Putnam patriot., 1917-08-10
THE RAEBURN LUCK
BY ISABEL FROST.


Nick Raeburn had come out to Ne
vada before the Gold6efd rush. All
through that period u excitement
when fortunes were made and lost
overnight. Nick went along his leisure
ly way, driving the stage 10 the Ma
honk mines over from Rayolite. the
little makeshft railroad station below
tho big Bayoilte construction plant.
Ard the days when he had work 70 do
his son drove the stage.
Little Nick, they GATED him, al
thnazh he WINS foot taller than big
Mics his father Ovoref3Hu and easy
hammered. De was The bltt Of all the
newcomers to fhe mines.
Put lord Harry. yau can't rattle
HIM Kick would Say happily. lie
was born ln the sunshine, that boy.
Prfuiest mother you ever sew-used
to run the pancake counter 81 Daniels
cufp down 40 ChaHee Junction. Don't
you know where that Isl Up ia the
Panhandle. She ran away when Nick
vas about two and half. and got d.
vorce In Reno. / never blamed her
mite used 10 drink Ike FISH those
days aud never earned whole weeks
pay IN my life"
When the last strike happened up at
the Mahonk the news of 1t reached the
outer world and the rush began about
a week later. II was up In the noun
tains, 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 steadily. One
morning as he took the blankets off the
bay mares a woman came toward him
from the little hotel that vas part Of
the mushroom growth Of Rayollte. She
was about tlirty-fiye, but slender and
as pretty as girl, and trim as clip
per In her dark.blue suit and white felt
hat.
rs this the stage to the Mahonk
mlnesY' she asked. Nick turned his
hend to answer In his usual way, fore
seeing n prospective traveller, when he
recognized her. Yet over him her gaze
swept without a CLEAN of memory
There was nothing about old Nick
Ntti HiihtIf Nt+Fti 5Hlt'itifiFt ~ AAtfA
heutef. with his face twisted hubitaal-
ly Into Il one.sided grin-to bring haek
any recollection of the early romance
thui had happened In Baniels cafe,
CHaffee Junction. Nick answered With
some inward embarrassment. Fan lad
suffered TOO little from times rayages
for him to affect unconeefn. Yet all
the way up To the mines she hardly
looked at him, and he watched her
leave the stage With surging emotions.
See that woman In blue that cane
up with your. asked Dahney when he
sauntercd out Of the hotel after Nick
had eaten. HShe's representing the
Munsau-Laue interests, they say. Nice,
quiet lille party with more nerve uud
punch up her sleeve th8a any nun
here ! hcara the fellow saying she
was al@ays SEM On ahead 70 scout Il
hif and fudaat haW things were going
before they sent ON any tH2ers She's
heen asEug Whaf properties hereaheut
have heeu uu3eeelauod.
NHeR nodded. H. I'D q bunch ef
worthless clafms ~ ON fhe side ri ed
Ramazan mountain that had cost hm
assessment work euch year and hung
around his neck Hike a milestone. They
lay lust beyond the river bed drift Of
ore
Before he left town for the trip
back. Dahney told him the woman In
the blue suit WIS asking now, he said,
where the man was who owned the ten
claims called the Lucky Lou group.
Tell her he's gone out of town, but
given you orders to decker on terms, .
replied Nick gravely And If you can
sell at good figure and keep my name
out of 1t, why there's IA nice slice to
you, Dabney.'
The deal went through the next
morning. and while the papers were
being signed over mt the record Office
the stage coach lay half way down the
side of Ramazan mountain with It's
driver buried under the debris. Little
Nick took the new stage In few days
while they tried to patch up what was
left of the old man at the hospital In
Harden City.
lie was standing at the horses
heads when Fan came along. All at
once she stopped dead short, staring
nc the boy who held the mares heads
She gave him one startled look and
held out her hand before she thought
twice. speaking only his name,
Nick You big long-legged, blessed
hoy. Don't lock scared az me, Nick
I'm only your silly old mother Where's
the cid MANI
MEX told her, with the latest report
that old Nick had only crushed a fe"
ribs and sprnined his arm.
That's the Raehurn luck" She
sighed happily "He could have III,
whole mountain tumble on him ant
come up smiling. Nick. dear Yet
| know those claims OF your father,
! TINT | just took over from that fellow
Dahney? They're worth about tw'
hundred thousand dollars at Il rough
estimate. III Just keep them in th'
family now, and Wen try and make
millionaire out of the old fellow, yo'
and l together He's running on thu
level now, isn't hef"
Nick grinned and assured her h'
sure was"
Fan sighed happily and pushed IN
couple of shell hairpins.
"He won't find me much changed
she snid. Take me down to him
Nick"