The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-08-29
Sflett Sturp.
A FORTUNATE KIDNAPPING.

! George Ethelbert Walsh in Philadelphia Ledger.
Cropping his way through the dark cor
ridor of the abandoned portion OF the mine,
Hudson found himself under an arched
roof. yaulted and fretted with ribs of gneis,
and granite and delicately streaked with
veins of quartz and glimmering pyrites.
Near the centre Of the natural arch he
stopped and diligently pecked away al the
rocks with his small hammer and chlseI
Lukens, his guide, swung the electric arc
downward to illuminate the place.
It's the beginning of the old mine,
he said indicating with sweep Of his
hand the yaulteI corridor We gave up
working here two years ago.
What for? asked Hudson quietly,
but with an undertone Of suppressed ex-
citement He was digging away the vein
Of rocks rapidly, cutting deep into the
streak Of glittering yellow and depo>iting
it into his canvas bag.
Money gave out and the owners had
no faith in it was the short reply
Hudson said nothing for some time, but
his eyes glowed with expectancy Then
he added You were superintendent of
the mine at that time, believe ?
Yes. but they woulln believe me.
knew there was gold here. but haiu
she money 60 buy it or work it,
Hudson had distu>,ed and di>likei the
mau from the first, but thi, confession
awakened some compassion for him After
AT he had ui,Jujsei him tie realized
tha, il va, a dithegl, position for man 10
De IN. 50 he replied nore kindly
Well, Lukens. believe you were
u-ht think there Is gold here aud
plenty ii il
TIE eyc, Of the mine superintendent
lighted up. aud the eserrn,=>s in hi- yo,ce
va uumislable ! m usbt glad of IT,
then. De- aii aud hal,, ,aa y get tie
mine. / don want th, uiber> o. hni It,
They haven treated utr lsss aud shy
should i1 more iur Gus
Hudson DAD DO, Eeply he was working
tc,vJlshly al the yeiu 81 yellow metal lie
tspJsi the rcek- here and there aud cram
bl.i 'hem ta pi,-o,a. ia either PLACES bat all
with a sci ishuej PuIpas" IA view powa
ga b. Aucy7 be dropped g. examine the
fallen rlss,@ then uF AGAIN he straight
es9,-I bJ- form
'rh4; se,ils- Il. h, ex,iaifaei. draw
iue IN hls breath I,- a nch one t,.
ygol Joab,
Noticing the interest displayed by Lax
sf.s. be suppressed hi- uususrisl ynihu
-sa-su and added more calmly
I ,hsuk have aii lhe specimens I ns--l.
l.ukcu-. / q takc them uy anI ASSAY
Ibsii tonight
The tvD stepped aai of the circle of
b..h, radatel from thrir elsotuc baIh-
Hudson l,Il rather than saw aaoshsr pair
a, rs.- ga him
Hudson lclg >saewhAt rrltc,.,i whca Ne
l.akei eluar,ly into the eye. g-sFiug At
b,,n tusla the rim vt darkne~e sroand
Theg ver- u,s ,hs-- Il pg,~p,,-tas- ui.
ncs - euzlae.g bus b,la0ssl ,s a aoulan
pb.s>e tars ,u.l visible agalns; the dark
hack sraunl appeared strangely attractive
aud bsau,lia, The two guides whu se-
gempzn5,-l ber wcrr pasbius au pass lhsal
bar slih sudden impulse she turned and
-aiI
heani whai yoa ,sij and II yuu all
taylan m.. Z like e. .,,. >as,,s c,.ld Ia lhs
rau-h royks I presume it va zoii yoa
referred -
Hal~.,u touched les IT the specimens
be had eolley,yi. holding oac Up ia b,
hand ). BE- .g.kg I b ust ,ay iha, ls
IS gold. hs rrpIied. NJ man /. .arr oi'
Cd, mytal iu >l,h a Iishr bat lhinI il
uilI pass ,u daylight
Are the r,cks full of Il, she asked
tousbing ihc yein wjih drliea,cly slayrI
haui and picking # splinter. which be
had lsil la,ss.
"l' they were ihl. uila, w,sslI b. worth
pFinerly iauuur liud,,n answered.
suh a ,m.le i canuos tell uniil have
made uy assay The, may 1t prove nl,
leading
She ,urue,l her EYES fall ga him. snl b..
added
III the assay c,m,s up 10 my expcgia.
tiuu, ! shall make a fortune ier my CON
lany and reputation iuF myself
You wall bus gh. mine ga the strength
ot th,,r samples She asked simply. toy.
iu. mechanically With the specimens.
No. | shall advise the company | rrp
resent to bay H. be replied i IA too
p,or 60 bus an acre af.ani | IA merely
a mining engineer youu. one At that
tie bTuke of aud laughed soitly. i NAV
a. well confess. thi, i ms first assignment,
and want To DO wcl by myself 20,
the commission through much difficulty
aud | want TO show my employers that |
eau be- trusted This mine has been turned
down by older experts, but there has been
rumoT abroad that there was gold ia
IT, | heard Of it, aud my employers
heard oi 1t about the same time they
wanted a Young mining engineer, and my
ola college professor recommended me
Now if can prove thi, mine l. 1 rich one
u lind it easier % get another cummis
sion
Apparently deeply Interested in this
simple recital Of hi, story, the woman stood
Just under the shadow listening, glancing
up encouragingly at time-. When be had
finished She commented
But sometimes rocks are deceptive
lren they
No, according to modern tests and ex-
animation
But don they salt mines sometimes-
that Is. I've read Of such things? Hud-
son smiled down ON her with conirsceu-
sion
Those are old fakes. he said No
man could salt mine today 10 deceive an
expert engineer. We assay the rocks
gathered from all parts of the mine, and
it would be utterly impossible to deceive
us.
She responded with gentle inclination
Of the head which did not seem TO add
approval to his words Il suppose you
are right; but | am sometimes little old
fashioned and cling to the old beliefs.
4 moment later she was swallowed up
in the darkness. and Hudson asked
''Lukens, who was that lady ?
"She? Why, that's a niece of Mr..
Borden, the bigges: stakeholder in this
mine He's said to be
Miss Borden Is her name p Hudson
interrupted