Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1918-08-24

reached my ears, as I entered the room, struck me mighty blow. could scarcely believe they were true. Wythe was desperate. He had lost everything. Years of saving, hope of investment and a bright future, pros poets of comfort in late years-all had vanished in a single evening. The crafty Lawton had made a daring proposition. He had offered to stake all that he had won-the thousands that had belonged to Wythe and that meant almost life itself to him against permission to wed his daugh- ter. The Southerner was indignant. He was insulted, as indeed he had a right to be. But Lawton was clever, and he was smooth. He convinced Wythe that he loved his daughter and wished to marry her for that reason alone. l entered the room just in time to hear my friend say: All that l have won against your daughter in marriage-and on one cast of the dice! I held up my hand. Just a moment, gentlemen I said. If your daughter is for sale, MT. Wythe, I shall buy her. Lawton sneered. Wythe reddened. To a gentleman of his bearing the situation was past en- barrassment. It would have appeared most utterly absurd had it not been sv treacherously serious. It took 15 minutes for them to attempt an ex- planation to me. I demanded, as host, to be permitted to play with them. They could not refuse. Lawton count ed what he had won, and I put up an equal amount. ,Wythe squirmed like dying snake as he looked at the money and thought of his stake. We played-one cast of the dice for each man. Lawton won!
 
 ''The scene that followed was one to shudder at. In civilized country, at rich estate, it seemed too ridiculous for belief. Yet it was true; and it's absurdity made it the more sorrow ful. Lawton, having won everything, made an offer. To this day I do not know whether 1t was selfish or gen. erous motive that melted it. He said he would return his monetary win nings if Wythe would induce Frances to marry him. We all left the room.
 Frances was on the veranda, cry ing. I was the first to reach her, but 1 said nothing of the game. When l attempted to approach her, however, she spurned me. I learned later that she had heard my offer to buy her and had not waited for the explana. ton. naturally was despicable in her eyes.
 "Wythe took her upstairs and plead- ed with her. He told her that it was his desire that she agree to marry Lawton in order that vast sum of money which he had lost gambling would be returned. If 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 we'll as money had been gambled for. He was too proud fol. that.
 Frances was married to Lawton and shortly afterward Wythe died. I gave Lawton a half interest in my es- tate in order to keep him near me, for my love for his wife was still existent. Some time later I decided to investi- gate some land grants in California, which had been left to me, but which l had never investigated. I confided in Lawton that there was tradition in my family that there was valuable mine on the property. We left the es- tate 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 150 years. We draw a chart showing the location of the mine and divided it into two parts, each useless without the other. We each took one part. Then I returned to my home to raise money for the reopen ing of the mine, while Lawton remain ed to attend to the preliminary de-