The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-07-21
THE RAEBURN LUCK
BY ISABEL FROST.

through that period Of excitement
when fortunes were made anu lost
overnight, Nick went along his leisure
~ way. driving the stugr To- The Ma
h"nk mines over from Eayuliir. the
little mak"~hift railroad station below
The big Kaynlit" construction plant.
And The days when he had work 10 du
his son drove. the STAGE.
Litti" Nick. they called him. al
though he was foot taller than big
Nick. his father. Ovrrgruwu and easy
hammered, he was the hutr of all the
/ newcomers 10 the mines.
But. Lord Harry. YOU can't rattle
him Nick would say happily. He
was born in the SUNSHINE" that hoy.
/ PrrtlieSt mother You ever saw used
I I" run IN" pancake counter al Daniels
cafe down AT Chul1rr Junction. Don't
/ You know where that l.: Up in The
/ Panhandle. She ran away when Nick
was about tw" and q half and got di-
vor"e in Reno. | never blamed her II
mite. used 10 drink like 81 fish thu>,.
days and never earned - whole weeks
pay in my life"
When the last strike huppcurd up al
the Mahouk the news of il reached the
outer world and the rush began about
Il week later. II was up in The noun
tainS following the bed of the old
RamaZan river and folk had a hard
Tim" getting Ia II. Nick knew the bcSi
way up and made trips steadily. one
morning aS he took the blankets off the
DAY mares woman came toward him
from the little hotel that was part of
the mushroom growth of RayOlitr She
was about thirty-five. hut slender and
as pretty aS Il girl, and trim rs clip
per in her dnrk-blur suit and white felt
hat
rs This the stage 10 the Mahonk
mlneS: she asked. Nick turned his
head To answer in his usual WAY. fore
seeing prospective traveller when he
recognized her. Yet over him her gaze
swept without CLEAN of memory.
There was nothing about old Nick
Shrunken. stOop-shouldered. weather
beaten, with his face twisted habitual-
~ into One-Sidcd grin-tO bring back
any recollection Of the early romance
that had happened In Daniels cafe. .
thaffee Junction. Nick answered with .
some inward embarrassment Fan had /
suffered too little from times ravages |
for him Ia affect unconcern Yet all .
the way up To the mines she hardly /
looked at him. and he watched her I.
leave the stage with Surging emotions
See that woman in blue that came
up with you?" asked Dabncy when he
Sauntcrcd out of the hotel after Nick
had eaten. shes representing the
MunSon-Lane interests. they say. Nice.
quiet little party with more nerve and
punch up her sleeve than any man
was always sent on ahead To scout Il
bit and find out how things were going
before they sent OH any buyers. She's
been asking what properties hcrcabout
have been undcvcloppd."
Nick nodded. He had bunch of
worthless claims up on the side of old
tamaZan mountain that had cost him
assessment work each year and hung
around his neck like Il milestone. They
lay just beyond the river bed drift Of
ore.
Before Le left town for The trim
back. Dabncy told him the woman in
The blue suit was asking now. he said.
where the man was who owned the ten
'laimS called the Lucky Lou group. 3
Tell her he's gone out of town. but {
given YOU orders To dicker on terms" {
replied Nick gravely. And If you can '
sell AT a good figure and keep my name /
mt Of it, Why there's IL nice slice to t
you. Dabnpy"
The deal went through the next
morning. and while the papers were n
'einC signed over at the record office V
h" stage coach lay half way down the "
idle of RamaZan mountain with its il
lriVer buried under the debris. Little -
\ick took the new stage in few DAYS :
While they tried To patch up what was q
eft of the old man AT the hospital in
Harden City a
III" was standing AT the horses
leads when Fan came along. All AZ A
nee Sh" stopped dead short staring
I the boy who held the mares heads
he gave him one startled look and
ED out her hand before she thought
vice, speaking only his name
Mick You big, long-legged. blessed y,
Oy. Don't look scared at me, Nick. G.,
m only your silly old mother. Where's nj
he old man." m
Nick told her. with the latest report of
hat old Nick had only crushed few "
lbs and sprained his arm. y
That's the Raeburn luck" she TN
ghed happily. He could have the m
hole mountain tumble on him and G.
ONE up smiling. Nick, dear. YOU IN
now those claims Of your fathers IN
nat | just took over from that fellow tr
'abneyi They're worth about two IN
undred thousand dollars at n rough ia
>tima:e. I'll Just keep them in the
lmily now, and we'll try and make CT
illionaire out of the old fellow. YOU
nd ! together. He's running on the c,
vel now. isn't hep
Nick grinned and assured her he
,ure was"
Fan sighed happily and pushed in
.uv,In nf