Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-10-16
John Bradbury's Luck.

gagged below. But Ford was an obstacle.
There must be no witness to such a
catastrophe.
Again they passed on, till the path
forked up and down. Above was the
mouth of the tunnel; below, under a
lofty roofing of corrugated iron. double
row OF tanks extended along the valley.
Bradbury pointed to their shimmering
surface.
There We shall see the cyanide plant
by which the concentrates are treated.
These are the solution tanks. The pulp
from the tailings is subjected to the ac-
tion OF cyanide for ten days in those tin
boxes. We save SO per cent. of the gold
sect"
Ford took out his watch.
DO you know, Erskine, this doesn't
appeal much to me! | have a fancy to
sketch the tunnel yonder and have an
other look at the glowworms. Go ON
without me, if YOU don't mind. and I'li
meet you presently at l. nn's in time for
dinner"
"All right! Bradbury and l win turn
UP some time"
Was fate playing into Bradbury's
hands at last in removing this only pos
slble witness? He led the way down the
steep incline to the most interesting and
most dangerous part Of the whole proc
ess of gold extracting.
A wooded slope hid the promontory
fiom view. Lower in the heart of the
glen rushed the river; parallel with it,
but on a higher level. was the water
lead, beside which a path ran from the
farthest portion of the works to the
managers house on the point; to the. left
OF the path extended the extracting watts,
divided by transverse partitions Of plank
and filled with the poiso seus cyanide.
Erskne walking slowly in front, peer
ing through his dark glasses at every
thing about him. had almost forgotten
the presence of his silent companion.
The fact was that, after avenging him
self once for all in that long past time
for the cruel fraud that had been prac-
ticed upon him, he had let the affair pass
from his mind entirely, until the chance
meeting OF the night before had sud
denly called it to remembrance. A curious
impulse had led him then to tell the tale
that he might see how Bradbury would
be affected by the unexpected resurree-
ton of his dead crime; but he had no
desire to repeat his punishment. He was
not by nature a vindictive man. and he
was now ten years older than when that
bounding down of his victim had APP
pealed to his immature sense of Justice
Even had it been otherwise, the sight of
Bradbury's abject fear could only have
reused a contemptuous pity, and since
seeing Bessie Forester and knowing how
her happiness was bound up in the future
Cf her lover, Erskine had no desire lett
hut that of assuring the man that so far
as lac was concerned the past need never
be confessed.
Had he guessed how his companion
hated and cared hla .r4..SA y oeld
have spoken sooner. rs IL was. suspect
ing nothing, and intent only upon the
eheI.icai process OF which he had heard
much but hitherto seen little, he I'm
unconsciously put fatal temptation in
Bradbmy's way by stepping upon the
narrow gaugway that divided the zine
boxes from one another and stopping to
ask question.
What's the difference between these
and the larger watts "a stronger solution
or of other composition"
NASADN~
"The deadliest solution used" he said,
in hollow tones-"even the fumes would
stupefy you if you inhaled them"
You need to be careful how you cross
these planlis, them Erskine began, when
strange sight arrested his words. He
was leaning on his stick for support and
bending slightly forward to observe a
faint BLUSH vapor that blurred the sur
e. L..
tween his knees. curved round the knot
ted stem of the walking stick, and in the
same moment withdrawn. Simultane-
ously groan sounded behind him. and,
turning quickly, he was Mortified TO see
Bradbury reel and stagger sideways over
the plank. his arms flung into the air.
Neither ever knew how the next few
moments sped, but in that flash of time
Erskine had dropped his stick and locked
his arms round the falling figure so
tightly that both men swayed together
on the narrow bridge, face to face with
hideous death. Then Bradbury ceased
to move and lay white and inert IN the
doctors firm hold.
Far up the glen a song came floating
on the still air The scent of pepper
mint tree that overriding the shed i'm
pressed itself indelibly ON Erskine's
senses as he stood there, steadying nerve
and muscle for the next step. There had
been no witnesses to the scene The
men had gone to their noontide rest; no
outside help was at hand.
One false step, an overbalanee ON
either side. and the two men would quit
life instantaneouslg.
Erskine drew a deep breath and began
cautiously TO advance, pushing and lift
ing the dead weight of Bradbury's bedy
before him. step by step. 1t seemed an
age befors he fel5 the path once more
beneath his feet and was able TO let his
burden sink to the ground Then he
knelt beside it, hardly realizing as yet
the awful danger they had escaped.
Bradbury opened his eyes to find the
doctor bending over him. For some sec
onds he lay amazed; then rush of rec
objection came, and, jerking Erskine's
fingers from bis wrist, he covered his face
with his hands and groaned.
you are all right now, Bradbury"
Erskine said, with queer shake in his
Ill