The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-30
EVENING STORY
The Racburn Luck.


Nick Raeburn had come out to Ne
vada before the Goldfield rush. All
through that period of excitement
when fortunes were made and lost
overnight, Nick went along his leis-
urely way, driving the stage to the
Mahonk mines over from Rayol1te' the
little makeshift railroad station below
the big Rayolite construction plant.
And the days when he had work to
do his son drove the stage.
Little Nick, they called him, al
though he was a foot taller than big
Nick, his, father. Overgrown and easy
hammered, he was the butt of all new
Corners to the mines.
But, Lord Harry, you can't rattle
him." Nick would say happily. He
was born in the sunshine, that boy.
Prettiest mother you ever saw-used
to run the pancake counter at Dan
iers cafe down at Chaffee Junction.
Don't you know where that is? Up in
the Panhandle. She ran away when
Nick was about two and half, and
got a divorce in Reno. 1 never blam-
ed her a mite. 1 used TO drink like
fish those days and never earned
whole weeks pay in my life. 1t sort
of pulled me up the morning L came
in and found her gone and little Nick
waiting for me to button up his buds
for him and wash his face. Does
man a pile of good to have RESPONSE
bility forced on him that way. But 1
wish she hadn't been so final. 1 sure
did like that girl"
When the last strike happened up
at the Mahonk the news of it reach
ed the outer world and the rush began
about a week later. 1t was up IN the
mountains, following the bed of the
old Ramazan river, and folk had a
hard time getting to it. Nick knew
the best way up and made trips stead
lily. One morning as he took the
IL
came toward him from the little hotel
that was part of the mushroom growth
of Rayolite. She was about thirty
five, but slender and as pretty as a
girl, and trim as a clipper in her
dark-blue suit ard white felt hat.
rs this the stage to the Mahonk
mines?" 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-
| 1y into a one-sided grin-to bring back
any recollection of the early romance
that had happened in Daniels's cafe,
| Chaffee Junction. Nick answered with
some inward embarrassment. Fan had
| suffered too little from times raw
ages for him to affect unconcern. Yet
| all the way up to the mines she hardly
| looked at him, and he watched her
| leave the stage with surging emo
| lions. Even if she had run away from
| him there had not been any other
| man, so far as he knew. 1t was just
| as she had said in her farewell letter
| There had been too much for any
woman to stand and she wanted to get
out and earn her own living.
See that woman in blue that came
up with you?" asked Dabney-when he
sauntered 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
here. 1 heard the fellows saying she
was always sent on ahead to scout q
| bit and find out how things were 60
| ing before they sent on any buyers
She's been asking what properties
| hereabout have been undeveloped."
Nick nodded. He had a bunch OF
/ worthless claims up on the side of Ole