The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1899-12-07

evidently at loss what to say. He
shifted his hat uneasily.
Nelly Carney. thot was. OF moost
hurry my wurrd as olive Tim Blake
in NEE place down in the yard Olive
! some wurrd of John Conover from
dirthy Chinee thot olive befriended
once or twice. He told me, Nelly Car
ney, 'hot John has med his foined at
last, an thot three oy the worst min in
San Francisco are TO be afther not
only he's taken alriddy, but it will be
Nell. Conover had risen. All the
fine lady dropped from her. She ran
to Fergus and caught his hand
Fergus. Fergus. yere a friend. in
deed, Come away with me to John
Get Tim, Denny and Jerry and one OF
There's plenty of money We will go
faster than any one. oh. Fergus.
help me for old-times sake"
We've no time thin 10 loose" quoth
Fergus. For that gang is away three
hours too. Be ready whin l come Wa
the b'ys."
An hour or two later Nelly was
ready. She had been TO the convent
to kiss Kathleen, she had dressed her
self in her coarse mountain clothing
again. The next train north bore the
Irishmen and Nelly to the little sta
ton where she had decided to get on.
1t was by a short cut, rough and
dangerous, that Nelly made up her
mind to lead her followers 1t was
one by which John Conover used &c
secretly transport his gold. Several
times she had tramped with him up
and down the pass. She calculated
that she could arrive an hour or two
after the attacking party if they push
ed forward all night. A terrible en-
ergy posed Nelly. Her eyes shone
| with terror and anxiety. Could they
reach John in time? AS she plunged
onward in the dark she registered a
| VOW never to leave John Conover
again if his life was spared.
Toward dawn the party were in
sight of Toby's creek. Nelly pointed
with shaking at the hut near the
mountain side. There was a light in
the cabin. The party crept up stealth
lily Nelly crawled on her hands and
| knees to the back window. The sight
within froze her blood. John Conover
| was tied and bound before the fire
until he was perfectly helpless. Three
| men were torturing him, Indian fash
ion, by applying burning sticks TO his
feet He would not sign away his
claim.
Nelly drew back one second and Fer
gus took her place. \ settled gray
look came into the face of the big
switchman. He motioned the next
man and all drew their pistols. Fer
gus crept to the door, motioning Nell
lv to shelter herself There was a sud-
den crash-in of the door. three shots
and a dash at the window. Nelly fir
ed the pistol that she held straight
into the face of the man who came
first.
John Conover was always bad
ly crippled man. He had expected no
succor. but he knew Nelly well enough
to think she would never relinquish
the claim only over his own signature,
hardly then. He had resigned himself
to die that she might have fortune.
II was a snatch from the grave for
him.
Everyone knows the Conovers on
the two continents. The claim was
one of the three best in California
Kathleen was such a fabulous heiress
she could have married dozen titles,
but she choose a plain American. She
had young, half brother, who,
strange as it may seem, was called
Fergus from the start. He was a ia
nous athlete in an eastern college In
the '7Os and married and English girl
of family. Nelly Conover, a lovely,
white-haired old lady. may often be
seen in the picture galleries and pleas
ure gardens of continental cities, walk
ing beside the wheel chair of genial
old gentleman. She kept her vow. No
time since that awful hour on the
mountain side has she been absent
from John Conover's side.