Gilpin observer. (Central City, Colo.) 1897-1921, 1918-02-28
A Freak Of
Fate
By VICTOR REDcLEFE

all have in the world. There's one
ray of sunshine, though"
"And what's that?"
don't owe cent"
my brave optimist, you deserve the
very best If you want to rebuild and
start over again I'll finance you to the
limit"
'"rhank you, Mr.. Rogers" said Pey.
ton, "but I'm through experimenting,
for a time, anyway"
He was splendid specimen of hui
mainly, not yet twenty-five, tall, erect,
clear-eyed and open-faced. He and his
wOuld-be patron viewed scene Of
wide desolation. For as far as the eye
could reach was water, the roaring
Miami river, and every estuary swol-
len beyond its banks and shattered
houses and barns and great heaps Of
wreckage where the valley dipped. A
flood, followed by bursting dam, had
swept to wreck and ruin half town
and its environs.
1t came just as Clyde Peyton had
perfected his dream of business felicity.
He had his fad. 1t was chicken rails
ing. He had saved up nearly $4,000.
A poultry fancier and importer had
just introduced into this country rare
species of what were called cochin
pheasants. They were wonderful lay
ers, they were sport fowl, they were
Incompatible broilers. Peyton bought
the entire outfit. Then he had leased
few acres Of land and had put up some
buildings. The chicken quarters were
palatial. There was one large shed so
comfortably built that it had two sto-
ries and held over 400 of the blooded
fowl. This had been bodily wrenched
from its mOOrings and mingled with
other wreckage.
you found no trace Of the chicken
house?" inquired Rogers.
Eyes. parts Of 1t strewn here and
there, and such a body of fowls, even
live stock, massed up where the river
branches ran that hadn't the heart to
look. Poor things!"
So Clyde PeytOn started out on the
road, as of yOre, as travelling sales
man. He did not even leave an address
guided speculation. 1t was during his
vacation month that the old love for
animate farm nature came back to him.
There was state fair, and he visited
1t.
His whole interest was conferred one
day on poultry annex where full
line Of cochin pheasants was on ex-
tn n 10
element. He engaged In conversation
with the man in charge Of the collec-
ton.
Peyton turned to proceed on his way,
he faced a bright eyed, handsome
young Indy who evidently had been an
interested listener to all he had said
and showed it in her intelligent eyes.
PeytOn strolled around to the same
place the next day. He found the ex-
hibitOr glad to see him. The young
lady was there also.
They became very well acquainted
and 1t was a rapturOus week for Clyde
PeytOn. Together they went the
rounds of the fair again and again.
One day Clyde narrated his former
business venture and the circum-
stances of the flood that had beg
CARED him. Miss Barnett gave him a
strange glance that he did not observe.
Her breath came quickly. 1t seemed
to Clyde as though she was very indul-
gent and considerable with him after
that. His heart beat high whenever
he recalled all her little kindnesses.
The next day his emotions went down
below freezing point when, in a casual
conversation, the exhibitor remarked
incidentally:
eyes, Miss Barnett is heiress to a
very large fortune"
"That settles it." soliloquized Clyde
ruefully, alone with himself. "The
chances Of poor commercial traveller
for winning u peerless creature like
that would be decidedly slim"
He decided to end his vacation and
told the exhibitor so the next day.
"Mr. Peyton is going away in the
morning, Miss Barnett" he told the
young lady who owned the poultry col
lection. II happened to refer to your
being wealthy and 1t seemed to dlsplrlt
him."
Ina looked conscious and her cheeks
Redeemed.
II must see Mr.. Peyton before he
goes away" she spoke, almost anxious.
, ly. There he is coming now. Won't
you please leave me in charge here? I
have some important business with Mr..
Peyton."
! Important indeed, and when disclos-
ed to Clyde he was staggered. It
seemed that over IS miles from their
old home his cochin pheasant had es-
capped from their wrecked house, and
to the number Of over 100 had one
morning wandered into John Barnett's
chicken farm.
They had formed the nucleus Of the
fortune he had left to his daughter. He
had sought everywhere, but vainly, to