The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1884-11-07
for the nightly crowd of manly gossip

erS 70 come IN.
The little rocking-chair in which she
| sat went humping to and fro noisily
| and nervously upon the pine floor, ano
the tiny slippered foot beat q nervous
tattoo in unison with it.
..It's too bad" she cried, impetu
ously, s.it's too bad for Charley to work
down in that old hole in the ground al
the winter and then sell out for a pal
try thousand. And he's doing it just
SO he can be married this summer, too, =
and a pretty little wave of bloot
swept over the sweet neck and face.
..He shan't do it. Charley DOM
know anything about a mine and hi
might have a little bonanza and moi
know it, just hear the dear simpleton. >
LoGIowN, CAL.
MY PRECIOUS FRANK:-Bonn is negotiating
with me for my claim. and he offers 81 ON
about made up my mind that 1 had better de
so. You know If had that much cash,
could have the face to ask you hasten that
long hoped-for happy day: For your sake
darling, believe ii win be best for me to take
this offer. If do. you may look for me down
early next week.
CHARLES MOTLEY
"Hello, Frank" shouted a smothered
voice close to her ear, '.are you there
yet?'
Frances jumped to her feet and ran
to the telephone.
"Dear me, l left the receiver hang
ing down, and they could not ring the
bell"
She put it to her ear and shouted
back through the transmitter:
Eyes, Pm here; what is it?"
Don't you forget to send that thou
sand up ON the stage tonight to Log
town. Tom saws there's at least &c.
600 in sight. Motley is school-marm,
and don't know it. Don't forget now.
Good-by."
Frank pretty eyes and mouth spread
wider and wider as these words came
out of the wonderful little instrument.
"For goodness sake! who is he talk
ing to? Oh-h-h y-e-es! why it must be
to Frank Downey, the express agent at
Bokey. Theyve been talking together,
and Downey has stopped and switched
my end on. Motley is a school-marm.
is he? There's $4,000 in sight and
Charley don't know it, and the money
is going up there on the stage from
Bokey tonight. Oh dear. what shall l
do? I'll 60 up there. I will. It's only
eight miles, and it's twenty from Boz
key. It's five o'clock and the stage
gets there at nine"
Frank was California girl, and there
were no perlls to her on the eight mile
trail to Logtown, and if there had been,
the slur cast upon Charley's keenness,
and the eager desire to save that $780,
600 in sight for him would have been
sufficient incentives to induce her to
dare them, though she knew they awaited
her. Running over to the post-office,
she hurriedly engaged the young clerk
to take care of the instrument for her,
and, dashing back to her room, she soon
appeared ready for her eight-mile walk
to Logtown. A little silk cap surmount-
ed her head and over it was stretched q
black veil to protect her face from the
sun and from the evening breeze after
dark. Spreading her jaunfy parasol
she threaded her way along the narrow
trail which led through the chaparral
into the dark woods.
The sun was yet very hot, although
almost down behind the hills, and the
trail was steep and rocky; but Frank
pushed on, muttering to herself, when
she felt so tired she was tempted to sit
down and rest: .4Charley's a school
marin, is hep Ten thousand dollars in
sight and he don't know it, Ell? Well,
he shall know it, and have all the credit
of the discovery, too, there now?" Up
up, down, down, around and around
wound the mountain trail. and Frank
wound with it, until tired, dusty, breath
less. hoarse and almost crying, she saw
the county highway in the somber
moonlight, just below her.
just as she reached the roadside and
was about to push through the chapar-
raj which here reached to her shoulders
she heard the rumbling old stage coach
coming round bend close to her.
With despairing resolve to go in at
least with the stage If she could not be-
fore it, she pushed her closed parasol
through the bushes and waved it to the
driver, shouting at the same time.
hoarse from her excitement: "Stop!
Stopw
But to her establishment and dismay,
instead OF stopping the driver reached
down into the boot, and. with . .'cuss
yer, take it!'' threw . heavy box into
the road, and. flashing his four-in-hand
into run, disappeared down the can
yon.
Poor Frank crouched down into the
chaparral in despair.
s'Oh, dear! l haven't walked there
and I've lost the stage and poor Charley
-oh, dear me-"
The spirit of . genuine California girl
is not easily overcome with despair, and
Frank was genuine California girl
and she was not to be beaten until she
was.
She got up. pulled her black veil
tighter over her moist face and bravely
started on again to Logtown. 1t was
not far, and not half hour elapsed be-
fore she saw the lights of the little camp
scattered around in the canyon below
her.
Breathless and painting she hurried to
the tavern. A great crowd Of men were
excitedly swearing and threatening on
the porch. Some were in the street,
clinching saddles on to their horses, and
in their midst stood Black Pete, the stage