The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1886-05-06
A sTRANl GE COIN CIDl)ENCE.

Y III IS u 3ssa Fl sSy i; !
A STRANGE COIN CE.
$sstS 4: BY. LIZZIE LYONS. u
It was a bright, sunshiny morning in
October, one of those delightful days
in the lovely autumn, which brings an
involuntary, cheerful smile to the lips
Of even the most anappreciatiye, who
can scarcely ever see anything to be
commended in this fair world The
fashionable people had mostly returned
to town, after their long vacation spent
among the sands at the fashionable sea-
side resorts, and the Fifth avenue man.
sions were again resonant with gayety.
In one Of the most stately residences
Of Lin an elegantly appointed bou-
DOR, Mrs. Landmere, lady, one would
Judge Of about fifty years. paced back
and forth, impatiently. She was reputd
to be very wealthy, owning mine
worth several millions. Her proud,
patrician face wore a care-worn express
sion; her tall, slender figure, with its.
long, clinging dress of some soft. black
( material, once SO graceful. seemed
bowed with care; and in her large, dark
eyes there was look as of great long
ing. Her hands clasped, her whole at
titude one Of supplication, she breathed
q prayer that she might see her son,
her boy, but once again. rs,
just five years ago he had been with
her-her joy. her pride, the very lion
of elite society. On. his entrance to a
ball room dozens of gentle hearts
would beat more quickly, dozens of
bright eyes grow brighter at his COM
ing; anxious mammas with eligible
daughters smile approvingly at the
slightest attention from him. Hand
some to q fault, and courted by all, he
was, as would naturally follow, way
ward and self-willed, but he had
never asserted it to any very great
extent until, having imagined that he
had fallen in love with his mothers
seamstress, he vowed he would marry
her in direct opposition to his moth
er's wishes; in fact, her most earnest
commands When he announced the
fact she held up her. hands in holy
horror: al. the idea of such-n emesalli-
ance. Her son-R Landmere-to
marry q seamstress. Preposterous!
All her commands, her pleadings,
I. were to no avail. His will. was as in
domitable as her own. She at last re-
sorted to discharging the poor girl in
his absence, thinking he would soon
overcome his foolish affection. Not SO,
however. On his return stormy inter-
4 view ensued, in which he vowed he
would search for her in the four cor
ners Of the earth but what he would find
her. So saying he had gone from her
without the clasp of the hand, without
a word of parting, without even single
glance except to throw her look OF de-
3 fiance as he went from the room; and
five years had passed away on leaden
wings; to her five years of weary wait
ing and longing, of hoping against hope,
for just ono word from him. Was he
sick and sufferingP Was he carrying
on q miserable existence, or, horrible
4 thought! was he dead, occupying some
) unknown grave, with nothing to mark
his last resting placer were the harrow
ing thoughts that had thrust themselves
constantly upon her. And why did she
think 50 much of him to-day, when five
years had elapsed; time, one would
think, to have almost healed the wound.
Her thoughts were suddenly inter-
rapted by the entrance of o servant,
with the morning mail. It consisted
4 ofthe Morning Times and q business
like looking letter. Taking the paper
and CHANGING att 'carelessly, her eye
was arrested by,a long column, head
ed, Trouble in the Mines" She read
itthrough, with q sigh Of sympathy for
I the poor miners, who were being treat
ed SO unjustly and laying it down, she
broke the seal of her letter. 4
It was just q brief note from the over.
seer;of her mines, stating there would
& be no profit from them that month, ow-
\ ing to the exorbitant demands of the
miners GLOWING in o. few minor expla-5
nations AS she read it dark suspi-
cion flashed across her mind. Could it
\ be that he was defrauding her-perhaps.
grinding down those poor, unfortunate
menP Her mind was soon made up;
4 she would go to the mines. Here she
had been brooding over her trouble
when ahe was needed elsewhere. With
I her, to decide was to act, and the reso-
luton was no sooner formed than she
set about making preparations for her.
Journey, . . /. III. .
"a dull, leaden, threatening sky over
head, cold and disagreeable all around;
the miners gathered together in little
knots, talking exoitedly and fangrily,
showing plainly by their scowling looks
/ thatsome evil was pending somebody.
"a man known among them as Jack
Lorley, stepped from among the group
and raised his hand as though to speak
to them, and all hushed into silence.
Under ordinary circumstances, one
would turn and look curiously at the
Handsome, intelligent face, refinement
and good breeding written on every
9.lineament Of the perfect features, de-
spite the miners garb. There was o
i look in his handsome eyes OF defiance
one could almost say of disgust with
+ the world, as though it had used him:
roughly; his nonchalant air saying
plainly that he cared not what he did,
! since he seemed doomed to misfortune.
although but about thirty, he was evil
IDENTIFY d lender among them, and q fav-s
5sorite, for as he started to speak, each
one removed his hat and prepared to
listen ID respectful silence.
s59 NV brave men. IL such YOU are, and