Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-03-15

a thing of today, but not of yesterday. All
down the course of the brook were tho
CRADLES for washing out the gold and l
could see the various claims, with their
heaps of dirt on either bank, but they
seemed to be all deserted. Spades and
picks were lying here and there as if cast
aside in hurry.
1t struck me rs strange, this abandon
ment of work in the middle of the day,
the moro so as | could hear the hum of
mems voices raised, thought, in angry
discussion. Looking again, l saw that
there was crowd round the largest of the
cabins, about the center Of the row, above
which flag footed bearing the device,
"Ben Baldwin's Saloon" 1t flashed upon
me in a moment. The miners had heard
of the robbery of their gold dust
When / reached the saloon, found that
1 was right. Three of the miners whom l
had seen at the wayside "hotel' had Just
arrived with the news Of the coach's for
lorn return. Round the doorway of the
saloon an excited throng of SLOUGH hated,
red shirted miners were lamenting and
vowing vengeance. l elbowed my way
into the saloon, and having been posted in
the customs of the west pulled out my $40
bill to treat the crowd" inside. This
method of self introduction left me with
only a dollar or two in my pocket.
The excitement was increased when it
became known that had been the soil
tary passenger in the mail coach. Many
were the questions l had to answer as to
the appearance of the masked robbers, but
could throw but little light on that AL
most any of the men before me would
bn,. ,rivp bn obi
of Grape mask.
1t was not for full half an hour that l
was able to think of my own affairs. Then
asked the landlord if he knew where
Luke Saltmarshe was to be found.
Il guess he's totin around somewhcrcs
jawin about tho road agents" he replied.
Amy of you boys seen Luke this morn
I'M" he added, turning to the throng be-
fore the bar.
Luke started for Parsons City at sun
rise" said one of the miners. Expect
he'll be back by supper time"
explained to the landlord that l had
come from New York to see Saltmarsho on
a'mat cr of business
WELL" said Mr.. Baldwin, Il reckon
you'd best get along to his shanty. It's
fourth from here as you go down stream
Maybe his sister will fix you up somethin
to eat while you wait"
Here was revclationl Luke Saltmarshe
with a sister! | distinctly remembered
that he had described himself in the letter
to the lawyers as an only child. Was there
something wrong about my unknown
cousin, after all?
| thanked the landlord and turned my
steps toward the cabin he had indicated.
1t was larger than most of its neighbors,
and there was an air of neatness about it
which would have suggested woman's
presence, even if | had not heard of it. A
dusky half breed Indian boy of about 10
was just entering the cabin with a bucket
Of water as | approached, and at the same
moment a white arm, appearing in the
doorway, relieved the boy of his load.
| cannot describe Naomi as l saw her
then for the first time l only know that
| look, d upon the most beautiful woman
ny eyes have ever seen. Tall and fair and
with a stately dignity of her own, the pic.
turcsquc simplicity of her frontier dress in
no way Clashcd amid those surroundings
with her natural grace. There was an air
of refinement about Naomi which the
toughest setting could not negative. She
invited me in, and without going into the
object of my visit l told her that l haG
reason to believe | was a relative
To my wonder, a look Of harassed fear
came into her eyes. Tell me, " she SAID,
us my father, Leonard Saltmurshc, liv
ingy'
as it possible, exclaimed, "that you
do not know? Your brother Luke knows.
1t is in consequence of a letter from him
that l am here. Leonard Saltmarshe dol
two months ago"
"Ah," she said as if to herself, shudder-
ing the while, l thought that explains
it, then-that explains it. 1t is as fear
ed" Then she went on: "Mr. Saltmarshe
or may call you cousin?-therc is a story
which l must tell you hcfore-bcforeL Luke
returns. am Leonard Saltmarshe's only
child. Luke is neither his son nor my
brother. He is my dead mothers nephew
But l was brought up to believe myself
his sister, and it is only the other day that
l learned the truth. He has known it all
along"
But how is it, " asked THAT you are
out here in the wilds? Did not your father
and mother live together9"
only for two years after their mar
riage, which took place in Chicago. My
mother always said that his temper was
so violent that she could not stay with
him. So she ran awCy, taking mo with
her, and supported - If Hs best she could
by her needle. Lune was her sisters
child, and mother took him when my
aunt died. Then my mother died when l
was IL years old. But first she gave me a
little box, which l was not to open | |
was 90. was 20 last May, and when l
opened the packet found letter from
my mother telling me that Luke was not
my brother / had no one to protect me-
and she wanted me to think myself his
sister. That was the reason she gave and
she added that when 1 was 90 it would be
tight for me to know the truth"
so Luke has always known that you
were not his sister, but you have only late
ly discovered it?' l said.
YES" she answered. Il have not told
him yet that know"
Am l right in surprising that you are
afraid of I.ukef" asked.
She hesitated and turned the question
aside. Seeing the absolute necessity of
gaining her confidence, l told her exactly
how matters lay and asked her what had
best do under the altered circumstances.
We both agreed that the only safe course
would be to treat Luke as if he were a
genuine claimant for the present, and
rs if | and Naomi were still in ignorance