The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1905-08-02
BLOTTED OUT
By CAROL MURRAY
Copyright, 1905, by X. n. Mcclure

tlemen-hut when old John Dyer, one
of the mine bosses. brought his daugh
ter Kate from civilization to live with
him there and keep his humble cabin
he had faith In that chiVa~y that has
always made the western man respect
the other sex. lie knew that she would
have many admirers and that there
would be quarrels ON her account, but
he was wldower ana she motherless.
and he hoped he was doing what was
best.
The cabin, Hike the rude and strag-
Cling village, was backed by the grim
mountain, while along It's front as far
as human eye could reach there gilt
tered the white sands of the Mojave
desert. Here and there out on that
dreary waste We're patches of ugly
cacti. and intuition told the girl rs her
eyes searched the desert for the first
time that out there under the blazing
sun the rattlesnake basked and the
lizard glidod swiftly over the bones of
men and animals.
The desert was not always at peace,
its surface resembling Il placid lake.
Now and then IL wind. born up In the
gulehes of the mountain, came down
and went sweeping across the sands,
and then the spectator saw great
clouds of dust as the fllnty particles
were caught up and driven here and
there to cut and cash and wound
whatever lived. The sands never
swept In from the desert, but always
were driven the other way Had 1t
not been So Diamond mine and the
town around II could not have been
The coming of the girl among the
thousand men was an event. There
were few old women there-cooks
and laundrosscs- here was II girl,
n handsome young girl. Her influence
was felt almost Immediately. The
mine manager said that more soap.
combs, handkcrchlcfS and looking
glasses were called for from the com
pany store in week than were bought
during the preceding three months.
AT least 500 of the thousand men
determined ON an Introduction Mt
once. but when II came to the
point, and even after three months
had passed. there were not II dozen
callers ut the cabin. \ month or two
later 1t was said that only two of the
dozen stood chance. by chance"
they meant marriage 1t never oc-
Cured to any of them that girl might
have come among them without fall
ing In love and marrying one of their
number
1t was strange that among Hates
earliest and most persistent admirers
was Pedro Diaz, full blooded Mex
lean. He had charge of the cOmpany's
transportation, and he managed through
the father To force an Introduction.
He was kindly received by the girl,
but no more. He was tolerated by the
father. but there was no welcome 70"
him. Pedro was II swaEgerer. He WAS
an egotist. He thought he was i'll love.
and once having made up his mind to
this he was ready TO maintain what
he called his right by fair means or
foul
The thousand men said that Pedro's
rival was Tommy Britt, the keeper Of
the cOmpany's store. He was IN Amer
lean. young, fair looking, and down on
the books TO be promoted for his en-
ergy, ambition and integrity. Perhaps
he admired, as all others did, but he
had never asked himself If he was in
love. lie found both father and daugn-
ter congenial company, and that would
have been his excuse had any one
asked him why he paid two visits a
week to the cabin.
There came day when Pedro Dlaz
made up his mind TO know his fate.
lie chose an hour when lie knew the
girl would be alone, and he dressed
In his best and knocked on the cabin
door. He believed himself irrcslst-
iblc, and he smiled and smlrkcd ard
offered his love There was II moment
Of establishment, and he found himself
rejected. The girl tempered her re
fusal as much as possible. 1t was her
first offer but womanly instinct told
her to soften the blow even though the
man was obnoxious to her.
What. You refuse Pedro DlaZ" eX-
claimed the man In reply you re
fuse me me- who am worth 5000
and could marry any scnorita in my
own country. DO you quite understand
me|
IL have no love for you" replied the
girl.
but that makes no difference. You
Shall love lac later on | am Pedro
Diaz. 1t is the first time | ever did
n woman the honor of asking her to
marry me"
The girls reply was firm one, and
Pedro flung himself out of the cabin
with anger raging In his heart He
had been snubbed, humilatcd, made
fool Of There was a man in the case.
of course, and 1t could he none other
than the storckeeper. Whoever oppos
ed Pedro Diaz In any Of his cherished
schemes must die. lie was not five
minutes deciding on the death of Britt.
That morning the young man had
ridden away across the desert, stretch
Of twenty long, hot miles, TO strike the
railroad on the other side and order
further supplies by telegraph The ride
was twenty miles over and twenty
miles back. He would cover the dis
lance In Cay, but it would be late IN
the evening when he returned
81 will meet and kill him as he re
turns" decided Pedro and when dark
ness fell he oluded observation as much
as possible and rode out on the descrt.
There was no trail across the sands.
He who would hold straight courEe
must depend upon the compass, and he
must consult it often. There was fair
starlight light enough to see his rival
many rods away. The sky was clear
Of those scuddlng clouds which might
be taken as warnings that the whirl
winds were being born In the cold air
OF the gulches, and no noise came from
the mountain except the whispers Of
the pines to the cedars.