The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-09-18

,imacy seemed TO warrant the liberty, WAS III
variaby, Say, comradc what was your n"'''
before you come here? ,,o,
Yon see knew I.nmley's Partner wheh
he first came INTO the mines. Was w. ~
Woods Diggings at the time he ana parry
of two or three more came HTouhu p,oSp.o
ling. | remember | thought what me s'nl,
wart Young fellow he was, sirai gh' as YOUNG
nine tree. and no foOlishnesS about MN Gun
or. Tor he had been rougLing II Il year OF ."o
down on the Texas border. never sa" INC
boys more downright pleased over new,
conner than when he bought CLAIM ana
went in with us. lie was not man 10 ta'k
much about himself, nor one you would ieei
free 10 question: but there was honest square
Ioalinp looking out of his clear gray eyes,
Ear ,ll The trouble and urncSt laid up behlnu
them. J..
Lumley was as different rs man could be.
have often noticed that men take To unllKes
in mating among themselves, rs well as
choosing mates for life. He came into the
digrins a week or so later, and they some
! how fell ia together. Lumlcy was what you
mirht call an extra clever fellow. lie look
ed scarcely more than Il boy--thcSe iair SKIN
ned people never show their age-with ms
| handsome, womanlsh face, bright blue eyes,
and tIim.built figure; but he had confidence
until you could not rest, plenty OF The GIT OF
CAB, and something about him oelieVe
people call 1t magnetism; at least, when you
were with him you believed just rs he did,
and then wondered at yourself atterward Tor
doing so.
Lnmley always had n knack of twisting
folks round his little finger; for all that, the
lines of tirmucss were quite lacking about his
mouth Lumleys Pardner now, with his
closest lips and square massive Jaw-you
Nigh, as well hope to move mountain as
him against his will He would be strong TO
do, or TO bear you could easily sec that.
do not know as il was perfectly fair! |
never meant to eavesdrop, but 1t happened
in this wise: One night went over 10 Lum'
ley's shan.y-it was amazing strange how
soon his name got tackled TO everything-to
see about broken pick he wanted mended. |
used to do the smithing in those days AS
opened The door, saw there was no oDe In,
and, being tired OF my days work, dropped
down on a log just outside, lit my pipe, and
sat leaning back against the pine boards
waiting for Lumley to come back. | guess
mast have got drowsy and fallen asleep for
the first thing heard was voices, and Lum-
ley's pardner speaking out bitter and short
in way we seldom heard him speak.
Il reckon IT'S OF no use to ask II there's any
lcllCIS SOuiS ~ S'''N' HN'N :"
no one to write u me.
| rubbed open my eyes and. saw two
CLEANS of light streaming through the open
door and the one loop hole of u window, and
knew that Lumley and his mate must have
passed by me and never seen me IN The twI-
iIght-Raising myself up saw Lunley
through the window, sitting down TO the pine
table beside yellow dip, with two or three
letters lying before him, and one opened in
his hand. Then it flashed across my mind
that one of the boys from camp beyond had
gone into the station and was due with the
mail that night.
Lumleys pardncr sat over the far side of
the table with n gloomy look in his eye. BE.
ing in the same boat myself knew how
lonesome IL was never to have news from
home, and wondered to myself how IA manly,
fine looking fellow like him should be with.
out wife or sweetheart waiting in won.
ans pride in him somewhere.
Lumley was busy reading his letters-l
thought had better stay outside. He was
that intent at first that he seemed not TO have
heard the others words, but after u moment
he lifted his face with one of the proud,
bright looks that were Lumley'S own. Ay,
comrade! he cried cheeTily; and don't tell
me it isn't all your own fault Don't dare to
envy me, my wife and child
There was no reply; but looking over, |
saw such bitter, sorrowiul look on the face
of Lumlcy's Pardner that, scarcely knowing
what | was doing, stood and watched and
piticd him. | heard Lumley read aloud
words of loYc and trust, watching and wait
! ing, and OF happiness and the child. | saw
| his face as he read. lie might be weak
man. but he loved the woman and the child.
| From the last letter there dropped out Il carte
| dc viste. lumlcy caught II up with boyish
cagcrness
! odd pard, he cried, YOU shall see my two
! treasures. Here they are-Lulic and the boy.
! He tossed the picture across the table. The
other picked II up. | saw a man die once,
stabbed through the heart. Just such Il look
came into the iacc of Lumicy's Pardner, as
he glanced at the picture IN his hand. Lum.
ley, bending over his letter never saw it.
When he had finished reading, he held out
his hand The other did not even raise his
eyes, but kept them ixcdly ON what he held.
II too, once thought TO have "a wife and
child,' he muttercd presently, less 10 Lum.
ley than himself.
The words, following that LOOK, were "A
Il whole book Of revelation To me- Happily
Iumley did not notice His iNce showed
some surprise, mingled with that placid sat.
lsiactiOn the successful man always wears.
."Ah!' he returned, shaking his head know.
lDgly, lis that the way the land lies? | knew
you were always close mouthed, but disap.
pOintment--i never suspected that She,
whatsoever il was, had precious bad taste
when she looked the other way, - and he ran
his eye admiringly over the others proper.
tons and manly, handsome face
She meyer refused me- broke in I.um.
ley's Pardncr, in II low, smothcrcd tone, his
eyes still fastened intcntly on the picture.
never asked her; but she knew my mind,
and thought knew hers. | was sure she
would wait tor me until Game back. 1t was
for her went away.
But you wrote TO hcr;' questioned Ium
ley with genuine interest.
Not a wo.d-not line. | am a poor
scribe. But she knew ne wei, enough I,
need no written assurance of my intentions
Every day would be lived for her. Their,
could be no doubt of that in her mind
Lumley made hasly gesture of dissent
And there, old man, was precisely where
you failed to connect! 1t doa't do, yot
know, for women TO take too much Tor grant