The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1873-04-30
giles and thrust them into the boys

~Ho HSy W J wa AN''S"o sooS " ~+S
TO take a hand, come on"
The "room" iuto which the "se.
| lect party" Of FIVE entered q
few moments later, was any
thing but elegant, yet so inter
cstcd were he party in the
| heavily. .staked game that they on
ly thought ofthe business in hand,
and as the result remained to be
| decided on tho last haud just
| dealt, no ono noticed a knock at
! the door, so absorbed were they
on the game they were playing.
| "What's that ?" demanded Dan,
as q still louder knock sounded on
the door. Then in louder tone
-"Come in" he :oared, ''if your
life's insured"
! The door opened, and ! woman
entered, "a woman pale, but beau
tiful 3 woman whose fixed, sad
glance caused Lucky Dan to drop
the cards be held in his hand, and
stare and wonder wha; the inter
ruption could mean.
"You gave my boy some money,
sir 2" she asked, coming up to the
miner and laying her hand on his
shoulder.
Despite his assumed bluff de-
meanor, the miner trembed under
the touch and redeemed ct the
consciousness that he was render
ed weak by this woman's infu.
ence.
"Ifyoa are Bill Durand's widow,
| did and blast it woman, don't
cry. Bill Durand was q friend Of
mine, and I'll never see o com
rade's kin come to poverty and
| suffering"
Il only came to thank you, "
| spoke the woman in broken &C
cents. 1T is for my boys sake
| Il4t accept IL.
| 4 suspicious moisture came in
| to Dams eyes as he arose to his
| feet, and took the woman's ex-
| tended hand, while strange thrill
| pervaded his being st the touch.
"Never mind that" he said,
leading her to the door. II owe it
to you," he added earnestly, "for
was not your husband my friend ?'
He trembled so, as the words
came from his lips, that the wom-
an looked up at his face.
II want 10 talk to with you"
said the miner opening the door.
"We'll see if We can't do some
thing for an old friends"
"But the stakes !" cried Beay-
er Tom from the table.
"Blast the stakes ! Divide them
among you" sang out the miner,
! as he left the room with Mrs. Du-
rand.
! Ouc week, two weeks, three
weeks went by but Lucky Dan
still tarried at Ruby Gulch but the
card table knew him no more.
From the bluff, coarse miner, he
had changed into more quiet,
thoughtful man, whose strongest
characteristic became refined to
subdued half.courtesy.
| Meanwhile, the rough denizens
of Ruby Gulch saw and marveled.
"What's up with him, anyhow"
queried one of another.
Glove, my lad" replied Beaver
Tom.
"Tha: widow has bewitched
him"
Not farfetched guess, honest
miner! Day by day, Lucky Dan
became more and more attached
to Mrs. Durand and a thoroughly
changed man he was, constantly
devising some means Of conveying
pleasure to her and her bright boy
| Robert.
But if the miners for a moment
accused the widow Durand of flirt
ing with, or misleading the lion Of
Vera Canyon, they surmised incor
rectly. 1t would be difficult tc
understand how Lucky Dan found
pleasure in the company of q wo
man whose whole heart and its
affections seemed buried in the
| grave Of her husband. Yet hs
loved her, and she with womanly
intuition knew it.
But an event occurred which
drew the miner still nearer to thi!
woman. Mrs. Durand had faller
ill and, despite all that care coule
do for her, she was brought to tit
point of death.
Sitting in the darkened room
with her head bowed and pale, sac
features, Lucky Dan heard ths
woman call him to her couch O.
suffering he went to her bedside
II am dying" she said softly.
| He closed bis eyes with an ex
preston Of pain 10th to gainsay
| her, vainly eudeavoring 10 hope
against what seemed only too ap
parent.
"You love me ?" she continued
looking earnestly at the bowec
form beside her.
| "God knows do !" was the fer
vant reSDOnSe