Gilpin observer., 1901-08-15
Jason Gazed in Stupid Wonder.

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 recollections
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 a girl
with wistful 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
When one has no money travelling is
slow and uncertain. But in January
Jason reached Colorado.
Footsore and weary, but with the
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-
was SO transparent that objects fifty
miles away appeared scarcely as many
rods.
OF sudden he felt 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
White Death" and he knew the glis-
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 I'LL
his lungs. He took greasy bandana
handkerchief from his pocket and tied
1t across his mouth.
Then to his agonized eyes. there
came from out the mist the figure of
n girl. The features were those of his
Princess Mildred. and she seemed to
heckon him. He followed her and she
led him to deep ravine.
Weak and exhausted. he flung HIM
self over the edge and rolled down the
bank. The ravlne led upward to a
.chasm In the side of the mountain,
from out of which n small stream
flowed. Staggering onward. he finally
pulled himself into the chasm and
found shelter under projecting ledge.
Piling n quantity OF loose powders
across the entrance, he soon had q
snug retreat into which the ice-laden
breeze could not enter. Then he lay
down to rest.
1t was daylight when ho awoke and
the air was clear. He felt no evil ef