Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-02-15

did strike a rich pocket, but it played
out, and in my opinion the whole things
a false alarm
''Why do you tell me all this?''
asked Miss Eyler, without the faint
est symptom of surprise exhibiting
itself in her features.
Because I'm only half a scoun-
drel, suppose" said Welton, with
bitter laugh. 'Or perhaps I'm doubly
a scoundrel for the reason that when
I've once agreed to a rascally trick
lose heart and expose my partner.
I've been away from civilization so
long that l guess I had forgotten
that L was gentleman. But I've had
this property on my hands and have
seen all my money go into it, and
when things get to that pass out
here-well, any trick is legitimate
among miners in such an event"
''And I'll tell you something MORE"
said Miss Eyler, firmly. ''That mine
has been cleverly walled with pay
ore at the bottom of the shaft. The
work has been done by your part
ner, but he has overreached himself.
He has gone on the supposition that
~ 414uSO NC q SO1O property VI 1O
ing, whereas the surface indications
show that it is likely to make fine
copper mine, and 1 am going to rec
ommend its purchase on that basis.
But that partner of yours must never
reap any benefit. When we get back
to the hotel I am going to tell him
that I will give him just 4s hours to
get out of the state"
Here slight noise made both turn.
Bell was standing back of the girl,
where he had crept through the
quaking asps and stunted cotton
woods.
"You won't do no SIGH thing, MISS
he said, slowly, his voice shaking
with rage. 81 thought this white
faced young pup had weakened, and
I'll Jest settle him fust-"
AS the man spoke he had been adj
vancing, with his eyes fixed on the
helpless WeIton and his hand steal
ing slowly toward his hip pocket. He
was but few feet from Miss Eyler,
and she was not the one to hesitate
when there was only one step to be
taken. AS she stepped, she swun g
her vigorous young arm, and the
heavy head of the prospector's ham
mer struck full in the center of the
miners sombrero. Without a sound
he dropped, face downward, and the
! girl fell on her knees at his side and
quickly possessed herself of the shin
! ing weapon that had been half drawn
from his pocket.
Welton turned the man over on his
back and felt where the hammer had
struck.
''There's nasty bump there" he
said to Miss Eyler, who was still on
her knees, her eyes very bright and
her face very white. He'll pull
through all right in a few minutes,
and I guess we might as well leave
him right here. He'll want to make
himself scarce anyway when he
wakes up, and he might as well pull
freight from here"
What explanations were made,
what was overlooked, and what was
taken for granted during that return
ride down the canyon will never be
known save by two persons, but Seth
EIkins seemed to have reached con-
illusions of his own, as six months
later he suddenly cried:
"Say, you fellers know that slick
lookin', tailor-made expert that sold
young Dick Welton's copper prop'ty
fer him? Well, I jest hauled a trunk
an "a sight O. boxes up here, marked
Mrs. Richard Welton. I amt had nc
weddin' card FIN Dick, mind you, but
I'm willing t. drive stage bareheaded
all next winter f tn missus amt her.
Not to Re R@guiIed
Flattering Canvasser- you the
head of the house, madam?
Mary-No; I am only one of the
hands.-Somervilie Journal.