Year: 1874

You stand IN the road looking up
and west. Before you stretches the
gorge between the stark mountains
that tower inhospitably on either
hand, above the two lines of build
ings that have to burrow into the
.crowding feet of the opposite heights
to make room for the road between
them. At the upper end a sharp
mountain face wedges down and
splits the gorge in two, -Sad on a
shelf of this face are perched the
school house and the newly built
church. This is Cinnibar City.


Behind you the road winds out of
sight down toward the lonely foot
hills, and already you can hear the
echoing rumble of the coach from
below, and will presently catch the
rattle of wheels and the jingle of
harness. On the box of that coach
sits tall, travel worn, not handsome
passenger, whom the driver has car
ried before, and to whom he shows
respect. The driver is telling him
about the mines and the growth Of
the city in the months that he has
been away, in which time Cinnibar
has doubled itself once or twice.


Before the coach stops at the
Quicksilver Hotel" / must tell you
the history of the man on the box
seat. His name is Garrett Colyer.
He was born in an eastern country
town, studied law there and went
away to the city to seek his fortune,
went back at an hours notice to de
fend a scape-grace whose friend had
no money to pay counsel, got him
| off by the skin of his teeth and out
of the reach of other warrants none
| too soon. The scape-grace was to
reform, having already repented, ,and
await his father and sister in the far
west, and provide for them when
they came to him. They had nc
money to 60 with; Colyer spent his
last cent on his passage and theil
own. Arriving in Cinnabar, whence
the e-grace had written q glow
ling letter, they found no scape-grace,
Ibut another letter less glowing, and
explaining the superior inducements
1of Quartz City, and his intention ot
writing for them as soon as he had
things. comfortable.


Father, daughter and friend were
forced to go to work for very sub
sistance at anything they could find
but they prospered, and after awhile
Colyer set out further west in searcf
Iof the pe-grace, and after months
lin the wild country returned alone
He formed a partnership with {
young attorney named Ridley, ant


becoming engaged in suit involv
ing the title of the greater part o


the land the town occupied, he wen


to Washington and gained the cause


Now he was coming back.


What had led him this roundabout


tramp of years? He did not Low


the scape- grace nor admire his ne'er


do-well father who had been dea


now for nearly year. No, he di
: not love the old man Middlebroo
I nor his good for-nothing son, but b
h did love their sister and daughtel
I All that and more too had he don
: for Maggie Middlebrook's sake. b
e fore be went East he introduced hi
a z partner to her and asked him to sc
5, That she came to no harm. Now b
!. lis coming back, and as he talks wit
ID the driver of ores and titles an
It changes, his heart goes forward wit
OF OF great yearning to one thing /
e. hopes may never change. And loci


ing out from her eyrie upon IL
e. nose of the mountain, alone at h'


school-room window, and turniI


wearily from the exercise she is co


recting, Maggie Middlebrook Sc
ne him getting down at the hotel, sha


ing hands right and left, receivil
nv welcomes and congratulations I


along the street, but pushing I


lpast al with only smile and