Mower County transcript., 1897-06-23
The Old Silver Trail.
BY MARY {. STlCKNfY.
copyright. 1896. by }. B. Lippincott Col
SYNOPSIS.

CHAPTER The scene Of the story is
in IN Colorado, Harvey Men: whose fa.'
tho east, has drifted to the Centennial
state in search Of his fortune. He finally
locates mining claim, which. after ap-
derful richness. Col. Meredith capitalist,
owner of a worthless claim adjoining tho
Mascot lNeirs mine}, lays his plans to
tions follow.
CHAPTER I1-Dorothy Meredith. the
derstorm in the mountains; loses her way:
rider OPPORTUNITY discovered by Harvey
Neil, who offers to conduct her to an old
shaft-house until storm subsidies.
CHAPTER III,Dreaktng into the shaft
house; Neil builds fire to Cry themselves
owner Of the Mascot, and her fathers
bitter enemy. learns that she Is indebted
to him for courtesies extended during tho
ncnt when Neil's sense Of chivairy oom-
pels him to disclose his true identity. She
IS angry. and when riding away says they
can never be friends.
II believe it has," he duly rejoined,
going to the door to look out again.
"Yes; it has stopped. suppose
would better 60 for the horses"
The spirit Of frank good-fellowshipi In
which they had renewed their uncon-
ventional acquaintance in the shelter of
the old hut seemed to have been lost in
its shadows. In almost sullen silence
they rode along over the rough trail,
making toward the turning to the Mas
cot mine. At first she coldly protested
against his coming with her. but he said
that it had grown too late for him to
ride on then to the ranch for which he
had started out; he would have to make
the trip another day; and now, if sho
really did not mind, he would prefer to
go back. With chill indifference Miss
Meredith assented, and then they rode
along with the silence scarce broken
but for the splashing fall of garnered
rain-drops from the branches overhead
and the sucking sound of the horses
hoof-beats in tho sodden ground. Once
he turned to ask if she found the motion
painful for her wrist; and again, when
they came to the point where she had
missed the way, he remarked that it
would have been strange If she had dis
covered a trail so hidden by the crowd
ing, quaking asps; but she answered
him only in monosyllables, and he
presently abandoned all effort toward
sociability.
They were equally relieved, perhaps,
when they finally came out on the brow
of the hill at the west of the Mascot
mine. The oonstraint was becoming
almost unbearable. 1T will not be
necessary for me to bore you much long
er, you set," the young man observed. a
touch of satire in his smile For the
narrowness of the way they had been
riding single file, and he had waited
here for her to come up beside him.
"You are going to stop-there?" she
exclaimed, looking down the wide
draw to where a group Of bare, unpaint'
ed buildings clung to the hillside.
"Yes. You bad already guessed it,
had you not?-that l am Harvey Neil,
of the Mascot?" looking her hardly in
the eyes, with an assumption Of cool
nonchalance. Il did not intrude my
self before, because-'
because you knew that would be
drenched a hundred times over rather
than accept any favor from Harvey
Neil, of the Mascot" she flashed out,
her eyes ablaze with wrath. She was
surprised at the vehemence of her feel
ing, at the poignant sense of disap
poiutment and i'll usage which was fill
ing her with desire to visit with fierce
punishment his air of smiling uncon-
Germ. Il suppose it seemed to you a
joke to take me into delude me with
talk of your acquaintance with my far
ther-to let me go on as though you had
been an old friend, until had been be-
trayed to such a frankness of speech
that even you were ashamed OF
the mean advantage you were talk
ing. I did guess after that; al
least I thought there must be some
thing; but could not-I would not be-
lieve it could be so bad as this. was
so sure that you were a gentleman!"
"See here, Miss Meredith, you are go
ing too far" he interposed authorita
lively, light in his eyes before which
her angry glance wavered. II did moi
force myself upon you; you must re-
eo~SA
dent, just as 1 did at the worlds fair
I found you in a pouring rain, YOU
wrist sprained and your horse foun
dered. In common decency could de
no less than take you to shelter; and
tried to behave like gentleman; yor
must at least give credit for the inten
ton. 1 did not talk of any acquaintance
with your father; l merely admitted
that I knew him when you asked me
AS to deluding you into impruden1
speech, it was my fatal blunder that
stopped you at the very first word il
the smallest degree compromising.
could not take advantage of you in suct
a way; and when you are calmer yo1
will know that could not"
But it was not honest to let me go on
for a moment supposing that you were
a FRIEND" the girl returned, implacably
gazing straight ahead.
II was friend-I am-to you, Miss
Meredith" he impetuously retorted
"Heaven knows we have no quarrel
whatever may lie between your father
and me. l did not venture my name fol
that ver11 raaSnn. IT 1voc en- S1Uoaf f<