The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1895-04-03
HER FIRST HUSBAND.


"We're at the end of our string,
that's sure enough.
"But to sell for such ridiculous sum
as 81, 900 down. We have sunk three
times that much apiece, besides all our
hard work. F"
'Tough, friend, but it strikes me it
would be tougher to tramp back to the
States Nobody but greenhorn would
give thousand for that hole in the
ground as it stands. We've got to close
with him, that's all of it, and, for my
part, I'm done with mines and mining.
Ill strike back for the old farm as soon
as get $500 safe in my pocket. -
We've concluded to take you up, !"
said Homer Craft, the bigger and bluff
or of the two men, when it came to the
final transactions, "but feel it in my
bones that we are doing mighty fool-
ish thing. If hadn't agreed with Will
lard here not to hold out beyond this
date, I'd go back on the bargain now. l
was fool not to stand out in black and
white for couple of thousand more in
case you strike it rich before our tracks
are cold.
This was only intended to keep the
newcomer up to the mark, as Willard
very we'll knew, but the buyers sympa-
thy was touched, and he answered ear
nestly:
81 give you my word, gentlemen, in
case like that should offer bonus
in proportion to the value of your work
in the mine. AS it is, l am putting
every dollar l can command into this
venture, and if my luck runs as yours
did I'll be worse off than you are, as
have wife down in Denver depending
ON me- -
1t was late in the day when the trans
fer was made, but the new proprietor
pulled off his coat and went to work as
soon as his predecessors left tho mine.
He tamped in the charge of giant
powder and set it off, working awk-
wardly, as ono unused to such labor,
and undoubtedly he failed to step back
to safe distance, for the exploding
blast caught him and killed him in
stantly.
The two miners, packing their few
belongings in tho little cabin near the
tunnel, heard the reverberation and
looked at each other.
eff he don't strike q lead, it won t
be because he's stingy of powder, y said
Craft dryly "Come along, Willard,
let's SEQ what the fool has done. -
There was moment of blank dismay
when they saw what had occurred.
Then Craft swooped down to grope
among the broken ore, while he turned
an excited face toward his companion.
''Look here, Willard Look herel It's
the lead the leadl 1 say, it's lucky
matter that no one in the camp knows
we made the TRANSPORT
"Why?" asked Willard, with dry
and trembling lips.
Because we'll just retransfer it,
that's why. Here is the deed i'll his
pocket. 1t is no robbery to take it back
and put his thousand in its place. A
thousandi 1 wouldn' t take 81 600 now
no. nor $50, 900 for my share. Why,
Willard, it's richer than we ever hoped.
It's plain Intervention of Providence
in our behalf. To think how near we
came to cheating ourselvesp'
And Willard, fsebly protesting, al
lowed himself to be overruled by his
stronger minded partner, but his con-
science was sore over that breach of
faith.
No one appeared to claim the S., 900
which the stranger left, though it was
advertised in the Denver papers, and he
was soon forgotten by all except Will
lard, whom remorse preyed upon, but
not to the extent of prompting him to
restitution until it was too late.
He was seized with chill one day
while at work and the next was on his
back, raving with mountain fever.
1t was known very soon that he could
not recover.
"It's the evil that has como of our
treaohery, Craft, and it will come on
you, too if you don't make restitution.
They that are near to death see clearer
than the living, and tell you that /
won I rest quiet in my grave unless you
hunt up that woman and give her back
her own. If you lie to me, Craft, if you
promise to do that and fail. tell you
that my footsteps shall haunt you till
the day of your death"
He had promised simply to quiet Will
lard and had no intention of keeping
that promise.
In due time the fever did its work,
and Willard was laid at rest in the
apology for a cemetery. Craft seemed to
be the only claimant for his partners
earthly belongings, and he availed him
self of his opportunity.
While at work one day in the mine,
now panning out in great shape, there
was premature blast, which those who
heard it believed had ended Crafts Ca
reer.
Yet amid the shower of bursting rock
which flew all around him he suffered
nothing but few scratches, though the
force of the explosion threw him back
and his head rang with the
uproar
He staggered out of the tunnel to find
himself surrounded by startled crowd,
whose fears were relieved by finding no
worse disaster.
There was woman among them who
was stranger in the camp, having only
arrived the day before, who fingered
when the others dropped away one by
one
Let me dress the scratches, please.
have court plaster here. want to do
~ 81 - 4 49,