The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-09-06

tic outlines of the inn. a light here and
there along its rugged facade.
Great guns, she's making for the
formation. It's suicide" l whispered.
We reached the edge of the treach-
erous sea Of alternate limestone and
boiling water. There. already far out
upon it, was the woman dashing blind
ly and heedlessly along with instant
and awful death on either side Of her.
Behind her the man picked his way
carefully and cautiously.
Would we dare to follow? I, for one
shuddered at the thought of being out
in the midst of those awful forces of
nature in the darkness where one false
step meant plunge into boiling water
that would strip the bones of their flesh
almost in twinkling.
Come on, gents. follow me-" whis-
rered Bo. II hain't been round this
here park nine years for nothin'.
know every inch of this here formation
Just like one of my cayuses knows the
trail to the MY barn"
And so in Indian file we started, fol-
lowing Hughes and picking our way
gingerly between the squirting jets of
steam. Clarke handed me revolver
and had his own in hand ready for ac-
ton. Bo Hughes unlimbered a mon
diminutive person. But withal fire
| arms were useless unless it be that
quick shot from Clarke's steady hand
might wing the man if the drama be-
gan to take the setting of murder.
We've lost them," excitedly whis-
| pered Clarke.
Sure enough, the couple were nowhere
| in sight
Wen pick 'em up all right when
we round that geyser cone yonder''.
whispered Bo.
Yes, there they were as he had said
but the scene was vastly changed
| The woman had stopped her head
long flight and was kneeling on the
formation as if in prayer. In her
clasped. uplifted hands, we saw the
CLINT of polished metal Behind her
the husband crept with outstretched
arms Closer and closer he came, but
she seemed unmindful of his presence
Were we to witness a murder or sui
eide prevented? II was hard to tell
We could do nothing but stand idly
by and await the denouement To cry
out. to advance, would be but to pre-
cipitate the tragedy. Clarke dropped on
| one knee and drew a careful bead on
the advancing man. Bo' Hughes did the
same. AS for me I was too fascins ted
! for action.
Suddenly there was a scream of ae-
onized fear. The man threw UP his
hands and disappeared as if the earth
had swallowed him up Vertically it
had. for when we rushed to the spot
where we had last seen him we found
only the boiling, swirling waters OF
| THE Devil Well"
shes got a down current that goes
right to the middle of the earth. l
guess He won't never show up no
moro. Friend of yours, not, l hope"
commented Bo Hughes.
The form of the woman lay out
stretched on the formation few feet
away.
shes only tainted. I think" said
Clarke, as we gently lifted her up. A
small jeweled revolver fell from her
grasp.
In truth she had only tainted, for
she regained consciousness with the
handling and looked wildly about her
You are free from him forever,
Lady Snively," said Clarke
Thank Godr' she exclaimed. Il
fear it is wicked to feel so, but it is
better than suicide for me or hanging
for him.
The absence of Lord Snively would
be difficult thing to explain at the
hotel, and none of us relished the idea
Y,
to say nothing of the discriminating col
ors with which suspicious minds might
invest the events of the night. But
manifestly there was nothing to be done
but TO tell the truth. so Clarke and
took Lady Snively between us and.
piloted by Hughes, we picked our way
carefully back over the quarter of a
mile of treacherous formation. When
we set foot on solid and safe ground
again "Old Faithful was just begin
ming to play He had played Just as
we started out and so, according to his
schedule, maintained throughout the
centuries, we had been on the forma-
ton just sixty-nine minutes. 1t had
not seemed more than ten.
When we reached the hotel we found
two very potent agencies at work in
our favor: Clarke's reputation, which
had penetrated even into the Yellow
stone, and Bo Hughes, whose straight
story admitted of no doubt. Without
the knowledge of a single one of our
fellow passengers il was quietly ar
ranged that we should all proceed in
the morning by special stage i'm
charge of Hughes to Mammoth station
at the northern end of the park. there
to make report to the cavalry colonel
in command. This plan admitted of a
few hours sleep, of which we FASTENED
to take advantage.
And now. Lady SniveIy,'' began
Clarke, when we were comfortably
slowed away in the stage the next
morning, perhaps you can tell us your
story and we can advise you as to the
future"
please do not call me Lady Snively,"
answered the brave little woman THAT
name was my undoing and henceforth / |
am content TO be plain Alice Hathaway. !
The story is brief, and if it would only |
prove a warning to all foolish Ameri- |
can girls ] would feel that / have not |
lived it in vain. My father died when |
/ was IS. He was one of the organ |
izers of the United States Zinc corpora
ton, but before his death he had con-
verted all OF his stock into bonds ri
was an only child, and 1 suddenly found |
myself in the possession of the bonds |
which you have now. That was two !
years ago. / was young and foolish and |
my ideas of life had been gained from
reading fiction, not the best, believe |
When real lord in the person of Lord |
Snively met me and asked my hand I'm |
marriage i was innocent enough to be- |
lieve I was making great match
I'VE went first to London. The world |
and the future looked lovely for time, |
but the dream was soon dispelled. Sus-
picion began to gnaw upon my happi- |
ness when, instead of proceeding at |
once to his ancestral castle In Surrey,
as he he'd promised, we suddenly |
IL t. =