The Press., 1917-12-27
Miners Luck
 Story of a Girls Bravery
By ELNOR MARSH

| ClarkSon threw aside his pick. He postCd his notice of possession bv
 laying the paper on the newly broker
 ground and placing a stone on top t
 keep it from blowing away. Any on,
 who jumped that claim now might ex
 peet the wild justice of the mininl
 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 chimney
 limmed the eastern sky.
 Pete Clarkson's persistent efIorts and
 dogged 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 of 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 gray eyes. brown hair, pink
 cheeks and pink gown. came to the
 door.
 |
 asked, her little brown hand lost in his great earth stained palm.
 It's the Molly Cray" he said quiet Iy. thrustIng the lump of ore into her other hand
 "oh, Pete." she cried joyfully, ''whereT'
 'On Crow ledge. near Crow rock"
 &k- ha night?''
 Same place."
 What were you doing there. Peter she asked. with dimpling cheeks.
 'PrOspectin'," he grinned sheepishly. Then. passing his hand over his un- shom chin. he nodded toward the Great Dome shelter. Il guess it will be all right now down there" he said confidently.
 You know 1t has always been all right with me, Pete" said Molly softly.
 "I know" he said soberly. I'm gO- in down now to git out my papers. I'll stop on my way back"
 Haven't you registered yet?" she asked anxlohsly.
 Nope; stopped here first thing. Got her staked all right, though, and the name posted. Coin back there to make camp. So long; see you later" And with a backward wave of his hand he loped down toward the registering office
 From the doorway of the cabin at the head of the street Molly, holding pair of fleldglasses to her pretty eyes. watched him enter the office. Then her gaze fell upon the figure of q man sprawled upon the rough yeran- dn encircling the one roomed building. A wide hrimmed 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 nc. cents it could readily be heard by the man on the veranda if 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 a race for his claim, that was all. She remembered the case of Allan Smith, the young prOSpector from the east who made find and staked his claim. Before he could reg iSter it and return to the scene Dave I.umly had news of the find and had jumped the claim. With his brother to hack his title to it, Lumly had de- fed the sheriff and his posse to Oust him. Young Smith had shot himself, and, after all, the mine had proved worthless.
 An, the s0mnOlent one arose slowly, stretched himself, took careful sur yey of the street; then. with a swift leaped into the saddle of waiting sorrel and rode out Black lane. It was Dave Lumly.
 Presently she saw Pete emerge from the registry office and cross the street to the a5sayers. With sudden energy she re-entered the house, scribbled d few lines informing Pete of her where abOuts in case she could not find him. pinned the note to the front door, sad dled her little mare Daisy, mounted and dashed down the street toward the assay office.
 Pete Clarkson?" repeated Browning. ''Just left here for down the street"
 If he comes back tell him to go up to our place. There's a message for him. Will you tell him?" she inquired 
 ''Sure thing. Miss Molly" he said heartily; then he watched her disap- pear down the long street and out 1pon the short cut through the canyon lo Grow mountain. The afternoon sun slIOne on her hatless head and the | light wind fiuttered her pink skirts as Inc little mare broke into q gallop.
 Once she drew rein and took q swift survey of the country.
 Mile after mile the mare covere,i l up steep hillsides and slid | ng recklesSly down the slopes. Molly with hiaZing eyes and compressed lips, | for the reappearance of the '0rrel horse and its slouching rider. Ip'uly, taking advantage of the infor- nation he had gleaned at the registry 'd1ce. would remove Pete's stake, sub titute one of his own and claim pos esslOn of the Molly Gray. If she could 'nly reach Crow rock before Dave 4umly she would fight with all the lereeness of old Jim Gray himself for he possession of her lovers rights.
 Molly drowned as she thought all hese things over. and every now and hen she turned and looked back along he trail for some sign of the approach f Pete Clarkson. If he returned to he cabin, as he had intended doing, he Tould find her note.
 With heart beating in time to the lufled thud of Daisy's hoofs, she drew eIn on the crest of the ledge and oOked about for Dave Lumly. but he Tas not in sight. and with resumed she eantered along the nar. ow, uneven trail to Crow rock,
 When she rounded the rock the sor. T was nipping the parchcd turf and mnly. on his knees. was stufing n ipeC of whifn panap into hfs' DopIynt