The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-11-04

Jp00S
swore he should. Jeggs said he believed he was
engineer of that train, and started up his mules,
when out from the hotel came running young
lady, saving "she was the passenger, that she
must get to Reeds Flat as soon as possible" and
begs he will please be so good as to take ier, with
tears in her eyes. And Jeggs said ne tould not
stand that, and so stopped at the hoteIahu toOk
off the cradle, which he left in Jackson ; care ana
the Young lady was placed upon the mult, and IN
less than half an hour would be in camp coming IN
with the section Of the train, IN chaige o one
of his muleteers. And Tom Jeggs further eA-
pressed himself by stating il as his oplfioh tnaU
'she could jest knock the spots OF uvtany sne-
male in the mountings." ~
Reeds Flat did not boast of hotel me oniy
public houses were the store, sal0oni anf festau-
rant And Katrina NIelch was the only woman
i'm camp. 1t was, therefore, matterof ~ h con
lecture where the expected young iady H43Hid De
domiciled, if she concluded to stay long Wa them
1t was generally conceded that the only specta-
bic place i'm which she could be proper enter
tanned was the restaurant of GOttlieb Melcl-
1t was not strange that the young 'erman
woman should hail with joy the advent 81 one OF
her own sex in that lonely place. Ter e'es had
not behed woman for more than tWeiNe tonths.
Had angel of light rode into that mining camp
on that hot September day, 1t is not likely that so
many rough faces with unkempt hair and shaggy
boards, would have raised above bowtd rs and
peered from out deep races, as there did Wien the
last band of Jeggs' mules tOiled Slowly ecHEn the
mountain trail and wound into the little hsnlet
of Reeds Flat.
The young lady passenger had arrived And
having arrived, She Immediately taken in
charge by Tom Jeg@s, who conducted her at once
TO the presence of Mrs. Katrina Melch, and intro
duced her 'AIss BOnnified the young lady
from Sonora
And then Tom Jeggs felt it incumbent uponihim
10 repair 10 the "Long Tom Saloon and treat all
hands. He also declared most emphatically that
that ere gal could jest knock the spots off uvany
Shemale i'm the mOuntings -
John Lauchlin was hard at work gromd-sluic-
ing. Water was not plenty, and much labor was
required 20 pick up the hard gravel and pulveriZe
II sufficiently for the water To wash it thoroughly.
II was a warm morning. The thermometer must
have stood at one hundred i'm the shade; and down
i'm the claim, with the sunlight reflected from the
@laring banks on either hand il must have been
intOlerably hot. But that me was used 10. and so
toiled steadily ON. 30 intently was he occupied
that he dld not notice the approach of person on
horseback, winding slowly up the trail along the
side of the canon below. A. the riderapuTOached
II proved 20 be Tom Jegg-' passenger of the day
previous, Miss BOnnifeld. But Iauchlin saw her
not until she refined up her horse ON the bank near
him, and, above the dash of water and the Grind
ing OF bowlders, he heard faint voice callinghim
''Alr Lauchln ~
As he clambercd up the bank, it occurred to
him that he was scarcely i'm fit condition % ap-
pear before a lady. he wore a heavy pair of gum
boots, reaching to the waist; "a gray shirt with
many rents covered his arms and shoulders and
his brown hair protected 10y q wide sl1Uch
hat, red with mud and water His face was splat-
dull and ful of grit.
Excuse me. Sir-NIr IauchIin-for tai king Won
rom your work said Miss Bonnifeld, but I
WlSh To- make some inquiries of you. My name is
Ride up to the cabin, Miss 1t is too no, for
YOU 10 stand here IN the sun. Will turn of the
water from the claim and be there directly"
lie was under the Ive-oak as soon as She and
assisted her TO aiight.
BE seated, Miss. Allow me to hitch your horse
at the tree here. y hard ride up the mountain ON
50 hot day as this. If YOU viii allow me, Miss
Bonniheld, will 20 into the cabin a moment and
remove a little of this mud and dirt .hiAh so
completely covers me- and then will Iisb.n.te onv
isl fD max
She smiled and bowed. In "a ehort time r.
turned I'M more prcsentable costume. and ~
fed his readiness to listen 20 her inqufriee.
You must think strange of my king on
here alone, Mr. Lauchlin," she began. "h4t sn'
IN hopes you will be able TO give me tn .uio ,la-
ton 50 anNouSly desire. You have hsc p e.
ner here for some years past ~
Iauchiin admitted ne had.
'IIe is gone now, understand -disoppea iu
"a strange manner. What was his name ~
He started and then stammered:
"I-well really, Miss Bonnifed, I shat be
obliged to make a most singular comics ion do
not know his name -
Then she, in turn, looked surprised
The statement he had made struck Johr u,r-
lin as being the height of absUrity, and, IN spite
of his efforts to control himself he burst into fit
OF uproarious laughter. In few moments he was
calm.
please excuse me, Miss Bonnifield. 4 bad
habit have of laughing in the wrong place This
Is serious matter To you, / see wish I could
give you the information YOU wish. But in truth
do not know the real name of my partner, whose
disappearance has been To me a source of much
mhappiueSS, for had never been separated
during a period of ten years. He was always
Uncle Luke to me, and was John to him.
Miss BOnnitield took of her dusty hat for she
was very warm, and hung il on limb of the oak
Her luNurant hair in wavy curls fell down and
shaded her brown face. She made a pleasant pic-
ture, with the hecks of sunlight falling through
the oak leaves upon her weil-roUnded form-at
least, John Lauchlin thought SO. Presently she
spoke again:
"'Uncle Luke you call him, is as | hare
every reason To believe, my father There is tn
unhappy family history which viii not trouble
you to listen To, sir''-she bowed her head and n
faint blush rose to her brown face--"but while
loved my mother with the natural affection of a
daughter, yet believe my father was guiltless Of
all wrong My mother is no longer living. l am
alone in the world and naturally have a gret
Insirn n Iis.lN,r uhl.rl lI,.,rrt 80,