that he was out of drawing there. This would have been sufficient to condemn him, had he not been condemned already. But, as a matter of fact, he was condemned be- fore he had been in town twenty-four hours. Not but that Robert was a pleasant enough fellow socially, young, handsome, and with that inherited man- ner and bearing of the gentleman that come from breeding, arid cannot be ac- quired. But nobody then had time to consider the social qualifications of a man who was of no use in business. And Robert was certainly useless in any field of industrial activity. That was why he was called " Robert the Sim- ple " by the boys, though it is doubtful whether he ever suspected the appella- tion that was applied to him, for he had a quiet dignity of bearing that repelled

any such personal familiarities. When addressed, he was, " Mr. Churchill," or simply, " Churchill," according to the temper of the speaker.

He first appeared there during the latter part of May, 1887, when Tacoma was a far less important place than it has since become, and when the people were wholly engrossed in the excite- ment of the land boom. He looked at the bands of music and crowds of people with pleased surprise ; but when he ac- costed a stranger, and asked if it was usual to celebrate the Queen's birthday with so much pomp in "the States," he was much pained by the abrupt and pro- fane denial. Perhaps Robert's slow, deliberate manner and drawling speech had much to do with provoking the speaker's wrath. After that he wan- dered up Pacific Avenue in a dazed, helpless way until he met Major Kamm. The Major seemed to be as busy as all the rest, but there was a kindly expres- sion of the face and a merry twinkle about the eyes that emboldened Robert to address him and ask some directions as to his way.

" Can I direct you to 1256 Tacoma av- enue ? Well, I guess I can if anybody