Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1899-02-03

.c
"Mu name Is Brett-Da4ncnn Brett.'
Mr.. Keighley Gates deftly elected
half a dozen rings of cigarette smoke
and then looked at me with a curious
smile OH his lips.
"Well, yes, I do, be replied. cat
one time knew him intimately, but l
have not seen him for the last two or
three years. Still /: get an occasional
letter from him..
was overjoyed at this news. What
lucky inspiration it was that had
prompted me- to look up Mr.. Gates!
"Haye you had a. letter recently?" l
inquired.
1.-The last one would be about-let
me see"-and MIR. Gates pondered for
moment or two. eyes, about four
months ago, as near as my memory
serves me. "
"And where was he them
He wrote from Denver, and said he
was just moving on to Salt Lake City
and from there he intended going to
Frisco"
"Then at this moment San Francisco
might be a likely spot to make inquiries
in?'' 49,.
Gates laughed.
lit certainly might be, but if you
knew Arthur Durant you would know
the utter impossibility of following his
movements by any known or unknown
method. As he mentioned Frisco, I
should think New York or Florida a
likely spot to find him in.''
This news considerably depressed me.
So much seemed to depend upon this
man, and yet from Gates account it
was apparently hopeless to expect that
he could be found in time.
"What would you advise US to do,
Mr.. Gates?''
MAKE inquiries by all means in Salt
Lake City and Frisco, but don't build
any hopes in that direction I ought to
have letter from him soon, and that
will put US on his track at once. think
| have his last epistle by me still. If 80,
the address will be useful I'll look for
it now
Gates unlocked drawer and looked
through some letters fled with extreme
care
"I'm afraid destroyed it, he said,
at length. II now remember what I
kept it for, and as soon as the purpose
was fulfilled burned it. I never keep
old letters; it would not fit in with my
wandering life"
This was disheartening. However,
determined to find out something about
the man wanted.
"You say you knew him intimately,
Mr.. Gates?"
"Yes, / did-that is, if living for
three months on end with him gives me
the right to do so. l first met Arthur
Durant in the Allegheny mountains in
North Carolina. He had gone up there
to inspect some mica mines, and I was
there to look at some gem deposits: We
both foregathered at a little three
roomed wooden house, which. was more
drinking shanty than hotel, and as the
mica and gems were. in adjacent strata
we did much Of our work together. It
was longish job, because the stuff we
were after was Undoubtedly there, and
what we had to decide was whether the
quantities would pay for working, and
had passed: before. we could arrive at
our decision. You can. get to know q
man very we'll in that time ~. A..
'''Then saw nothing of him until I
ran up against him in the Strand about
three years ago. He seemed to be in
clover at Chat time He told me be had
made his pile and was then engaged in
spending it. He had just taken a hunt
ing box in a sporting county,. and he
asked me to stay: with him. Il intended
doing so, but never. found the time Il
saw him again after, he had givensit up.
He talked of travelling, but had, no
definite plans. Then l heard from him
in Matabeleland and South Africa gen
orally. He writes to me three OF four
times in the .twelyemonth, and the last
letter. | had from him was, as I said,
from Denver, bout four months ago 8:
When he was in ! the country, AR
/ Gates, he paid marked attentions to
b Lady Florence N Qstyn, and, ]: liave,
asked the Duke Of Lundy for his daughs
fter's band. The duke refused It, and
! soon 5afterward Lady :: florence disap-
$peared rom your knowledge Of the
man, Dc you think i robable that Dn--3
/ rant was concerned ii that? Do you
think he.;persuaded the lady tor unaaWay
With him, ii. fact 4: .;s
;yAa3 rasG ates s lay back chair and
reflected q few minutes befor 81 wing
Then he said slow s5 ,z52
s5s is ad thing 70 be cert
any man uetsss here lYo,nllan M
ll,ol,deI no .ljsj