Gilpin observer., 1909-10-21
Senor Jim
BY WILL LEXINGTON COMFORT
Copyright. by J. B. Lippincott Coz

HlOOHllRHL, udple-UuuS-duu IudH
and maiden standing closely to-
gether.
But. Nettie. If you don't think I'm
worth waiting for. I'm sure l don't
know Just what to do about It," the
man said dismally.
you are worth waiting for, Jim."
was the soft answer. II believe in
you and like you-better than any.
body l ever knew; but. Jim, you know
you are SLOW"
Yes, there seems to be a general
agreement on that; but you wait two
years, Nettie. and I'll go out into the
southwest and make bunch Of mon.
ey and come back and marry you
In two years"
But how are you going to make
this bunch of money!" she asked, with
sweet skepticism.
"Oh, the southwest, you know.
They're rushers out there. III
hustle"
Nettie was silent for a moment. It
is possible that she was trying to
conjure to her brain picture Of big
Jim Quest in the act of hustling.
'Yes, dear" whispered Jim; "I'll
think of you always out there while
I'm banging about. piling up dollars"
And so it came about that Jim grit
ted his teeth at the southwest, VOW
ing to manhandle the same out of a
competence for two.
After many days he strolled over
into Mexico and discovered Corazel,
which was concealed like yellow
brown chameleon on the yellow-brown
sand. The day was shaking down her
shadows when Jim Quest came and
the little people were awake. Be-
cause he was a-hungered and very hot
and weary, the people ministered unto
him-brought him milk and choice
portions of goats, fragrant bouquets
of red wine and coffee black.
One lithe-fingered. marvel-eyed maid
en- rolled cigarettes for him. as you
would imagine Mother Nature would
| make roses II she set about doing a
half-dozen blossoms minute. And
| another girl-so wondrous that jim
thought she must be a mirage at the
edge of the sunset. until he heard her
voice-swung a hammock for him ut
tlle NluuOW VI lLt
II knew it-I sure knew it," mur.
INJURED Jim. IF you keep on going.
you're bound to find something to do.
think l am going to like this
1t transpired that he was in the
| house of Quesada, TO whom all Cora
zei bowed A very old Spaniard was
| the senior. with some riches. caprices,
| venoms and affections. When the last
century was in its high noon. Quesada
had come over from Spain into Mex
ice. He had found silver. and it was
stately tradition in Corazel and the
| province that the old man had a pa
per which pointed out the mouth OF
the Lost Lode, tooth of almost solid
silver, known to be somewhere among
| the Diablo peaks, though lost for dec
ades Senor Quesada also possessed
two daughters: Magdalena. who swung
Jim's hammock, and whose beauty
would have startled Madrid: and Jua-
nita, the little sister. who loved to
| roll Jims cigarettes and serve in the
| shadows.
Quesada and his family treated the
American with great Difference. until
Jllll DtedH " EtlleNt ludl ne was u
Messiah long expected. Without stir
ring from his hammock. he could learn
| Spanish. There was infinite peace in
| the prospect of the wilderness OF
mountains to the south and east
Plainly Corazel was his destiny; for,
as he had proved. there were no for.
tunes to be made behind.
Jim filled some great need and had
not the heart to depart. Weeks
elapsed and his Spanish permitted
him to learn the manner of his ser.
vice. Senor Quesada, dim of mind
and dismantled of body. bent over the
young mans hammock one morning
and bade him follow. They mounted
| horses in silence and rode out into
the tinted mountains together, where
the old Spaniard showed him his Sc.
ere. silver mine filled with wealth un.
| told.
Now, Just here the plot bears down.
Jose Costa coveted not only the pos.
sessions of Quesada. including the
map to the Lost Lode. but he had
Looked upon the elder daughter, Mag.
dalena, and ridden away with a star
in his eyes. In the failing brain of the
old Spaniard, the length and breadth
and thickness OF our Jim were ad.
justed to a design. He was to act
as n moral force to the existing de-
tenders of Corazel In the event Of a
raid; and also, by his considerable
presence, he was to act as pre-
ventiye against any extreme measures
on the part of Jose Costa.
But, alas. days and weeks OF un.
varying sunlight and eternal stars
faded the realism into vague,
mythical story. The morning ride to
the Lost Lode, the ardor Of the toll
of defense, and even the existence OF