The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-06-13

4
where women constitute a very small
minority Of the population.
| 1t IS not strange either that many OF
Mrs McGuire's boarders fell in love
with Mrs. McGuire's waitress. There
was quite q noticeable sprucing up in
the way of general appearance among
the boarders. Two or three of sthe
boys affected bright-colored ties, and
when they came to their meals they
| were particular about washing their
faces very clean. They seemed to put
more than the usual amount of water
on their hair and combed it back
slicker than they had been in the
habit of doing. All this seemed to
have no effect upon Mrs. McGuire's
help She was as demure, retiring and
modest as when she first arrived.
| There was one boarder who loved the
pretty waiter-girl with the consuming
passion of a secret affection. He
scarcely dare raise his eyes to her, he
was so diffident. The fiutter Of her
dress was sufficient to cause every
nerve in his body to tremble If she
spoke to him he was sure to put lump
of butter in his coffee or sprinkle sugar
all over his plate during the ensuing
moment of confusion. This boarder
was chihuahua" Brown. He was re-
served in his manner, so quiet and
gentlemanly that Doris was naturally
attracted to him. They became friends
and gradually "Chihuahua' Brown
learned of the past life Of Doris Ware.
Her father had been a man of wealth;
he was speculator bad invest
ment had left him almost PEN
niless. He lacked the moral
courage to face adversely and in a
moment of desperation and desponden-
cy he blew out his brains. The shock al.
most killed his wife. woman OF deli
cate, nervous temperament. His daugh-
ter Doris rose superior to the occasion.
She supported her mother from the
rather small wages she earned in a
store. One day she read an advertise
ment in western paper: Ten girls
wanted for light, easy occupations in
the mountains; wages twenty-five dol
lars per week" With such large
wages she could comfortably support
her mother. The amount was more
ceiving. She had used her meager saw
ings to come west, only to find that
1.-The light, easy occupation" for which
the ten young girls were wanted was
to serve beer in dance hall in Lead
vile. Being almost without money
she took the first place she could get:
it was her present one-waitress in
Mrs. McGuire's restaurant
chihuahua" determined that the
girl should not longer work in the res
taurant. But what could he do? There
was no other occupation in which she
could engage and remain in Pyrites, and
he could not bear the thought of sending
her away. If she remained in Pyrites
without working it would subject her
to foul suspicion and make her a gen.
eral subject for scandal
Well, there was one thing which
ought to be done, if it could be done.
One September morning "Chihua-
hua" Brown bade adieu to Pyrites for
short time and went up to his mines
on Snowshoe mountain. Before going
he laid in large supply of writing
paper, some big, thick pointed pens,
bottle of ink and some blank mining
deeds
The miners working adjoining claims
noticed that "Chihuahua" Brown was
paler than usual His manner was less
reserved. He was nervous and excited
at times He sat up late at night writ
ing and always concluded by tearing
up what he had written. One night
when he was thus engaged, one of the
men working on the night shift came
to the door and yelled:
chihuahua! Chihuahua! come into
the mine and look at the stuff we've
got in there-we've struck it big"
chihuahua hurried into the mine.
1t was beautiful Septem Der after
noon in Pyrites The mountains were
covered with wild flowers, and here
and there the sides of the monster hills
had been touched by the frost. trans
forming verdant hues into purple,
crimson and gold Doris went for a
stroll early in the afternoon. She gath
cred the flowers as she went along,
and almost every step revealed some
new beauty of the floral kingdom.
Her mind was not so much upon the
flowers as it was upon him-big, beard
ed. honest, manly "Chihuahua" Brown
She had received 9 letter from her
mother that morning, in which re-
mittance of one hundred dollars was
acknowledged. The letter to her
mother had been sent by chihuahua"
Bro wu, and he had stated therein that
the one hundred dollars was part of
the proceeds from a mine in which
Doris had an interest with him. The
money was badly needed by the
mother, and her gratitude W as almost
extravagantly expressed.
Doris strolled on. thinking of the
generosity of chihuahua" and the
secret, delicate method he had taken Of
showing it.
1t was time to return. The shadows
began to gather ON the mountains and
darkness would soon be upon her.
She started back to the trail; but,
alasl there was no trail where she
thought it should be. Again she 10
Gated in her mind eye the place where
she had left the trail in her Eearch for
flowers, but there was no trail when
she arrived there. 1t was almost dark
She realized that she was lost Lost in
the mountains; lost in little basin.
with the town of Pyrites just over
small ridge. But this latter fact she
did not know.
Higher up in the basin she saw
light 1t came from a miners cabin.
She started there. 1t was very much
further than she thought it was. 1t
seemed at least an hour before she ar
rived at the little cabin from the win
dows of which the light streamed out
upon the dark mountain. The door
was slightly open. Doris knocked. No
answer. She entered the cabin.
There was a fire in the stove. for the
night was chill A neat-loolxing bunk
with clean blankets and coverlid stood
in one corner. There was mining
map upon the wall. A bucket of water
and wash basin were near; the door.
Candles and miners candle sticks were
stuck in the log crevices. In the CEN
ter of the room was y table covered
with writing paper. On the table was
q light that had guided her to the place
"a candle stuck in the mouth OF an
empty bottle.
What was thisP A mining deed. Max
well II. Brown to Doris Ware, a one
half interest in the Goodness
Gracious" lode.
A letter-she must not read it. Her
name? Why, what could this mean?
''Dear Miss Doris'--so the letter be-
gan. Then she read:
"All my life | have been going it
alone, and Pm getting tired of 1t. l
want pard--a pardner, l mean-aud
that's you. took you into pardner-
ship on the Goodness Gracious lode