The Washington critic., 1885-12-29
ONLY HIS SISTER.

on the main street since early fall, and
two San Francisco gamblers had spent
q fortnight in the town and when they
thing like $4,000 worth of dust
mourned its loss. There was ma.
terial enough TO inaugurate Gene.
terry, as every one remarked and
the fact that none of it had been
utilized was what lead those conversant
with the subject TO allude to its life in
the past tense. The boys were sitting
around the stove in the Pay Dirt saloon
one evening in early spring, discussing
this lamentable condition of affairs,
when jim, the bartender, laconically
observed:
'Fire over at the Cup last night"
"WhcreaboutsY inquired u stalwart
miner, whose checked shirt had given
him the name of Joliet
"The schoolmaster shanty," said
the barkeeper.
."Well, responded Joliet, with fine
contempt, SERVED him right. Had no
business TO start a school at the Cup.
When they begin starting schools in
Idaho mining camps it's time for men
to dig out. We got schools where we
come from, eh, boys p
what became Of the schoolmaster'
daughter ?" inquired one of the boys in
the back part of the room.
Daughter, did you say?" interro.
gated Joliet, while the other listeners
began TO exhibit signs of interest in the
narrative.
"Yes, his little girl what became of
her?'
y didn't know he had girl. How
old is she ?"
"There you get me- amt good
judge Of girls ages. Seems to me
she is about twenty"
Pretty
"Wcll, now you're talking. AS
pretty as arose. That's what they call
her over at the camp-'The Rose of
Tin Cup Didn't you ever hear tell of
her? That's funny. She's the girl
that brought Dick Stubs through the
fever. Left her home and went right
over TO the shack and stayed there,
boys Stayed there night and day GO
ing on four weeks Amusing that great,
big, good-for-nothing fellow"
us that so?" inquired Joliet. Well,
I'll be blowedl didn't know there was
q woman within 100 miles of here. And
you say she is prctty?"
"That's what l said,' replied the
other, scntentiously, "and when / say
thing mean it,
This was q statement no one felt
like disputing, however much ground
there might have been to doubt 1t. An
experienced miner seldom disputes
with man who Is aroused about
a trivial matter unless he is drunk.
What did you hear of the grip in.
quired Joliet of the barkeeper.
Burned to death" replied that in.
dividual tersely.
"And the schoolmaster?"
"Dcad, too. The story heard was
that the fire broke out in the middle of
the night The girl tried to put it out
without waking the old man. Her
clothes caught fire. He woke up. Put
'em out, but she died, and so did he.
He never got out of the building.
Roasted right there. He could "a got
away all right if he hadn't stopped to
look after the girl, That's the story l
heard. Now you know all / know"
"Wcll," observed Joliet, after a mo-
ment Of impressive silence, che was a
brick if he was schoolmaster. Pity
the girl died, though
The silence which followed this oh.
servation was soon rudely broken by Il
scuflle outside of the bar.room door,
which soon gave way, and q stranger
entered the room, stamping the snow
off his boots, and shaking 1t from his
coat and wide brimmed hat
Bad night" he remarked, as he
stalked up TO the bar and called for II
half-pipt of the best in the house.
While he was draining the glass the
miners had an opportunity to size him
up. He was tall and squarely built,
roughly dressed, and unshaven, char
acteristics which are shared alike by
all miners. His face was his only pc
culiarity. 1t was ugly in spite of its
veil of hair, and his eyes We're palish
green, like those Of snake. At first
glance he was the opposite of prepos-
sessing but this made little difference
with the company present. Manly
beauty was not to be expected in q
mining camp and, luckily for the new
conner, jug Tavern was not an eXcep-
ton to the rule. After room had been
made for him in the circle around the
stove, the boys waited in silence for
him to speak.
HAS any one seen Bill Coons around
hereY' he inquired, at length.
No one replied.
I'D like to see him, that's all, he
continued, savagely. Then he paused
for an answer. As none was vouch-
| safed, he resumed:
"Bill Coons is the man Tve been
after for the past two years, and all
want is TO get at him"
"Whatve you got against Bill
CoonsY inquired the barkeeper.
"Its none of your business" an
swered the stranger; but l don't
mind saying it's on account of his
daughter"
Ellis daughterg" repeated the bar
keeper. What could his daughter
have TO do with your"
Whats that TO your" replied the
stranger, rs he laid his hand ON the
butt of large pistol while the crowd
edged away to avoid any stray bullets
that might chance to miss their mark,
Drop your gun and throw up your
hands" quietly remarked the bar
keeper, rs he leyeled n huge navy re-
volver at the stranger Hold up your
hands or I'll make n lead mine of you. "
Without wasting any words in eX-
PLANTATION or eXpostulation, the stranger
FASTENED to obey.
Now" continued the barkeeper
without lowering his weapon, tell me
what you know about Bill Coons'
daughter.
81 know" stNmmercd the stranger,
that she is good-fcr nothing
young"
The senteneewas never finished.
After those boys who remained in
the room had laid the dead man out