The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-18
When the Clouds Rolled By,
BY BENNETT F. HARRIS.

T
 Copyright, 1902, by Daily Story Pub. Co
 There was a two months pay day over at the Holy Moses camp and all the gamblers and sports" as well as every one who ''fancied his game" for miles around had struggled over the mountain trails to assist the hardy miners or Gold en Gnlch to rid themselves of the cares of sudden and unexpected affluence. IL had been question of some doubt Tn the minds of everybody whether the Holy Moses would ever have pay day again and as lead after lead pinched out the superintendent looked anxious. One pay day had been passed over. but at a min CTS meeting the superintendent had made an eloquent speech, illustrated with ore samples and full of appeal to local pride Did they, the citizens of Golden Gulch, want the poor sluicing galoots of Lost Emerald and Tigerville to crow over them as a busted community when they could all heel themselves by grtting their teeth and hanging on for little while longer, and wasn't there the company store in the meantime? asked the superintendent. who was also the discoverer and princl- pay .stockholder. The answer 'to these questions was a vote of confidence in the Holy Moses. The discovery of the biz pay streak justified the confidence. and the pay day was the direct result of the pay streak.
 The camp certainly could never have
 
 this particular night. The saloons were running in full blast and from their open doors issued continual roars and whoops of merriment, intermingled with the clicking of celluloid chips, the occasional smash of broken glass and the whirr and rattle of the roulette ball.
 It was not far from midnight when Lit tle Jim Collins lurched out of the Early Bird and seating himself on a convenient boulder indulged in bitter reflection. .. Two months work gone to thunder he said dolefully. Two months drill .twistin' an hammerin' an shovelin an if
 they hadn't took out the store bill when
 they cashed the check I'd had a hefty dead horse to work fer to boot. won- der how many kinds of blamed, lunk- headed fool I am, anyway I've got an idee who can tell me
 He referred to Mrs Collins.
 If Billy Reeder played square game
 oughtn't to have any kick a-comn'."
 he continued, shaking his head dolefulfy.
 but I've my serus doubts about 1t, He rose and took few steps home
 ward He could see the light glimmering In the window of his cabin down the
 gulch, and he thought of the large and fluent woman who waited where the light eimmered. HaZily he decided 1t would be fine night to sleep under the shelter of the pines and. crossing the footbridge that spanned Yellow Creek he found a suitable resting place .and lay down. "I wisht I'd married a woman of my own size," he eroaned. He was d very small man, Presently 8 cracking of dry twigs near him reused him from half doze, and he saw silhouetted against the illumination of the Early Bird, the huge figure of a man who seemed to be search ing for somethirg After few moments
 the figure stopped and, raising a large quartzite boulder. seemed to secrete some- thing beneath it, and then stumbled off across the foot bridge and disappeared within the doors of the Last Chance. " "Sorter singler." unused Little Jim. "I guess I'll see what It is he has cached" .. He went to the boulder, overturned it with some difficulty, and picked up a muslin tobacco sack that jingled. He shook it and two $20 gold pieces tumbl d out on to his palm. The miner had made | provision for the future. It's what ought to have done" said Little Jim" He stood in doubt as to the proper course to pursue. for some moments. HG was no thief. but then the big fellow | was probably so .dru1k that he would never remember where he had hidden the l money. and there wouldn't be any harm | In borrowing 1t, anyway, and then II nc | did make a winning, as he WIS bounc | to do. the domestic danger would bt averted. So he reasoned, and stihlng tho voice of conscience within him h. wen back to the saloon.
 Billy Reeder the gambler from Elmer l ald was at the bar the central figure oi l the disorderly mob. As soon as he saw 1 Little Jim." he invited him cordially tt | "Iine up." i've got 'em all skinned now" he shouted ioyously, ''an I'm go | ing to pull my freight"
 l ''You'il play me a round or two betor' | you go." said Little Jim
 They played. The game was seven up