AN　EPISODE　OF　FIDDLETOWN
  In　1858　Fiddletown　considered　her　a　very　pretty　woman。　　She　had　a
  quantity　of　light　chestnut　hair；　a　good　figure；　a　dazzling
  complexion；　and　a　certain　languid　grace　which　passed　easily　for
  gentle…womanliness。　　She　always　dressed　becomingly；　and　in　what
  Fiddletown　accepted　as　the　latest　fashion。　　She　had　only　two
  blemishes：　one　of　her　velvety　eyes；　when　examined　closely；　had　a
  slight　cast；　and　her　left　cheek　bore　a　small　scar　left　by　a　single
  drop　of　vitriol　happily　the　only　drop　of　an　entire　phialthrown
  upon　her　by　one　of　her　own　jealous　sex；　that　reached　the　pretty
  face　it　was　intended　to　mar。　　But　when　the　observer　had　studied　the
  eyes　sufficiently　to　notice　this　defect；　he　was　generally
  incapacitated　for　criticism；　and　even　the　scar　on　her　cheek　was
  thought　by　some　to　add　piquancy　to　her　smile。　　The　youthful　editor
  of　THE　FIDDLETOWN　AVALANCHE　had　said　privately　that　it　was　〃an
  exaggerated　dimple。〃　　Colonel　Starbottle　was　instantly　〃reminded　of
  the　beautifying　patches　of　the　days　of　Queen　Anne；　but　more
  particularly；　sir；　of　the　blankest　beautiful　women　that；　blank　you；
  you　ever　laid　your　two　blank　eyes　upona　Creole　woman；　sir；　in　New
  Orleans。　　And　this　woman　had　a　scara　line　extending；　blank　me；
  from　her　eye　to　her　blank　chin。　　And　this　woman；　sir；　thrilled　you；
  sir；　maddened　you；　sir；　absolutely　sent　your　blank　soul　to
  perdition　with　her　blank　fascination！　　And　one　day　I　said　to　her；
  'Celeste；　how　in　blank　did　you　come　by　that　beautiful　scar；　blank
  you？'　　And　she　said　to　me；　'Star；　there　isn't　another　white　man
  that　I'd　confide　in　but　you；　but　I　made　that　scar　myself；
  purposely；　I　did；　blank　me。'　　These　were　her　very　words；　sir；　and
  perhaps　you　think　it　a　blank　lie；　sir；　but　I'll　put　up　any　blank
  sum　you　can　name　and　prove　it；　blank　me。〃
  Indeed；　most　of　the　male　population　of　Fiddletown　were　or　had　been
  in　love　with　her。　　Of　this　number；　about　one…half　believed　that
  their　love　was　returned；　with　the　exception；　possibly；　of　her　own
  husband。　　He　alone　had　been　known　to　express　skepticism。
  The　name　of　the　gentleman　who　enjoyed　this　infelicitous　distinction
  was　Tretherick。　　He　had　been　divorced　from　an　excellent　wife　to
  marry　this　Fiddletown　enchantress。　　She；　also；　had　been　divorced；
  but　it　was　hinted　that　some　previous　experiences　of　hers　in　that
  legal　formality　had　made　it　perhaps　less　novel；　and　probably　less
  sacrificial。　　I　would　not　have　it　inferred　from　this　that　she　was
  deficient　in　sentiment；　or　devoid　of　its　highest　moral　expression。
  Her　intimate　friend　had　written　（on　the　occasion　of　her　second
  divorce）；　〃The　cold　world　does　not　understand　Clara　yet〃；　and
  Colonel　Starbottle　had　remarked　blankly　that　with　the　exception　of
  a　single　woman　in　Opelousas　Parish；　La。；　she　had　more　soul　than　the
  whole　caboodle　of　them　put　together。　　Few　indeed　could　read　those
  lines　entitled　〃Infelissimus；〃　commencing　〃Why　waves　no　cypress
  o'er　this　brow？〃　originally　published　in　the　AVALANCHE；　over　the
  signature　of　〃The　Lady　Clare；〃　without　feeling　the　tear　of
  sensibility　tremble　on　his　eyelids；　or　the　glow　of　virtuous
  indignation　mantle　his　cheek；　at　the　low　brutality　and　pitiable
  jocularity　of　THE　DUTCH　FLAT　INTELLIGENCER；　which　the　next　week　had
  suggested　the　exotic　character　of　the　cypress；　and　its　entire
  absence　from　Fiddletown；　as　a　reasonable　answer　to　the　query。
  Indeed；　it　was　this　tendency　to　elaborate　her　feelings　in　a
  metrical　manner；　and　deliver　them　to　the　cold　world　through　the
  medium　of　the　newspapers；　that　first　attracted　the　attention　of
  Tretherick。　　Several　poems　descriptive　of　the　effects　of　California
  scenery　upon　a　too…sensitive　soul；　and　of　the　vague　yearnings　for
  the　infinite　which　an　enforced　study　of　the　heartlessness　of
  California　society　produced　in　the　poetic　breast；　impressed　Mr。
  Tretherick；　who　was　then　driving　a　six…mule　freight　wagon　between
  Knight's　Ferry　and　Stockton；　to　seek　out　the　unknown　poetess。　　Mr。
  Tretherick　was　himself　dimly　conscious　of　a　certain　hidden
  sentiment　in　his　own　nature；　and　it　is　possible　that　some
  reflections　on　the　vanity　of　his　pursuithe　supplied　several
  mining　camps　with　whisky　and　tobaccoin　conjunction　with　the
  dreariness　of　the　dusty　plain　on　which　he　habitually　drove；　may
  have　touched　some　chord　in　sympathy　with　this　sensitive　woman。
  Howbeit；　after　a　brief　courtshipas　brief　as　was　consistent　with
  some　previous　legal　formalitiesthey　were　married；　and　Mr。
  Tretherick　brought　his　blushing　bride　to　Fiddletown；　or
  〃Fideletown；〃　as　Mrs。　Tretherick　preferred　to　call　it　in　her　poems。
  The　union　was　not　a　felicitous　one。　　It　was　not　long　before　Mr。
  Tretherick　discovered　that　the　sentiment　he　had　fostered　while
  freighting　between　Stockton　and　Knight's　Ferry　was　different　from
  that　which　his　wife　had　evolved　from　the　contemplation　of
  California　scenery　and　her　own　soul。　　Being　a　man　of　imperfect
  logic；　this　caused　him　to　beat　her；　and　she；　being　equally　faulty
  in　deduction；　was　impelled　to　a　certain　degree　of　unfaithfulness　on
  the　same　premise。　　Then　Mr。　Tretherick　began　to　drink；　and　Mrs。
  Tretherick　to　contribute　regularly　to　the　columns　of　the　AVALANCHE。
  It　was　at　this　time　that　Colonel　Starbottle　discovered　a　similarity
  in　Mrs。　Tretherick's　verse　to　the　genius　of　Sappho；　and　pointed　it
  out　to　the　citizens　of　Fiddletown　in　a　two…columned　criticism；
  signed　〃A。　S。；〃　also　published　in　the　AVALANCHE；　and　supported　by
  extensive　quotation。　　As　the　AVALANCHE　did　not　possess　a　font　of
  Greek　type；　the　editor　was　obliged　to　reproduce　the　Leucadian
  numbers　in　the　ordinary　Roman　letter；　to　the　intense　disgust　of
  Colonel　Starbottle；　and　the　vast　delight　of　Fiddletown；　who　saw　fit
  to　accept　the　text　as　an　excellent　imitation　of　Choctawa　language
  with　which　the　colonel；　as　a　whilom　resident　of　the　Indian
  Territories；　was　supposed　to　be　familiar。　　Indeed；　the　next　week's
  INTELLIGENCER　contained　some　vile　doggerel　supposed　to　be　an　answer
  to　Mrs。　Tretherick's　poem；　ostensibly　written　by　the　wife　of　a
  Digger　Indian　chief；　accompanied　by　a　glowing　eulogium　signed　〃A。
  S。　S。〃
  The　result　of　this　jocularity　was　briefly　given　in　a　later　copy　of
  the　AVALANCHE。　　〃An　unfortunate　rencounter　took　place　on　Monday
  last；　between　the　Hon。　Jackson　Flash　of　THE　DUTCH　FLAT
  INTELLIGENCER　and　the　well…known　Col。　Starbottle　of　this　place；　in
  front　of　the　Eureka　Saloon。　　Two　shots　were　fired　by　the　parties
  without　injury　to　either；　although　it　is　said　that　a　passing
  Chinaman　received　fifteen　buckshot　in　the　calves　of　his　legs　from
  the　colonel's　double…barreled　shotgun；　which　were　not　intended　for
  him。　　John　will　learn　to　keep　out　of　the　way　of　Melican　man's
  firearms　hereafter。　　The　cause　of　the　affray　is　not　known；　although
  it　is　hinted　that　there　is　a　lady　in　the　case。　　The　rumor　that
  points　to　a　well…known　and　beautiful　poetess　whose　lucubrations
  have　often　graced　our　columns　seems　to　gain　credence　from　those
  that　are　posted。〃
  Meanwhile　the　passiveness　displayed　by　Tretherick　under　these
  trying　circumstances　was　fully　appreciated　in　the　gulches。　　〃The
  old　man's　head　is　level；〃　said　one　long…booted　philosopher。　　〃Ef
  the　colonel　kills　Flash；　Mrs。　Tretherick　is　avenged：　if　Flash　drops
  the　colonel；　Tretherick　is　all　right。　　Either　way；　he's　got　a　sure
  thing。〃　　During　this　delicate　condition　of　affairs；　Mrs。　Tretherick
  one　day　left　her　husband's　home　and　took　refuge　at　the　Fiddletown
  Hotel；　with　only　the　clothes　she　had　on　her　back。　　Here　she　staid
  for　several　weeks；　during　which　period　it　is　only　justice　to　say
  that　she　bore　herself　with　the　strictest　propriety。
  It　was　a　clear　morning　in　early　spring　that　Mrs。　Tretherick；
  unattended；　left　the　hotel；　and　walked　down　the　narrow　street
  toward　the　fringe　of　dark　pines　which　indicated　the　extreme　limits
  of　Fiddletown。　　The　few　loungers　at　that　early　hour　were
  preoccupied　with　the　departure　of　the　Wingdown　coach　at　the　other
  extremity　of　the　street；　and　Mrs。　Tretherick　reached　the　suburbs　of
  the　settlement　without　discomposing　observation。　　Here　she　took　a
  cross　street　or　road；　running　at　right　angles　with　the　main
  thoroughfare　of　Fiddletown　and　passing　through　a　belt　of　woodland。
  It　was　evidently　the　exclusive　and　aristocratic　avenue　of　the　town。
  The　dwellings　were　few；　ambitious；　and　uninterrupted　by　shops。　　And
  here　she　was　joined　by　Colonel　Starbottle。
  The　gallant　colonel；　notwithstanding　that　he　bore　the　swelling　port
  which　usually　distinguished　him；　that　his　coat　was　tightly　buttoned
  and　his　boots　tightly　fitting；　and　that　his　cane；　hooked　over　his
  arm；　swung　jauntily；　was　not　entirely　at　his　ease。　　Mrs。
  Tretherick；　however；　vouchsafed　him　a　gracious　smile　and　a　glance
  of　her　dangerous　eyes；　and　the　colonel；　with　an　embarrassed　cough
  and　a　slight　strut；　took　his　place　at　her　side。
  〃The　coast　is　clear；〃　said　the　colonel；　〃and　Tretherick　is　over　at
  Dutch　Flat　on　a　spree。　　There　is　no　one　in　the　house　but