The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-10-16

would be returned. II 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 well as money
had been gambled for. He was too
proud for that.
Frances was married to Lawton
and shortly afterward Wythe died.
gave Lawton a half interest in my es-
tate in order to keep them near me,
for my love for his wife was still eX-
istent. Some time later 1 decided to
investigate some land grants in Cal
ifornia which had been left to me, but
which l had never Investigated. l con-
fided in LawtOn that there was trad
ition in my family that there was
valuable mine on the property. We
left the estate in the care of Yaqui
Joe and set out for California BY
means of some old maps and papers
we were able to locate an old cinnabar
mine which had been lost for $50
years. We drew a chart showing the
location of the mine and divided it in
/ to two parts, each useless without the
other. We each took one part. Then
l returned to my home to raise money
| for the reOpening of the mine, while
| Lawton remained to attend to the pre-
| liminary details. l left with him all
the money 1 had with me, to cover the
first expense of the undertaking.
when 1 returned 1 brought Joe
with me. He cOnfided, on the way,
| that Frances cried continually with
Lawton. She did not love him. Upon
arriving again at Lost Mine, 1 learn
ed that LawtOn had taken no steps.
He confessed that he had lost all the
money gambling l was disguised
with him, and insisted that we return
to chihuahua. L refused to let him
| ar-iu hp nd he an
ragged Then, he told me that Frances
would have nothing to do with me be-
cause, l quote his own words: I told
her you offered to buy her because
you didn't care to marry her-and she
believed me- His statement infuriat-
2 ed me. My Spanish blood, cooled
through generations, was suddenly
r boiling within me. 1t was a matter OF
l honor. 1 challenged him to a duel
e with knives, and we fought, I know
S not how long, on the brink of preci-
= pice. We struggled like maniacs;
d do not remember all, but l do know
n that l was suddenly Mortified as l re-
, allied that we we're hurting through
n space. We had rolled over the edge
S and were falling into the valley be
h lOw LawtOn was killed by that fall
n Through some miracle-it was moth
1t ing short of a miracle was saved
d Joe revived me from unconsciousness
e. in a few feet of the scene of the strug-
II gle. Just as we finished covering ov-
er the body. Joe heard something NOV
ing in the bushes behind us. He hur-
lie ried to the spot, and found nothing. A
y, moment later we were startled by the
L sound of hoof-beats going down the
ID trail 1 was haunted by the thought
' that perhaps someone had seen us
g, but in time managed to drive it from
)t my mind
4 when we reached home Francs
i'd asked for her husband. 1 could no
n tell her the truth, but, when / wa
IS not near, Joe told her all. He ais
TT told her the reason which vindicatel
me in her eyes and brought me bacl
&. her respect She understood, than
I God, and she forgave mel That nigh
/ you were born, and your mother dieC
IT, With her last words she begged me t
at care for you and bring you up to b
er happy.
a
in Very soon after your mother
death l received a visit from two me
d. whom l had never known. They wer
as a degraded looking pair, their attir
~ rough, and their faces SCARED from
of
aR (COntfuued on Pare