The San Francisco call., 1896-04-19

Ia Mace IN tD6 WOTlu WueI0 one
would look for a romance. and
il If vet the desolate alkaH pit in
Invo County was lately the
scene of the most thrilling kind of love
story. There was no romantic element
lacking in the little life drama. The
yearning maiden, the fairy prince, love at
first sight, the irate father and daring
elopement all combined to bring matters
10 climax in the marriage of Walter
Newton and Carrie Jeffery in Los Angeles
about four weeks ago.
To tell the story it will be necessary to
take brief look backward about twenty
years to the time when John Jeffery was
prosperous merchant in Louisville, Ky.
He had accumulated fortune before he
was 90 years old and married the daugh-
ter of prominent statesman. The bride
looked forward to life of happiness, as
Jeffery was kind, indulgent husband,
and nothing seemed wanting to make it
so. But in LEGS than two years, and before
little Carrie was born, Jeffery had become
almost crazy on the subject OF lost mines
in California. He could speak of nothing
else, and in spite of his wife's protests that
they had more than enough money to
keep them in luxury the rest of their lives
he started off after selling out his business
and investing a large portion of his for
tune in Government bonds.
Jeffery wrote one letter home after reach
ing San Francisco. and then nothing was
beard of him for two years. He came to
see his wife and child, but was a changed
man. The gold fever had its grip on him,
and he only remained a few days and
started for the desert again.
During the next eight years he made
only three brief visits to his family in
Louisville, and on the last said that he
had built them home near his mine and
that they should live there with him. He
was sure he had found the location of a
long-lost mountain of gold and would
soon be the richest man in the world.
Mrs. Jeffery did not like the peculiar,
nervous glare in her husbands eve when
he was telling of his mines and describing
how an old Indian wizard had guided him
to the right spot. But she was Southern
woman with exalted ideas OF wife's duty,
and hurried over her preparations for de-
parture without asking any questions
Where he went it was her duty to follow
she felt, but her widest imaginings and
dread misgivings never conjured up one
hundredth part of the hardships and dam
gers she was doomed to pass through. She
had visited some OF the coal mines in In
diana, and thought, perhaps her new
home would be somewhat similar. The
influences would not be desirable and the
opportunities for the education and train
ing of 10-year-old Carrie would be lacking.
but as she had been told to buy ANYTHING
she wished and take as much as she
wanted she felt that she could overcome
many difficulties
The trip across the continent and down
through California was novel and pleas
ant, and when Los Angeles was reached
the anxious mother was feeling more hope
full. As great many household articles
were needed, Jeffery had decided to buy
them at Los Angeles and make the rest OF
the journey by wagon.
1t was ten days trip over seemingly
endless miles of binding desert wastes,
and when a stone house, standing close to
a cliff on the edge of Death Valley. was
reached the mother was nearly wild with
fear.
The location of the house had been care
fully selected. 1t was not far from Furnace
Creek and about half mile from the road
along the eastern side OF the valley 1t
was so concealed behind cliffs that it could
not be seen from any direction until one
was quite close to ii. A thousand feet
south of the house, just within the mouth
OF small canyon, was a spring of good
water bubbling among the hot rocks. The
house itself was comfortable enough, but
the surroundings were desolate in the ex-
treme- No spot Of green to rest the eye
no matter in which direction one looked.
Only the white giaring sand of Death Val
ley and the distant mountains quivering
through the heat
Mrs. Jeffery and Carrie had suffered
agonles on the trip and were nearly pros
trated. The awful heat and dry, burning
desert winds had cracked their lips and
their faces, and hands were swollen and
blistered. The mother had expected some
sort OF settlement and a few servants at