Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1906-09-08
n Pair Of
Cuff Links
Original

John Thurlow, an engineer of mark
ell ability, was appointed to conduct
the building of railroad In Mexico
Being widowcr with one daughter
he decided to have her. rs soon as She
left school, join him in his camp in
the mountains. Louise 1hurlow was Il
girl graduate of two weeks standing
when she aHghtcd from an old fash
Toned stagc,oaCh, sprInglng at the
same time into her fathers arms. Her
arrival was witnessed by Guy Deck
ard, young man who held position
on her fathers engineering staff.
There We're perhaps Il hundred PEG
pie In tn" camp. som" of them living
In temporary buildings. others in tents
Louise was assigned Il tent beside her
fathers, and the ont of door life
brought the color into her checks as
peach will ripcn in the sun. She had
her mandolin with her. and Guy Deck
ard was the poSScSSOr of II fine 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 Louisc'S arrival while sitting In
the moonlight on Il cliff which formed
II natural porch to the camp the couple
plighted their troth. In lieu of an en-
gagemcnt ring the young man slipped
tl,., .t,, o. n ~,
school on her finger. to he worn until
he could procure one more appropriate.
1t was also agreed between them that
he should wear Il pair of gold cuff
links Louise wore at the moment he
told his story
Had Louise been under the care OF u
mother instead of father the lady
would have been well aware of what
was TRANSPORTING Not so John Thur
low. He was not only blind to the
wooIng; but, although the couple flaunt-
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 nverse to giving her to
his valued assistant.
One day when Deckard returned
from some work he had been doing ut
distance he wore troubled look, and
Louise noticed that her links were not
in his cuffs
"W'hprp are thpy?" she asked
81 can't tell you"
"Do YOU mean that you have parted
with Them"
Not 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" he
said in a husky voice, land will either
wear your token or
"What?"
He did not finish.
The next morning DeCkard mounted
horse about to depart. Louise was
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 a
kiss All day she waited his return
| anXiouSly There was evidently Il mys-
terry about the affair, but she was too
young, too little familiar with the
country and the people, to even guess
what 1t 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 ut length caught sight
Of hOrSeman coming. Her heart leap
ed for JOY, thinking that he was Guy.
But as the rider passed through Il field
of light east through Il canyon in the
mountains by the declining sun she
saw that she had been mistaken. Then
a sudden fear seized her. We are
prone when worried to look for bad
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 COnvcrSed In low
tone, and Louise saw her father look
Mt 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 Il knife hole IN his
breast part way up the mountain near
an inn by the roadside
Mr.. ThurlOw would have sent his
laughter elsewhere, but 1t was not
only impossible, but she needed him to
sustain her No clcw was found to the
murderer. and both Louise and her
father dreaded If there should be
discovery 1t would be Il painful one.
Mr. ThurlOw took her with him often
when visiting different parts of the
work, hoping by this means to divert
her mind. One day they We're lunching
at II little tavern when Il Mexican girl
entered. bringing them some fruit. As
she set the dish on the table Louise
fell against her father, trembling
Stretching an arm, pointing n finger to-
ward the waitress, she cried fiercely:
The murderess"
"Why do Won say that. nv child ?"