Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-10-01
.ADeal5WiIdLandS
Fight for The MHSSGlShGl Millions.
BY LEON LEWIS.
CHAPTER v.
VERY STRANGELY BEERrESDED.

~Oh, Mr.. WynansiS she cried, after q
single instant OF wild incredulity. @How
glad I am to see you'll Where did you
come from so suddenly"
Il followed you, Ellie, from your
uncle's store" replied Perry, shaking
hands warmly. Accept my arm, please,
and Wen take 4 little walk. I've some
thing to say to you"
Fife complied without hesitation, as
without question, her sweet, glowing
face attesting her Joy at meeting him,
and they sauntered away together.
How sudden it seemed to her, his re-
appearance in her life, and at such a
moment! And how suddenly, too, with
his arrival, had the whole aspect Of the
world itself changed for herl
why, didn't see you in the storel"
she murmured, archly, radiant with her
new gladness, which she did not seek to
conceal
Il none the less saw you there, re-
spor ded Perry, -Aiy desk was close be-
side your uncle's Office, so that I saw
you when you came in and when you
went out
did you heard all uncle said to me?@
Not all-no, but enough 70 give me a
Just idea Of what he was saying and do
Ing"
-Then you heard him tell me"
yes, the heartless monsterl Need I
say how deeply I was grieved and
shocked by his conduct?n
Ellie locked up with the gratitude
these declarations we're so well calculat-
cd TO awaken, as also with the keen re-
lief the new situation Of affairs had given
her.
you are very kind. Mr.. Wynans, 4"
were the simple words which escaped
her, but with what tender jOyousness
we're they uttered!
you can never know how impatiently
l have waited TO see you again, con-
dnued Perry. @Since I first went to
Ingleheim, almost three years ago, to
talk with your father about his lands on
the Musselshell, / have had the extreme
happiness OF being acquainted with you,
but our meetings have been alike too
few and too brief, you were away so
much-at school, at your booksellers,
and elsewhere.
How shyly and sweetly Ellie looked up
again into his face.
Il am glad you comprehend why 1
have not seen more of you," she said
with delightful franknesS ~ can
never tell you how much I have priced
your acquaintance.
@MAny thanks for the assurance, Ellie.
1 became quite intimate with your
parents very soon after my first visit to
Ingleheim, and I cannot err IN saying
l41I L1ey valued ana esteemed me as
highly as did them
-How often they have said as much,
exclaimed Ellie. Il shall never forget
how warmly mamma spoke of you the
day before she died, and how grateful
she was for your last visit For myself,
how can 1 ever forget what a cOnsola-
ton IL was to me TO see you at the
funeral? Your kindness and sympathy
on that occasion went to my heart"
II am glad Of that, Elfie," returned
Perry, -fOr IL was from my heart that
they came. AS to what has since taken
place. our mutual friend, Mr. Bush, the
house agent, has kept me posted He
wrote me yesterday that you would call
upon your uncle to day, or / should
have come to Ingleheim 10 see you
Ellie bowed gratefully, her eyes shin
Ing like stars through mist Of tears
u hope you realize, Ellie, how often
have been In Ingleheim and how much I
have strolled around its hills and val
legs with your father, and especially
how much admired and loved him AS
sn outcome of that friendship, have
now some very important and surprising
facts TO communicate TO you. II you
viii step into Jacksons, a popular
restaurant for ladies and gentlemen in
the next block, Wen call for few re-
freshments and I'll tell you a number of
Certainly" returned Ellie.
Little more was said until they had
seated themselves in the restaurant In
question and given their orders, ard
then Perry resumed:
about ten years ago your Uncle
Hiram visited your parents at Ingle-
helm, and 1t was on that occasion that
your father and uncle sent ten thousand
dollars to Montana, to your uncle Jerry,
In Of "a laF
tations, to invest in wild lands on the
Musselshell River.
Il remember the transaction re-
turned Ellie. q also remember that
Uncle Jerry's Investment turned out a
very poor one"
$50 he reported, Ellie" pursued Wy
mans, ~but 1 at length became suspicious
that he was not acting in good faith.
This suspicion eventually became so
strong that availed myself OF a sum
mer vacation to pay a secret visit to the
Musselshell about three years ago, and
with the most astonishing results. Not
to keep you in suspense. 1 hasten TO say
that Uncle Jerry had been lying from
the very date of the purchase. The
lands were we'll worth all they cost, If
only as a range for cattle But gold had
been found on them in paying quanti-
ties, and certain old prospectOrs prophe-
sied great discoveries. 1 came back with
the idea that the property was far more
valuable than Uncle Jerry pretended,
and lost no time in buying it
aid father know when he sold you
his half-interest, all you had learned
by your secret visit to Montana?" asked
Elite
~He did. " replied Perry. @He was my
friend, and I was obliged to tell him.
He comDrehended perfectly what he was
ua1Ifnn Rna1fvfnur TINT ha gfrfaLrara
with death. and that your uncles would
not hesitate to rob you, Ellie, and know
ing that IL takes a strong hand to hold
its own in the wilds OF Montana. he
decided me the lands, with the under
standing that I would hold them as a
sacred trust for You, and that you should
share with me any good which might
come of them.
@But you didn't tell Uncle Hiram
Certainly not, answered Perry. 4
was under no obligations TO do so. He
asked me no questions, and I didn't even
tell him l had been TO Montana He
deemed himself smart and thought
he was unloading upon me a property
which was practically worthless. was
not his friend. nor in his confidence, nor
In any way his debtor.
Il see" breathed Ellie $50 we are
now the joint owners OF that entire
Musse:shell property"
-Yes, Ellie, as you Will see by letter
your mother wrote You a month ago,
declared Wynans, drawing a handful of
valuable papers from his pocket and
proceeding to detach from them the
missive in question -Read this
Starting in glad surprise, as she reeog-
nized her mothers handwriting, Ellie
pressed the letter repeatedly TO her lips,
and then broke the seal and read as fol-
lows:
Ny DARLING DAUGHrER-Mr. Wynans
SAYS your uncles VIII not do anything for
M--.. l. .---..