The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1901-11-14
In Deaths
Head Valley
BY ANDREW BROSON


Ogilvie, acquired his coffee estate on
the summit of Santa Nita, Co.
lombia, South America, in the cen
trail Andes, he knew little of the
climate he was about to face, and
Jessie knew less. But he was a
brave man and "faced the music
gayly and made a lot of money,
while Jessie seemed to find nights
of thunderstorm and days of steamy
heat agree with her perfectly. Not
a girl in all Colombia half so fair as
she, with her black hair and brown
eyes and 5 feet II inches of noble
young womanhood.
She was loved "passionately mad
ly" by two men, ''madly passionate
ly" by seventeen others and quietly
and undemonstratively by TWEEN
tieth. The two passionate mad"
adorers were Spanish-Colombians,
Pedro and Fernando by name. The
seventeen mad passionate" ones
didn't count. The undemonstrative
one was Al gle Bruce, and he was the
only one of whom Jessie appeared
to take any notice at all, and that
seemed only a contemptuous no
tice.
"He is so tame" she would say to
her father.
"He's a good deal of man for
oil that" her father would reply,
with quiet smile.
Pedro and Fernando had been
bosom friends till Jessie came. Then
they Immediately became bosom
enemies. Twice under the cover of
darkness had Pedro sought Fernan-
dos life with his glittering forest
knife. Thrice had Fernando Kissed
an awful VOW straight into Pedro's
face that the day he (Pedro) won
the love of Jessie would be his last
They watched her wherever she
went. Did she appear on the door
step of her fathers wooden house
they would spring from behind
trees and help her into her saddle.
Did she come climbing up the
mountain with water from the well,
they would scamper down to relieve
her of her pals. And of an even
ing, while she would be singing bal
lads to her father in the drawing
room, they would be fattening their
noses against the window, kissing
forth their love for her and their
hate for each other, and finally
turning, with roar of disgust and
-burying their fingers Ill each others
Threats. They were nice, engag-
ing couple.
1t was May morning. After
a night of equatorial thunderstorm,
the sun was shining gloriously upon
world of green hill and forest,
and far away in Venezuela cleaned
the white heights of the Sierra Ne
yada wrapped in their mantle of
eternal snow. Jessie stepped forth
from the house, a basket in one
hand and a pair of large scissors in
the other, and in the same moment
Pedro and Fernando also sprang
forth, the one from behind a large
aloe, the other from the shadow of
pile of deal boxes.
"Where are you going?" shouted
the two ruffians as gently as posi-
BILE.
"Where neither of you towards
will follow me-" laughed the girl.
81 would follow you to p
Pedro screamed, stopping abruptly.
$50 would Ip' yelled Fernando.
"Where are you going?"
''To gather orchids in Deaths
Head valley" replied the girl, still
smiling.
The two men started and their
brown faces turned a little pale.
81 saw a patch on one of the trees
looking down from my window last
evening, and I'm going to have it."
1But it's certain death!" shouted
the two men.
"Not it," said Jessie. "I'll come
back safely, you'll find"
'You shan't go!" Kissed Pedro,
advancing, but Jessie fixed her
brown eyes steadily upon him, and
her shoulders went back, and her
right arm was raised slowly. She
seemed about to brush him from her
path, and he retreated with a NUT
tered apology.
At that moment Algie strolled
on the lawn. tremendously raised
his big linen cap and said in that
deliberately courteous voice of his,
Good morning, Miss Jessie. Can
be of any use?"
81 am gOino for some orchids !