The Red Cloud chief., 1902-08-15

on rapidly in a tone of irritation
Laura, | understand you. 1t Is not
for a rude man like this Alaskan miner
To do o Then in an eager voice he
said: Dearest. | bring you a love
undrcamed OF among such low crea.
lures"
Low creatures" she Missed, almost
breathlessly.
His checks %quivcrod his lips trem.
bled, his voice swcllcd, while his
nervous fingers were riveted To his
palm. He approached her and took
her hand. She seemed bcnumbed by
the feeling. She stood as one trans
fixed. a slow paralysis of surprise TAX.
ing hold OF her faculties. But at his
touch her senses regained their mas
terry. She flung away his hand. Her
breast heaved. In IA voice charged with
Indignation she said:
so this is what You mean, | in.
derstand you at last"
Theodore Lakeland fell back a pace.
Laura, hear me-hear me again"
But she had found her voice at last.
Sir, you have outraged my feelings
as much as IL | was at this IN
Paul Miller's wife,"
Theodore Lakeland felt his self.con.
troll rapidly slipping away, and in the
height of his passion said:
You shall never marry Paul Miller.
Laura kcan. | swear 1t, | hold your
fate and his In my hand, and have
more ways Of crushing you than you
imagine. Be sensible: recall your in
sultinG words. and do not throw your.
self away on that i%mpecunious ne'er.
do-well-a hulking brute, made for a
pick.ax and shovel"
Enough" she cried. 81 would
rather marry a plow.boy than such a
gentleman as you"
Face to face, eye to eye. with pant
ing breath and scornful looks. there
they stood for one moment: then Lau.
IA. without a word, swung about and
walked away to where her friends
were preparing to return to town.
The features of Theodore Lakeland
underwent a frightful change. The
gathering thunder cloud was not more
black than his face. He raised his
clenched fist To heaven and cursed his
and on-coming storm.
1T Is a long way to the Klondike."
he finally muttered, while the smile
of a devil fitted over his face; but.
great as the distance Is, he will feel
my power. and SO shall She"
A heavy peal Of thunder and the fall
ing Of ain reused him to the fact that
the little excursion had all gone, leav-
ing him alone in the wood and storm.
He hurried to where his horse and
buggy were, and, leaping in, drove
furiously to town. He took the train
that night to San Francisco and spent
a whole day in consultation with two
~ill.favored looking men.
In a few weeks Laura had forgotten
h unpleasant scene with the wealthy
Mr.. Lakeland. She was busy repair
ing for the journey in the spring.
1t was the last of February, and on
the next day Laura was to draw her
money from the savings bank and put
II in the hands of a friend to secure
hVi q puoSdSt Ill outIt loT the NlOH-
dixie. Late in the afternoon she saw
a great crowd of men on the street
talking in an excited manner and a
moment later Mr.. O'Bourne. the butch
er, came running toward her, wringing
his hands.
VIVA is the matter, Mr.. O'Bourne?"
she asked.
I'VE are ruined, Miss Kean; we are
ruined. The savings bank has failed;
can't pay d cent"
She grew dizzy and clutched at the
door for support. Quickly all her
bright dreams of surprising her lover
vanished.
Mrs. Miller consoled her with the
assurance that the loss would be made
up by the great fortune Paul was TAX.
ing from the Klondike. A few days
later she learned that the bank had
been wrecked by Mr.. Tom Harris, the
cashier, specializing on San Francisco
Board of Trade. Later came the whis-
per that Harris had fed to avoid ar.
rest, but before going had confessed
his crime, and said that he was in
duced by Mr.. Lakeland to speculate.
He vent on the wrong side of the
market and was ruined.
The evening post brought Laura a
letter. II was addressed in the we'll.
beloved hand of Paul Miller. But
there was something in the chirog-
raphy to alarm her. II was I'm a scrawl-
ing, feeble hand. and with many mis-
givings she broke the seal and glanced
at the contents. Then, with face ashen
white, she shrieked:
Wounded, robbed. ruined" and fol-
senseless to the floor.
Ethel Bush, learning of her friends
trouble, fastened to see Laura, who
sank so rapidly under the double blow
that she was confined to her bed.
Ethel tried to console her.
Don't worry, dear. We shall soon
be with Paul, and If I find him | will
nurse him back to health. and Clar.
ence will defend him II he is attacked
until ha 10 ahIa IN IafnnI hy-.