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Indian； prowling about here； I've been told； at all hours。 I'll put a stop to it。
Well； you must go then？ Dreadfully sorry you couldn't stop longer！ Good…
by！〃
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CHAPTER IV。
It was two months later that Mr。 Tony Shear； of Marysville； but lately
confidential clerk to the Hon。 Paul Hathaway； entered his employer's
chambers in Sacramento； and handed the latter a letter。
〃I only got back from San Francisco this morning； but Mr。 Slate said I
was to give you that； and if it satisfied you； and was what you wanted； you
would send it back to him。〃
Paul took the envelope and opened it。 It contained a printer's proof…slip；
which he hurriedly glanced over。 It read as follows：
〃Those of our readers who are familiar with the early history of San
Francisco will be interested to know that an eccentric and irregular
trusteeship； vested for the last eight years in the Mayor of San Francisco
and two of our oldest citizens； was terminated yesterday by the majority of
a beautiful and accomplished young lady； a pupil of the convent of Santa
Clara。 Very few； except the original trustees； were cognizant of the fact
that the administration of the trustees has been a recognized function of
the successive Mayors of San Francisco during this period； and the
mystery surrounding it has been only lately divulged。 It offers a touching
and romantic instance of a survival of the old patriarchal duties of the
former Alcaldes and the simplicity of pioneer days。 It seems that； in the
unsettled conditions of the Mexican land… titles that followed the American
occupation； the consumptive widow of a scion of one of the oldest
Californian families intrusted her property and the custody of her infant
daughter virtually to the city of San Francisco； as represented by the
trustees specified； until the girl should become of age。 Within a year； the
invalid mother died。 With what loyalty； sagacity； and prudence these
gentlemen fulfilled their trust may be gathered from the fact that the
property left in their charge has not only been secured and protected； but
increased a hundredfold in value； and that the young lady； who yesterday
attained her majority； is not only one of the richest landed heiresses on the
Pacific Slope； but one of the most accomplished and thoroughly educated
of her sex。 It is now no secret that this favored child of Chrysopolis is the
Dona Maria Concepcion de Arguello de la Yerba Buena； so called from
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her ancestral property on the island； now owned by the Federal
government。 But it is an affecting and poetic tribute to the parent of her
adoption that she has preferred to pass under the old； quaintly typical
name of the city； and has been known to her friends simply as 'Miss Yerba
Buena。' It is a no less pleasant and suggestive circumstance that our
'youngest senator；' the Honorable Paul Hathaway； formerly private
secretary to Mayor Hammersley； is one of the original unofficial trustees；
while the chivalry of the older days is perpetuated in the person of Colonel
Harry Pendleton； the remaining trustee。〃
As soon as he had finished； Paul took a pencil and crossed out the last
sentence； but instead of laying the proof aside； or returning it to the
waiting secretary； he remained with it in his hand； his silent； set face
turned towards the window。 Whether the merely human secretary was tired
of waiting； or the devoted partisan saw something on his young chief's
face that disturbed him； he turned to Paul with that exaggerated respect
which his functions as secretary had grafted upon his affection for his old
associate； and said：
〃I hope nothing's wrong； sir。 Not another of those scurrilous attacks on
you for putting that bill through to relieve Colonel Pendleton？ Yet it was a
risky thing for you； sir。〃
Paul started； recovered himself as if from some remote abstraction；
and； with a smile； said： 〃No；nothing。 Quite the reverse。 Write to Mr。
Slate； thank him； and say that it will do very wellwith the exception of
the lines I have marked out。 Then bring me the letter； and I will add this
inclosure。 Did you call on Colonel Pendleton？〃
〃Yes； sir。 He was at Santa Clara； and had not yet returned；at least；
that's what that dandy nigger of his told me。 The airs and graces that that
creature puts on since the colonel's affairs have been straightened out is a
little too much for a white man to stand。 Why； sir！ dd if he didn't want to
patronize YOU； and allowed to me that 'de Kernel' had a 'fah ideah' of you；
'and thought you a promisin' young man。' The fact is； sir； the party is
making a big mistake trying to give votes to that kind of cattle it would
only be giving two votes to the other side； for； slave or free； they're the
chattels of their old masters。 And as to the masters' gratitude for what
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you've done affecting a single vote of their partyyou're mistaken。〃
〃Colonel Pendleton belongs to no party；〃 said Paul； curtly； 〃but if his
old constituents ever try to get into power again； they've lost their only
independent martyr。〃
He presently became abstracted again； and Shear produced from his
overcoat pocket a series of official…looking documents。
〃I've brought the reports； sir。〃
〃Eh？〃 said Paul； absently。
The secretary stared。 〃The reports of the San Francisco Chief of Police
that you asked me to get。〃 His employer was certainly very forgetful to…
day。
〃Oh； yes； thank you。 You can lay them on my desk。 I'll look them over
in Committee。 You can go now； and if any one calls to see me say I'm
busy。〃
The secretary disappeared in the adjoining room； and Paul leaned back
in his chair； thinking。 He had； at last； effected the work he had resolved
upon when he left Rosario two months ago； the article he had just read；
and which would appear as an editorial in the San Francisco paper the day
after tomorrow； was the culmination of quietly persistent labor； inquiry；
and deduction； and would be accepted； hereafter； as authentic history；
which； if not thoroughly established； at least could not be gainsaid。
Immediately on arriving at San Francisco； he had hastened to Pendleton's
bedside； and laid the facts and his plan before him。 To his mingled
astonishment and chagrin； the colonel had objected vehemently to this
〃saddling of anybody's offspring on a gentleman who couldn't defend
himself；〃 and even Paul's explanation that the putative father was a myth
scarcely appeased him。 But Paul's timely demonstration； by relating the
scene he had witnessed of Judge Baker's infelicitous memory； that the
secret was likely to be revealed at any moment； and that if the girl
continued to cling to her theory； as he feared she would； even to the
parting with her fortune； they would be forced to accept it； or be placed in
the hideous position of publishing her disgrace； at last convinced him。 On
the other hand； there was less danger of her POSITIVE imposition being
discovered than of the VAGUE AND IMPOSITIVE truth。 The real danger
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lay in the present uncertainty and mystery； which courted surmise and
invited discovery。 Paul； himself； was willing to take all the responsibility；
and at last extracted from the colonel a promise of passive assent。 The
only revelation he feared was from the interference of the mother； but
Pendleton was strong in the belief that she had not only utterly abandoned
the g