Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-05-07
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. -
Tough, friend, but it strikes mo it
would be tougher to tramp back to the
States. Nobody but a 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.
I'll 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. I
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:
. ~ 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, I am putting
every dollar I can command into this
venture, and if my luck runs as yours
did I'll be worse off than you are, as I
have wife down in Denver depending
on me"
It was late in the day when the trans
fer was made, but the new proprietor
pulled off his coat and went to work az
soon as his predecessors left the mine.
He tamped in the charge of giant
powder and set it off, working awk-
wardly, as one 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 the little cabin near the
tunnel, beard the reverberation and
looked at each other.
IF he don't strike lead, it won't
be because he's stingy of powder, =" said
Craft dryly. ''Come along, Willard,
let's see 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 here! It's
the lead! the lead say, it's lucky
matter that no one in the camp knows
we made the Transient
"Why?" asked Willard, with dry
and trembling lips.
Because we'll just retransfer it,
that's why. Here is the deed in his
pocket 1t is no robbery to take it back
and put his thousand in its place. A
thousand! I wouldn't take $40, 600 now
mo, nor $40, 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 ourselvesI"
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 81, 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.
It was known very soon that he could |
not recover.
cts the evil that has come Of our
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't rest quiet in my grave unless you !
hunt up that woman and give her back
her own. If you lie to me, Craft, il 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 VIII.
ard and had no intention of keeping
hat promise.
In due time the fever did it's work,
md Willard was laid at rest in the
Ipology for cemetery. Craft seemed to
20 the only claimant for his partners
'arthly belongings, and he availed him.
elf Of his opportunity.
While at work one day in the mine,
low panning out in great shape, there
was q premature blast, which those who
leard it believed had ended Crafts On.
eer.
Yet amid the shower Of bursting rock
which f1sw all around him he suffered