The Washington herald., 1906-12-16

They turned around the base Of clih
rising hundreds Of feet above them. and
Harley caught the dull-red glare of brick
walls, showing through the falling snow.
He was ready to raise shout Of JOY.
This he knew was Queen City, lying
snugly i'm its wide valley. There was
the typical single mountain street with
its row of buildings on each side the
big one near by was certainly the hotel,
and the other big one farther on was
certainly the opera house. But nobody
was in the streets. and the whole place
was dark. not light appeared at sil-
gle window. although the night hal
come.
Were here Harley said to Sylvia.
"but / confess that this does not look
promising. Certainly there is nobody
running to meet US"
She was gazing with curiosity.
It's like no other Town that / ever
saw, she said.
Harley rode up by the side Of the guide
THE place looks lonesome, he said.
Maybe they've ali gone TO bed; there
amt anythin' here TO keep 'em awake"
replied the guide, with the old puzZing
and deTisive smile.
AAhtA NNittNu N!tNA1 fANNNS-
Ike to have any one make fun OF him.
and that he saw clearly was the guides
intention. Jimmy Grayson was still
thinking of things far off. and Mr.. Heath
cote. chilled and shrunk. seemed to have
lost the power Of speech. King Plum
mer. for reasons Of his own, was silent,
too
The guide rode slowly toward the large
brick building that Harley took TO be the
hotel and. az that moment. the snow
siackened for a little while; the last rays
Of the setting sun struck upon the dun
walls and gilded them with red tracery;
some panes Of glass gave back the ruddy
glare, but mostly the windows were bare
and empty. like eyeless sockets. Harley
looked farther, and all the other build
ings-the opera house the stores, and the
residences-were the same. desolate and
dec7ying. About the place were snow
covered heaps, evidently the refuse Of
mining operations. but they saw no
human being
The effect upon all save the guide was
startling. Harley saw the look OF
chilled wonder grow on Jimmy Grayson' s
face Mr. HeathcOte raised himself in
his saddle and stared. uncomprehending-
~. Harley had been deep in the desert
but never before had ne seen such desc
lati0n and ruin, because here was ;he
body but all life had gone from #. He
felt as one alone with ghosts. Sylvia
was silent, her confidence gone FOR the
moment The guide laughed dryly
You guessed it," he said, looking at
Harley. It's a dead city. Queen City
has been as dead as Adam these half
dozen years. When the mines played
ont. II died; there was no earthly use
for Queen City any longer. and by and
by everybody went away But I've seen
the old town when Il was alive. Five
thousand people here. Money a-flowin
drinks passin' over the counter one way
and the coin the other. the gamblIn
houses an the theater chock-fuII, an wO-
men. any kind you please. But there amt
soul left now"
The snow thinned stiII more. and the
/ buildings rose before them gaunt snl
| grim
Wen stop tonight at the Grand
/ Hotel that is. If they amt too much
crowded: itn be nice for the lady. said
/ the guide who had had his little joke
and who now wished TO serve his EN-
ployers as best he could; but first wei
take the horses into the dinin'-rOom no.
| body will object, I've done it afore.
| He rode toward a side door, but Ovel
the main entrance Harley saw in tesseI
lated letters the words Grand Hotel.
/ and he tried TO shake OF the feeling oi
/ weirdness that it gave him
The door to the dining-room. whicl
/ was almost level with the ground. va,
gone, and with some driving the horse:
were persuaded to enter. They wer,
tetbered there. sheltered from the storm
[ erha
bled hollowly on the wooden floor Syl
VIA the candidate, and his friends, driv
| en- by the same impulse. turned bacl
into the snow and re-entered the hOus
by the front door
They passed into a wide hall. and a
the far end they saw the clerks desk
I Lying upon Il were some fragments o
paper fastened TO a chain, and Harle
knew that il was what was left Of IN
hotel register. II spoke so vividly O
both life and death that the five stopped
"Would you like TO register, Mr.. Gray
SOM" asked Harley wishing 10 reIiev
the tension.
The candidate laughed m!rthIessly
Not tonight. Harley" he said. ''but
gloomy as the place is, We ought TO b
thankful that We have found It. Sc
how the storm is rising"
He glanced at Sylvia, and deep graf
tude swelIed up in his breast. Grewsom
as il might look. queen City was now. lr
deed, a place Of refuge But he had n
word Of reproach for her. because sh
had insisted upon coming. He knew tha
a snowstorm had not entered into he
calculations. as II had not entered int
his, and, moreover, no one in the part
had shown more courage or better spirit
T. ri. IL fv- . Fn aHa-T4o
windows. and a long whine arose as tn
wind whirled around the old house. Tt
guide came I'm with cheerful hustle an
, stamp Of feet.
Don't linger here. gentlemen and L
: dies. he said The house is your
Come into the parlor- We've had a pieC
Of luck. Now and then a lone tramp (
. miner seeks shelter in this town. jui
, as we have done; they come mostly
, the hotel. and some fellow who gathere
. up wood failed to burn Il all. I'll ha,
+ fire in the parlor in five minutes, al
then we can ring for hot drinks T,
the men. a lemonade for the lady. ar
d.. a warm dinner for all I'll take straigl
whisky, an after that I amt partic'l
, whether I get patty-de-foygraw or hun
min bird tongues.
His good humoT was infectious. az
they were thankful, too. for the shelte
desolate though the place was All Il
!, wood had been stripped away. exec
I, the floors. and the brick walls were bar
. In the great parlor they had nothing
: sit on save their saddles, but It was
: noble apartment, many feet square, b
built for a time when there was life
h Queen City.
I've heard the governor Of MOntal
:, speak TO more than two hundred pc
: Die in this very ROOM" said Jim, rem
!, niscently He was to have spoke in Il
public square. but snow come up. a
j., Bill Fosdick. who run the hotel and II
her wide open. invited 'em all right