The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-08-14

from which this fragment was broken.
would yield the richest fortune in Col
orado.
He took his bearings, staked his
claim, covered all signs of success and
gathered up load Of metal. Il was SO
pure he could cut it with a knife. He
slung the burden on his shoulder and
started back to- Denver. At noon he
rested in camp of miners ana they
stopped work to look at him-he was so
ghostly. But he had an independent,
deilant air about him now, and they
waitedeupon him. They made him eat
dinner with them. He had not realized
before how near he stood to starvation.
After dinner he pressed on with long,
impatient strides and reached Denver In
the evening. His friends did not know
him. He had a defiant, forceful air. He
had good lodging and the best service
obtainable. In the morning he pur-
chased an outfit and plenty of food. A
man loaned him mule. "They wouldn't
loan me anything week ago" he said
bitterly. He knew they looked at him
as one who had ''struck it." He remem-
bered now that he looked enviously at
just such figures. He felt sort of en-
nifty at the world, a feverish hatred Of
Carlisle. He hoped he might not break
down till accounts were squared.
He went back to his claim and found
it richer than he dreamed. In a week
he had packload of silver that was
worth twenty-five dollars a pound. In
month he had enough for train. And
he had only found the beginning of the
wealth. He had traced the fssure to its
parent in the hill, and had satisfied him
self of the richest find in Colorado. But
there he broke down. He had just
strength enough left to load the mules
and start back. He was weakened with
hemorrhage. He was blinded and stag
gering He reached Denver leaning
across one of the swaying animals and
begging in Gods name for assistance.
They took care of him then. He was
a rich man. He was far more than that
in their eyes, He was fortunate But
he tossed in frenzy Of excitement and
called upon them to hurry him home.
1t would have been death to the man
who stole a dollar. They made COM
mon cause of caring for him. He told
them freely, without reserve, rapidly,
where the vein could be found. He
knew he could never come back and
keep his claim. They struggled and
fought for the privilege of buying. They
asked no guarantee beyond what they
saw. They knew he was telling the
truth Their purchase money was
worth more than the ore he had brought
away. He was hurried to the train. He
was hurried home. He reached there
unconscious.
Mary Albright had been bearing a
heavy burden. She could not repay the
money her husband had borrowed from
Carlisle. She could not avoid under
standing the horrible alternative offered
her. She could not defend herself except
by taking her boys out from under the
only roof they had in the world. She did
not hesitate in the choice. She only
planned to postpone the evil day. She
promised the money faithfully Sept. /.
In default she pledged a foreclosure
dearer to George Carlisle than all the
money in the world. July drifted into
August, and August was burning away
in the torrid rays of a sultry sun. George
Carlisle rode past the Albright farm day
after day. He watched his boy Winslow
playing in the barn or in the woods with
Fred, the eldest son Of his prospective
victim. He wondered why the lads were
such inseparable companions, and
thought of the enmity that had always
been between their fathers.
Late in the month he walked across
the fields and tried to enter the house.
Mary met him at the door and warned
him never to cross the threshold. He
pushed his way into the house and she
shot him.
That day the news came that Amos
Albright had arrived, sick, and dying at
the county town, ten miles away. His
wife and children had fed from the house
which could be home to them no longer
and were hurrying to the station when
the news met them. She knew that
officers would overtake her, for whether
or not her shot was fatal, it was too seri-
Gus to be forgiven. She met her husband
and drank her great soul full of his one
caress, of his one kind pressure of pallid
lips upon her own, and then laid him
down contented. He never knew of her
trouble.
People in the little Illinois town know
to this day the persecution with which
George Carlisle followed this heroic
woman; knew that the money her hus-
band brought her was dissipated in
fight he had not the manliness to aban-
don. And they also know the woman
was escorted by half the population of
the township back to the home made
sacredly hers by the defense there Of her
honor, and that she was there protected
by them against the ISLANDERS as well as
the assaults of her enemy until he went
at lSst--a tardv volunteer-into the
army, and fell with Heavens curse
upon him in the very first fight of his
life. la d
They know as well that the children of
these families grew up together in love,
unmarried by the strife of parents, and
that between bold Fred Albright and
Madeline Carlisle there was bond the
stronger for the stormy days of youth.
And closer than David to Jonathan,
nearer than Pythias to Damon drew the
hearts and the lives of Fred and Wins
low, the 1ys who played in the barn
and tb" Is while poor, furnishing
Amos ,s fighting death at the
mout
VIII. rown they went to
Co. ado md found a city
4ere were cks in war time.
They found ouS hat all Colorado
had known for years, that the Albright
vein was lost. No man ever had foundit.
They knew he had told the truth. They
found the silver he had cached, they
followed his very footsteps down the
trail; but in the insanity which must
have come of weakness and excitement
he had buried his treasure too well.
One of the men followed the search,
spent fortune and abandoned it. When
the boys came to Boulder three years
ago they easily secured all rights, and
began again the search the others had
found SO fatuous. Madeline, now for
years the wife of Fred Albright, was
left at home, smoothing the sunset road
Of Mary's life in the very house where
George Carlisle had fallen wounded.
The boys worked together diligently
and confidently. They knew they would
find the '1ost vein." Others said, s.Hope
you will; we couldn't" They never left