The morning call., 1893-04-23
III.


the understanding that vigorous effort
would be made the next day to find Sam.
III.
Several times, after breakfast the next
morning, when urged by Kitty to make an
other visit to the city in search of Sam, had
Gaylord attempted to tell her that her huS-
band was dead, but heart and tongue had
both refused the dreadful office. At length,
feeling that the information could no longer
be Withheld, with the words on his tongue
he had approached and taken kitty's hand,
when stranger, mounted on mule, sud
denly rode up to the wagon and halted. lie
was clad Ike miner in a SLOUGH hat. gray
wooden shirt. Overalls and stout bots of
cavalry pattern. The belt and revolver
were of course not missing. He was large
man, with dark blue eyes and pleasing
address a light growth of brownish
whiSkers covered his face, adding something
in appearance to his age, which was not
more than % or 26 years.
lie nodded a goOd-morning to Gaylord,
and CALAMITY removed his nat when ne
caught glimpse of Kitty's face 81 beg
pardon for int;uding." he began, but the
name on the cover of this wagon is that of a
greatly esteemed friend of mine who was
buried yesterday. and -
With uiteous wall Kitty pressed her
hands to her temples, and was caught IN
the arms of Gaylord as she was sinking 10
the earth.
what have l done p exclaimed the
stranger, springiDg from his mule and
protferiEg his assistance.
You've done what Pve been tryin' to do
all the mornin'," replied the old man.
You've told her that her husband ia dead
Here hold her a minute while l get some
thing out o. the wagon for her to lay down
on. reckon she's faiE ted"
The stranger promptly but somewhat
awllwardy relieved Gaylord Of his BURDEN
and sat down the holdtp0
the woman in his arms as if she were
child.
just then frankie, who had been playing
behind the wagon. toddled into view. OBJ
serving the position of his mother, with
wild cries of rage ana alarm he ran to and
attempted to drag her from the strangers
arms. The screams Of the child aroused
the mother TO consciousness and by the
time Gaylord had thrown mattress and
pillow from the wagon she had risen tb her
feet. Herface was pale and her eyes were
stony and fearless. For a moment she
pressed her hands to her forehead then
turning 10 the stranger she said, in tone
so calm that il almost frightened him:
"FOr same reason this heavy burden has
been laid upon me. II is enough to crush
me, but for The sake of this child-his
child-our child Will bear II. Now tell
me what you know OF the death Of my hus-
band. can listen to anything"
The story of the stranger was brief, He
Eiwood Stowe. He had made the overland
journey With young Gaylord the year be-
fore, and had become greatly attached TO
him, Separating on their arrival in Sacra-
mento. they did not meet again until
chance brought them together on Woods
Creek. not far from Jacksonville, some time
during the latter part of the preceding June.
They saw each other almost every
day until ab0ut the first of August,
when Gaylord went to Sacramento to
m his xEifa foil
making the overland journey together. A
month later the advice of a friend took
Stowe to Roses Bar, on the Yuba. and the
day before, while on a brief business visit to
Sacramento, he had learned of the death of
Gaylord, and had started ont on the Placer
vile road that morning in the hope of meet
ing, somewhere between Sacramento and
tine summit of the mountains, the rela tives
nj his unfortunate friend. And now that
] have found you," he concluded address,
ing Gaylord, tell me what | can 60 for
ynn? Ask OF me anything that YOU would
of your son were he standing where ! am
now"
you are actin nobly, sir" exclaimed the
old man, extending his hand to the miner,
land don't know how to thank We. We're
in world of trouble, as you can see, and
your advice will be of service To u.s.
Your son was buried before | heard OF
his DEATH" resumed Stowe. 'He died sud-
denly and the Coroner took possession of his
on the h0dy-not more than enough 10 meet
the expenses Of burial. the Coroner informed
mP-aad these papers,"
He took from his pocket and handed to
Gaylord small memorandum book, in
which was the last letter written by his
wife before leaving Independence, and a
few unimpOrtant entries, embracing records
OF small purchases, several names and adj
dresses, brief references to mining locali-
ties and two or three descriptions of gold
saving appliances.
81 have taken the liberty of looking over
the entries in that book" continued the
miner. but can find no record of what your
son has done with his money. He told me
that he brought to Woods Creek ffty-fiye
pounds of clean gold dust He did not
bring the gold down with him. or that
Am sure. for we left the creek together
1t Is buried somewhere; but whereof | sup
pose there IS no intimatiOn in any of his
letters to either of you?" and he glanced at
the sad face of Kitty. who had been listen
ing intently TO MS words.
She shook her head sorr0Rfully. and
Gaylord replied that they had learned only
from his letters That lie had been fortunate.
We'll" replied Stowe, cheerfully. I'VE
Will see what can be done. There should
be a memorandum relating to the deposit
somewhere. and perhaps ] may be able 10
find it. Allow me to take charge Of the
book again. Something in it may have
been overlooked" Replacing the book in
l..
continued:
You cannot remain here. You had
better sell your animals before they stray
away and the wagon for whatever YOU can
get. l VIII find some place for you in town.
Bring in the cattle ii you can find them, and
l will have some one here within an hour
or two to make bid for the whole outfit.
\ on must not expect much. The country
Is full OF broken-dOwn cattle and WORKOUT
wagons. Take whatever may be offered"
Kitty was about to express her thanks
when Stowe hastily remounted his mule
and galloped down the road
Before II o'clock the stock and wagon
had been disposed Of for six ounces. or
about 800, and the little family found a
home IN tile household OF druggist on K
street.
BY permission Of the Coroner late in the
afternoon the grave of young Gaylord was
quietly reopeDed. 1t was deemed possible
by Stowe that some memorandum. over
looked at the time OF burial. might be
found on the body relating to the lost treas
ure. A careful examination failed TO de-
velop anything, however, beyond a small
square OF white cotton cloth about the size
OF a bullet patch, found at the bottom of
one OF the pockets and bearing n
number OF disconnected letters and figures
traced around the sides Of it with pen and
ink. As one of the pages of the memoran-
dum-book taken from the body by the Cor
oner contained precisely similar entry the
scrap was retained as OF possible value.
The grave was then refilled and marked by
more substantial head board than lad been
provided by the public undertaken.
The next day Stowe started for the noun
talns, leaving his charges we'll provided for,
anu encouraged with The hope that the gold