The Springdale news., 1915-10-08

and the deer head trophy as well as his dress suit case. This passenger was very pretty young woman in a neat dark blue travelling suit. Had Mar maduke 'Smythe good memory for faces he might have recollected his fel- low passenger as q 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 hardly 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 whither, upon the occa sion when the lawyer had come to give Sotice 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 heartl
 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 ta 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 go away 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 Les Angeles till Arthur re turned and met him there? But then there was Blair Blair was seeking Arthur too.
 Arthur had been Blairs comrade i'll their wild boyhood and even wilder young manhood Blair might poison Arthurs mind against her.
 Blair was despicable enough for such an action No, she would keep OH. she would see Arthur. If his eyes lit np with love aud 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 it's 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 ean oxer the rough roads through the mountains that h. curses continually.
 It is prophetic of his curses and fore holdings that the front axle of his ear snaps, and 1t is disabled on the noun tain side He walks afo0t and arrives at the blacksmith shop near the mines. 10 encounter an old acquaintance Luke Lowell.
 Luke Lowell has sentenced himself to hard labor as blacksmith helper since the death of his evil companion l in Santa Barbara bay the night when the diamond from the sky dropped into l the waters of the bay in that death struggle in the darkness.
 From Lowell Blair, after mutual prof l 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 CT range of mountains.
 Meanwhile Quabba. disobeyng Els ther's commands through his very af-
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