The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1919-10-16
B5ie
Twin Craters
00
By oT1LL1A F. PFE1FFER

81 BY oTILL1A F. PFE1FFER *
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It would share iaftade mo difference
II he had been poorasaa, Church mouse
to Alice Leigh, but Wade Porter did
not know that. Besides. he resented
the IDEA Of asking "a girl brought up
amid wealth and luxury to risk unit
ing herself to man without means,
and one, too, who had not, even demon
strafed his business abilities.
She likes you. Wade, his ibest
friend, Neil Wolfson, told him, ''aah
when q woman like Alice Leigh fixes
her affections they are likely to prove
lasting"
Then l will not take advantage Of
I her confidence" answered Wade reso-
lutely. Il believe there is something
in me worth bringing. out, and when I
have proven that, am going to her
like man and tell her So"
In careless moment Neil impaired
this information to his sister and she
in turn passed it along to Alice. The
latter was made very happy by the in
stelligence. When Wade, all uncon-
scious Of this, made call upon her
his hope was increased and his am
billions stimulated by the gracious way
in which Alice treated him. He made
his preparations to qualify for posi-
tion in another city, when he received
q letter from an aunt whose husband
had recently died and its contents
quite interested and excited him. Il
''Y0ur uncle always liked syoS,"
wrote the lady, "and it was his will.
that you should be remembered before
he died, but the latter years Of his
life he had some serious business trou-
bles and did not attend to it. Just be-
fore he died, however. he asked me to
zee to II that you were given some
mining property he had traded for in
Arizona Il 10 my duty to tell you
that after looking up the property he
was very much disappointed. Still,
he said that you were young, active,
ambitious, and that you might make
something out Of a proposition he had
grown too old to handle"
When Wade told his friend Neil
sWolfson Of his acquisition the latter
was fred with enthusiasm. Why"
declared the latter, I'D give all I
have for chance like that. Gold. sill
yer, adventure! The very uncertainty
Of the thing is fascinating" and he Of
fered to supply the capital to finance
the Arizona exploitation. ..5 IA
ss 1t was on the morning Of gloomy,
threatening day that the two adven-
'turers halted their tired steeds at q
struggling. dismal locking settlement.
fitly designated as Last Hope. They
had traversed barren alkali stretch
Of over a hundred miles without pass
ing single habitation. Then had
come the mountains Here at the, apex
was Last Hope, which was a halfway
point between number Of isolated
mining camps. The tavern keeper
viewed the two young men with a pity
Ing expression of face as they divulged
the motive of their coming.
~ hope you're not expecting gold
or silver" he observed. II don't sup
pose there is foot of Twin Craters
that has not been prospected and not
SO much as true fissure vein of gold
or a specimen Of horn silver discov-
cred. Some shrewd spectators sailed
it once and palmed it off on a tender
foot investor in the East"
"Well, we will lookYit over, anyway
suggested Neil, which they did and
camped on their possession that night,
a gloomy, uncongenial duo.
They were discussing the feasibility
Of a return to civilization early tile
next morning when an automobile
came numbering towards them. It
held half dozen well-dressed, intel
ligent looking men, and was followed
by motortruck loaded with survey
ing and other scientific instruments.
"A brisk, pleasant-faced young man APP
preached from the automobile first to
arrive. He spoke courteously in greet
ing and then with keen, searching
glance observed: ~
Looking up the old craters, gentle
imen?' ". s.:ss VI a5a3
Az no. replied Wade bluntly, dis,
.cussing the surest means of getting
away from them as far as: possible.
was lured out here thinking that there;
might be, some value to the four hun