The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-06-26

a man stroIled down G street one
June evening and then struck into a
trail which led upward along the slant
OF Mount Davidson. He was a large,
broad -shouldered. full bearded man. AT
point where the trail diverged he
stopped as IL for a short rest, and.
with his hat in his hand, turned to
View the scene below him.
The sun was approaching the horizon.
Everywhere the sky was a cobalt blue.
save In the far distance. where it
changed TO delicate purple and grad
ually melted into long, low streaks of
red, gold and shlmmering crimson.
Looking down the canyon, Sugar Loaf
stood darkly silhouetted against the
brilliant background. and past it-miles
further down and away-the plains lay
sleeping I'm the evening haze. In the
middle distance the big, red buildings
of the shafts and mills, with their tall
steamboat smokestacks. were sharply
outlined on every side the white dumps
seemed TO flow out OF the sagebruslt
hills, and beneath him clustered the
motley and jumbled mass of houses
tackled to the steep mountain side-Ne-
yada's chief city.
Another man trudged up the trail
and paused when he described the fig
ure ahead OF him. lie was not cast
in the heroic mould of the first. HE
face betrayed the Latin blood. There
was a look OF vindictive envy i'm his
small. bead-like eyes as he watched the
contented man above him. He won
dered II all the things they said about
Jim Sanders were true. Why was IL he
had no partner and worked his claim
alone? Was there any truth in the ru-
NOR that Jim's claim wPs paying well
l. ii IN
instead OF banking ity AS to his own
claim-well. Gus was a good and un-
complaining worker, and the cabin
was all right To sleep IN. Mining was
a gamble anyway, and so was faro.
Still. one knew there was money in faro
if the cards came rightly. But this
evening Jose Casadra was broke. A
week before he had won a thousand
dollars at single sitting.
After a little while the object Of his
gaze moved on, and Casadra followed
keeping well I'm the rear. When he ar
rived at Sanders cabin Jim stood in
the doorway.
Hello. joel
Hello, JIM"
How they comin'?"
Damned bad" savagely.
Better leave the chips alone. joe
there's nothing i'm It." said Jim. phil
why don't you help the |
poor Dutchman out? More money in |
that, joe"
Advice is cheap replied Casadrs, |
-naturedly Dye think ye'd willln' |
TO give me anything else?"
II might" said Jim. clamly knocking |
the ashes out of his pipe against his |
boot heel.
Then lend me hundred dollars"
mo. Joe. 1 won't. IL wouldn't do ye |
any good.
ITO hell with you and your advice"
exclaimed Casadra, angrliy, stridins |
swiftly away and up the trail to the |
cabin he shared with Gus.
The next morning on his wey TO town
he stopped at Jim's cabin In his mind
was half formed resolution to say
some commonplace thing 10 jim which
the latter might accept as an apology
for his rudeness of the previous even
Ing There was no sense I'm making an
enemy OF him. He threw away his Gig
arctic and hesitatingly approached the
door. which stood ajar. and looked in.
What he saw startled him. Jim was
ying ON his side on the bed. with one
arm thrown up over his head. His big
gray eyes were wide open. and seemed
10 be looking Casadra full in the face.
Morning JIM"
There was no response-not even the
4
lim uneasily for a moment. and then
-urned and went on his way TO the
own. He wondered If Jim always
slept in such a queer fashion, and II
such a sleep was a sound one. IL was
ate in the night when he passed the
'abin again. The door was still ajar
md all was dark within.
The following day, shortly after sun
Use. found him before the partly op-
ned door. He had a premonition of
what he would see as he suddenly |
pushed IL wide open. Jim was still ly-
ng on his side with his arm over his |
lead. the open eyes fixed on the door
way. In two steps Casadra was beside
i'm. He put out his hand involuntar-
ly withdrew IL for a second. and then.
With an effort, placed IL on the fore
iead OF the man in bed. The touch
vas icily cold. Down over the heart
vent the hand: there was no response !
rom that fountain head. San Jose
new he was not looking upon sleep.
iurder or suicide? He threw off the
edclothes, expecting to see blood. but
here was none. Just then he saw a
heet of writing paper iyiEg on table
y the bedside. Picking ii up eagerE.
@ read:
Dear Brother: have been taken
III tonight. II the worst
hould happen. when YOU come on. go
I once into the SHAFT. In the second ! .
rift exactly twenty-four feet from the
haft dig
In an instant the paper was crushed
! his hand and thrust I'm his shirt
osom. Furtvely he looked around as
I'm fear OF being detected He never
lought of the body I'm the bed until
is wandering gaze fell upon the palrd
ace. and the distended eyes staring
xedly at him. Nervously he moved To
ne door: the eyes followed him. lie
epped almost behind the bed. and vet
III himself within range Of the awful
sion. Many dead men he had seen BE-
re. but some one had always closed
leir eyes for them. These eyes seemed
, move like those OF some old por-
ait.
lt was late N the afternoon when hs
1tihed the Coroner Of his discovery. {
he body was taken down TO the un- Y
artaker and the Coroner decided an
quest unnecessary. Sanders belonged
Masonic order that took charge Of Y
'c funeral ARRANGEMENTS. The fact I
lat c2S~dra aeft Virginia the night OF /,
le day the body was discovered was
,ted by some. but no especial siCnif. I
nee was attached 10 his departure.
Two months later In gambling I