Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-03-04

all have enough to eat and to drink and to
wear and would live happily ever after.
In his excitement he worked very hard
until he was dripping with perspiration,
and his limbs trembled, and the blood in
his body mounted TO his head, and his
breath came thick and fast.
But he saw that he had succeeded in
makinga hole through the mass, and he
persevered until he effected an entrance
into the passage whose mouth was closed
by the pile Of rock.
As he pulled out the last large stone it
fell upon his lamp, extinguishing and crush
ing it.
This seemed a dreadful calamity to Pep
ito, as he could not hope TO explore the pas
sage without a light, and as it would even
be very difficult for him with the help OF
the yarn TO trace his way back TO daylight,
But when he was about to burst into
tears bright light appeared in the passage,
and the path before him was plain.
Catching up the ball of yarn and I'm.
winding it as he went, he followed the
light as it led him along the passage far
ther into the mountain, until it rested
against the rock in just such cavern as he
had seen in his sleep
Before him was stream Of water that
came from some hidden spring in the noun
tain and found its way through the caves
and crevices Of the rock, no one know
whittier. Beyond the stream was the rocky
wall of the cavern, flashing and cleaning
with crystals of quartz and Jumps of silver,
and with big vein running through it, in
which the silver lay in masses like lead.
This, then, was the bonanza. The lost
Al
most within the boys reach. The Murieto
family might bid farewell TO poverty, and
would thenceforth be happy if riches could
make them so.
Pepito stood still for a few seconds trem-
bling all over with excitement. A strange
heat filled his body, breaking out in inter
mittent flushes, and fire seemed to flow in
his arteries instead Of blood. His head
swan, but through the mist he saw the
silver shining in the crevces Of the rock
He had found the lost vein, and he wished
only to secure a nugget Of the silver and
hasten back TO his parents to delight them
with the story Of his treasure.
He started to cross the stream, although
his knees shook beneath him, and he was
growing more dizzy, and the fever flushes
came hotter and faster than ever
The shining water into which he stepped
was deathly cold. His fever fled in an in
slant, and was succeeded by mortal chilli
ness The fire in his veins was at once ex-
tinguished, and they were filled with ice.
He gasped vainly for breath, and his head
weighed him down as if he had been lump
Of lead
1t needed but two steps TO cross the little
brook, and he took only one Of them. Then
] H.. Il. L.. . 81 L.
there like crushed flower, his feet in the
water and his body on the sand, with his
outstretched hand grasping great lump OF
silver.
Manuel and Zaponeta Murieto waited a
time for Pepito's return. They were SC
anxious and eager that the hours seemed q
be longer than they really were. The wifi,
was particularly uneasy and restless. She
could not keep still She tried to attend tc
some small duties about the hut, but found
/ herself unable to do anything The hus
band sat near the door waiting and listen
ing. They glanced at each other now and
then, and understood each others thoughts
though they seldom spoke
ut is not possible" said Zaponeta, THAI
anything can harm him while the good an
gels have him in their charge"
AhNg AiAHhe w sAAiAlg II We oiiOhih NV
him and interfere with them, " replied Man
uel
But we must seek PCpito, for 1 can en-
dure this no longer" said the mother afte
awhile, and they went out together.
With the aid Of the yarn they traced hi
course into the old mine, until they came t.
the hole in the rock which he had opened
They called him, but received no answer
The lamp which they carried showed then
the way into a narrow and dark passage, al
the end Of which was a chamber of silver
There lay Pepito partly in and partly out
Of the wateF-dead
When their grief had subsidized, they cam,
away and replaced the stones which thu
boy had pulled down. The silver chambe
was Pepitos splendid tomb. His parents
were never heard Of in those parts again
The lost vein was untouched. -EdwarC
Wellett in New York Weekly