The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-04

stranger TO them, on account Of his infclix rciu
tation-and even the critical Dcmorcst cXpresset
a wish they had known him before. " But yoi
you're quittin' it, or it's %quittin' you. no added
barker and Stacy both stared Mt their com
panion. 1t was unlike Demoreet to regret any
thiiPTghm opp y " mere N dS social S,nG di y ,r,df l. vor
had known JACK mamiin earlier and profession
ally, q great deal Of re9l value would have
DOM repeat that rot flung out by, men who
hive ayS played Jacks game and lost returned TI1t,
than" lie stopped. glanced at the meditative
Barker, nnd then concluded abruptly, the
They were silent for u few moments. and then
seemed to have fallen into thor former dreamy
mood as they relapsed into their old seats again.
had sont those nuggets Off with the Others This
mOrning.',,
::%%Rhy y i wis., D Sn@ . i sqhdG 's5yy kind o, op.
press me-, don't you sec. l seem to feel en- here,
on my chost-dl tho three returned stacy
don like the idea OF sleeping in tho sninc room
With en-. They're. nlltogcthcr too much for us
three men To be left alone with"
"fou don't mcan, that you think that anybody
would attempt" said Dcnorcst.
oa sS9ey SSgYE o; , sd iIFhi ihjSs l iPpo, reih TstS snp %TsH /
did. It's tho blessed chunks OF solid gold that
seem 10 have got US fast, don't, yon, Know, and
Frhpkenstoin monster that we've picked out OF
u hole from below"
L KNOW lNhI WUWI stacy means, SulU IS0rNcr
bronthlcssly, rounding his gray cycy. i've felt
II, too. Couldn't we make . sort OF cache OF it
bury 4, lust outside the cabin for to.nighti 1t
The two others laughed ,".Rathcr rough on
baSl:: .I tho hd @NEnrs; MY kit i'' so soon soon. nRt"HiaI"s
what's to keep any prospoctor from coming
along and making u strike of III You know
thats mining law-if YOU haven't prccmptCd
the spot ;s n claim"
But Barker was too staggered by this material
arose. And l feel that youfd' both better BIO
turning IN ns we've got to set IN early" He
blanket back over the pan and its treasure.
There! thatll keep the chunks from getting up
to ride astridc OF you like a nightmare Ho
Stacy caught his eye. "Woii miss this security
II san Francisco perhaps even in Boomvillc,"
1t was scarcely 10 o'clock, hut Stacy and
Barker had begun TO undress themselves with
intervals of %yawning and dcsultory talk, Barker
continuing an amusing story with one stocking
on and his trousers hanging on his arm, until at
last both men were snugly CurlCd ny In their re-
]spectivc hunks; Presently Stacy's voice came
from under the blankets:
Halo! aren't you going TO turn in. tool"
Not yet Sail DCnorcst from his chair before
the fire. You see. it's the last night In tho old
shaa,y, and reckon I'll see the rest Of it out"
Cling Violently with his blanket. II tell YOU
what. boys, We jus; ought to makca watch night
i"astt. t. Hold 5Ef" oS! iii ' get S1T ur S" tSS =" "" ha. Il here rs
Dcmorcst arose. caught his youthful partners
bare foot. which went s%carchinc painfully for Inc
ground. in one hand. tucked II buck under tho
blankets. land hcapin them on The top Of him.p pat
ted the hulk with an authoritative. patcrnal air.
sonny. You'll want 10 br fresh as a daisy to mp,
pear before Miss Kitty tomorrow early. and
vow can keep your visils for tomorrow night,
Good night and l mean it,.
Pr"tHsltng fooLiy. Barker finally yielded in a
Nesting shivcr and II sudden silence. Dcinorcst
walked back to his chair; n prolonged snorc
came from Stacy's bunk. Then everything was
root upon It. and leaning vi back in his s" chair nH sat
with halG.closcd eyes ana dreamed.
1t was an old dream that for The past three
oycrtakinc him under the shndc Of II buckley in
his noontidc rcst on his clain-a dream THAI had
tiIcside when his partners were nj rest. dream
OF the past. hut so real that il always made the
present seem the dream through which he was
moving toward some sure Gwakcning.
1t was not strange that il should COmc TO him
tonight. as ! had, often come hc:cre, slowly
OF ., fair young girl seated in one of the empty
chairs before him. Always tho same pretty,
chillllke face. fraught with a haif-frightcncd,
der, graceful figure. but always glimmcring in
diamonds and satin. or spiritual in lace and
rounfings. Always silent with parted lips nm
I'll the night wind smote some chor' o. rccollc,-
ton. ana then mingled n remembered voice with
his own. For at those times no seemed TO speak
also. albeit with closed lips ami an uttcrancc in
audible Ia nll DGt nC-.
We'll = he said sadly.
Wen T. The voice repeated, like a gentle echo
You know 1t nll now" he went on. "You
know that 1t has come at inSt-nll ilnt I had
worked for, prayed for; All that would have
you 10 mo has come "a; last, and ali TOO late!"
Too late" echoed the voice with his.
" GU rclncm.,cr' he went on "thr last day
and family would have yoH give up "A pennilCss
man. You remember when they rcprnPchcd You
your wealth that / was scSEing. that | then de-
termined TO go away ANA never, to return to
claim you ur:il that rrproich could b" removed.
You remember, dearest. how Won clung 10 mo
and hadt IN" stay with YOU. even fy with you.
but not 10 leave You alone with thcm. You
wore, the same dress THAI day. darling: your
eyes, had tho same WANDERING, Ch:ld-iikc fcarNnd
trouble In them; your jewels ,%gliltorcd on YOU ~
rather in my weakness and cowariicc. l refused.
! came away and broke my heart among these
rocks and ledgGs. yet grew, strony; and you.
you loved. yor-" He stopped and buried his
face IL his hands. The night wind ,~brCathcd
the hearth cnme the soft whisper: 81 died"
" And then he went on, :" cared for nothing.
sometimcs my heart awoke for this y,ouns part
girl that even in her humble station was far be.
You'd his hopes, and pitied myself IN him:
were forgotten And now they are returning 10
m"--only that | may sec the hollowncSs and
vanity, Of them. an,l taste the bitterness Tor
last night OF my exile. lam confronted with only
the jealousy, the doubt, the mcnnncss mad sell
tishncss that is to come. Too lnte' Too late.
The wondering eyes That had looked into his
here appeared To clear and brighten with II
sweet nrc5ciencc. Was II tho wind moaning In
the chimney that seemed TO whisper to him:
TOO late, beloved, for me-, but not for you.
! died. but Love still lives. BE happy. Philip.
And in your happiness J., too, may live again"
Hestartol. In the Pickering freight the chair
was empty. Tho wind that had swept down tho
chimney had stirred tho ashes with the sound
like the passage OF n rusllilg skirt. There was
n chill in the air and q smell Ike that of opened
earth. A nervous shivcr passed over him.. Then
he sat upright. There was no mistake; IL was
no superatitious fancy. but n faint. damp cur
rent of mir was actually flowing across his feet
toward the fireplace. He was about to rise. when
he stopped suddenly and became motionlcss.
He was actively conscious now of. n strange
sound which had affected him even In tho pre-
occupation OF his vision. IL was II gentle brush
ing OF some yielding substance Ike thnt made by
u soft broom on sand, or the sweep of a gown.
But to his mountain cars, attuncd to every
woodland sound, II was rot like the Enawirg of
gopher or squirrel, tho scratching Of wild Cnt,
nor the hairy rubbing Of bear. Nor was 1t hui
man; the long, deep rcspiratiOns OF his sleeping
companions were distinct from that monotonolIs
sound. He could not even tell II 1t were in tho
cabin or, without. suddenly his ego fell upon