Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1910-06-16
Senior Jim
By WILL LEXINGTON COMFORT
Copyright, By J. B. Lippincott co.)

moonlight, maple-buds-and a man
and a maiden standing closely to-
/ gether.
But, Nettie, If you don't think I'm
worth waiting for, I'm sure I don't
know Just what to do about it," the
man said dismally.
"You are worth waiting for, Jim,
was the soft answer 81 believe in
/ you and like you-better than any
body 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 a 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. I'll
hustle"
Nettie was silent for a moment 1t
is possible that she was trying to
conjure to her brain a 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 1t came about that Jim grit
ted his teeth at the southwest, VOW
ing to manhandle the same out of
competence for two.
After many days he strolled over
into Mexico and discovered Corazel,
which was concealed like a 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 If she set about doing
half-dozen blossoms a 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 at
the window of the house.
Il knew It'll sure knew It," muir
INJURED Jim. IF you keep on going,
you're bound to find something to do.
I think am going to like this"
II transpired that he was in the
house' of Quesada. to whom all Cora
eel 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.
leo. He had found silver, and Il was
a 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.
AIDES. Senior 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 Jlm's cigarettes and serve in the
shadows.
Quesada and his family treated the
American with great Difference, until
Jim began to believe that he was
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 we're 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. Senior Quesada, dim of mind
and dismantled Of body. bent over the
young mans hammock one morning
and babe him follow They mounted
horses in silence and rode out into
the tinted mountains together, where
the old Spaniard showed him his Sc
cret silver mine filled with wealth UNI
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-
iusted to a design. He was to act
as a moral force to the existing de-
tenders of Corazel IN the event OF a
raid; and also. by his considerable
4 presence. he was TO act as q pre-
ventive against any extreme measures
on the part Of Jose Costa.
But, alas. days and weeks Of un.
varying sunlight end eternal stars
faded the realism into a vague.
mythical story, The morning ride to
the Lost Lode. the ardor Of the ton
Of defense. and even the existence of
Jose Costa. partook at last Of the
hush 81 dream-stun. But the wines Of
4 Quesada were not dream-stuH. nor the
eyes Of Magdalena, nor the memory