Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1925-11-12
THE
FULFILLED
MISSION
~ NJ. }, NEWMAN
@ " short Story Pub. Co..

~ is mission was nearing itS end.
- Here, in this Wild and wcolly
i Il part of the West, land Of rat
tier and the ghosts Of men vio-
emily slain. he was at last to meet the
man whom he would rather meet, thar
any one who had done; hiEaa good or
evil. eJt., .ss4sa q.
MaSOn's = trip. to. this 4gamhfer-in-
Tested Nevada village was not inten-
uOnal. He had been on his way di-
rect to Frisco, when friend advised
him that Norton had been resident
of H. New, the past year--a min
ing engineer with a taste for gam
bling. Mason spent couple Of days
in Salt Lake City. then changed his
route.
Unable to sleep. now the sun was
throwing its rays full blast into his
window. he lay in bed and thought
Of how Norton had continually
crossed his life's- path. Ten years be-
fore, Mason was In love with Kitty
his one real love- Mason was In the
lead for her hand and heart until Nor
ton came into the game Then. when
the game was. ended. Norton, not Ma
son, was Kitty's husband,
Then Eve years passed before Nor
toms ominous shadow: oRce.msre dark
ened his path. Three years before
NOrtOn's second advent, Mason had so
far put aside his love as to lead Eiixa-
beth to the altar. And with her he
lived three years, until Norton came.
with his wonderful way with maid.
or a matrOn. for that matter, and
Norton and Elizabeth disappeared.
He lost track of them as completely
as though the earth had sucked them
up.
From his bed he looked out Of the
window, over the mountains. Here
and there was top covered with
snow. although it was midsummer.
Some tops were bare. At the base
of one Of the mountains a river
flowed. Here and there, a cabin
perched part way up.
He arose from his bed, pulled down
the shade, and dressed. Modesty here
seemed an uncomfortable pretense,
as there were few women In the vii
lage. H was a headquarters
where men, fresh from the ranches
and mines, would stop or to buy
"store buds" as an outfit before 60
ing to Frisco or Los Angeles with
their many months Of accommodations
to paint" the town, returning shabby
and wornout from return Journeys
by rail, unsanctioned by the ticket
sellers of the railroad, and after Q
continual game Of hide.and-seek with
the brakemen.
Mason put up the shade. put On .
clean collar, then took q view Of his
nearer surroundings. Across tho
street was the "Palais de Chance" q
hosiery where roamed houris whose
idea Of their mission In life was to
separate man from his roll, In CONS
petition with the games that ran I'm
the palace" These ladies with
missions in life made their appear
ance only after eight, these summer
days. One would hardly believe that
this miserable, dead, pale creature
sinking down the street in q wrapper.
would In a few hours be metamOr-
phosed into the lovely girl who would
be a pal, for the evening. or as long as
money lasted. f.
But the day was beautiful. Wild
flowers were not afraid to grow In
the vacant spots between the houses.
The flowers and the grass lent q fra
GRANGE to the air as 1t blew across
ones face in torrid gusts. The trees
on the mountain sides suggested q
NA&eanhaM0 ahA4A