The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-08-16

[Original.l

John ThurlOW, an engineer or mark
ed ability. was appointed to conduct
the building of railroad in Mexico.
Being a widower with one daughter,
he decided to have her, as soon as she
left school, join him in his camp in
the mountains. Louise ThurlOw was 81
| girl graduate of two weeks standing
when she alighted from an old fash
toned stagecoach, springing at the
same time into her fathers arms. Her
arrival was witnessed by Guy Deck
ard, a young man who held a position
on her fathers engineering staff.
There were perhaps a hundred peo-
pie in the camp, some of them living
in temporary buildings, others in tents.
Louise was assigned tent beside her
fathers, and the out of door life
brought the color into her cheeks as a
peach will ripen in the sun. She had
her mandolin with her, and l'dy Deck
ard was the possessor Of Il lac voice.
When he was not professionally en-
gagged they would be sitting on camp
chairs making music for the others or
! taking, long walks to different points
in the mountains from which they
could obtain commanding views.
The current of young love runs rap
/ idly, and one evening not two weeks
after Louise's arrival While sitting in
/ the moonlight on a cliff which formed
a natural porch to the camp the couple
plighted their troth. IN lieu Of an en-
gagement ring the young man slipped
the ring Of his class at the scientific
school on her finger to be worn until
be could procure one more appropriate,
It was also agreed between them that
he should wear a pair of gold cuff
links Louise wore at the moment he
told his story.
Had Louise been under the care of a
mother instead of father the lady
would have been we'll aware of what
was transpiring. Not so John Thur
low He was not only blind to the
Wooing; but, although the couple tiaunt-
ed their exchanged love tokens under
his very eyes. he did not see them.
! When Louise confessed and Deckard
/ asked for her hand the father awak-
ened to the fact that his daughter was
no longer the child he had supposed
=! her. However, if he had to give her
up, he was not averse to giving her to
his valued assistant
One day when Deckard returned
from some work he had been doing at
a distance he wore troubled look, and
Louise noticed that her links were not
/ in his cuffs.
''Where are they?" she asked
81 can't tell YOU
do you mean that you have parted
with them?"
mot willingly
Louise drew the ring he had given
her from her finger and handed it to
him.
The agonized look in his eyes fright
ened her He recoiled, refusing to
touch the ring.
"Give me till tomorrow evening"" Ire
said in a husky voice, "and l will either
wear your token orr
| 'What?"
| He did not finish.
The next morning Deckard mounted
/
standing near, troubled at his appear
! ance, and stepped toward him to say
something; but, putting spurs to his
horse, he rode away throwing her
kiss. All day she waited his return
anXiOusly. There was evidently a mys-
| terry about the affair, but she was too
young, too little familiar with the
country and the people, to even guess
what it might be. Had she suspected
the danger into which she had sent her
lover she would have chung to him be-
fore the whole camp rather than let
him go.
| Evening came, and he had not re-
turned Louise sat on the cliff watch
! ing for him and at length caught sight
Of horseman coming Her heart leap
ed for joy, thinking that he was Guy.
But as the rider passed through a field
Of light cast through a canyon in the
mountains by the declining sun she
saw that she had been mistaken Then
sudden fear seized her. We are
news, and she felt that the coming
man bore bad news for her.
Slowly he wound his way up the
steep side. of the mountain and reach
ing the camp, rode up to her fathers
tent The two men conversed in low
tone, and Louise saw her father look
at her and turn pale. She darted to
him and threw her arms about his
neck
'Tell me quick; has anything hap
pened to Guy?"
1t was useless to try to conceal the
secret. Guy Deckard's dead body had
been found with knife hole in his
breast part way up the mountain near
an inn by the roadside.
Mr.. Thurlow would have sent his
daughter elsewhere, but it was not
only impossible, but she needed him to
sustain her. No clew was found to the
murderer. and both Louise and her
| father dreaded if there should be
discovery it would be painful one.
Mr. Thurlow took her with him often