The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1901-08-31
T0NY'S SACRIFICE.
"A DEAL IN OIL LANDS THAT
i PROVED DISASTROUS.

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
! Lambert, of the Original Oil dig
arehy, tucked his telegram into his breas
Npoeket with loving little pat. This
b was the moment he had been working
i. and living for all these long months
Veterinary daffodil jinks," it read, and
= translated by his private cypher code, il
@nieant he was to go ahead buy the whole
Il tact, and draw on the company for the
4 fist payment.
: The burning sun beat reentlessly up
Cd his unaccustomcd head his collar
p took On the hue of the road. his face was
Ii biistercd and his eyeballs scorchcd by
/. tie heat, but so absorbed was he in the
sehenrs that unrolled themselves before
Z him chat he forgot to fume because OF
II his discomfort. He chuckled gleefuliy to
himself, notwithstanding the act involved
" the breating of a mouthful of Kern
d County drst. for this was the climax
I be had almost dcspaircd Of reaching.
Although he had never for moment
y lost faithin the richness of this little
n Strip of foot-hill country, the company
EAu never lIltll HOW DCSIi W!lilIlS W ldlsC
a the money for the first payment and the
u erection of the works necessary for its
development, and he had come to realize
y chat, Of a verify, faith without works
~ is dead"
n His company was not rich; Lambert,
ahils heaviest stakeholder, was worse than
r'poor, being heels over head in debt.
There we're plenty of people he did not
snre TO meet because of overdue notes,
.seyersl clubs he could not go near on ac-
Z N6unt of delinquent dues, and numberless
hnder-b bred tradesmen who made his life
4 burden But in the success Of this deal
he saw the end of all his troubles.
The loungcrs around the little hotel
eyed him curiously as he drove up, and
h followed at his heels as he made his
way into the Office, for such turnout
was not often seen in that part of the
country. Lambert pushed his way
through the crowd without seeing them.
The name of Johnson, of the Mammoth
kAfineral Monopoly, on the register made
him opeh lis eyes trihe wider. OF
course there was no reason why johnson
: should not he there if he chose, but there
was coolncss between the members of
the two companies, especially between
Johnson and himself.
The county records showed the title
OF the land to be vested in one Antonia
Maria Lopez, so, early the next morn
ing Lambert started off to find her.
But once out on the county roads, in the
4 wastes of brown stubble-felds, the direc-
M lpA he had received at the hotel became
confused. No one seemed to know any
thing definite about the distance, and it
had been variously estimated from
"'bout fifteen mile" to twenty. After
following for several hours a road that
seemed to have no turning, he looked
about for some one of whom. he might
inquire the way. and the first sign of life
that came in sight was the figure of
woman walking toward him. But when
ne was almost near enough to address
her she stopped, drew her sun-bonnet
over her eyes, tucked her skirts into
one hand and scaled the four-railed fence
as neatly as boy might have done.
Then, looking over her shoulder toward
the dust-cloud down the road, she slip
4. ped behind bowlder and waited for the
\ wheels to pass As the dust enveloped
her in binding cloud the smart trap
was brought up short with clankirg
Of chains and silver mountings.
Could you tell me whether or not this
Is the road TO the Lopez placer Lambert
asked.
The sun-bonnet jerked forward in an
Affirmative nod.
Then perhaps you will be so good as
70 direct me to it." Lambert continued.
. Yep" answered the girl, its right
here"
"A pause followed, while the man in
4 The cart locked over the girls head at
i the abomina,;on of desolation epitonize,
Y N shc prospect before him-tl,e tumble
down fences, the unpainted. half-hnishe'l
house, the rickety out-buildings, then at
the forlorn little figure beside the bowl
I der. His eyes sought hers for fultEc.
information but the bonnet had closed
J down over her features like the shell OF
I. an oyster.
81 Then, perhaps, you arc Miss Lopez.
J he ventured, "tl,c heiress to the estate
AZ Nope returned the bonnet, I'm
Tony Lopez my folks arc dead. and this
here ranch won't b. mine til I'm Of age, |
!. that's all"
1T was evident, Lambert toll l.'rnsesf.
& as he followed tic girl TO tie l:ou:c
4 that the purchase would be an tasy mat |