The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-08-20
THE RAEBURN LUCK
BY ISABEL FROST.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
lick Raeburn had come out to Ne
vada before the Goldfeld rush. All
through that period Of excitement
when fortunes were made and lost
overnight, Nick went along his leisure
ly way, driving the stage to the Ma
hOnk mines over from Rayolite, 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. IL
though he was = foot taller than big
Nick. his father. Overgrown and easy
hammered. be was the butt Of Ill the
newcomers 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 panc4ke counter at Daniels
cafe down at ChafIes. Junction. Don't
.yDu know where that Isl Up in tho
Panhandle. She. ran away when Nick
was about two and q hall. and got d.
vorce In Reno. I never blamed her .
mite. I used to drink like fish those
days and 'ne@ef earned whole weeks
pay In my 1ife.~ 50 80
-When.the last strike happened up at
the Aahonk the news Of u reached the
outer world and the rush began about
.. week. later. !: was Mp IN the noun
tains. following the bed Of the old
Ramazan river. and folk had q hard
time getting to It. Nick knew the best
way up and made trips steadily. One
morning as:he took the blankets OF the
bay mares q woman came toward him
from the little hotel that was part Of
thu mushroom growth Of Rayol1te. She
was about thirty.f1ve. but slender and
as pretty as girl, and trim as . clip
per In her dark-blue suit and white felt
hat.
lis this the stage to the Mahonk
mines?' she asked. Nick turned his
head to answer In his usual way. fore
seeing q prospective traveller. when he
her. Yet over him her gaze
swept without a CLEAN Of memory.
There was nothing about old Nick
stoop-shouldered. weather.
beaten. with his face twisted habitual-
ly into q one-sided grin-to bring back
any recollection Of the early romance
that had happened In Daniels cafe.
Chaffee Junction. Nick answered with
some inward embarrassment. Fan had
suffered too little from times ravages
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 emotions.
"See that woman In blue that came
up with your" asked Dabney when he
out Of the hotel after Nick
had eaten. "She's representing the
interests, they say. Nice,
quiet little party with more nerve and
punch up her sleeve than any man
here. heard the fellow saying she
was always sent on ahead to scout q
bit and find out how things were going
before they sent on any buyers. She's
been asking what properties hereabout
have been undeveloped."
Nick nodded. He had q bunch Of
worthless claims up on the side Of old
Ramazan mountain that had cost him
assessment work each year and hung
around his neck like milestone. They
lay just beyond the river bed drift Of
ore.
Before he left town for the trip
back, Dabney told him the woman in
the blue suit was 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 dicker on terms"
replied Nick gravely. "And If you can
sell at good figure and keep my name
put Of it, why there's nice slice to
you, Dabney."
The deal went through the next
and while the papers were
being signed over at the record Office
the stage coach lay half way down the
slde Of Ramazan mountain with its
driver buried under the debris. Little |
Nick took the new stage in q few days
while they tried to patch up what was
eft Of the old man at the hospital in |
Harden City. s.
He was standing Ut the horses
heads when Fan came along. All at
once she stopped dead short, staring
It the boy who held the mares heads.
She gave him one startled look and
held out her hand before shs thought |
.wics. speaking only his name.
"Nlok! You big. lons-Iegged. pleased
10Y. Don't look scared ct me. Nick. ,
I'm only your silly old mother. Where's
~ old manr II
Mex told her. With the latest report
hat old Nick had only crushed . few
:ibs and sprained his arm.
That's the Raeburn luck" she
dshed happily. "He could have ~
1hole mountain tumble on him and
,ome up smiling. Nick. dear. you
know those claims Of your fathers
hat I Just took over from that fellow