Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-04-10

editor, a mule driver, packer, member
of the Nevada Legislature"
"Stop, stop for heavens sake | tel
you that l am tired of the striking.
want the commonplace"
''Then go home to the East; you Won't
find it on the Pacific coast. And then we
have one other person worthy your atten
| ton
"Who is she?"
"She. But think you had better see
her before [ tell you her story"
'She! Her! Explain. I thought you
had no women?"
| "She is not woman"
| "What, then?"
ooh! wait; l want to excite your curl
osity"
81 believe you, Jerry. But you want to
tell me story more. Oh, know your
tricks and your manners!"
"Well, you are right. See, below there
is our camp, only three miles away, now
What do you think of it,?
| THAT it is the only spot l have yet
seen in this desert which can make into
a sketch"
"Wait until you have seen Murray's
little sister, and you will find materials
for another sketch"
'Murray's little sister! That is the
mysterious her, suppose"
That is the mysterious her But you
are right about the camp: it is the only
| delightful mining camp in the State-a
camp refined, but not effeminated.
"Well, tell me about Murray's little
sister,"
''This is all Two years ago, a Young
man named Murray Cochrane came here
prospecting. He brought with him his
little sister, mere child of ten years old
She lived with him, sharing his rough life,
apparently thinking of nothing, realizing
the existence of nothing, but her brother
| who loved her terribly, absorbingly
Those two were all the world to each
other, and had, young as he was, and
child as she was, the burden of secret
between them. The child laughed some
times; the man never. What their life's
tragedy was we never knew; we never
even learned his name, so apart from all
of us were they. He struck lead, but
never took out papers, that we could
find"
In short, he was mystery"
GA mystery?-a tragedy, poor fellow
His little sister used to go in and sit near
him as he worked. About month passed
in this way; and then came the dreadful
accident. The water broke through and
drowned him. We rushed to help him;
We saved the little girl, but he was lost. !"
at must have been terrible"
''Terrible, Ted. But that was not the
worst. The child lay sick in raVing. de-
lirious brain-fever for weeks, and We
nursed her. The toughest men in our
gang had something to bring to Murray's
little sister. Poor little child! she never
recovered"
why, what a. you mean, Jerry?"
"Simply this. Youth and strong con-
stitution brought her through; but her
reason is gone She thinks that Murray
has gone away, and will return some day;
but she refuses to tell us her name or his;
she has evidently been forbidden to re-
veal anything of the secret of her broth
er's life. We have incorporated a COM
pany, as you know; but we do not touch
his old claim. We have built her little
hut, and she comes down every day to
see us. Our poor, little crazy queent
If you can't sketch her, Ted-But l will
say no more, and leave you to Judge
her for yourself. We are almost there;
and see. here come the representatives Of
\ ale and Amherst to meet US. HalloO,
Delta Beta how is breakfast? Waiting !?
1t shall not wait long, then. Gentlemen,
my friend Mr.. Theodore Parker Barclay,
from Boston, very much. Let us gal
l0p !"
CHAPTER II.
Teddy Barclay was a butterfly. He had
thoughts, affections, feelings, passions,
organs; but he was rich, amiable, and a
universal pet. Every woman who knew
him enjoyed his society; and 40 husband
was ever jealous thereby. He could do
things permitted to no other man, be-
cause ne never did what other men did.
He f1irted, but transparency. He was
a happy, sunny boy, governed less by
his moral sense than by his fine in
had no one to arouse in him the
strong element of manhood that fights,
and, whether conquered or defeated, adds
to human good. But lately Teddy had
become as much dissatisfied as it was pos
sible for him to be; and after skimming
through college, and fiuttering about
Europe, he came to the Pacific Coast to
visit his old friend Jerry Eckert-Jerry
Eckert who had for four years scolded
and petted him-Jerry Eckert, who, hay
ing displayed marked forensic ability in
college, had astonished all his classmates
by becoming miner f. away from what
they considered civilization. By the time
that Teddy had been two hours in the
camp, every man, from Jerry and his as
s0ciates, down to the toughest of the
lahoring miners, was his friend and pro-
tector. Fly where he might, this butter
fly was always in the sunshine. AS he came
in to lunch, with an unfinished sketch,
which he had thrown aside for some
botanical specimens which he forgot
to analyze, Jerry looked at him and
chuckled "What is it now, Jerry?"
asked Teddy. "Why you-you irrespon-
sible cussr' said Jerry with more empha-
sis than eloquence Here you are blum
dering around just as you used to-
"Wel, why shouldn't II" said Ted.
Somebody is always around to help
me-" And Jerry was silent. and said no
more.
"But say, jerry" continued Teddy,
helping himself to canned salmon as he
spoke, "where is the little miner?"
''Murray's little sister," said Jerry
ooh! you must wait until evening to see
her. She comes down then to ask if we
have seen her brother; and then we give
her supper and breakfast, and she goes
away"
"And does she live alone SOP" asked
Teddy. Il should think you would be
afraid that the Indians might get at her"
"The Indians" said Jerry, ''are afraid
of US, and the vengeance that would sure
ly follow, if she were molested. Don't
be impatient, Ted. You will see her to-