Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-01-13
The Argus Daily Short Story
In Deer Fork Canyon-By Addison Howard Gibson.
Copyrighted

in the same shack with him. as I've
| done. you'd know he's not such a saint
| ly gaIoot as you think he is. It's no
man that'll turn his back on the girl
| as loves him and go Off courtin' Super
| intendent Owens daughter" he fin
ished contemptuously.
Faith faced him with flashing eyes.
Mick Sanders. you're worse than |
| thought you were. Howard Olney
! took you into his cabin and nursed, you
! through u spell of fever when nobody
else would. and now you try to injure
| him behind his back. That's your
/ gratitude"
His eyes fell beneath the whitening
scorn of hers. OF the allusion to her.
self she took no notice, but she could
not help resenting the slur put upon
ithe man she loved.
You've no call to fire up for Olney,"
hessaid maliciOusly. Hes above court
in a girl who makes her livin' cookin'
for miners. Besides, he's in love with
Daisy Owen. and she's struck on Oh
ney's good looks. It's bound to be a
match"
Faith again bent over her berry
see the effect of his words. She had
heard through her mothers boarders
about Miss Owens wealth. beauty and
accomplishments and realized that she
was mere nobody compared with the
superintendent heiress. What right
had she to hope that Mr.. Olney would
ever love her? Still, the mocking tones
stung her keenly. and, her basket being
filed, she said goodby and hurried
away up the rocky trail that led to
dingy. weather worn cabin half hid
by the powders and evergreens sur
rounding it
Faith and her mother were alone in
the world. About a year before her
father had been killed by an explosion
in the mines. 1t was Howard Olney,
young schoolmaster from New York,
turned prospector. who had risked his
own life to recover the body. They
could never forget this nor his untir-
ing kindness during that time of be-
reavement. 1t was he who had en-
couraged them to go on with the regu-
lar routine of life. and from this sad
period Faith dated her love for the
young man. He had shack two miles
were spent prospecting.
Soon after Sanders suddenly return
ed. having been away several months
He had been Specializing" he an
nounced, and had brought back some
money. Nick had known the family in
Indiana. In fact. he had accompanied
Mr. Austin to Colorado. He was a
crafty shiftless fellow and did not
make friends among the miners. IN
deed. so unpopular was he that when
stricken with fever shortly after there
was no one to care for him except Mrs.
Austin until Howard. TO relieve the
overburdened woman. took the fellow
home with him and nursed him back
to health and strength. Had it not
been for jealousy he would have been
grateful as one of his selfish nature
could be.
Meanwhile Faith had wandered
down the canyon. unconsciously taking
the trail over which her lover lad
passed an hour or two before.
81 will give up thinking of him." she
said. STOPPING to gather spray of
wild columbine. Il won't let his goin.
away without even saying goodby
worry me. Mother must not see that
care. for of course she'll hear that he's |
gone. I'll pick some flowers as an ex-
cuse for coming and 20 home and live |
my life without him. womans heart |
must be strong for endurance"
Suddenly a wild cry burst upon her |
ears.
Help. help"
The girl listened with bated breath |
1t did not come from the direction of /
the mining camp. Still, il might be |
one of the men had wandered down |
the gulch and met with some accident. |
Again the call came, wild and ago |
nizing. as though face TO face with a |
terrible doom. This time she located /
the cry.
Some one has fallen into the old,
shaft" she cried. running swiftly in |
that direction. This "old shaft led to /
what had once been a promising mine 1
but subterranean stream that rose /
and at no regular period 1
rendered 1t so unsafe that Il had been
and no one who knew of its 1
treachery dared venture into the shaft. /