The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-04-03

y
the mans daughter?"
"Well, uratherl You see man needs
lots of wealth to pretend to any Of
these girls, for Silas is like them Old
Testament chiefs who d see lords and
dukes shifting around the lodge and
let the dogs at 'em because they amt
kings. She's too good anyway for a
common scrub cowboy like me. Oh,
man, but you should see her sit a buck
ing horse! She's like the west wind
riding cloud, with the bright hair fly
ing around her head and her eyes like
stars. The broncho tears up the
ground, but she laughs as she drives
home the spur, and there's no fear in
her. I've fought two men for fooling
around her already-one with rifles on
horseback, he's in the hospital; the
other shooting at sight with guns, but
| hunted him out of the country"
Jack Brancepeth always was hand
some, but now, as he laughed in tri
umph, felt that Miss Kitty had no
need to rue her choice, for this gallant,
simple, boyish lover had the face of a
Galahad.
"Yes, that's why I've been trying to
keep straight. Why, I'd be NANCY
hermit if couldn't make myself good
enough for her But, as she said, the
old man would never let me have her
unless I'd lots of wealth. | tried hard
enough, but then we'd been engaged
more or less for two whole years with
out making my pile"
But" said l, this doesn't seem to
have much bearing on the present
trouble?"
at hasn't, eh? Well, you reach your
hand into the left pocket of my belt
and you'll find her letters. There
that's right; now read the one on top"
So l found myself glancing over the
first of batch of letters in fine
round schoolgirl hand like string full
of knots.
DEAR JACK: If you want me don't be a fool
Here's pa favoring Daddy Longlcgs, who wants
me awful bad. He S given Daddy Longlegs
straight tip how to make his fortune. Pa told
him that they've just found tremendous lot
OF silver In the Grubstake mine; but the prln-
cipal owners are lying low and saying bad
things about tho minc until they can ropo in
all the stock, whatever that means. Anyway,
they've broken down the pumps on purpose to
let the works get flooded, 50 rs to hide what
they've found. Daddy Longlcgs has sense
enough to speculate in Grubjtlkcs; you
haven't. KITTY"
Yes" continued Jack, "Kitty's pret-
ty straight goods, and when she means
a thing she says it, If Daddy Long
legs had one thousand dollars, | was
worth two thousand dollars; at least,
that's what realized in hard cash by
selling my ranch to a tenderfoot. So
rode down here to Bitter Root City, went
to Kitty's uncle, Hi Hewson, the stock
broker, planked down my roll of bills
and said: Buy Grubstakes.
"'You hadn't ought to buy outright
says Hewson; you should cover
"'What's that? said |.
"'It means, said he, that you plank
down your money, run the show; if
the stock goes up, sell out when you
think that you're pretty well fixed for
life; if the stock goes down two thou
sand dollars worth, you lose all you've
got
'"'I'll gamble said l, with all can
hold down by sitting straddle.'
well, you should have seen the
brokers guying Hi Hewson in the min
ing exchange, and afterward heard
them talking among themselves in the
Coffee palace.
What, said one smart Aleck, you
think Eli Hewson's working for
Silas, eh? You must think Silas P.
Hewson's gone loco! The old man con-
fessed only last week to a friend of
mine that the mines played out. Why,
the works are chuck ablock with wa
ter, and no tunneling facilities to drain
it; the pumps have broken down and
of the real pay ore there isn't dollar
in sight
"a level head has old man Silas,'
says another; as to Hi Hewson, he's
roped in a sucker who thinks he can
cumbersome fool of q cowboy, he
says.
"'There was another sucker last
week, says smart Aleck; Daddy Long
legs they call him-planlSed down one
thousand dollars on a afalling market,
he he! Well, he's busted now-cover
all run out
AT that they all drank toast:
Long live the Suckers;' but-well, |
laughed.
"Now read the second letter." said
Jack. read:
You're daisy Daddy Longlegs has
come back dead broke, and his language Is
just disgraceful. Hold on, keep tight hold,
Jack, for pa says he'll soon be letting the cat
out OF the bag, so II the stock goes down any
more you must keep good heart and hold on.
KITTY"
That's all right" said Jack, "but
by the time got the letter on Monday
morning my cover was running out,
too. Says Hi: It's all your own fault;
you never took the trouble to ask my
advice or you wouldn't have bought till
to-day but that was poor consolation,
for / was like to be as big fool as
Daddy Longlegs. When the exchange
closed on Monday the Grubstalxe was
quoted at forty-three, and If 1t went
point lower my two thousand dollars
were lost. Read the third letter." It
said:
Hold on 70 the stock You needn't have
boon Jealous Of Daddy. He aint in III never
was, for l love you, Old boy. On Wednesday
morning the news will be In oil the papers that
the Grubstake was flooded on purpose to keep
the secret OF great bonanza. Your stock will
be worth fortune. Hold on for my sake, dar-
ling. Hold on for all you're worth.
KITTY"
"At that plucked up courage" said
Jack, cheerfully, "sold my horses, sad
die, rifle, shaps,' lariu.t, spurs, coat,