The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-10-25

manded bluntly
Because you are in danger-they
are waiting for you up yonder-" And
hastily she told him of the evil face
she had seen and of the warning ut
tered by the stage driver.
Il was warned he admitted, but
didn't take much stock in They've
been threatening to hold me up for
money to the boys-they'll be rioting
If they don't get it, he ended rue
fully.
Cant you transfer the money to
up the trail? Then. if they want you
to throw up your hands, you can, and
before they discover that your bags
are empty I can ride on to the mine.
anxiously
"No-an they want is the money"
he assured her. But I can't permit
you to endanger your life
Its for my own interests she
said calmly; 81 am Vera Linwood."
Vera Linwood-why, Miss Lin
wood, l was going east next week to
see you. The Golden Eagle has de-
veIoped another rich VEIN
And the Double Eagle has lost
one" she said significantly
You know, then ?"
81 heard yesterday and 1 am so
sorry-I feel like 2 robber myself
the owner of 4 pirate mine!'
That's miners luck. Come, let us
get along, if we must. Just put these
packages in your saddlebags-so, and
III stuff mine with grass. Ride on
ahead and don't worry. 1t will me
out all right" He slapped her pony's
fls nix and mounted his black and fol-
lowed.
When Vera passed the ambush she
was talking to her pony as before.
"Once more, Nicodemus Alexander"
she threatened, 81 will ride to the top
CT the hill: then down again for din
~ Tf' q
&Sited breathlessly Ground the bend
Of the trail Somewhere nearby sh's
l I'd the pounding { f the ore crush
ers and she knew that she was near
the mines.
Below, she heard the tread of
BURGESS horse, followed by a sharp
a momentary silence and
then the murmur of other voices. The
holdup had happened and they were
going through the mine owners pock-
cts and searching his saddlebags for
the Golden Eagles payroll.
Nicodemus Alexander was smitten
with indignant surprise when his
rider suddenly jabbed her sharp heel
into his flank
He bounded up the trail, his hoofs
scattering the stones under foot. In
a furry of dust, horse and rider APP
peared at the office of the Golden
Ea gle.
A dozen men surrounded Vera
Mr.. Burgess-held up-help him.
she gasped and tumbled from her
pony.
There was a shout of anger as the
grabbed their weapons and
dashed down the trail to meet the |
paymaster.
Vera leaned dazedly against the Of
flee door and stared at the blood |
trickling down the sleeve of her white
blouse.
Some one must have fired at me-"
she smiled family.
The plucky little angel" ex-
claimed one roughly dressed man as
he led her inside the building.
Weeks afterward Mrs. Henry Hen
driek reread a letter from Vera. 1t |
was dated from Eagle City.
Dear Aunt Emily" wrote Vera, IT |
will be home in another week-and |
shall bring my husband with me. |
Don't faint, poor, dear auntie, he is
the most splendid man. You can
never guess, so l must tell you that
am marrying Anthony Burgess, the
son of fathers old friend, my trustee.
The trusteeship has been transferred
% young Anthony because his father
s dead. and Anthony says it is per-
sectly natural that we should have
met and loved and married, for now
ne can continue the trusteeship for
sver. And, best of all, you are to give
Up the boarding house and return
lere with us, if you WILL for the
Golden Eagle has developed wonder
ul riches, and Anthony's mine has a
lew vein of gold and we are all going
o be very rich indeed. And Anthony
wants me to add a postscript that we
ire rich in each other and richer in
than all the gold in the
world could lyl''-(Copyright,
915, by the Mcclure Newspaper SYM
licate.)
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