The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-04-11

the dusty street He took it neryously,
almost rudely and almost staggered
across to the coal-oil lamp that flicker
cd dimly in the corner She watched
him open it and examine It's contents.
He paused a moment and looked about
70 see If he was alone Then he took a
pin from his Lapel. put the contents in
10 the envelope, pinned and wrote
something outside with a lead pencil
Miss Fasset was just closing the win
dow when he came up. looking CHASTITY
pale thrust the letter back at her and
Haid:
That's not for me. miss. lie had
written Opened by mistake" across it,
but as she looked at him she smiled re-
sssuringly and answered: 1T must be
for you. sir There's nobody else of
that name" Together they looked at
the postmark, but the date and place
of mailing we're blurred and unread
able. It was addressed plainly to Mr..
Conynghame. Alvaretta. o. T." in
typswriting.
ut must be yours, she decided
20. but it isn't Besides. there =
meney In it. +"
"How much?"
Ten dolIass."
y, Inen, Inar seItles It. II II Isni
yours the real owner will come along
looking for his money. Then I'll call
On you"
He would have protested, but sac
.ammed the window shutter with
msrry laugh and left him alone with
,he letter in his hand He was in the
street before he reopened the envelope
and drew out a crisp, new $40 note.
There wasn't word with it, not even a
scrap of letter paper He crump.ed the
money in his Shaking hand, hurried
down the street and rushed into the
English kitchen TO buy toe first square
meal he had eaten for months
u know it wasn't mine, he growled
to himself as he turned up his collar
and faced the driving storm OF sleet
and rain, but I've got 50 left, and il
the other Conynghame asks for his let
ter IN return what's left of it," And
he staggered out across the prairie
toward the lonely dug-out that he
rGlled home.
When closing time came next day
little Miss Fasset was annoyed. The
big Englishman for the hrst time IN
months had failed to appear Whether
she now regretted trusting him with
what might prove TO be another's lel-
ter and money. OF whether she sus-
pocted that he had gone off on what
wosterners call "a high lonesome" ia
not certain, but whatever the cause.
she was worried and showed 1t in the
frown upon her pretty forehead and
the aash OF her bis black eyes. bat
lConynshame came not the next day
nor the next. nor any day thereafter
for a week, and Miss Prim, sure at last
that he had jumped the country was
doing her very best to despise or for
get him when there came a letter post
marked Liverpool and addressed
Dudley Conynghame, Esq, Alvaretta
Oklahoma Territory, U. s. A." AT least
there could be no mistake about that
letter, and it got so strongly upon Miss
Fassett's nerves that she was Obliged
/ to quit her dudes before noon.
i've got a nervous headache" she
explained to her indulgent papa, and
I'm going to take long drive in the
country"
So she bade Martha the old Negro
housekeeper, to hitch up Dobbins and
set forth for her drive. II was nearly
D 4 o'clock when she found Conyng-
J, hame's claim. Unfenced, untitled
l glaring red in the cold sunlight, II
0 stretched across desolate hill and
sl5ped away into a barren, waterlesi
Z valley. Not house nor a barn, nc
Q sign OF occupancy gave them welcome
= They had climbed to the little knoll oI
g shale and we're about TO drive awaJ
when Marthas black finger was raised
a and she said:
r Wander is a dug out. honey An'
e they drove across the crest OF the re'
A hill and found indeed a low warreI
s burrowed in the ground, its roof ant
o clay looking like mere anthill Mar
& that descended from the buggy an'
4 numbered down the four steps cut int
n the earth Having battered az tn
r. door without getting a response sh
3 pushed il open and entered. In mo
q ment sho came up again, her black fac
g almost gray as she said.