The herald., 1893-09-03

than moat people do. he refused all
offers for the claim, or even an interest
IN 1t. and just kept digging away with q
pick and shovel. And he wouldn't gam
BILE. No cards for him. He had his pile
now, and hewas going back to the states
to surprise some one, pretty soon.
But he kept putting 1t of and work
ing away at the claim, until finally he
decided not to go at all.
THE time came when he got back to
be the same old Dick Creighton. 1t
wasn't gradually, either. Dick didn't
go things gradually.
"They say a combination was put up
against him. He was playing one night
and the others gradually left the game
until it was narrowed down to two. He
was playing agrinst Jack Tyrrell, the
slickest card sharp in the camp. Tyrrell
had won heavily. Dick resorted to his
old way of sticking his pile on single
turn.
Deal Monte, Jack, and I'll set this
against what you've won already said
Dick, taking his big nugget out OF
pouch. Everybody knew what the Gold
Hill lump was worth.
"Tyrrell picked up the cards and
shuffied them. Come, high or low?'
he asked as he laid out the top three
cards. after the cut, face down.
Low said Dick, coolly.
"Tyrrell turned the center card. 1t
was high! Dick passed him the mug
get.
"Got anything more ?" asked Tyrrell,
with little sarcasm in his voice.
mo; I'm strapped" said Dick, partly
rising. "You've got my stake" Then
he settled back in the chair again, and
his face turned very white.
"Hold on a minute; give me q show
for my stuff. The claim against ten
Thousand, if you've got it,
Tyrrell passed around among his
friends and came back with the duet. A
new pack was brought. Tyrrell shuffled
the cards nervously this time. and
passed them over to Creighton to cut.
With steady hand he split the pack
near the center. ss
The three top cards were again laid
out.
"High or low?"
"Low."
Tyrrell's hand trembled go that he
could hardly turn the card.
It's high be gasped.
"Gold Hill Dick stayed around the
camp for while after that, washing out
a pan of gravel now and then for grub
stakes, and one day he left with his kit
on his back and was never seen around
there again. / have never heard of any.
one who ever saw him afterward.
"Tbe woman? had almost forgot
ten that. 1t was month or more after
Dick Creighton left that the numbering
old stage from Marysville brought 4
young and handsome girl into the camp
vrvnhk -tll
night. The usual crowd was around to
that young woman raised great f1utter
OF excitement. Women were scarce
things In camp those days, any way,
and this one was 80 different from what
we had been used to seeing. It must
have brought back thoughts Of home to
every man in camp, seeing that young
woman step out of the rickety old stage.
1.-THE driver led her through the crowd
of gaping bystsnders into the dirty
tavern parlor and bundled her things in
after her. She sat there alone for some
time, until few of the boys mustered
courage enough to 60 in and ask If they
could be of any service. Then, in the
sweetest, childish way imaginable, she
asked for Richard Creighton.
II hope may never see anything like
that again. The started look that came
into the sweet. dimpled face when one
OF the boys got voice enough to tell her
that Richard Creighton had gone away
snousR snS q to moisfssS5 dnMss.
though they hadn't known moisture be-
fore for years. But when her great big
blue eyes began to fill with tears and her
bosom heaved and-well, / went outside
and waited there to hear the rest.
"Oreighton had sent for the girl when
he was flush and when the loss came he
couldn't stand the thought OF meeting
her and he wasn't man enough to stay
in camp. :,
swell, 1t broke her heart-thats all.
She stayed just long enough to get rested
for her long journey back to tine states.
and she had just life enough left in her
frsil body to refuse an offer Of marriage
from about every man in camp, and then
she left" Sand you say that this Gold
Hill Dick was never heard of again ?"
asked one of the listeners, as the
speaker paused and seemed to be troubled
with a slight dampness about the eyes.
"Never."
"Msype 1t wes de feller what comes
py my saloons unit monkeys NIT der
cards effery day, all der times," said the
German behind the bar. The loungers
| soraad that il might be.