The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-04-03

Among the new corners was hne-
looking Englishman about 80, named
Martin Coverdale He affected a dash
ing generosity that soon made him popu-
lar AMONG the miners: He looked like
a gentleman all over, but it is sure that
among the thugs, road agents. and
thieves that infested the camp there
was not a more irredeemable scoundrel
than this genial, soft-spoken English
man. He quickly made Emslie's5a,ac-
quaintance, and shrewd as was the. Yam
kec, he was soon fascinated by Cover
dale's fluent speech and pretended re-
ligious sentiment. He saw the possi-
bilities of wealth within Emslie's reach,
and by boasting of his intimacy with
moneyed men in London, excited EN-
slie's hopes that large capital could
l,e raised and the mines worked to their
fullest capacity. So company was
organized, capital one million, with
Coverdale as treasurer and vice presi-
dent. and it was called the "Aurania. :"
But Coverdale had found another
and more direct road to the old mans
regard He had one child, a daughter,
named Lucy, who had come over the
range from Denver to join her father in
camp, and was the sole representative
of pure Innocent womanhood within
fifty miles of the mines-a tall, fragile
Girl, inheriting her fathers emotional
temperament. Born and raised in the
mountains she was accustomed to a
solitary life, nor cared for the society
of her own sex.
1t was the general belief among the
miners that her health was delicate and
these rough men were moved to infinite
pity and tenderness and she was to
them a reminiscence ofthe mot hers and
sisters they had left behind in their old
homes. Jake Bireley, Town Marshal,
an allaround ruffian and cut throat led
the dance, and hurdy -gurdy housekeep-
ers knew that when "Emslie's iii gal
was takin' pasear" they must keep
their women out of 81 ght or there would
be trouble.
Coverdale was the first man of cul-
ture and good address that Lucy had
ever met, and he was skilled in all the
arts of fascination. 1t pleased her
father to know that she would leave her
rude surroundings and return to civil
lied life under the protection Of a hus-
band whom he believed worthy of her.
SO the wooing went gaily on. Lucy
awoke to Il new life and happiness yet
undreamed of, so inside of two months
it was known that Mart Coverdale and
Lucy Emslie were to be married.
When the event came off the camp
took holiday. Everybody but the
gamblers got drunk. Parson Kramer
came fifty miles from Elk Gulch to per-
form the ceremony, and for wonder
kept sober, but within an hour after re-
ceiving his fee of 500 he was dealing
in stiff game of poker in Hemps' sa-
loon, and his remarks next morning
when, dead broke, he mounted his bony
old Cayuse were by no means orthodox
or complimentary to Aurania City.
For a month Coverdale Was a model
husband, and his wife was supremely
happy. 1t was arranged that he
should leave for England shortly to ex-
plot the new company, and his wife
fully expected to 60 with him; but this
he let her know was out ofthe question,
and soon showed the worst side oi his
cruel, ignoble nature. With hard,
wicked look in his black eyes, he told
her that she would only be an incum-
brance. and in business matters he
would stand no silly sentimentality,
and she must learn to obey him.
Lucy's heart fairly stood still and
from that moment her dream vanished
and she saw her husband depart with
an apathy that told how deeply her
spirit had been wounded. But she
kept it to herself and Coverdalc rode
away, taking with him the hopes and
good wishes of all i'm the camp.
In those days London was veri-
table Tom Tiddlers ground for Ameri-
can mining sharks, and under the
shrewd management of its treasurer
Aurania" was the success from the
start. Coverlale had business capaci-
ty. but his evil nature was born and
bred in him, and no sooner was the
stock selling on the market than with
Il scoundrels instinct he was quickly
Ell rapport with all the genteel scamps
i'll London, and began to live life of
debauchery and riot. He ceased to
communicate with his American assO-
ciates, and. perhaps, never gave kind
ly thought to the poor pale girl who
was breaking her heart away in the
mountains-hi neglect of the office and
his participation in certain very shady
stock transactions became known to
some Of the resident shareholders and
a NEE ting was called, at which Cover
dale presided as vice president. After
some preliminaries gentleman arose
in the audience and asked was the vice
president of the Aurania the notorious