The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1917-10-09

nigh stakes. l merely watched; j
never gambled. The game was long
and disastrous to Wythe. He lost
all of the money which he had
brought with him to invest.
when returned, some time later,
was astounded. The words that
reached my ears, as l entered the
room, struck as a mighty blow. I
could scarcely believe they were true.
Years of saving. hope of investment
and bright future, prospects of
comfort in late years-all had van
ished in single evening. The crafty
Lawton had made a daring PROPOSE
ton. He had offered to stake all
that he had won-the thousands that
had belonged to Wythe and that
meant almost life itself to him
against permission to wed his daugh-
ter. The Southerner was indignant.
He was insulted, as indeed he had
right to be. But Lawton was clever,
and he was smooth. He convinced
Wythe that he loved his daughter
and wished to marry her for that
just in time to hear my friend say:
All that l have won against your
daughter in marriage-and one one
cast OF the dice!' held up my hand.
Just moment, gentlemen I said.
If your daughter is for sale, Mr..
Wythe, l shall buy her Lawton
sneered. Wythe Redeemed. To
gentleman of his bearing the stu
alton was past embarrassment. II
would have appeared most utterly alb
surd had it not been so treacher-
ously serious. 1t took fifteen min
utes for them to attempt an explana-
ton to me. demanded, as host, to
be permitted to play with them.
They could not refuse. Lawton
counted what he had won. and I put
up an equal amount. Wythe
\
looked at the money and thought of
his. stake. We played-one cast of
the dice for each man. Lawton won!
| THE scene that followed was one
to shudder at. In civilized coun-
try, at rich estate, 1t seemed too
ridiculous for belief Yet is was
true; and its absurdity made it the
more sorrowful. Lawton, having
won everything, made an offer. To
this day I do not know whether It
was a selfish Of generous motive that
melted it. He said he would return
his monetary winnings If Wythe
would induce Frances to consent to
marry him. We all left the room.
Frances was on the veranda, cry
ing. / was the first to reach her,
but I said nothing of the game. When
/ attempted to approach her. however,
she spurned me. learned later that
her and had not waited for the ex-
PLANTATION. I naturally was despicable
in her eyes.
"Wythe took her upstairs and
pleaded with her. He told her that
IL was his desire that she agree to
marry Lawton in order that vast
sum of money which he had lost
gambling would be returned. If she
refused, he said. they would both be
driven to poverty and their lives
ruined. She refused at first. but he
pleaded and begged until she agreed
He did not tell her that she as vel
as money had been gambled for. He
was too proud for that.
Frances was married to Lawtor
and shortly afterward Wythe died.
gave Lawton a half interest in my
estate in order to keep them neal
me, for my love for his wife was still
existent. Some time later 1 decided
to investigate some land grants II
California which had been left t.
me. but which l had never investi
gated. ! confided in 'Lawton tina
there was tradition in my famil,
that there was a valuable mine OF
the property. We left the estate II
the care Of Yaqui Joe and set gu
for California. By means of som,
old maps and papers we were abb,
to locate an old cinnabar mine which
had been lost for $50 years. w,
drew chart showing the Location
OF the mine and divided 1t into tw,
parts, each useless without the other
We each took one part. Then I re
turned to my home to raise none
for the reopening Of the mine. Will
Lawton remained to attend to tn
preliminary details I left with hin