The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-10-14

and the deer head trophy as well AZ
his dress suit case. This passenger was
very pretty young woman in neat
dark blue travelling suit. Had Mar
nnaduke Smythe good memory for
faces be might have recoilected his fel-
low passenger as young girl he had
seen at Stanley hall upon his present
visit to America, some six months ago.
But Marmaduke Smythe was shy with
the ladies. He had nardly looked at
the pretty girl who had answered his
questions when he had called at Stan
ley hall to find Arthur Stanley gone.
no one knew whittier, upon the occa-
sion when the lawyer had come 10 give
notice that the old earl Of Stanley was
dead and the English line Of Stanleys
was extinct with him.
But Esther recognized the lawyer
and shrank back into her corner of the
seat in the somewhat dim interior Of
the rattletrap and battered old stage
coach. Esther alone in the world and
sorely tried. suspected every one. after
her experience with Blair and his
mother and even the friendly though
wishy washy Mrs. Randolph. Her
hope. her desire was TO see Arthur.
Now that he was rich and powerful
she determined TO be guided in her ac-
tons by Arthur's reception of her.
Was he much changed? Had success
turned his head and made him selfish?
Did he still love her as sister or sweet
hearth
Lonely, apprehensive, even disheart-
ened, Esther felt that to be coolly re-
ceived by Arthur would be the last
straw The secret joy she had felt to
realize that she was the rightful heir
of Stanley had passed She had been
denied her birthright so long that she
could feel no gladness at the thought
Of being accepted as Esther Stanley
rather than Esther Harding. the poor
gypsy girl.
Only Arthur, only the love she bore
for him, made her steadfast She felt
she could gofaway and die of a broken
heart If he had changed and with his
millions had grown arrogant, selfish
and cold toward her. She regretted
she had gone into the wilderness TO
seek him. Might she not have better
stayed in Los Angeles till Arthur re-
turned and met him there? But then
there was Blair. Blair was seeking
Arthur too.
Arthur had been Blair's comrade in
their wild boyhood and even wilder
young manhood. Blair might poison
Arthur's mind against her.
Blair was despicable enough for such
an action. No. she would keep on, she
would see Arthur. If his eyes lit up
with love and joy at the sight of her
she would tell him all and beg his pro-
lection from Blair.
And so Esther unused as the stage
rocked and creaked on its way up the
mountain passes to the mines.
Meanwhile Blair is making his way
In the roadster he has hired for the
purpose as best he can over the rough
roads through the mountains that he
curses continually.
1t Is prophetic of his curses and fore
bodings that the front axle of his car
snaps. and 1t is disabled on the noun
tain side. He walks afoot and arrives
at the blacksmith shop near the mines,
to encounter an old acquaintance
Luke Lowell.
Luke Lowell has sentenced himself
to hard labor as a blacksmith helper
since the death of his evil companion
in Santa Barbara bay the night when
the diamond from the sky dropped into
the waters of the bay in that death
struggle In the darkness.
From Lowell Blair, after mutual prof
fers of friendship and assistance,
| learns that Arthur Stanley, or John
Powell. as he Is now known. has left
for other mines he is considering pur-
| chasing. far across the valley in anoth-
er range of mountains.
Meanwhile Quabba. disobeying Els
theirs commands through his very af-
Wt1Ssr