St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-05-08
GOLD MYSTERY.
Written for the Globe. I

The sun is shining brightly on
crowd of pleasure-seekers at Taylor's
Falls this bright July day; OIL
golden and brown hair, boyish faces
and manly ones. as the little crowd
scramble and climb up the "big rock"
as it is called, that juts out into the
water below the bridge.
''Oh, just look at that, Mrs. Vern."
cries Vel Allen, pointing to q huge mass
of logs that is rushing madly under the
bridge and towards the rock on which
they stand. Well may she exciaim with
delight and amaZement at the grand
sight, as thousands of others have done
before her. Before til lem, moving slowly,
grapdly, ARE hundreds upon hundreds of
immense logs, eighteen and twenty feet
long. piled one on top of the other, until
the highest tower, for moment, over
forty feet in the air; then. with a strain
ing and grooming that seems almost
human. topple over, as the force of the
water behind them becomes stronger rs
gate after gate is opened at the dam far
above. Tightly are they packed to-
gether. until only little water is seen
now and then as it bubbles and boils up
through the logs.
by Jove," eXclaims one of the party,
''pm afraid they'll get stuck at the
rock. They are coming fine, but this
has always been bad place, and they're
moving pretty fast"
MI. Vern," cries Vel, suddenly,
''wh0 is that man with the dark blue
Shirt on, right below us OIL the logs?
on remember he spoke to you last
night and held the horse while you
went into the hotel"
"Oh. he's fellow we hired month
ago. | believe there is some mystery
about him, too. He's not like the rest
of the gang. Well educated. know, for
L went into his room one night to see
about horse he had bought, and there
sat this river driver OF ours with
smoking jacket on, cigar, III an ivory
holder. i'll his mouth, reading one
of Dickens works. He looked
rather embarrassed. for the boys
never chuumetl with him much. and no
one ever goes to see "Oid Mystery as
he's called. can't understand where
he gets enough money to live as he does,
for although he works every day when
we are driving. he doesn't earn enough
| money to rent the room at the hotel he
has and have good many other things
/ see him with. But what's up, Vel;
Brown as he calls kimself?"
! 'Oh. no." laughingly, ''but isn't he
! splendid fellow. Fye admired those
broad shoulders and honest brown eyes
of his ever since we came.'
"iia. ha. Well. Vel. big shoulders
and brown eyes are all very well. but
mysteries aren't. Hang this wind, any
way, it almost blows a fellow over, Hill
There goes your hat" he cries. rs a
sudden guest takes the dainty article
from Miss Vel's head and, carrying it
fOOt or two down the rock, deposits it
on a stump.
20 dear. what a nuisance!" and Vel
leans over trying to hook the offending
hat with the curved handle of her un-
brella.
Look out. you'll fall. Vel" cries
some one; but the warning comes too
late, for the rock she has been holding
on 20 becomes lOOSened; and with a cry
she pitches headl0ng down the rock.
Down, down she goes, straight into
the water below. If she had been
sitting at the top of the rock it would
have been sure death, but, more VEN
turesome than the others, she had
scrambled about halfway down it, and
was sitting perched on little shelf at
one side. Panic-stricken faces peer
over the ledge as she disappears, while
the employer, who but brief minute
ago had been talking gaily to her, calls
wildly to his men.
IA thousand dollars, boys. TO any one
that'Il save hertz But before he has
finished a voice calls loud and clear. as
Vel rises from the water close to a 10y
that has become separated from the
others,
f'SeiZe the log, lady; seize the log"
Through the faihtneSS that 'aIlnoS ,
/ oyercoineS her, through the ringing that
resounds In her. ears, Vel hears him,
and, with a strength almost super
human, throws one arm over the log
and slowly, slowly puts the other over
and draws herself up little SO that her
heat is above the water,
Hold tight; FL save YOU" cries Jim
Brown. as he swims quickly towards
her. while those up above watch, with
bated breath, the race between man and
logs. for they are coming faster now,
crashing and grooming as they pile one
Oh top OF the other.
''Ob, heaven, can he reach her first?
They're liable to break any inmate, and
if they do they'll both drown, for they'll
come down ON them like FASH" and
Samuel Vern peers wildly over the
rock.
He has almost reached her when,
crash! bang! the jam is broken, and out
into the water goes log after log, faster
and faster.
They are lostr' is the cry that rises
from a dozen threats. but-what is
this? Even as the logs rush fiercely to-
wards them they are stopped. First
two or three have caught against the
side of the rock; others catch, and
though hard pressed from behind, those
few spare logs, caught on that rock that
old lOggerS have sworn at many time
and oft for being in the way. and which
they cannot buy from its obstinate own
er, has saved them, for before the jam
is again broken. before that row slowly
moving mass can reach them, ''Old
Mystery has the SenSeleSS form meath
one arm and is swimming slowly, brave
lv towards the shore, while from each
panic-stricken heart a prayer goes up,
|'''God bless jim Brown
For two long weeks Vel lies raging
with fever in ks hotel, while low
ing hearts and gentle hands do all they
can for the sick girl. But she is not to
Tie, and as the sun peeps into the room
this August day it sees Vel propped up
in the big easy chair waiting the APP
pearance of her reScuer.
"Who is he? WONDER" she muses..
us he simply river driver. and if so
! what shall do? for Pm afraid" with
rather sad little laugh, ''I've grown
rather fond of him."
He enters as she thinks this and
comes quickly up to her.
miss May, am indeed glad to see
you so much better" he says. bending
| his handsome head over her.
"Oh, Mr.. Brown. how can l thank
you," she murmurS. tears starting to
her brown eyes. IL dO-not know what
to say"
please me by saying nothing more
about it," he answers. 81 did no more
than any other would have done"
A L .,I,n Ill