Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1921-09-22
From the City of
Mystery
BY DOROTHY WHITcoMB
10. 1874. Western Newspaper UnionJ

lG. 1871 Western Newspaper Union.)
"GOing-going-gon
The hammer of the auctiOneer came
down with Il final tap. The man Of
bids waved his hand towards the
cashiers desk Earle Barton paid
four dollars, gave his name and ad-
dress, received u package wrapped
In tissue paper and regaincd his COM
paniOn, Ward Tolman.
"Whatever induced you to pay that
money for toy that looked to me
like u cross between baby's rattle
and a nutmeg grater?" rallied young
Tolman.
"It's n prayer mill from Thibet," said
Earle. ut is made by the priests in
that great city of mystery, Lhassa. a
place where they visit the intrusion
Of stranger with death. The dew
0tee, when he wishes to pray, SIM
ply turns the mill and his work is
done for him."
II see," nodded Tolman carelessly;
but how do you come to know SO
much about these curios?"
Earle flushed deeply and evaded a
direct response. He went ON to tell
that he had certain liking for an
tiQues. The auctioneer had interested
him by narrating the story of ma.
tive priest of Thibet travelling in the
United States, who had died in debt
and whose effects had been sold to
bury the poor fellow. The name Of
the man was engraved on the mill
"Zuelphi."
The friends parted, Tolman, who
had money and position, to attend
some social function, Earle, who had
very little, to proceed to the nearest
express Office and send the prayer
mill package to Miss zelda Tresham
Maybrook. Then he went to his
rather cherries room where lie was
making struggle Of life trying to
write for the newspapers.
Maybrook was the little country
town from which Earle had come six
months previous. zelda Tresham was
the one young lady in that village for
whom he entertained warmer senti-
ment than she had ever OWNED. Toll
man, making visit to the city, had
come across Earle. Only casually had
Earle ventured to ask about zelda. He
had heard incidentally that Tolman
had been paying some attentions to
the young lady, and did not seek a
gratuitous heartache by exploring the
intimacy.
Earle knew that the erudite Profess
s0r Tresham, the father of zelda, was
great collector of unique oddities.
He had sent the prayer mill to Velda
hoping she might write to him.
The next day Earle happened to
meet Tolman. The latter dropped
into jewelry store and produced an
exquisite little ring.
II wish you, would engrave this for
me-" he said to the jeweler, and care
lessly scrubbed on a card: "Ward to
Velda."
Earle Glanced to glance at the in
scription ordered.
The discovery killed a good deal
Of the ambition Of the young writer.
He changed his room for cheaper
one. Things did not go very we'll
with him.
And then suddenly, by a rare chance,
there awoke one day in the experience
Of this lonely city waif the most ex-
travagant soul Of hope. Magically,
poverty was gilded and f0rlorn dis
tress became fading wrath of the
past.
A man, lawyer, hunted him out
after long quest, he said. Was he
Earle Barton? Yes, He lived at sucl,
an address formerly? Yes, again. Was
he the purchaser. on such a date, at
such an auction shop, of a certain
prayer mill?
The long and short of it was that
the owner of the prayer mill was a
member Of one Of the richest, noblest
families in Thibet. His relatives had
too late learned of his fatal, stranded
situation. Now they had ordered his
remains returned to his native soil-at
any expense. The mill must be found
If 1t took q fortune.
Ten thousand dollars was offered
for the return of the prayer mill. II
was at distance. Then go for IT.
and expenses advanced. This was the
eist Of the strangers proposal.
The first thing Earle learned when
he reached his native town, was that
Veida was not married. The next
was that Ward YOlmun had welded 9
lady in the next town named Velda
Morse. Then Earle Barton realized
his error.
..a1D,