Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-08-24


of hardship, encouragement and fail
ure in their search for the hidden
wealth that would not reveal itself to
their hungry eyes.
Poisoned by contagion from that
baser element in whose company he
had been thrown during those two
years on the ragged edge of civiliza-
ton, Jason drowned all recoIlections
of his Princess Mildred and spent the
next few months in idle dissipation in
the cities on the coast
Without ambition, hopeless and de-
spondent, he lay, one night. amid the
scar and yellow verdure on a vacant
lot. gazing upward at the sky Among
the million glittering lights that dot
ted the azure arch he saw but one
the Polar Star.
Suddenly, like long, dead memory,
there came to him the picture of girl
with wistfu1 eyes and golden curls,
standing under the naples, with the
moonlight kissing her upturned face.
Fumbling in his pocket, he pulled
out dirty wallet from whence he
took a faded violet. He pressed the
blossom to his lips, then staggered to
his feet and strobe away through the
night.
slow and uncertain. But in January
Jason reached Colorado.
Footsore and weary, but with tho
bright vision of his Princess Mildred
before him, he was limping across the
foothills. The air was bitterly cold
but dry, and not the faintest breeze
was stirring Before him the cold.
gray mountains pressed their snow
capped peaks against the cloudless
blue The sunshine fell with uncom-
mon brilliancy, and the atmosphere
was SO transparent that objects fifty
miles away appeared scarcely as many
rods.
OF sudden he felt a sharp pain on
his face as though he had been stung
by bee. Again and again he expert
enced the painful sensation, although
not an insect could be seen. Then he
noticed that mist was swiftly hiding
the mountains from his sight. A
breeze sprung up and the air became
dazzling mass of scintilating par
ticles like diamond dust
Jason paused and gazed with fran
tic, startled eyes, He knew that the
dreaded white Death" was wrapping
its chilling shroud around him. He
had heard old miners tell of the
tening fragments in the air were par
ticles of ice SO solidly frozen that they
reach ones lungs before they melt He
knew that deadly pneumonia invari-
ably claims the luckless traveller who
inhales the breath of the White
Death"
But although frantically he gazed
around him. there was no habitation
visible, no building in which shelter
could be sought. He wanted to cry
out in his agony, but he dare not open
his mouth for fear the ice would fill
his lungs. He took a greasy bandana
handkerchief from his pocket and tied
it across his mouth.
Then to his agonized eyes. there
came from out the mist the figure of
Princess Mildred, and she seemed TO
beckon him. He followed her and she
led him to a deep ravine.
Weak and exhausted he flung him
self over the edge and rolled down the
bank. The ravine led upward to a
chasm in the side of the mountain,
from cat of which a small stream
flowed. Staggering onward, he finally
pulled himself into the chasm and
found shelter under projecting ledge
Piling a quantity OF loose powders
across the entrance, he soon had a
snug retreat into which the fce-laden
breeze could not enter. Then he lay
down to rest
1t was daylight when he awoke and
the air was clear He felt no evil ct