The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-11-08
IN A SILVER NINE.
An Adventure There That Ended
in q Romance.

It was five years ago, in Tombstone,
Arizona Walden had spent the morn
ing aimlessly riding his bay mare over
the dusty mesa, where rabbit-holes
lurlxed for the undoing Of the unwary,
and prickly acacia with its red-and-
yellow ribbon-like seed-pods had torn
viciously at his corduroy trousers The
sun had been hot, and even the tough
neck Of his well-tanned horse had
lathered under the rein.
There is something about the atmos-
phere, material and moral, of that
sun-smitten country which breeds in
difference. The claims into which
Walden had poured his small patri-
monv were self-evident wildcats, -
and deep in his soul he knew that the
time had come when he must go to
work: but to-day seemed made for a
holiday, and tomorrow was merely q
vague possibility.
He passed the subdned hilarity of the
roadside saloon, and crossing the fiume
that pulsated with the strokes of the
Grand Central pumps he rode up the
hill into the edge of town. Another
horse stood just at the turn of the road.
Walden's heart gave the throb of youth
as he set his eyes u pom its burden.
There are some women to whom
piqtant coquetry is as much birth
right as pair of eyes, a nose and a
mouth. They make eyes at the prac-
titioner who escorts them over the
threshold of life; they double their in
FAINT fists in q way to show off the pink
ness of their nails. Everything be-
comes them, every thing belongs to
them.
II beg your pardon, sir, but may l
ask the way to Grand Central hill
without going through the town."
THE mine, do you mean? You CO.
A bright thought struck him. IF you
will allow me to ride short distance
with you l can show you the way quite
plainly. 1t is merely bridlepath over
the hill, and l am afraid would not be
readily seen by stranger"
The girl seemed to accept his offer
with eagerness, and said as much
II am quite lost. 1 promised Dickon
that would not ride through the town
alone. / met Miss Fisher up beyond
the Contention. and we rode together
through the town; but she stopped at
home, and 1 was left-plante Ia" The
voice and manner were even younger
than the face and figure.
''Miss Jeanne Fisher?"
eyes"
81 often ride with her"
''Then you must be Mr.. Walden"
II am obliged to confess to that
same, as Mr.. Bret Harte would make
me say under the circumstances
The superintendent family were all
on the veranda as the two rode up.
Across the road the assayer and his as
slstant were shooting their revolvers at
rows of bottles set up on board.
Walden's horse was accustomed to the
sound of firearms and paid no atten-
ton. but Miss Hale's horse, thorough
bred Kentuckian just, off his native
blue grass, pricked up his ears and
trembled. Walden looked at him sus-
piciously, but the girls wrists seemed
strong.
just as her brother, with a smile of
pride and affection, started down the
steps to lift her down and her intelli-
gent control of the reins was loosened
for an instant there came a rafting
fusillade from the revolvers and the
Kentucky mare gave u bound.
1.-THE dump!" Dickon Hale cried; but
the agony in those two words made q
tragedy. Just below the house was
the mountain, hundreds of thousands
of tons of refuse rock which had come
from the thirty miles of tunneling in
tho mine. A narrow roadway led
around it near the top, bordered by .
precipice.
Walden had not spent the last year or
two in the saddle for nothing. Al
though he had been piece of his
spirited bay they sprang forward after
the kentuckia n, and before it had full
ly made up its mind to bolt straight to
destruction, Walden's iron hand was
on the bit.
II am not hurt, Dickon," poor Man.
cite said, piteously. Aud then. as her
brother with Set. white face lifted
her down, she broke into sobs on his
breast OF course they asked Walden,
implored him, commanded him, to stay
to dinner. He knew better than that.
An after climax is q very disillusioniz-
ing thing. When he came to take din
ner with Miss Hale he would find her
in exquisite array, and she should see
him in evening dress. She should have
no microscopic glimpses OF her hero.
and he knew he was that, just now.
Dickon Hale came down to see Wal
den the next morning, and the natural
awkwardness of the meeting was saved
by the Unborn grace of the two men.
Dickon wanted to assure his friend of
his everlasting obligation and graft
tude, while he did not want to eptitle
him to anything more. With unerring
instinct he had recognized the stirring
of his whole nature which had been the
effect Of the event Of the previous day
on Walden.
Like all Americans, when it came to
the final test MIR. Hale let his sister
choose her own friends; and 1t was not
many weeks until the bay mare and the
Kentrckian had been forced to find a
congenial gait that they could enjoy in
common. Sometimes, most often, they
We're Joined by the why gray of Miss
Fisher. and now and then Mr.. Hale
added his own society. At such times
i was natural that Walden should
ride with Manette. AS for Jeanne Fish
er. all were fish that came 10 her net.
1t was upon one OF these excursions,
when Mr. Hale and Jeanne mad gal
loped on ahead, that Walden and Man
cite had long and serious talk. He
told her OF his various mining ventures
that only one of his prospects was still