The Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1903-1909, 1905-02-21

"Oh, it's nothin', my dear, after ye
git used to it; but gittin' used t it's
the trouble. | tell ye Laura, I'll look
after We when we git to Alaska. Ye
shan't work. I'll do it for ye. Them
pretty little hands sha'nt do any
thing to spoil EN-.
Il am not going to the Klondyke to
work" answered Laura.
Not goin there work.
THAT is, | am not going to dig
gold from the mines
well, what are We goin' for?'
1t was a long, sad story, but Laura
was confding creature and told her.
When she had finished tears were
trucking down the furroWed cheeks OF
her companion.
"Ah, child, yer story is SO like my
own | can but believe yer Twin over
my own sad life. When | was young
like you, and some said pretty, | had
lover, a gallant young sailor lad
He always told me how he loved me
and wouldn't never marry another.
We were goln' t be married when
Jack came back from the next cruise.
He was tired O the sea- and | was
tired O. havin' him go away so much,
SO we decided that it was to be the
last voyage. He sailed t the north in
the Arctic seas somewhere an never
came back" She sobbed a moment
in silence and resumed:
7 In ri h;ro1
| didn't believe that he was dead but
at last | had to give in that he was.
Two years after a sailor came into
port who had been in Jacks crew and
he told how Jack and his captain had
been led out into the forest by savages
on promises O. findin great amount
O gold, and both killed"
Laura, who was very much interest
ed in her sad story, asked:
why are you going to the Klon-
dyke?"
Il am goin' where I kin make
money; where | kin git rich, and help
young people, so they won't suffer
as | have.
From that time on they became the
best of friends. They were together
most of the time and exchanged hopes
and fears, and both kneeled at night
to ask God for guidance in their
course in the future
Their long voyage was at last end
ed. The great engine was slowly puff
ing as the vessel was driven slowly
into the bay.
The vessel ran to within three
fourths of a mile of the shore and
dropped anchor.
They had been discovered by the
people on shore, who were waving
handkerchiefs and hats, firing guns
and pistols in the air. The boats were
lowered and men climbed into them.
Don't be in hurry to go, child"
whispered Kate, who exercised a soi
of motherly control over the girl.
There's another ship in"
Where did it come from?" Laura
asked.
San Francisco, I'm thinkin'. Fact,
| know it's from San Francisco"
Poor Laura little dreamed who had
come on that vessel, starting after
she did, but beating her to the land of
gold. Even had she known whom the
vessel brought she would not have
been able to guess his object in COM
ing to this country.
They went out on deck again to
find it cleared of passengers. Another
boat was lowered, and they were asked
if they wished to go ashore.
Certainly" said Laura. They de-
scended to the rocking boat, and were
pulled ashore by eight sturdy oars
men. A porter came from the boat
with her pretty, white bag, which
seemed in harmony with the spotless
purity which surrounded them.
She thanked him and gave him a
silver dollar for his trouble Then
she turned to go with Kate to the
hotel when she suddenly stopped,
started back, and, with cry of alarm,
fell into the arms of Kate Willis Be,
fore her stood Theodore Lakeland, a
smile on his contemplate features.
Kate Willis was dumbfounded at the
conduct of her charge. She knew the
girl had Unexpectedly met some one,
and the meeting was highly disagree
able, but could not, of course, under
stand the true cause. Kate knew the
man before her was the cause of the
trouble, and at once began to berate
him.
"You unprincipled scoundrel," she
cried. What do you mean by comm
here to brighten this poor child to
death?"
In a moment Laura had recovered
her self-possession, while Kate con-
tinued: