Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-12-05

herself up to the imrrlse of the moment,
/ for, though she could not tell how 1t
, happened, the third dance had not end.
] ed before she had poured her whole
i. story into this strangers eare, and even
treating him to sight of Joe's last pho
tograph, suspended in q locket about
her fair neck. On his side he had vol
unteered the information that the duke
was expecting soon to visit the very
mines in question, as he had an interest
there, and wished to make quiet trip
through that country.
"And oh if you should see Joe,' y
cried the sweet girl with an upward
look that melted her partners heart,
"give him my love, please, and tell him
I'll never marry old Peters-neuer!
They parted warmly, as became good
friends with q secret between them.
"Tm 30 glad Jimmy brought you" she
said. as he held her hand longer than
was exactly necessary, out under the
big lilac bush, in the gioaming. you've
brought me real comfort, somehow. and
I'll not soon forget it. It's lucky the
duke didn't come, though, for he would
have epoilt it all-but how will you get
home to the hotel?"
"Oh, Mil-the duke, mean-kindly
promised to send the carriage for me; l
presume it's waiting now at your gate.
We'll, I must 60. Oh! here's jimmy.
Good. bye, and may the Lord bless you."
i But the young man walked very
slowly away, and looked back more than
once Ito see the young girl standing
STILL" waving his hand as if to be q
friend and equal, while half mournful
sigh welled up from his heavy heart.
Jimmy heard it and frowned-
"Say Coachy," he said, in grieved &C
cents, 81 think you've treated me mighty
mean, that's all! And what's more, if 1
ever get chance to tell Joe about SAILS
actions Pm going to-you bet. l want
you to understand that my sister amt
a-goin' to run away with no coachman,
if he does belong to duke, and you can
just put that in your pipe and smoke it!''
Coachy gave him a glance that would
have annihiated anything but an Amer
lean boy, burst into curt laugh and
then bit his lips into silence. "Jimmy,"
he eaid gently, after q pause, when
you're older you'll know more. Mean
while, here's something to help you en-
ioy yourself while you're young" and
slipping big round coin into the young
ster's palm, he sprang into the landau,
called out q gay good-by, and was driven
rapidly away.
The astonishad youth looked after the
audacious and much-privileged servant
with round eyes, which finally dropped
to the piece Of metal in his hand. He
held it up in the waning light.
,,o1I ho -hioDorol nvaSbnI1y
"and not silver dollar, as 1 s'posed, and
there's two KS on it. jerusalem crick-
cts! it is 500 gold piece if it's cent?"
~.
Four months had passed away, and
the farm house in the hollow crouched
under its snowy GOV ering, snug and safe,
while away in the western mountains
men toiled as they could, and cursed the
snow and the cold which heightened
and hardened their desperate task of
wrestling from it's hiding place that gold
| which to them meant home and fireside,
with the presence of loved ones far
away. Poor Joe, undaunted by fatigues
and suferings which would have driven
stronger men to the wall, still kept at
work, spurred on by the thought of
pair of dark, wistful eyes which he
knew were looking hopefully for him
each day. But his pile was still very
small, and hope seemed almost ready to
desert him.
How could be be sure she was faithful,
after all, he thought, gloomily trudging
homeward in the cheeIless twilight,
| with his pickax on his shoulder and his
eyes on the ground. Such pretty girl
wouldn't wait long for suitors, and
hello! what's that?
A long cry of "Hel-p!" came family
from the gloomy, slanting ravine at his
right, but thought he peered anxiously
down he could see nothing. "Hello!"
he called back, in ringing voice, and
the same cry, but fainter, came again
"Hel,p! Help"
Using his clumsy pickax for an alpen-|
stock, he crept cautiously down the rough
declivity, calling out at intervals, and
following the sound of the answering
call, until he reached clump of bushes
by narrow trail or bridal-path, in whose
shadow lay man, evidently sorely hurt.
Joe bent over him.
"Well, stranger, what is it ?" he asked,
in the careless tone of man hsbitated
to danger, but with certain tenderness
not native to the ordinary miner.
"To be brief, fell among thieves, and
am about done for" said the wounded
one, family. "There is stab in my side
If you cold stop the blood L"
He ceased abruptly overcome with
faintness, while Joe with ready skill
soon found and stanched the wound
with part of the strangers own gar.
ments; then, as he looked vaguely
around, wandering what he would do
next, the snow-laden bushes rustled, and
figure crawled cautiously out at his
feet. One MON ent brought Joe's pickax
to ready poise, and with the next it
would have decended with clushing force
on the crawlers skull, when his whining
voice broke in:
Don't it me, DON'T His g grace
much 'urt? AS the robbers went?
Joe's pickax decended harmleesly.
"Wno be you, you sneak? and who's
his grace I'D like to know"
"He's the duke of -, sir; hand I'm
is sarvint. The thj ives nearly killed |
us sir. and ran hoff with hour 'osses, and
took shelter in follow log, sir, for the
time. His e really much 'urt?"
"ki!led, I guess" said Joe shortly.
"You coward! Why didn't you come and
help him, before it was to late? Here,
help me lift him-so; we'll take him to
my cabin"
Fortunately it was not far away, and
Joe, q few hours later, had the satisfac-
ton of seeing his guest warmed, fed, and
comfortable, his cut sewed up, and him.
self in fare way to recovery, though
still weak from loss of blood. Asutterly
weary, the miner stepped silently to the
side of his bunk to give him one last re-
glance before seeking his own
hard bad on the floor. the sufferer reach.