Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-02

:
uttered shout.
"Grab him-he's white!" But the disguised
man was too quick for Kinnard. He leaped of
like cat and vanished in the thick darkness.
Ainnard was after him as swiftly, stumbling
against protruding roots, dashing himself
against tree trunks-a hopeless chase, although
Ned followed behind with the lamp. "Give me
q shot," called he. But Kinnard had left
his rife in the shanty; however, as q last
chance, he sent his knife shooting toward the
sound ahead. and q mufled cry told that
ms ann had been true. The spy was wounded.
For all that he kept on, his pace accelerated If
snytnlng BY his wound and succeeded in
shaking of his pursuers in the end. Next
morning they found his trail; he had been
bleeding profusely, yet had retained strength to
drag himself to the nearest highway, where no
oouot he had team In waiting to carry him to
. safe asylum.
The partners knew their danger il he should
happen to be some rascally oil brokers' scout;
he would forward the news that there was a
new well flowing, and that the broker would
make his fortune on the oil exchange at their
expense. They telegraphed to friend Of their
own on change and thus saved the field, for by
the time the wounded spy was able to forward
his news 1t was an old story, worth nothing to
his employer.
Ned Also autographed to his sister Nella to
nave nothing more to say to Joel Hartman,
promise or no promise, but If he troubled her
70 refer him to him. Ned And then the part
veloping their enterprise.
Il was SIX months afterward and the ground
was covered with snow and Nella Vance was
on her way to Venango to her brother to be his
housekeeper in the pretty new house built by
the now fourishing firm Of Vance 4 Kinnard.
Nella had come az far a. the railroad would
carry her on her journey, but she had yet
long ride in old Bolts primitive stage sleigh
along the weal-nade road which now ,ut
straight Is the crow flies through the intermin-
able hemlock forest from the railway station to
the new city Of Venango.
Nells was not the only passenger. There
were young and elderly men erowding to the
new Mecca in search of wealth, and wife or
tive going like herself to Join dear ones
already there, with homes to welcome them
to. And Nella did not find the drive irksome.
cid Driver Bolts and his passengers was about
Vance Kinnard, the plucky pioneers of
Venango, who had made such good use of their
luck and raised thriving town in the heart Of
the wilderness, with hotels machine shops, a
theater-and churches for "them az wanted
email in the space Of six months
An now thars dozens an dozens Of der
ricks round, besides Kinnard vance's," quoth
old Bolts, clarifying the new city. "An' moo
companies buyin in every day; but vance's
beats EN- all, as they deserves it should. Yit
they come pooty nigh to losin' it all. fust goin'
Oh, hadn't . been fer thar own pluck in wingin'
the skunk that stole their secret an then git
tin in ahead" And he told the story Of the
disguised man. Nella listened with beating
heart, for she had never Of him before
And they never discovered the spy?" in
CURED passenger.
mot quite, an all the better for him." re-
turned the old fellow, significantly. at did
come out that . chap was picked up on the
road the night vance's struck lie, about four
miles away, an he was bleedin' like a stuck pig
n n he hat he liza
no sensible account of. He was toted as fur's
the station, an 'crar'd out for parts unbe-
known"
The end Of Botst' story brought the stage in
nght OF . roughly put up cabin close to the
road and surrounded by Q number Of poles
standing at all angles compatible with standing
at all; at night these carried blazing torches
which Illuminated the forest recesses and the
roadway for long way. sort Of stage was
built out in front Of the cabin, encroaching on
the roadway, and on this staging a number of
red faced men, reekIng with crude petroleum,
were drinking some kind of liquor out of pint
bottles. A big signboard over the door bore
the legend-"Bottling Works"
i've got to stop a bit here to see q man."
said Bolts solemn1y. passenger asked where
the works" we're, as no building was visible
save the cabin. "Ho no! Them the works"
said the old driver, indicating the drinkers
Amt they bottlin' the rum as fast as they
kin? Yes, sir; that's the way we dodge the
liquor law here. Nobody kin say that drinkin
goes on in Turpin's, for that there platforms
on the road limit. Nor yet he don't sell liquor
by the glass; he sells it by the bottle, so them
chaps 10 drinkin' accordin' to law. The ladies
had bes: step inside and thaw ou.. NY bust
ness won't take long, but They'll find it shivery
Of the "bottling works" and coolly joined the
'.workmen" Of the establishment on the
staging.
The ladies were all the more inclined to obey
his suggestion that they found themselves the
objects OF close scrutiny on the part of the rum
drinkers and they thankfully followed the
reckoning Of the stout mistress Of the cabin,
who appeared at a side doorway to lead them in.
They gathered round the large fire which filled
the chimney, laughing and chattering with each
other, all but Nella who was longing for a little
quiet Now that she was nearing the end of
her journey she began to feel strangely ex-
cited, and yet her heart ached, too.
"Am l right in coming where shall see poor
Tim every day Of my life?' she questioned her
self as she stood by the tiny window looking
absently at the trodden snow outside. 20 dear,
If Ned had only let me alone, I'd never have
promised Joel. / never liked him, and though
Ned has changed his mind, he hasn't and won t.
he declares, say what l will Since Ned got
rich he's ever 80 much keener for the marriage
No doubt Nella Vance is more desirable with
lot Of money than without any. o Tint o
Tim ~ and two big tears slowly rolled down
her cheek and fell UNDECIDED on her furs.
A jolly burst Of laughter came from the men
outside, and q rough voice roared:
81 guess Vance 4 Kinnard's kin stand ont
agir all the threats that rum suckers kin fling
at 'em, an yer crank had better look to him
self. for they. square men an hev plenty
friends round"
''This chap might hev been q crank" said
a soberer voice, 'but tell We he meant what
he said. He'd Jest taken enough to set him
talkin' cut what he had at heart. An they's
always plenty chances to get even where they's
oil works"
''That's So" chimed in the other man. 'wells
hev been torpedoed inter blue blazes, fer spite,
afore Vance's.'
Thrilled to the heart by these boding sugges-
tions, Nella felt an irresistible impulse to carry
her brother . warning without another mo-
ment's delay, but old Bolts was still slipping
his grog among his cronies, and the stage might
not start for half an hour. She called the
landlady and inquired how far it was to the
town, and hearing that it was little more than
q couple Of miles by the road, but half that
across . clearing, she stepped bravely out
and the twilight soon hid her from the
hilarious company Of the "bottling works ~
Presently the forest ended and across q wide
clearing she saw the young city Of Venango,
twinkling with many torchlights the slender
shafts Of innumerable rival oil wells rising
above multitude of low wooden houses. Wide
streets, public buildings and lines Of street
cars proved the vitality Of tho oil city, while
the extensive clearings around it, which had
banished the forest to distance, promised we'll
for its rapid growth.
Out of Tim Kipnard's pool this thriving town