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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 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 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 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 girl to the care
of her guardians； but that she would never rescind her resolution
to disclaim her relationship； that she had gone into self…exile for
that purpose； and that if she HAD changed her mind； he would be the
first to know of it。 On this day they had parted。 Meantime； Paul
had not forgotten another resolution he had formed on his first
visit to the colonel； and had actually succeeded in getting
legislative relief for the Golden Gate Bank； and restoring to the
colonel some of his private property that had been in the hands of
a receiver。
This had been the background of Paul's meditation； which only threw
into stronger relief the face and figure that moved before him as
persistently as it had once before in the twilight of his room at
Rosario。 There were times when her moonlit face； with its faint；
strange smile； stood out before him as it had stood out of the
shadows of the half…darkened drawing…room that night； as he had
seen ithe believed for the last timeframed for an instant in
the parted curtains of the doorway； when she bade him 〃Goodnight。〃
For he had never visited her since； and； on the attainment of her
majority； had delegated his passing functions to Pendleton； whom he
had induced to accompany the Mayor to Santa Clara for the final and
formal ceremony。 For the present she need not know how much she
had been indebted to him for the accomplishment of her wishes。
With a sigh he at last recalled himself to his duty； and； drawing
the pile of reports which Shear had handed him； he began to examine
them。 These； again； bore reference to his silent； unobtrusive
inquiries。 In his function as Chairman of Committee he had taken
advantage of a kind of advanced moral legislation then in vogue；
and particularly in reference to a certain social reform； to
examine statistics； authorities； and witnesses； and in this
indirect but exhaustive manner had satisfied himself that the woman
〃Kate Howard；〃 alias 〃Beverly；〃 alias 〃Durfree；〃 had long passed
beyond the ken of local police supervision； and that in the record
there was no trace or indication of her child。 He was going over
those infelix records of early transgressions with the eye of
trained experience； making notes from time to time for his official
use； and yet always watchful of his secret quest； when suddenly he
stopped with a quickened pulse。 In the record of an affray at a
gambling…house； one of the parties had sought refuge in the rooms
of 〃Kate Howard；〃 who was represented before the magistrate by HER
PROTECTOR； JUAN DE ARGUELLO。 The date given was contemporary with
the beginning of the Trust； but that proved nothing。 But the name
had it any significance； or was it a grim coincidence； that spoke
even more terribly and hopelessly of the woman's promiscuous
frailty？ He again attacked the entire report； but there was no
other record of her name。 Even that would have passed any eye less
eager and watchful than his own。
He laid the