The National tribune., 1892-10-06

Mans Mountain, and
| beyond it lay that almost endless desert
which had been the death of more than
one unfortunate. Sheba had something which
that was a Queen" She was not arrayed
like the fair potentate who dazzled awhile at
the court of Solomon but she had her votaries
among the hills, and her word was law among
300 dark men who were known to shoot
| at the drop of the hat. No one knew anything
definite of the past history of this woman She
kept her secrets, and all that She6a knew was
that its Queen was beautiful, cool headed, aud
merciess.
She had shares in all the mines; wealth
poured at her feet. and she walked the streets
of the gold camp with the air of one who cared
less for her nuggets than for the adornment OF
her hands. These delicate, white and very
effeminate-were well.rnged. and the dia-
monds that gittered on the fingers would have
purchased Kings ransom.
Late one afternoon, after a hot day, during
which q capricious wind had swept the alkali
dust through the Streets a man well known in
camp came down the narrow street and turned
toward the Queen of Shebas palace" This
was Maj. Doll Maitland, known to be in love
with the Queen; the master 6pirt of Sheba,
and one who would not brook 3 rival. He was
handsome and 40; had seen the world as it
was to be seen among the rough camps of the
Il
merous occasions.
1t was o boast of his that no one but himself
should ever share the smiles of the Queen OF
Sheba, and with this ultimatum in the teeth OF
all. he strutted the streets like turkey cock
and was feared by every one.
The day had opened with genuine sensa-
ton for Sheba man was found dead near
one of the mines-a man whose body even then
lay in shanty near the end of the street, an
unknown person, whose dark face. gaunt and
haggard had been stared at by nearly all in
camp. He had been killed. there was no
doubling this, for the stab in the back and the
marks of fingers on the throat told the story In
all its chapters.
Maj Doll, as the Nero of Sheba was called,
stopped at tine woman's door and was admitted.
In another moment the woman herself swept
into the room where he waited and received
his bow.
81 was just going down to look at the man."
said she.
The tall fellow started.
"At the dead man?p
eyes. Will you go along, Major?"
"Not now. Stay, believe l will 60 with
you as want to give the boys orders about dis
posing of the body"
They left the house together, and the Queen
of Sheba went direct to the cabin where the
corpse say. 1t was dark inside. Maj. Doll
opened the door and stood at the portal while
she went in. The woman struck a match, and
with her lips strangely welded, bent over the
rude bier and held the growing fame near the
palid face. All at once she gasped, the match
nearly fell from her hand, and she looked to-
ward the door where the darkened figure of
the Major was silhouetted against the starry
sky.
my God, Jim!" she said. "Is this our
meeting, after all tho long years of torture and
sin? Is this -
She drew back with clenched hands and feat
ures tensely drawn. She rejoined Maj. Doll at
Sbeba was herself now the secret she had left
with the dead; and "Jim,' with the blanket
pulled over his rigid face by her hands, slept
peacefully the sleep Of the dead
All the way back the Queen of Sheba
laughed and chatted with Maj. Doll. She re-
ferred to the dead man, saying that perhaps he
had been followed to the camp by an old enemy;
and in this opinion she had sharer in the man
at her side.
- But, for tho good name Of Sheba, we can't
let this crime go unpnnished," she exclaimed.
" / will see that reward is posted, though l
suppose we will never know the secret kept by
the living and the dead"
The following day notice, posted in several
places. offered $500 for the discovery of the
murderer OF the unknown man. and the Queen
of Sheba called upon all to exert themselves to
laughed at in the gilded dens Of Sheba men
said that Leona felt that something had to be
done, and Maj. Doll. twirling his mustache, re-
marked that she didn't care particularly about
the dead man, only sbe wanted to keep up a
form of justice.
week, passed during which the murder was
quite forgotten, and the notices futtered in the
wind and at last were blown mountanward.
1t was rumored that the Queen of Sheba was
soon to have master; that Maj. Doll, at last
successful with his persistent suit, would, in a
few days, lead her to the altar. To such yumors
the Major replied with smile which only con-
firmed them, and the mustache was twirled
oftener than before while his cocktails aug
mented in frequency.
Toward the close of an afternoon girl, beau
tiful yet, despite the ravages of hardened life,
ran screaming from one of the gilt-edged gam
ing dens OF Shebs to be captured by man, who
held her fast. All knew her. Mil!y had
drifted to Sheba in the wake of q storm; she
had come over the mountain" with lot OF
prospectors and had settled there, hoping to
better that lot which was hard enough. Just
Sheba's, she was the possessor OF fragile ngure
which reminded one of Fantine.
You will stand before the court for this
you will come before the Black Tribunal u
cried the man who held the trembling girl.
my God no. not that,,I hope. ] took the
rings; l could not help 1t. AS 1 live, they
reminded me of rings mother used to wear
| my mother, whose face appears to me only in
dreams now. You won't arrest me for THEFT? y
1t was a plea which would have moved q
heart of stone, but the man would not hear.
The girl was dragged back into the den; she
was stood up in front of the hardened crowd
there, and made to confess that she had stolen
| some rings from the house occupied by the
| Nero of Sheba-Maj. Doll. ~
| And where was that worthy? Why didn't
| he come forward, now that the property had
been recovered, and demand the girls release
| He saw it ALL he saw fMilly accused of theft
| he looked at her with the coolness of Mephis
| topheles. and said as coldlys:5
LET the Tribunal investigate this. We
can't have thieves in Shebar!!
| This heartlessness, and on the eve of his mar.
| rage! foJ Is.
The court convened the following day. II
was one of those courts which own a e.man
power. 1t was the creation OF Maj. Doll, as its
| officers were his creatures and the sentence
passed by it was that MiHy. should be publicly
whipped on the plaza, aud afterward banished
| from camp.
As we'll might it have been sentence ol
death. The girl.was going into the secondary
stage of consumption stbegbectic flush which
tells the story of shortening days was already
| en- her cheeks and when she heard the SEN
i g I'm hanl aud