The Washington weekly post., 1899-10-03
BY CONAN DOYLE,
r,,--r,l 1883. y 4 oor.n poyI.,


=. -ss.satIe 90 neither Of these causes.
s~s-a ss Ee was. the scene which he
. .-sa.,rf.sed the night before could only
I.4 % ore conclusion. He pictured him
al walking as wildly down the valley
.,Esg similar circumstances, and his heart
"a touched with pity for his rival. He
s-Yry certain that the ill-omened face
:, y-. Thomas Ferguson. Of ROchdale
rs--y. would never more be seen within
walls o. Aza.ea Villa. Then. why did
.ss refuse lim2 lie was handsome, he
fa.r.v r.-n. Could it, No, il couldn't:
- coarse. 1t couldn't. how could IT, The
.iss naz u5lcU.ous-so very ridiculous
.s,u had .ermentod in the young mans
--s.- all night. and that he could DO moth
-e baf ponder over II IN the morning.
.rs cherish .t ia his perturbed bosom.
The. passed down the red pathway to-
.srAer. and along by the rivers bank
trr lad relaxed into his nomal condi-
-.l- o. tacflrrity. He had made one gal
ant ea0r, 90 hold forth upon the subject
% eas stimulated by the basket which
be- held .a a.s hand, but the theme mss
-s.a tar.EGs one. and after a spasmodic
--ser be- had abandoned the attempt
Wife coming along he had been fun OF
-ly anecdotes and humorous observa-
ars He had reheaTsed innumerable re-
r.rzs which we're 10 be poured into Miss
Srla.Ts spprec!atIve ear But now his
t-,r seemed Of a sudden TO have become
vacuum. anI utterly devoid of any idea
ave au insane and Oye-pOW ering impulse
20 comment upon the heat of the sun. No
ss,loHamer WHO ever rcckoned a parallax
gss so entirely absorbed in the condition
o. ,rr celestial bodies as honest Bones
UhIe rr JrUdCcd along by the sloW-iiow-
Hg Australian river.
suddenly his conversation with his part
ryr came back into his mind What was
.- Boss had said upon the subject? Tell
ler ron they live al the mines" He re-
viewed il IG his brain. IL seemed a curl
ols lhU- To talk about but Boss had said
b. and Boss was always right. He would
uka ,rr plunge; so with a premonitory
lem ha u.Irted out:
They 1--we mostly on bacon and beans
r The valley"
H. could not see what effect this COM
1ll.cgt0u had upon his companion. He
rls TOO tall 10 be able TO peer under the
gt.s straw bonnet. She did not answer.
Hs would try again.
Mutton on Sundays" he said
Even this failed TO arouse any enthusi-
asm IN fact, she seemed TO be laughing.
Boss Was evidently wong. The young
ran vas iH despair. The sight of a ruin
I'd hut beside the pathway eonjured up
Hash idea He grasped at 1t as a drown
-g man - a straw.
'loc6nty Jack built that" he remarked.
Lived there TIL he died"
What did he die OFF, asked his COM
frloa
"Three-star brandy" said Abe, decisive
F. Il used to come over OF a night when
be vas bad and sit by him. Poor chap!
he had a wife and two children in Put
Iy. He'd rave and call ne Polly by the
hour He was cleaned out, hadn't a red
cl' but the boys collected rough gold
enough TO see him through. He's buried
tteIe in that shaft: that was MS claim,
50 Wa just dropped him down il an flied
lp. Put down his pick, too, an spade
an q bucket, SOS he'd feel kinder perky
lHi a., home"
Miss Carrie seemed more interested now
DO thCy often die like that?" she
asked
We'll brandy kills many: but there's
more get dropped-shot, you know"
u don't mean that. Do many men die
alone and miserable down there. with no
one % care for them?" and she pointed
10 The cluster Of houses beneath them.
rs there any one dying now? II is
awful To think Of"
There's none as / knows on likely TO
throw zap thsir hand"
i wish y0l wouldn't use so much slang.
Ar Durton," said Carrie, looking up at
Nm repToyingly out of her violet eyes
il vas strange what an air Of proprietor
snip this young lady was gradually as
smins toward her gigantic companion.
You know il isn't polite. You should
ssi dictionary and learn the proper
words"
All, that's It," said Bones, apOiogetical-
4- Its gettin' your hand On the proper
@e When you've not got d steam drill,
you | got to put up with a pick
Yes, bat it's easy if you really try. You
could say that man was dying or
Lsrtuud,' IL you like"
mats It, said the miner, enthusias-
l'a..y Moribund" That's a word.
Why You could lay over Boss Morgan
q Tie matter Of words. 'MoribIndr
l.
carrie laughed.
It's not The sound you must think Of
.-. whether II viii express your meaning
s.@'ls.y. Nr. burton, if any one should
.s 4i ~ jEv camp you must let me know
,1A nurse and l might be of use. You
"-, wont yoa?"
a'e readily aCquiesced, and relarsed
-.,o silence as he pondered over the pos
s..lilE o. inoculating himself with some
--s and tedious disease. There was a
---l u'- reported from Buckhurst. Per-
--.S something might be done with that.
anu N"" ] must say good morning"
.-' 'aTfe. as they came to a spot where
hooked pathway hranched off from the
A --.A and wound up 10 AZalea Villa.
-...Ah You ever 50 much for escorting
~ Vain Abe pleaded for the additional
s-N-l'a Yards, and adduced the over
-'.Allhg Weight Of the diminutive basket
ii 'otru' reason. She was ineXorable.
''4 taken him too far out OF his way
'-1-y. She was ashamed of herself;
p. Wouldn't hear Of IL.
I''f Bones departed in a mixture of
IA opposite feelings. He had interest
80. she mad spoken kindly to him
ii. '"7A she had sent him away before |
' Was any necessity; she couldn't
... much about him If she would do |
, ] .aak be might have felt a little !
g.. .Ar-... .a however had he seen Miss
&c Sinclair as she watched his retir- |
h. -s-'r from the garden gate with a
ne '''A upon her saucy face, and a !
f".s smile al his bent head and |
.-..H appearance.
81, ,.T Colonial Bar was the fayorite haunt /
r... "...H.j4Hts Of Harvey's Sluice in |
"'-'s ai relaxation. There had been I
~, .Mpelition between IL and the /
v,a. '-.-a..sGment termed the Grocery,
.....' '- spite OF its innocent appellation, |
H.. ALSO 10 dispense spirltuous re- |
.-.-i'..- The importation Of chairs |
d. '. .a."r mad led 10 the appearance |
49,. a The former. Spittoons APP |
e. -- ..r Grocery against a picture IN |
e ana. as the frequenters express |
-..- ."- aYnors We're even When, how |
ed I-. 'rurery led a window curtain, 4
t.'. opponent returned a snuggery and /
.r.. l-e game Was declared TO be in /
a. .- '+- latter. and Haryeys Sluice 4
l-.,. JUS sense Of the spirit Of the pro- |