Morris tribune., 1886-10-13

dou ,asrred that Priscilla McDonal
was visiting at one OF the best home
IN ~ o,tv. and was looked upon wit
ercaedinc favor by the town.
Two DAVIS later I received an invite
| ton to attend g. grand party at tn
residence OF one OF the silver kings
The initiation came through friend
and / accepted it, hoping to agai
meet my charmer of the mountain
wagon.tral.
Twas not disappointed.
/ met Priscilla again. in an attir
that gave her the look OF an angeI
one thing only was lacking-wings!
She was glad to see me, and I seem
ed the favored one in the room until
late arrival appeared in the person c
my friend OF the mines, Luke Storms
Twas not little surprised at seein
the mine owner, and what surprise
me still more was the fact that h
seemed on friendly terms with Prlscl
la Mcdonald, and at once usurped tn
place had occupied.
This was a revelation to me.
luke Storms was so, q widowel
aid had q family of grown childre
if the east. What right had he to 6as
| in the smiles of this young girl? Fu
thermore, what right had she
young, to accept an old 1naa1 81 atten.
Etiops'
= Money!
That was the key 80 the mystery,
and Miss Mcdonald was as mercenary
as the rest of her sex. Disguised with
myself and other people in general, l
walked outside among the vines and
trees. Finding rustic seat I sat
down, leaned my aching head against
a tree and fell into doze
From this state Twas reused by the
of voices. l sat upright sud
denly and cautiously. Asweet, scarce
" perceptible perfume filled the atmos-
phere, and caught the futter of a
white dress.
II have the old fool completely in
The tolls. Nick"
"Hist, woman! Not that name here.
You know that the people of Up
,rade would not rest easy did they
know whom they had entertained so
'oyally during the past month-call
ne Frank, still"
The voices were attuned to low
Key, almost a whisper, and could not
)e heard dozen feet away. 1t was
! lucky accident that placed me with
n six feet of the two. The only thing
feared was discovery.
Frank it is. The old chap is ripe
Or plucking; it is all arranged, and
o-morrow night the hour"
H"Good. At what placer"
THAT remains to be arranged"
I"How much swag?"
l"Twenty thousand"
"Good again. Your beauty is valu-
bile, my pert Priscilla"
Then they moved away, and 1 sat
ooted to the spot in unspeakable sur
rise.
en- the woman was SO uncere-
nously shut off at the word Nick I
: std. knew one Nick Wilde'sl, an
9 esd ennuiet 90 df-ssl ger, Tor whom
: a large rewaTfad been two years
stand5-the very case that had
thought me to the silver hills when
Storms induced me to turn aside to
look after his robber.
I realized with no little satisfaction
that might kill two birds with one
stone. Ny wits were about me now,
and l resolved not to be caught nap
ping.
Early the next day met Storms.
He questioned me as to my progress
on the case in hand.
II am on the TRAIL" Isaid, and that
was all the confidence he received from
me. l did not question him regarding
Miss Mcdonald, knowing full well that
he would be angry, but I watched his
every movement as cat would watch
B. mouse.
During the day a boy delivered a
note to the mine owner, which after
reading and smiling over, he thrust
into a side pocket of his
coat.
While taking a friendly cigar with
MIN, a little later, I dexterously APP
propriated the note for my own bene-
it, knowing that if he missed it he
would never know that had filched
t.
had the note under my eye.
"YoU DEAR OLD DUCK: All is arranged.
At the little slab house under the bluff 10
sharp, remember. pussy"
l could not forbear a smile at the
wording, and yet when 1 remembered
low badly had been hit by the siren
could not wholly blame the mine
)wner for his infat11atiOn
$780," 1 muttered, "'the little slab
house under the bluff Twill see about
hat"
resolved now to secure the services
friends and keep LukeStorms
company to the trysting place of his
but, of course, we were to
emain in the back ground
I will now give what took place in
he mine-owner's case as ] afterward
earned it from his own lips:
He had partially bargained with
,retty Miss Mcdonald to marry her
ecretly on the following evening, but
he hour and place had not been des-
grated until he received the note l so
DON filched from his pocket.
Brother Frank would be terribly
nut out did he imagine that was to
marry a man twice my years." ex-
'lained Priscilla, "and so we must be
married in secret"
Blinded by his infatuation the
nine-owner agreed to meet her at some
place, and there con-
their happiness, she agree
1g to find suitable person to per-
orm the ceremony.
The most suspicious circumstance |
-as that Storms was induced to draw
il his available funds from the bank,
nd as soon as the marriage was con-
it was agreed to take the
nidnight train for the eassr~ tt was