Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-05-26

al idN iiioNiiS dDp"N III NV aNJpiIl
ing room. She was unconscious of my
presence, and as | sat with my eye,
dwelling upon her beautiful face, my
thoughts wandered back To the old days
at the Cape. when | left my work from
time to time to see how 1.-THE little 'un'
was getting ON, as she lay exhausted with
sickness. The CLEAN of the white teeth
between the parted lips, the curl of the
long lashes hat swept her cheek, the
crisp little lock above her ear-these were
all the same, yet with the undefinable
trait of womanhood, so different. The
bud had opened-only to die? had ask.
ed myself before if she would live. II
was doubtful then, but the hope was
fainter now.
She opened her eyes, and, seeing me,
sprung up with a cry Of joy, and threw
her arms round my neck and kissed me
for she was, indeed, still a child at heart,
"Oh, it is true!" she cried, between her
klsses;"I was asleep, and / saw you come
to me, and" she stopped abruptly, and
drawing back, said in wonder, as she
looked in my face, "Why, you are cry
ing!'
Hearing her voice, Brace came in from
the next room.
"Say, now, what did I tell your he
exclaimed. THE Kids took it into her
silly little head as she wouldn't see you
10 more, SIR"
"She will see a good deal of me, if ]
have my way" l said, holding out my
hand to Brace.
His countenance changed, he dragged
his chin tuft thoughtfully for a minute,
then turning to his daughter, he said:
Lola, my gel, we must have it on,
now, straight off. Here's Gentleman
Thorne holdin' out his hand TO me. and
amt no right to take it till you let on
what's come OF the big diamond
mot nOw-not now" she said, be-
seemingly; "a little while-a week-no
more
mo, my gel; faint to b. put off Like
it was a dose Of physic. See here-see
here. When we parted, Gentleman
Thorne refused to give me his hand-for
why, he knew we wasn't playin' square,
and, turning Ia me. he said, You knew
we'd got the stone, didn't you, sir?'
Il saw you hide the case" l replied.
consequently you knew we'd got the
thing among us sOmewheres. Come, my
gel, think how Gentleman Thorne nussed
YOU out there in the hot sun; member
how he stood by you and pulled you
through. Don't let the best friend you
ever had think you amt got nothin' but
greaser blood in yer; don't let him think
you amt got no kinder gratitude or fec
ton in yer" .
"Oh, You shall not think that" she
cried, starting to her feet. "Ill take
you there-not to-day, ii is too far; but
tomorrow I'll show you where it is, and
You shall take !. 70 her, and never see me
again"
Il will take you with meif | go, Lola"
| said.
She shook her head, and covered her
face with her hands.
mo, nc, you will never see me again
she said, and then a violent fit of cough
ing attacked her, and she left the room,
closing the door after her.
Brace looked at me significantly, and,
in a low voice that faltered a little, said:
at amt nat'ral for her to give in like
that; ii amt like the Kid, not a bit. Her
contrariness and obstinacy used TO make
me wild, bu' t didn't make my heart
ache like this:"
Lola came back in a little while, weak
and exhausted, but with asmile upon her
poor face. She sat close to me slipping
her hand under my arm, and resting her
cheek against my shoulder. Her love
was too innocent, or she was too ignor-
ant of social usages, to know restraint.
II don't want to talk; it hurts me" she
said. Il just want to sit here quiet,
and she closed her eyes, nesting still
closer.
you've come to a ruined and an on.
hallOwed country, sir" said the Judge
'durned if l skercely knew it again
nothing but machinery and Chinese-not
a decent white placer in all Nevada
yaller varmint amt left anything worth
lookin' for, not in the Urinary way. Its
got to be looked for in onor'nary places,
and fetched out in onor'nary ways, as
I've said more'n once before to you; and
my meanin' is that l could do the same
if | had the means, and if so be the Kid
| keeps her p~romise-as | do believe she
will" Lola nodded, without taking heI
head from my shoulder, or opening hei
eyes. and a little sigh fiuttered up from
her heart. "As l know she will-IU dc
it; not for the sake of the gold, cause
that won't be needed when we've got the
diamond, but just to prove the p~renceplt
of the thing. It's down an almighty
hole up the Sierra, nearly up to the snow
line, and I've been there prospectin' i
day after day, and studyin' the thing
out, an l didn't leave it till the snow
forced us to come down, an now tn,
holes blocked up for months"
Suddenly raising her head, and turning
to her father, with eager eyes, Lola ex
claimed:
"Blocked!7
"Ah, blocked for full three months BY
the snow, and for another by the swellec
fall; it'll be pretty well June afore l kir
get down it,"
Lola burst into a fit of historical laugh
ter, and, clapping her hands with Joy
said:
"It is down there-the diamond! Yo,
must Observation-Disclosures till June.
Then growing suddenly grave, she looked
w~istfully at me, az if to see X 1 were an
cry with A0.
CHAPTER XvN.
Naturally they we're sstonished wiol
they heard ! had been in the state
couple Of months. When / told them
had come there to seek my fortune. an
was farming in the south, where hope
they would come and stay with me dur
ing the winter, Brace said:
"Well l hear there's Twin to be mad
ranohin', but it's a plaguy long row, the
do say. Howsocver, it won't loo nonetO
long for ne to hoe along Of you, md s
no yOu're agreeable to hayiD' orr cOur