San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-05-16

Minna Stauffer was. as pretty a girl as
ever left the quaint little Dutch town of
Strasburg, overlooking the beautiful Pc
quea valley, and she was literally seeking
her fortune in Philadelphia. Brought up
in farmers family, she became weary of
the commonplace and monOtonous labors-
of the household. Moreover, she knew
that she was beautiful, and had an idea of
admirers more pleasing and refined than
the stalwart young farmers who told their
love in q dialect almost as euphonious as
the jargon of the digger Indians. So
Minna accepted the invitation of II married
sister living here, and came to the city.
This was not the day of the sewing ma
chine, and girls were not compelled to,
make shirts for a shilling apiece, for q
smart seamstress could find lucrative en-
oioyment, and Minna, being skillful with
| che needle, soon got work with Miss Hawk,
| a fashionable shirtmaker, on the east side
of Eighth street, below SAMSON.
Although a bitter old maid and as ugly
as if she had been bespoken, Miss Hawk
| had a good heart, and quickly became
| fond of her pretty employe, who had no Of
| fensive vanity and did her work extremely
| well, but the old lady had her hands full
when Minna's beauty brought male ad-
| mirers, who lowered around the door to
| pay her compliments. The most persistent
| and sincere was young Irishman named
| Peter Kelley, who was connected with one
| of the city journals
BOTH POOR, BUT IN LOVE.
At this time Mrs. Margaret Travilla kept
an excellent boarding house in Locust
street, above Fourth, and Miss Stauffer
went there to live.
Living in the house was young man
| named Lilburn. He was law court re-
porter for the press and a bright fellow,
| but his career was handicapped by ill
| health. He was as delicate as girl in ap
pearance-a gentleman by birth, but poor.
He and Miss Minna became fast friends
| He was fine musician and gave her les
sons on the piano, while she nursed him
| through an illness, and they became lovers
At this time QS56) the gold fever was
| raging, and Jason Lilburn determined to
| tempt fortune by crossing the plains to the
| Ell Dorado in search of health and wealth
| With some aid from friends he got to-
| gether sufficient means, and consoling his
sweetheart with the hope that he would
| return with enough to make their union a
| happy one, he started.
After eight months danger and priva-
| ton he came in sight of Virginia City.
| The journey had restored him to health,
| and his letters made Minna's cheeks flush
| with pleasure. Like many men of fine
| organization and slender physique Lilburn
had plenty of grit, and he got employment
with the Fargo Stage company.
THE LOVER GROWS RICH
For some time the coaches out of Carson
had been held up and robbed by one man
and several drivers murdered. Lilburn
| offered to make tri p as guard, and, armed
| with heavy double barreled shotgun, took
| his place on top. About ten miles from
| Carson, at early dawn, the coach was halt
| ed by tall masked man, pistol in hand.
| Lilburn let go both barrels and saw the
man go down. The frightened driver
| whipped up his team and made the next
station at gallop. A party went back
| and found in the road the body of a noto-
| riOus ruf1ian named Brannan. For his
| taking or killing large reward had been
| offered, and Lilburn received $1,000 from
the stage company for his mornings work.
| He had friend named Folger, shrewd,
| hard headed Yankee who knew the Carson
| City country we'll His advice was: This
| deestrct is full of silver. Go in and win.
| There is Mike Dalton, an honest little
| Irishman who has claim, and there is no
| better miner between this and Frisco. He
| has had partners before, and they always
made money. Mike is in porphyry rock
| now, but he will win if some one helps
| him. But he's out of money. Go in with
| him" Lilburn offered Mike g, 900 for half
| his mine, and unconsciously became part
| ner in the great Comstock vein. Mike
| worked through the rock and struck DO
| nanZa. But the last blast fired brought
down fall of rock, and the poor little fell
| low was brought out of the tunnel crushed
out of shape and dead. He had no kim
| dred, and Lilburn became rich man. He
| took out $4,000 of silver, and in a few
| months sold out for 100000.
Up to this time he had received Minna's
letters, but here they stopped. He wrote
| and wrote but no reply came He waited
and wondered until one day letter came
| from II strange hand, evidently a woman.
The writer thought it her duty to inform
him that Miss Stauffer had accepted rich
brewer named Gross, and they had been
| married.
| AN ENVIOUS wOMAN'S WORK.
| Lilburn set his teeth hard and passed
sleepless night, and then resigned himself
| TO the situation. poor girl. She had her
| living to make and was tired of waiting"
| and in loving consideration he justified
| her, and went into his work with renewed
energy. The facts We're these: Among
| Miss Hawks girls was a cripple who
| hated Minna Stauffer inadvertently. She
| slept in the store and saw the postman
| first in the morning. Minna's letters were
| intercepted, and at the proper time Lii
burn received the epistle that crushed out
his hopes.
In the meantime Minna's cheeks grew
| pale, and many silent tears were sned.
Peter Kelley had become a favorite with