Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-10-05
Miners
Luck
Story of a Girls Bravery
By ELENoR MARSH

hOaA ~ hio tt tS.
Clarkson threw aside his pick.
He posted his notice of possession by
laying the paper on the newly broken
ground and placing Il stone on top to
keep it from blowing away. Any one
who jumped that claim now might ex-
pect the wild justice of the mining
camp to be visited upon him.
AS he drew near the camp the thun-
der of the stamp mills smote the air,
and the blur of smoking chimneys
dimmed the eastern sky.
Pete Clarsson's persistent Ell orts and
logged determination to find some
thing that would enrich him sufficient
ly to offer Molly Gray a home had re-
suited In his striking what was prob
ably the lost vein @" the Great Dome
ledge.
He stopped once at the house of Jim
Gray, superintendent of the Great
Dome. and Molly Gray, sweet as a
rose. with gtay eyes. brown hair, pink
cheeks and pink gown. anne to the
door.
How'd you make out, Pete?" she
asked. her little brown hand lost In his
great earth stained palm.
Its the Molly Gray" he said quiet
~, thrusting the lump of ore into her
other hand.
'rOh. Peta.' she cried ~Joyfully,
"whereY"
ION Crow ledge, near Grow rock"
Where we saw the sunset that
night?"
Same plate"
What were you doing there. Peter
she asked, with dimpling cheeks.
"Prospectin'," he grinned sheepishly.
Then, passing his hand over his un-
shorn chin. he nodded toward the
Great Dome sLlelter. II guess 1t will
be all right now down there" he said
confidently.
you know it has always been all
right with me Pete said Molly softly
~ know Re said soberly. "Tm go
In down nov to git out my papers.
I'll stop on my way back"
Haven't you registered yetT' she
asked anxiously.
"Nope; stopped here first thing. Got
her staked all right, though, and the
name posted. Coin back there to
make camp. Sp long; see you later"
And with a backward wave of his hand
he Hoped down toward the registering
Office.
From the doorway of the cabin at
the head of The street Molly, holding
a pair of feldglasses to her pretty
eyes, watched him enter the office.
Then her gaia fell upon the figure Of
q man sprawlad upon the rough veran'
da encircling the n roomed building
A wide brimmed hat was drawn over
his eyes, and TO all appearances he was
lost in slumber.
Molly looked at the open window
over the mans head and calculated
that if Pete Clarkson announced his
discovery in his usual bluff, hearty ac-
cents it could readily be heard by the
man on the vsranda II he were awake
and listening and If it should prove
to be Dave Lumly. who was own
brother to jim Lumly, the registrar
of claims, why. then, Pete Clarkson
would have 8 race for his claim, that
was all. She remembered the case OF
Allan Smith, the young prospector
from the cas-. who made q nnd anu
staked his claim. Before he could reg
lister it and return to the scene Dave
Lumly had news of the find and had
- ~ yTos-, with hjS hrOfhlr
to back his title to 1t. -humly had de-
fed the sheriff and his posse to GUST
him. Young Smith had shot himself.
and. after all, the mine had proved
worthless.
All. the SON bolent one arose slowly,
stretched himself, took a careful sur
yey of the street; then, with q swift
movement, leaped into the saddle OF a
waiting sorreT and rode out Black lane
1t was Dave Lumly.
Presently sire saw Pete emerge from
the registry cilice and cross the street
to the a~ssayers. With sudden energy
she re-entereii the house, scrubbed a
few lines informing Pete of her where
abouts In case she could not find him,
pinned the note to the front door, sad
died her little mare Daisy, mounted
and dashed down the street toward the
assay office.
ssPete ClarkSon? 2" repeated Browning.
"Just left hers for down the street"
.If he comes back tell him to go up
to u place. There's a message for
him. Will you tell himT' she inquired
breathlessly.
"Sure thing. Miss Molly" he said
heartily: theb he watched her disap-
pear down the long street and out
upon the short cut through the canyon
to Crow mountain. The afternoon sun
shone on her hatless head and the
Hight wind futtered her pink skirts as
the little mare broke into a gallop.
Once she drew rein and took a swift
survey of the country.
Mile after nile the mare covered