The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1909-02-05

surroundings In the summer season
the sanitarium had few guests, and
for this she was thankful. Dr. Brent,
its head. rallying her on her paleness.
drove her out of doors with good ma
tured severity. and when she was not
with David Stires she walked or rode
for hours at time over the mountain
trails. Breathing in the crisp air of
altitude. her spirits grew more buoy
ant. She fed the squirrels, listened to
the pert chirp of the whisky jack and
the whirring drum of the partridge or
sat on a hidden elevation which she
named "The Knob" facing across the
shallow valley to the south.
The knob overlooked a little grassy
shelf a few hundred feet below, where
stood miners cabin, with weed
grown gravel heaps near by. in front of
which tree bore the legend painted
roughly on board, THE Little Pay
master Claim"
Her interest had opened eagerly 20
these scenes. The solitudes soothed
and the life Of the community below.
frankly primitive and uncomplicated
attracted her Between the town of
Smoky Mountain and the expensive
sanitarium on the ridge a great social
gulf was fixed The latter's patrons
for the most part came and went by
the narrow gauge road that linked with
northern junction. The settlement far
below was only feature Of the pano-
rama for which they paid so we'll
Even Ut. Brent, VINO nau percned this
place of healing where his patients
could breathe air fresh from the Pa
ciflc and cooled by the snow peaks,
knew it chiefly through two of its citi.
Zens-Mrs. Halloran. the capable, bus
Ting wife of the proprietor of the
Mountain Valley House~1he towns
single hostelry. who brewed old fash
toned blackberry wine and cordials for
his patients. and Tom Fielder. young
lawyer whom he had known on the
coast before i'll health had sent him TO
hang out his single in a more genial
altitude.
The latter sometimes came for a chat
with the physician, and on one Of these
calls Jessica and he had met She had
liked his keen, good humored face and
waving, slightly craving hair She
had met him once since on the noun
tain road, and he had walked with her
and told her quaint stories of the
townspeople. He had taken her to
Mrs. Halloran, whose hearl she had
won by praise of her cherry cordial
at brings back my boyhood," David
Stires said to her one afternoon. tap
ping the bottle by his wheel chair
Somehow this has the old taste"
at is nearly gone" she said "Tn
get another bottle l am going for
ride now. think it does you good
writing case, and | will dictate a let
ter"
She brought and opened it with a
trouble at her heart, for the request
showed his increasing weakness Tn
til today the few letters he had writ
Thinking of this as she waited. her
fingers nervously plucked al the inside
of the. leather cover. The morocco Zap
fell and disclosed slip of paper. 1t
was Cancelled hank draft 1t bore
Hugh's name and across its face in Da-
vid Stires' grabbed hand. written large.
was the venomous word Forgery"
The room swan before her eyes
Only by a fierce effort could She com.
pei her pen to trace the dictated words
Hughs misdeed, evil as il was. had
been to her but an abstract crime
Now IT suddenly lay bare before her.
concrete expression of coarse thavery.
living symbol of crafty stimulation
Scarce knowing why she did #. she
drew the draft covertly from its-re.
ceptacle and slipped it into her bosom.
The evidence of Hugh's sin, That
paper must remain, as the sin that
made it remained, the sign manual of
her dishonor and loss. The man whose
hand had penned its lying signature
was the man she had thought she
loved. BY that act he had thrust him
self from her forever Yet he lived
Somewhere in the world he walked in
shame and degradation beyond the
pale Of honorable living, and she was
his wife. She was his wife. Though
she called herself Jessica Holme. yet in
the law his name and fame were hers.
Look at that steady hand now. an
her hair as red as glory said Mrs.
Halloran, gazing admiringly from the
doorstep where she had been chatting
with Tom Fielder. Eye needn't stare
yer gray eyes out, though. or she'll
stop at the joolry shop to buy We
ring-to shame ye fer jest hankerin'
and sayin' nothin'.'
Fielder laughed as he crossed the
street. raising mis- felt hat CALAMITY TO
the approaching rider Mrs. ualloran
was privileged character. It was not
Michael Halloran who kept the Noun
tain Valley House popular! The old
woman hurried to the curb and tied
the horse as Jessica dismounted.
How did ye guess made some
more this day. she exclaimed Sure.
If We drink it yerself, my dearie. them
cheeks is all tn trademark | need"
She led the way into the little carpeted
side room, By courtesy denomlnated
the parlor." "Ill go an put it up in
two shakes" she said. "Sit 70 down