The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-04-04


"The most wonderful thing has hap.
pened,". she began at once when she
found they were alone. you'll faint
for joy"
what is it?"
"Lee has made strike-a wonder.
full strike-richer than the Klondike.
l came as fast as could, because to-
morrow everybody will know about 1t,
and it will be too late"
TOO late for what?'
"For us to get in on it. of course.
Oh. but won't there be a stampede.
Why, all the people bound for Daw-
son on the next boat will pile off here.
Then the news will go up river and
down river, and thousands of others
will come pouring in from everywhere.
and this will be a city. Then we will
, stake our town lots and sell them for
ever so much money and go around
| with our noses in the air."
Hold on! Hold onv' said the sol
| der, stopping her breathless patter.
'sTell me all about this"
"Well, NO Creek came in this morn
ing to tell dad and Poleon. Then the
boat arrived with an old friend OF
| Lees, Mr.. Stark, so Lee told him,
too, and now they've all gone back to
his creek to stake more claims. They
slipped away quietly to prevent sus-
picion, but l knew there was some
thing up from the way Poleon acted.
so l made Alluna tell me all about it.
They haven't more than two hours
start of us, and we can overtake them
easily
1--WE! Why, we are not going!"
Eyes, we are" she insisted impa-
tiently, "you and l. That's why
came, so you can get mine for your
self and be a rich man, and so you
can help me get one. l know the way.
Hurry upv'
NO." said he in as firm a tone as he
could command "In the first place,
these men don't like me, and they
don't want me to share in this
What do you carer"
'In the second place, I'm not miner.
don't know how to proceed"
''Never mind. l do. I've heard moth
ing but mining all my life"
I'm the third place. don't think /
have the right, for I'm !. soldier. I'm
working for Uncle Sam. and don't
believe l ought to take up mining
claims. I'm not sure there is anything
to prevent it, but neither am sure it
would be quite the square thing. Are
you!"
"Why, of course it's all right" said
Necia,' her eager face clouding with
the look Of hurt child. eff you don't
do it somebody else will
But the lieutenant shook his head.
maybe I'm foolish, but l can't see my
way clear, much as would like to-"
"Oh, dear; oh, dear!' she exclaimed
brokenly. Il do SO want to go. l want
you to be rich, and l want to be rich
myself. l want to be fine lady and
60 outside and live like other girls.
Why, it means heaven to a girl like
mer' Her eyes were wet with the
sudden dashing of her hopes. and her
chin quivered in sweet. girlish way
that made the youth almost surrender
on the instant.
1--WE couldn't possibly Overtake them
if we tried" he said, as if willing to
treat with his conscience.
mo, but we could beat them in.
know where Lee is working, for
went up. last winter with Constantine
and his dog team over short cut by
way Of Black Bear creek. You see, his
creek makes a great bend to the south
ward and heads back toward the riv-
er, so by crossing the divide at the
source Of Black Bear you drop into It
a few miles above his cabin"
While she made this appeal Burrell
fought with himself There were rea-
sous why he longed to take this trip
more than he had longed for anything
since boyhood. These men Of Flam.
beau had disregarded him and insisted
on treating him with contemptuoUs
diStruSt despite his repeated friendly
overtures, wherefore he was hungry
to beat them at their own game, hun
CRY to thrust himself ahead OF them
and compel them to reckon with him
as an equal, preferring state Of open
enmity If necessary to this condition
of Indifferent liberation. Moreover, he
knew that Necia was coveted by half
Of them, and if he spent night in the
woods alone with her it would stir
them up bit. he fancied By heaven,
that would make them sit up and no.
tice him! But, then, it might work a
wrong upon her. And yet would it:
He was not so sure that it would. She
had come to him, she was old enough
!. to know her mind, and she was but a
half breed girl, after all, who doubtless
was not SO simple as she seemed. 9th
er men had no such scruples in this OF
any other land, and yet the young man
hesitated until, encouraged by his 81
lence, the girl came forward and spoke
again impulsively:
Don't be silly, Mr.. Burrell. Come!
Please come with me, won't your
She took him by the edges of his
coat and drew him to her coaxingly.
1t may have been partly the spirit of