The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1903-11-14

Of the earth. grow bent and old In dis
appointment and despair. He had
seen men who were making It," and
whose prospect of going home with q
goodly pile was growing surer every
day. through the might of John Barley
corn lose fortune. hope, manhood. He
had seen men. singIe-minded a. HIM
self In making 3 stake and returning
to make home for some waiting one,
die of exposure and overwork In their
zeal to accomplish their end While
he, although his stake was too modest
to be called strike, was now able to
go home and claim his reward.
Again the breath of honeysuckles
seemed to blow strong upon him as he
read, at the end of the twenty-seventA
page:
And shall meet you where we parted.
at the turn Of the lane. where you shall
give your whistle as you did when wo
were children. and I will answer back.
We will go home together. you and /.
under the willows along the stream. and
II II should be twilight when you come.
It will not matter II for once we loiter
| little on the way.
The zap of Yank was now too far
below to reach him, but Yank was do
ing his best to make himself heard,
AID the smoking and talking In the
camp had taken on new energy. An
| excited posse had ridden over from
Rattlesnake Bar and stopped in front
of the Round Tent saloon.
THE tracks were the freshest along
the creek" the spokesman Of the posse
was saying as he dismounted, "and II
he didn't come through this camp he'd
"a had to go all the way round by
Jimtown." cycling the group of idlers
as II they might all have charge Of
which to clear themselves.
"And 1t was turrible bungling job,
anyways" Clipped in Pike. thereby
generating himself from suspicion, for
he had reputation for adeptness in
that line.
Unless he done 1t that way a pur-
pose to throw 'em on" suggested q
bystander with more meaning in his
tone than was wholesome for Pike.
The spokesman Of the posse noticed
this insinuation, and Pike. under his
beard. went white about the gills.
III it's a tenderfoot you're loolxin'
for this camp Amt likely place TO find
one" Pike said. pridefully. We've
only got the Kid. but l wouldn't say q
word agin him."
1--WE tracked the man a good way
from the cabin" the speaker contIn-
ued; I'VE know the size of his boot and
that he toes in" keeping an eye on
Pike, land it's a pretty safe guess he
came from this direction"
Pixies mention of the Kid had
seemed so preposterous no one had
taken 1t up, but when toeing in had
been suggested, several Of the miners
exchanged glances, for the Kids
| pigeon-toed gait had been one Of their
oldest gibes.
Where's this here kid?" demanded
one of the Rattlesnake men.
He lit out when he heard you COM
in and struck into the woods" Pike
fastened to say. And nobody remem-
bered he had gone half an hour before
the posse arrived. !.
.Oh, now don't you go to sayin' the
Kid would do thing like that" Pike
continued, generously. You see he
has just struck little pocket, least
ways, he says he's struck a pocket"
| with a grin, land he's hustlin' lickety-
| split to get the next steamer. Lord.
l wouldn't never suspect the Kid of
such thing" added Pike. nice, kind
Mr.. Pike, driving the first nail secure
ly into the Kids coffin.
who Is this fellow?" the Rattle
snake men then asked. And the infor-
nation was pieced together that no
body knew much about him; that he
kept good deal to himself, and had
been seen to strike out into the woods
on the day Of the murder; that he
worked his own claim, and didn't have
a "pardner;" that lately he had seemed
to have more money than usual; that
he had told several of the boys he waa
about to pull up stakes. Yes, on the
whole. now you come to look at It that
way, rather suspicious character!
And Jamison, the while. saw moth
| ing but the tall white hollyhocks. the
moonlight altering through the rose
thatch on the soft hair Of the girl
whose clear deep eyes answered his
steadily, thought for thought A mer-
ciful purple mist arose In the ravine
below. wrapping the colony Of tents
in a temporary oblivion, and shutting
him in with his lost paradise. A baby
grosbeak fiuted drowsy cali above
his head, and from under the log on
which he sat sly little woodrat sal
lied forth for a nocturnal raid. The
crimson glow In the west was spent
and a stealthy twilight cleaned over
the tree-tops. Jamison strained his
eyes to read the last few lines on the
thirtieth page:
This Is the last letter I will have q
| write you, and the gladness of our meet
Ing makes these long years Of waiting
almost worth while. for every though
has been with you. every hope has been
for you, and every day has seemed ar
eternity until I shall bee you. But nov
that the suspense ID almost over I car
be patient. and our meeting. when q
docs come. will be the sweeter for III