The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1903-10-08
OUT OF A PIONEERS
TRUNK.


| ing Of the better sort ana suluple "
his urban needs. There were few ar
ticles Of iewel'y, which he put reiig,.
, iously aside. There were some Letters
which seemed to be Of a purely bust
ness character. There were a few da-
guerreotypes Of pretty faces, one OF
which was singularly fascinating to
him, But there was another, OF a
young man, which startled him with
Its marvellous resemblance to himself!
In a fash of intelligence he understood
1t all now. 1t was the likeness Of the
former owner OF the trunk, for whom
the assistant had actually mistaken
him! He glanced hurriedly at the en-.
velopes of the letters, They were adj
dressed to Shelby Fowler, the name by
which the assistant had just called him.
The mystery was plain now. And for
the present be could fairly accept his
good luck and trust to later fortune to
Justify himself.
Transformed In his new garb, he left
his lodgings to present himself once
more TO his possible employer. His
way led past one of the largest
gambling saloons, 1t was yet too early
to find the dry goods trader olsen
gagged perhaps the consciousness Of u
more decent civilized garb emboldened
him to mingle more freely with stran-
gers and he entered the saloon. He
was scarcely abreast Of one of the
faro tables when a man leaped up with
an oath and discharged revolver full
in his face. The shot missed. Before
his unknown assailant could fire again
the astonished Flint had closed with
him and instinctively clutched the
weapon. A brief but violent struggle
ensued. Flint felt his strength falling
him, when suddenly q look Of astonish-
ment came into the furious eyes Of his
adversary, and the mans grasp me-
chanlcally relaxed. The half-freed pis-
toll, thrown upward by this movement,
was accidentally discharged point
blank into his temple and he fell dead.
No one IN the crowd had stirred or in
terfered.
you've done for French Pete this
time, MT. Fowler" said q voice at his
elbow, He turned gaspingly and recog-
nized his strange benefactor, Flynn.
IL call you all to witness, gentlemen"
continued the gambler, turning dicta-
torily to the crowd, that this man was
first attacked, and was unarmed." He
lifted Flints limp and empty hands,
and then pointed to the dead man, who
still grasped the weapon. Gomez He
caught the arm Of Flint and dragged
him into the street.
But" stammered the Mortified Flint,
as he was borne along, what does 1t
nil mean? What made that man at
tack meT
II reckon 1t was a case Of shooting
on sight, Mr.. Fowler; but he missed It
by not waiting to see If you were
armed. 1t wasn't the square thing,
and you're all right with the crowd
now whatever he may have had agin
you"
But" protested the unhappy Flint,
81 never laid eyes on the man before,
and my name isn't Fowler"
Flynn halted, and dragged him in a
doorway.
who the devil are your he asked
roughly.
Briefly, passionately, almost hyster-
ically, Flint told him ais scant story.
An odd expression came over the
gamblers face.
Look here" he said abruptly, II
have passed the word to the crowd
yonder that you are a dead broke miner
called Fowler. allowed that you
might have had some row with that
Sydney duck, Australian Pete, In the
mines That satisfied them. II 20
back now and say it's q lie, that your
name amt Fowler, and you never knew
who Pete was, they'll Jest pass you
over to the police to deal with you, and
wash their hands OF It altogether. You
may prove to the police who you are,
and how that ID clerk mistook you
but 1t will give you trouble And who
is there here who knows who you really
are"
EMO one"
"Then take my advice and be Fowler,
and stick to 1t! Be Fowler until Fowler
turns up and thanks you for 1t; for
you've saved Fowler's life, as Pete
would never have funked and lost his
grit over Fowler as he did with you;
and you've a right to his name"
He stopped and the same odd super
stitious look came into his dark eyes.
Don't you see what that all means?
Well, Ill tell you. You're In the big
gest streak Of luck a man ever had.