The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-04

I 80 ---' 9o'-ins 8irA SANK on ms breast
ana Nepl there IN silence, whilst Godfrey
pattel her cheek. and stroked her tresses,
f and kissed her forehead
CHAPTER ".
7 Neohrey TOtten allowed a week TO elap=e.
and then pressed his SUR with the energy
"nich the desperateness Of his cause
seemed 70 require. He boldly asked for
the girls hand. and, although Ruth begged
I and PLEADED fO- delay he SAID that life
I was uncertain, and that h. might any day
] DC called away on business, ard that he
! did not care TO leave her. for a short
TINE even. without having made her his
! Old Rassett saw in Godfrey a sutton
| who would be likely 70 turn out a good
/ husband 10 his grandchild. He had lived
I too long in this world % give him credit
/ io7 any special virtues. bur ne saw IN him
I man eminently fitted for life in those
/ regions man Thoroughly able TO take
| care Of himself ana of Ruth. and one Who
I would probably use 20 the best advant-
I ase the possessions which would be left
I IN MS charge. He exactei but one prom
/ lSe. =, n Tnely. that the Canchtto mine
/ sn9illd ne left untouched hv him
ddohrcy snhled and consented. One
/ promise more or less made LITTLE difference
I 10 MIN, and once Ruth's husband. he would
/ risk il, and when fortune had loaded him
I with her favors he would be able 10 laugh
and nrOve 10 his era ndfat her-in-law hO7v
y
] the ever-threatening danger Of Jacks re-
/ turn; but once on the alert Godfrey lost
/ No opportunity to make sure OF his case.
/ He hired men, whom he posted al FL PesO,
/ ar1 even further east. VINO would inform
MIN OF Jacks arrival there. once warned,
I he would take measures that Jack should
b not arrive at Rassetts rancho TO disturb
/ his plans.
| Another fortnight passed. ike that and
| no news Of Jack Ormbr.lge had reached
] the old mans house. Ruin had at last
given way. and consented 10 become
/ Godfrey Totten's wife. on the very nex1
/ day they were 10 ride into I'll Paso, there
/ TO be joined in holy weilock.
FecHrey was elated by the near APP
/ proach of his victory. He had succeeded
| beyond his dreams. The mine would be
( his, with all its fabulous wealth of silver.
and more than that, he had actually won
the love of the girl-that love which at
| first he thought worthless. but for which
| he now hungered quite As much as for his
| silver.
That silver. He had not forgotten it.
| During all those days as the realization Of
| his hopes drew near, as his final triumph
| seemed more and more assured he had
visited that wild gorge again and again.
| When the Inflated thirteen had left ii.
| tho mouth of the mine and all its sur
roundings had been cleared of timber,
and convenient road had been construct
| Cd by which safe approach to the mine
! was assured.
But in the score of years that had pass
| ed new and wild vegetation had sprung
| up. New forest trees had risen from the
seed Of the hoary giants that had been
cut down, and the mouth Of the mine was
one wild tangle of mesquit brush. wild
! vine, and other creeping plants through
which Godfrey had to cut his way with
an ak. Time after time as he came to the
shaft, he had made the descent more easy.
He had stealthily brought ropes to re-
| place the old ones that were rotten aud
mouldy with age. Latterly he had been
able 70 lower himself with ease and Sc
curity where before he had to climb down.
like cat, in mortal danger. He had ex-
! plored the mine for hundreds Of Yards and
though at times hts voice woke in those
narrow, vaulted tunnels a strange echo.
| which sounded more like fendish laughter
than anything else, his nerves were of
steel. He laughed in spite Of himself when
for moment he felt his face grow a little
colder and his pulse seemingly cease
Ruth and the Canchito! The Canchito
and Ruth! He was TO have them both
He had left Ruth directly after the mid
day meal and had g0lloped away toward
I the Canchito His horse was fresh and
made the twenty miles of rough and
/ broken upland in little over three hours
After that he had to force his way on foot
/ for nigh on three miles, and at last
reached the mouth of the Canchito mine
1t was his last day Of single life. on the
morrow he would set out to become the
| inheritor of all the wealth which George
/ Rassett had allowed to lie untouched.
Shame upon the old man, so supersti-
| tious, so foolishly reckless of the silver
which fortune had thrown into his laDr
| He sat himself down at the mouth of the
mine and lit his pipe. and looked about
him. Before him, at his feet. the wooded
| gorge spread its sides toward the low
{ Ia IF no Wild
/ of luxuriant vegetation, majestic in it's
grandeur. At his back the sun-bathed
/ mountains rose like monsters set to watch
/ over the treasures in the bowels of the
/ earth He sat there in chuchling glee and
| blew clouds Of blue smoke into the still
/ air. At last he made up his mind once
more to go down and to look upon the
place that was to make him rich-rich be-
| yond the dreams of avarice. He lowered
! himself carefully and reached the bottom.
/ He had brought some resinous pine
! torches with him, and striking a light
with finder and steel. soon brought one
| of these to bright flame. Then he start
| ed to grOpe his way along, muttering to
| himself all the while: And all this shall
| be yours, Godfrey; all this shall be yours"
On a sudden n dizziness seemed to seize
him, and he thought he heard voices.
| Strange little voices, that seemed to laugh
in childish glee. And as he listened he
thought he heard them distinctly. They
all seemed to call: "Geoffrey! Godfrey!
Geoffrey! He stopped still and listened,
and he heard the sounds again: 'Geoffreyi
Godfrey Geoffrey" What could it be?
He chuckled for a moment Bats, per-
haps." he said, or mice. or other crea-
lures. What fool am to be frightened
/ at such things as these"
His pipe had gone out, and he stopped to
light it again. The yellow glare of his
| torch fell upon the narrow walls of the
| gallery. and it Iii them up with its curious
metallic glow which reflected itself for
a long distance. Then those sounds struck
his ear again: Godfrey! Geoffreyr and
| with a movement ofimpatience he stopped.
| on a sudden a cold blast like that of the
rushing wind struck his face, and froze
his marrow, and the flaming torch fell
from his hand. AS he dropped it it alight-
ed upon a pile of dry brushwood, and in
| stantly a dense, black, pungent smoke
rolled up and gripped his nOstrils and
| mouth, and cho<ed him. His eyes became
like balls of fire and felt as if they were
| bursting from his head Ice cold fingers
gripped his throat and choked him. He
tried to IRISH AWAY and was DoVerlesS