The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-11-01


out of thy knowledge, as may best please
thee, Mr. Honest Miner"
Anton went, and beheld sight which
made him eagerly inquire of the tricksy
sprite how he could find his way to the
spot again. But Kobold answered, 'NOh,
this is nothing-come to our trystlng-
place tomorrow night, and l will show
thee tar greater wonders than these"
And Anton had gone, and night after
night he went on going, similarly be-
guiled, for Kobold kept his promise in
showing each night a greater wonder than
that of the night before.
In this way, neglecting his business,
his friends, his sweetheart, and his COO,
Anton had seen vast hidden stores OF all
kinds of ores--silver, tin, copper, anti
monv, bismuth, and who knows what be-
sides9 and the more he saw the less in
clined to work with his own hands he
was. the more eager to take his ease and
pleasure whilst the inexhaustible treas
ury that had. been revealed to him should
be worked for him by others brains and
Drawn.
''Show me gold" he said to kobold,
''that may at once take OF it to gratlfy
nv desires, and have means to hire
drudges to work my mines. Show me
gold. and give me the clew to that and
all the rest that thou hast shown me, and
| will trouble thee no more"
Come again to our trysting-place to-
morrow night, for the last time" answered
Kobold, land l will show thee gold"
Infatuated Anton was by this time in
rags. and often very hungry. He had
sold his gun, his tools, to supply him
with daily bread-latterly very little Of
it. But buoyed up by his golden hopes,
he carried his head as if he had been
kaiser. provoking the mirth of his neigh
bors, who had come to look upon him as
poor fool, since nothing had come OF
his mysterious midnight excursions.
Beatrix grew sadder and sadder at the
thought of him. Very rarely did she see
him now, since, as 1 have said, he had
given up going to church, and latterly
also coming expressly to visit her; but
each time she did see him he looked
poorer and wilder than before.
1t was on Saturday night that he was
to meet Kobold to be initiated in the Sc
cret of the gold He had to pass Be-
atrix's cottage on his way to the trysting-
place. and as he drew near, he noticed
that her light was still burning. BeatriX
rested on Sunday, and with the pros
pect of holiday before her, she could
afford to sit up later than was usual with
her. although recently her hour OF retire
ment had drawn nearer than before to the
stroke of twelve This was the motive
for her heightened work-she had begun
to fear that Anton would soon become
utterly destitute, and she wished to save
| him the degradation of begging his bread
f hES9aqd d iS4 h IL door, by laying II" "'''e
: While she piled her bobbins with this
l benevolent purpose-thinking regretfully
/ of bygone Saturday nights cheered with
anticipations of seeing her lover, reverent
! and respected, at the church on the NOR
row-Anton thought of her in a very diff
ferent manner
Am l not FOOL" he said, ''to throw
myself away upon so poor a girl9 There
is not princess in all Europe for whom
I shall not be worthy match when I am
master of my wealth. Nay, but Beatrlx
is good girl will not break her heart.
Shall stop and bid her cease from her
absurd industry-daZzle her with reve-
lation of the riches in store for mel But
no. it will be better to wait and find how
feel when l have got them. will not
commit myself. Still l will peep in at
her as l pass-it is long since l have seen
her"
He peered in through the cottage win
dow, but drew back in alarm when Be-
atrix raised her head. She got glimpse
of his face, however, and sighed to think
how haggard it, once so handsome, had
become-how little love for her there
seemed left in it.
She put away her work, said her sad
prayers, and went to bed, whilst Anton
hurried on to meet the goblin.
i Again Kobold was true to his word.
He led Anton into a vaulted hall that
blazed with gold. The fretted roof and
the floor were of native gold; the columns
of the corridors that stretched away-not
into gloom, but an unfading brilliance,
reflected from some invisible source of
light-were of glittering quartz, enclos-
ing, not nuggets, but huge blocks OF gold,
which cleaned through them like gold
fish through crystalline water, or rather
like suns rsdiating dazzling splendor
through most pellucid summer air.
Anton now fairly lost his head, and
danced with delight. When he came to
himself, he was lying outside the noun
tain, at the place of tryst. The Sunday
morning sunshine had awoke him. 1t
seemed pale and cold in comparison with
the subterranean radiance which flashed
bock M NON his uemorv At the thouUhf