Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-04-16

toward making his humdrum existence
bearable, but Of late he had found
himself dwelling with growing seri-
BUSINESS on the unhappy circumstances
of her birth and had almost made up
his mind that 1t would be wise not to
see her any more. The tempting vision
Of her in the ball dress remained vivid.
ly in his imagination, causing him
hours Of sweet torment There was u
sparkle, q tineness, a gentleness, abou
her that seemed to make the few wo
men he had known we'll dull and com
monplace, and even his sister. whom
till now he had held as the perfectior
of all things feminine, suffered By
comparison with this maiden of TIL
frontier.
He was stepped in this sweet, gravc
melancholy when n knock came at hi
door, and he arose to find Necia her
self there, excited and radiant. Sh,
i came in without sign Of embarrasS
ment or slightest consciousness Of the
possible improperly of her act
"The most wonderful thing has hap
pened." she began at once when she
found they were alone. You'll fain
for JOY"
What is it,"
"Lee has made strlke-a wonder
ful strike-richer than the Klondike
l came as fast as | could because to-.
morrow everybody will know about 1t,
and 1t will be too late"
"Too late for what?"
"For US to get in on it, of course
oh. but won't there be 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 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 on!" said the SOL
der, stopping her breathless patter
'Tell me all about this"
"Wel. No Creek came in this morn
ing to tell dad and Poleon. Then the
boat arrived with an old friend OF
Lees, q 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 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 1. That's why
came, SO you can get a mine for your
self and be rich man, and SO you
can help me get one. know the way
Hurry upv'
NO" said he in as firm tone as he
could command. I'm the first place,
these men don't like me, and they
don't want me to share in this"
"What do you care?"
| Gin the second place, I'm not miner
don't know how to proceed"
"Never mind. do. I've heard moth.
ing but mining all my life"
''In the third place, l don't think l
| have the right, for I'm soldier. I'm
| working for Uncle Sam, and don't
believe ought to take up mining
claims. I'm not sure there is anything
to prevent it, but neither am l sure 1t
would be quite the square thing. Are
you?"
"Why, Of course it's all right" said
l hor al =,
the look Of hurt child. IF you don't
do it somebody else will"
But the lieutenant shook his head.
Maybe Pm foolish, but can't see my
way clear. much as would like to-"
"Oh, dear; oh, dear!" she exclaimed
brokenly. II do so want to go. want
you to be rich. and want to be rich
myself. want to be fine lady and
go outside and live like other girls.
Why. 1t means heaven to girl like
mel" 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
| II we tr1ed,' he said, as if willing to
| treat with his conscience.
mo, but we could beat them in. I
know where Lee is working. for I
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 1t
a few miles above his cabin"
While she made this appeal Burrell
fought with himself. There were rea-
sons 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 ut 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 hall
of them, and If he spent night in the
woods alone with her it would stil
them up bit. he fancied. By heaven
that would make them sit up and no
| tfro Mimi p,,t thar, ,,,3uht a