Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1897-12-11

courts that there was but one true vein
In evidence, and that direct continue
ton OF the Grubstake.
CHAPTER II.
Dorothy Meredith rode slowly along
the sandy shore Of Gem lake, her en-
joyment OF the scene subtly enhanced
by the suggestion Of forbidden fruit
more distinctly in evidence with every
moment OF dallying. Before her minds
eye she could plainly see her father
tuning with impatience as he looked
for her out Of the shaft-house door Mt
the Grubstake mine, where II had been
arranged that she was TO meet him nj
this hour of four in the afternoon; but,
while the troublesome vision appealed
to her sense Of duty on the one hand,
OH the other It but filled her with per-
verse longing to loiter.
In all Colorado she was sure no scene
could be found more wildly beautiful
than this tree-fringed water, like a bit
OF silver dropped down in the noun
tain's embrace, with the changing
light of q rising storm falling upon
every feature with strange transmit
ing touch. AS with most happy folk,
natures somber mood was but pleas
ant play upon her senses, chord OF
sweet minor 10 thrill her with new
delight, and her mind was simply c
chaos of incoherent exclamation as her
glance ranged from the gray swirling
clouds to the water making kaleido-
scopic play with the leaden tints; the
guarding trees all shivering and whis-
pering together us though in ominous
prophecy Of evil, the great hills LOOM
ing up on every side, on whose steep
slopes seemed ranged the ghosts OF ail
the trees that had ever died, so unreal
they looked in the winding sheets OF
mist that more and more with every mo-
Inent disguised their fair outlines.
But q moment ago the range had tow
cred in majesty at the west, three OF
It's mighty, snow-crowned peaks look
ing down over the growing bulwark oil
cloud like gathering OF kings watch
ing in eternal calm the petty con-
flicts OF earth; but now they were us
lost to the eye in the all-enveloping
grayness us though they had never
been. 1t was scene full Of weird des-
olation, instinct with wind and woe.
So fur as the eye might see was no
sign Of habitation, nothing that bore
the touch of human hands besides the
small segment of grass-grown road
curving around at one side Of the tiny
lake. II seemed fair dream-world of
gray and silver, where nature mourned
alone, refusing to be comforted.
But, though in the vested independ-
ence Of American girlhood she might be
to the claims of an irnte Ia
Their, she could not long remain deaf to
such warnings as the winds were now
shrieking through the trees. She was
not yet ready to admit that she hnd
been unwise to linger SO long: but us
she turned her horse back to the road
she was forced to reflect that, with
more than three miles lying between
her and the shelter OF the Grubstake
shaft-house. she was bound to have u
hard ride to escape wetting. Askilled
and fearless rider, however, IL WINS but
q new pleasure TO give the horse his
head, settling herself in the saddle for
a breal-neck race with the storm; but
Just Mt the foot of the first hill she sud-
denly drew rein, while her gaze wan
dered uncertainty up the unkempt,
track turning of ut the
left, the Old Silver trail.
Ten years before, just at the last OF
the Silver City excitement, her father
had brought her mother and herself to
stay for q month or SO at Windy Gulch,
md then, with a child's fondness for
gadding, she had learned the topogra-
ply OF all the region round. She remem-
bered perfectly The line Of the old road,
which now passed directly by the Mas
cot mine and within stones throw OF
the Grubstake-her glance rs II wan
dered up the newer way, which now too
had grown old, clearly recalling the
point of intersection. By taking this
short cut she could save q mile or more,
while with such gain In time she ought
besides to be able somewhat to mollify
her fathers wrath by presenting her.
self In dry clothing. So far as she knew
The way beyond the Mascot mine wns
now never used, and, with it's originally
flimsy construction and the awful
grades which had brought Il into dis
favor the chances were that II would be
in the worst possible condition for safe
fravel; but Miss Meredith was not ac-
;ustomed to question her ability TO go
wherever horse might carry her, while
he wiry little broncho she rode was
blessed with a cat-like capacity for
at any angle and over any sort
II ground which seems the essential
orerogntive of the mountain-bred pony.
before ske had given as much time TO
he argument rs II has taken TO tell Il,
he had turned the horse and was flying
long the old road.
There was q pleasure In recognizing |
'smIIinF features ef tie Landscape % !