The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-24
A LOST DAUGHTER.
How Lonely Father Found Her
in g Mountain Den.


covered the top of barrel. Ever and
anon ne would stroke, or rather pull,
the long pointed beard which orna-
mented his chin. Then he would tap
his forehead as if endeavoring to recall
some scene of the long ago
Il wish it would hurry up and get
daylight; SO that could have another
good look at the face that's here in this
trinket,' and he lifted q small gold
locbet from his improvised table.
- know / have seen those features
before" he muttered, but where,
cannot tell. If my candles hadn't all
burned out could be gazing at the pic
ture now, but it won't be long to wait,
because / can see a few rays of light
stealing through the chinks of the wall.
Funny should have picked up this
thing on the mountain trail. Some
poor pilgrim must have dropped it.
cause I'll swear that none of the old
men in camp ever 'toted' it about with
them. I've seen some one that it puts
where I've run acrost 'em l don't know.
"Oh, pshawi'' continued the miner.
81 don't see why l should be bothering
my head about the matter. If it is the
picture of some one I've seen in my
younger days it matters nothing to me,
for hasn't Tom Henderson been dead TO
the world for many years?'
The lonely tenant of the ca bin, how
ever. could not shake off the fascina-
ton which the likeness seemed to pos
sess for him. and again lifted the locket
from the table. This time he turned it
which penetrated small hole in the
wall would fall directly upon it.
st looks al most the same as my Mar
garet did when we were married. But
it can't be her picture, for we never had
anything of this kind in our house." he
ooh. There was home"
And the voice of the miner choked with
emotion as he recalled the scene.
''Home, wife and daughter swept
away in one night by the angry waters
of the Missouri How terrible. All,
well, it was the will of Providence! and
L
With this remark Tom Henderson
placed the trinket, which had SO much
interested him, in his pocket and pro-
ceeded to start fire in an old broken
stove that he might cook little break
fast before going down into the gulch
to begin his days labor.
The old rusty coffee pot was steam
ing and the salt pork sizzling in the
frying pan when the door of the cabin
was burst open and a young man, per-
haps twenty-five years old, fell pros
trate upon the floor.
''Halloa. Halloa. What's this? Some
body in distress, and hurt, too. There's
blood all over him. Say, stranger,
what is it? What's happened to you?
Who's been doinSyou up IN this shape?
Hey. Can't We answer?"
A groan from the lips of the wounded
man was the only response.
You're hurt bad" observed the
miner, bending over the form of his un-
guest Hit hard-I should
say you was. Why, somebody's been
carving you up as though you was
nothing more nor less'n dead bullock.
Toni continued the miner to him
self, i reckon you've got work enough
right here in the abin to-day without
going down to the washings. This chap
needs patching up mighty quick or else
all the life that's in him viii run out
the holes that some wicked
cuss has made.
Say, friend can't We speak and let
poor 'pillgarlic' know who you are and
how We came TO be in this shape?
Wake up man. You're in Tom Hender-
sons cabin, and there amt 'galoot'
east nor west of the Sierras that would
dare to trouble ye while you're in his
keeping"
Margaret. Margaret, save her."'
gasped the sufferer
Save Margaret" exclaimed Tom.
would 10 God that l could have saved
her years ago when she was calling to
me for help from the cruel river. But
who Is your Margaret, stranger? Who
is it, bearing that name, that needs
friend? Old Tom Henderson would lay
down his life to help any woman who
possesses that name"
They have taken her somewhere.
Torn her from my side and left me for
dead A though the exertion of speak
ing was more than the wounded man
could bear, he relapsed into uncon-
Tom made no attempt % recall the
young mar TO his senses. for. as he nut
tered u himself; The led is not going
10 60 under right away, / opinion, and
he won't feel ne patching him up hall
as much If le: bira lay asleep"
Despite The rough manner cf the
miner no woEans hand could more
gently hare dressed the wounds % the
poor unfortunate than did he Ten
derry, Tom lifted his guest and laid him
on his own hard couch. and then he
turned u partake II his breakfast, the
preparation q which had been - IN
expectedly broken in upon
As he slipped the pot Of strong coffee.
Henderson solilCoUized: Il wouldn't be
afraid % gamble M pile that Jim
Darnlev has had hand in this affair
know that he with some OF his crew
are back again n these parts Now. II
find that il : that villains vor,S
there ii De coE1si6e-abie excitement II
this camp. and olG Jaage Lynch viii b
master of ceremonies,
''Eh2 what did voa n - asl1efl Tom.
IS moan from his patient attrzcissi
his attention
49, 49,. -. c.