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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 1900)
( ' " , , 1 A BELLE OE CANADA CITY. HY iwcT iii\urii. 1'Af.T If , fCopjrlght. 1MO , by Kret Hart i The cxcltiincnt over ( ho failure of Montagu Trlxlt's bank did not burn Itself out until midnight. Hy that time , however. 1 It was pretty well known that the amount of the defalcations had been exaggerated , that It had hcen preceded by the suspension of the "IJxcelslor bank" of San rrnnclsro \ of which Trlxlt was nlso a managing dlrcc- lor occasioned by the discovery of the with drawal of securities for use In the branch bank of Canada City , that ho had fled the etato eastward across the Sierras , yet that , owing to the vigilance of the police on the frontier , ho had failed to escape and was In biding. Hut there wore adverse reports of a inoro Minister nature It was said that others were Implicated , that they dare not bring him to justice , It was pointed out that ( hero was more concern among many who were not openly connected with the bank than among Us unfortunate depositors , Resides the Inevitable downfall of those who had in\cstcd their fortunes In It there was distrust or suspicion everywhere. Kvon Trlxll's enemies wcro forced to admit the laying that "Canada City was the bank , and the bank wan Trlxlt " Perhaps this had something to do with n excited meeting of the directors of the new mill , to whoso discussions Dick Master- ton , the engineer , had been hurriedly sum moned. When the president told him that ho had been selected to undertake the dim- cult and delicate mission of discovering the 'whereabouts ' of Montagu Trlxlt nntl , If pos- elble , procuring An Interview with him , ho was nmorcd. What had the ncrw mill , which had always kept Itself aloof from the bank end Its methods , to do with the disgraced managers ? Ho was still more astonished when the president added bluntlj "Trlxlt holds securities of ours for money ndvanccd to the mill by himself privately. They do not appear on the hooks , but If he chooses to declare ) them ns assets of the bank , It's a bad thing for us. If he Is bold rnough to keep them , he may bo willing to make some arrangement with us to carry them on. If ho has got awaj , or rommlttci ! BUlcldc , as some say. It's for you to flnd the thereabouts of the securities and get them. Ho Is said to have been last seen near the summit You understand our position ? " Mastcrlon did , with suppressed disgust Hut ho was young and there was the thrll of adventure in this. " 1 will go , " he said qulttl.v. " \Vo thought you would. You must take the up Btagu tonight. Como again and get your flnal Instructions. By the way , yai might get Bomo Information at Trjxlt's lioiise. You er or or are acquainted w tl his daughter , I think ? " "Which makes It quite Impossible for me to seek her for such a1 purpose , " said Mas- terton coldly , A fcty hours later ho was on the coach , AH they cleared the outskirts of the towr they passed two Chlnumcn plodding sturdllj long In the dust of the highway. ' " ' ' * * Mr. Mastcrton started from a alight doze In the heavy slumbering "mountain wugon' which had taken the place of the smart concord coach that bo had left at tbo las fttatlon. The scenery , too , had changed ; the four horses thrctdcd tholr way throtigl rocky defiles of stunted larches and hardy "brush , " with here and there open patches of nhrunkon snow. Yet at the edge of de clivities ho could Btlll sec through the rolled-up leather curtains the \alley below - low bathed In autumn , the glistening rivers hair fifartt'wlttfvtho 16'nKl ! ' sunfine ? ilro"a/ls nnil tbi > green slopes rolling upwards Into crest after crest of ascending pines. At times n drifting haze , iil\vaj.s Impercep tible from below , veiled the \\a\\ \ ; a chil wind blow through the \chlclu and made the Bteol sledge-runners that hung beneath the wagon ready to bo shipped under the Useless wheels an ominous provision. A few Irutfo "stations , " half blacksmith shops , half grocery , marked the deserted but well- Morn road , n long , narrow "packer's" wagoner or n tortuous file "or Chinamen carrying mysterious bundles depending from bamboo poles was their rare and only company. The rough sheepskin jackets which these men wore over their chnracterlstlc blue blouses and their heavy leggings were anew now icvclatlon to Mastcrton , accustomed to the tltlnlj-clad coollo of the mince. They icemcd .1 distinct race. "I never knew those chaps get so high up , but they seem to understand the cold , " ho remarked The driver looked up and ejaculated bis disgust and his tobacco juice at the name jnarkct. "I reckon they're o\cryw liar In Callforny * har you want 'cm and whar jou don't ; jou loko my word for It , afore long Cillforny will hev to reckon that she glnerally don't viint 'cm cf a whlto man hau to live here. With a race lied up together In a language yo can't understand , ways that no feller knows from their praying to davlla , swap- rln' their wives , and bavin * their bones sent back to Chlnj wet arc yo goln' to do , and where arc ye ? What are jo goln1 to make outer men tint look so much alike jo can't tell them apart , that think alike and act alike , and novel In ways that yo kin catch cnto' fellers knotted together In some un derhand bet-ret way o' communlcatln' with each other , co that If jo kick a Chinaman up here on .ho summit another Chinaman will squeal In the vnlloy ! And the way they do l ( Rets mo ! Look yer ! I'll tell yo some- thin' that happened that's gospel truth ! Bomo of the boys that reckoned to hev some fun with the Chlnco gang over at Cedar Camp , started out one afternoon to raid 'em Ihcy groped along through the woods whar nobody could HO 'em. kalkllatln' to come down with a ruah on the camp over two miles away. And nobody did see 'em , only tmo Chinaman wet they mot a millfiom the lamp , bUrnln * punk to bin joss or devil , and lie scooted away just In the contrary direc tion Well , sir , when they waltzed Into that camp darn my skin ! ef there was a China man there , or aa much an a grain of rice 4o grab" " Somebodj had warned 'cm' Well this sort o' got the boys , and they set about dlBcovorln' how It waa done. One of 'cm noticed that there was some bits of tissue jiaper slips that they toss nrooml at funerals lyln' along * the road near the camp , and an other remembered that the Chinaman they met on the hill tossed a lot of that paper in the air afore ho scooted. Well , sir , the wind carried Just enough of that paper straight down the hill Into that camp ten nilnuti'K afore they could get there to give < hem Chinamen warnlu' whatever It was" 3'actl Why I've seen 'em strlngln' along the road just like them fellers wo passed just now and then stop all of n suddent like ( hounds off tbo bcent. jabber among them selves and start off In a different direction " "Just what thy'ro doing now' n > thunder ! interrupted another passenger who was look ing through the rolled-op curtain at his side. All the passengers ittiincd by one accord nnd looked out The file of Chinamen had indcrd turned and was moving rapidly awaj ut right angles from the road " ( Jot some signal , > ou bet ! " Bald the driver , some jellor paper or piece of Joss stick In tbo road. Wliat ? " Thu remark wan addressed to the paseen- per who had juet placed his finger on his lip , and Indlr.tttsl a bloUd-Iooklng Chinaman overlooked before , who was sitting In thy back , or "steerage" seat. , "Oh , no be durnod ! " raid th driver Im patiently. "Ho is no account bo's onlj ho laundrjman from Ilocky Canon. I'm ' alkln' of the coollo gang. " Hut hero the conversation flaggcil and ho nlr growing keener the flaps of the eather sldo curtains were battened down. Masterton gave himself up to conflicting reflections. The Information that ho had gathered was meager and unsatisfactory and ho could only trust to luck and cir cumstance to fulfill his mission. The first glow of ndvcnttiro having passed , ho waa mcaslly conscious that the mission was note o his tnsto. The pretty , flushed but de- lant face of Cissy that afternoon haunted him ; ho bad not known the Immediate waa filled with n thin smoke by drifts through every cranny But presently lo Mnstcrton's great relief , the interminable level seemed to end and between the whit ened blasts he could nee the road was de scending Again the horses were urged f&r- ward and at last be could feel that the ve hicle began to add the momentum of Its de scent to its conflict with the storm. The blast * grew less violent or became only the natural resistance of the air to their dom inant rush With the cessation of the snow volleys and the clearing of the atmosphere the road became more strongly defined as It plunged downward to a terrace on the mountain Hank several hundred feet below. Presently they came again upon a thicker growth of bushes and hero and there a solitary fir The wind died away , the cold seemed to bo less bitter. Masterton , In his relief , glanced smilingly at his com- i panlona on the box , but the driver's mouth was compressed as ho urged his team fir- ward and the other passengers 1 joked hardly less anxious They wcro now upon i o Urkls rldin' up here to satisfy the stock holders You bet that J ko 1'oole hez got his ciders they might kill him to shut his mouth ef they got an excuse and he made a fight but he ain't no such fool. No. sir ! Why the sickest man jou ever saw was that director that came up hero with n detective when he found that Monty hadn't left the states" "Then he Is hiding about here ? " said Mas terton with assumed calmness. The man paused , lowered his voice and said. "I wouldn't swear he wacn't n mlle from whar we're talkln' now. Why , they do allow that bo's taken n drink at this very bar since the nowi came and that there's a boss kept handy In the stable al ready saddled just to tempt him cf he was > Inclined to scoot. " i "That's only a bluff to start him goln1 so they klu shoot him In his tracks , " said a bj slander "That ain't no good ef ho has as they 'say ' bo has papers stowed away with a \ * " " SUDDENLY HIS HOUSE- PLUNGED FORWARD AND DOWNWARD. ' . caubo of it , but made no doubt that she had already heard ithe news of her father's dls > - grace when I'o met her. He regretted now that bo hadn't spoken to her. If only a few formal words of sympathy. Ho had ulwavs been h.ilf-tenderly amused at her frank conceit and her "airs" the Innocent , undisguised - disguised pride cf the country belle so dif- fcrent from the hard aplomb of the city girl ! And now the foolish little moth , dancing In the sunshine of prosperity , had foil the chill of winter 'In ' its pretty wings. The contempt be had for the father had hitherto showed Itself in tolerant pity for tbo daughter so proud of her father's posi tion and what It ( nought her , in the reve lation that his own directors had availed ithomsolvcB of that father's methods , and the Ignoble character of bis present mis- slon , ho felt a stirring of self-reproach. What would become of her' Of course , frivolous as she was , she would not feel the keenness of this misfortune like another , nor yet rise superior to it. She would succumb for the present , to revive another season in a dimmer glory else where. His critical , cynical observation of her bad determined that any filial affection she might have would be merged and lost in the greater deprivation of her position , A sudden Jarkenlng of the landbcapo he-I low , and a singular opaque whitening of the ' air around thrm aroused him from his i thoughts. The driver drew up the collar of [ his overcoat and laid the whip smartly over the backs of his cattle. The air grew grad ually darker , until suddenly It seemed to ' disintegrate into visible giltty particles | that swept through the wagon. Presently those particles became heavier , more pol- ccptlblo and polished like small shot , and , i 1 keen wind drove them stlnglngly Into the ' laces of the patsengers , or Insidiously Into ! their pockets , collars or the folds of their , clothfi ) . The leather curtains were battened iJown , but the snow forced Itself through the 1 Birallcst crevices , "We'll get over this when once we've ft-sBcd the bend , the road seems to dip he- . jond , " said Maeterton cheerfully from his seat bcalelo the driver. The driver grvo him a single scornful look and turned to the passenger who occupied I the seat on the other silo of him. "I don t like the look o' things down there , but ef we nro stuck we'll have to strike out for tho. next station. " "nut , " bald Maeterton as the wind volI ! lejcil the sharp snow pellets In their faces and the Icado-s were scarcely distinguishable Ihorugh the i < moko-llke discharges , "It can't [ bo worse than here. " ' i The driver did not speak , but the othei i passengers craned over his back and slid 1 I j explanatory ! 1 "I reckon yo don't know those storms ; this kind o * dry snow don't stick and don't I j i clog Look ! " i Indeed , between the vollejs Masterton ! I could see that the road was perfectly bare 1 and windswept , and except slight drifts and banks beside outljlng bushes and shrubs , which oven then were again blown away before his ejes the level landscape was un clothed and unchanged Where these myste rious snow pellets went to puzzled and I confused him ; they bcemed to vanish as they had appeared Into the air about them j ! | "I'd make a straight rush to the next t j ! ' station , " said the other passenger confidently to the driver. "If we are stuck wo arc that much on the way , if we turn back we'll have to take the grade anyway hen tbo storm's over and neither > ou nor 1 know when that'll j bo. It jnay be only a squall Just rfow , but It's gettln' rather late In the season. Just pitch In and drive all ye know , " The driver laid his | nuu on the horses and 1 for a few moments the heavy vehicle dashed I forward In violent conflict- with the storm At times the elastic hickory framework of 1U'domed leather roof swayed and bent t lke | the ribs of an umbrella. At times It seemed as if it would he lifted bodily off ; j at times tbo whole Interior of the vehicle the t level terrace and the etorm nppirchtly spending its fury high up and behind them I Hut 1 , In splto of the dealing of the air , , he could not but notice that It was slngii- j i larly ' daik. What was more singular , the 1 darkness < seeme 1 to have risen from be- | I ' low ' and to How In upon them as they descended - scended A curtain of profound obscurity , J darker oven than the mountain wall at i their side , shut out the horizon nntl the , valley below Hut for the temperature | I Mastcrton would have thought a thunderstorm ' storm , was closing in upon them ; an odd feeling , of uneaulnchs crept over him. A few lltful KUftts now came from the ob scurity , one of them was accompanied by what seemed a flight of small startled birds i crossing the road ahead of them. A second larger and more sustained flight struck his ! J i astonished eyes that 'they ' were white , and each bird an enormous llako of snow ! Tor nn Instant the nlr was filled with these ' disks , shreds , patches 'two ' or three cllng- I Ing together like the downfall shaken j from a. tree , striking the leather roof and sides with a dull 'thud ' , spattering the road I Into which they descended with largo ro- i uettes that melted away , only to be followed - ! I lowed by hundreds more that stuck and j I stayed. In five minutes the ground was j whlto with It ilhe long road gleaming out ' ahead in the darkncps , the loot and sides of the wagon overlaid with It ns with n coating of plaster of parls , the hainesh of tbo horses and oven the loins stood out over their steaming backs like white trappings. In live minutes more the steaming backs themselves were blanketed with it , the arms and legs of the outside pastcngers pinioned to the seats with It , and the arms of the driver kept free only by Incessant 1motion. . It was no longer snowing , It was "snowballing" It was an avalanche out of the slopes of the sky. The exhausted horhCs floundered In it ! the clogged wheels dragged In It the vehicle at last plunged Into a i billow of It and stopped. | I The bewildered and half blinded passen gers hurried out in-to the road to assist the driver to unship the wheels and fit the steel runners In their nxles. Hut It was too late. Hy the time the heavy wagon was converted Into i sledge it was deeply embedded - bedded In wet and clinging snow The narrow , long handled shovels borrowed from . the "picspectors * " kits wcro powerless be- I fore- this heavy half liquid Impediment At I I last the driver with an oath relinquished the attempt , and unhitching his horses , col- looted the passengers and led them forward - ward b > a mrrower and moro sheltered trail toward the next station , now scarce 'a mile away. The led horses broke a path before them , the Know fell less heavily , but It was nearly an hour befoio the straggling procession reached tUo house and the snow- coated and exhausted pissengers huddled and steamed around the red-hot stove In the barroom. The driver had vanished with his team in the thed ; Mantcrton's fellow passenger on the box scat , after a few whispered words to the landlord , also clla- appeared 'I fee > ou'vo got Jake Poole with you , " said one of the barroom loungers to Mas- terton , indicating the passenger who had Just left. "I icckon he's hero on the same d (1 fool business " Masterton looked his surprise and mystl- flection. "Jake Poole , the deput > sheriff , " repeated the other. "I reckon lio's here pretendln * to hunt for Montagu TrUlt like the San FrancUco detectives that kom up yesterday. " MaBterton with difficulty repressed a start , Ho had heard of Poole , but did not know Mm bj eight. " 1 don't think I understand , " be said coolly. "I reckon jou'ro a stranger In thc3c parts , " returned the lounger , looking ul Ma&torton curiously. ' Kf > ou warn't > e'd know that about the last man Sun Francisco or Can- ada City wanted to ketch la Monty Trlxlt ! Ho knows too much and they know It. Hut they've got to keep up a show case a kind friend that would frlglrjen , some mighty partlcklcr men out o1 their boots , " returned the llrbt speaker. "Hut he's got his epics , too , and there ain't a man that crosses the Divide as ain't spotted bj them. The of- fkors brag about havln' put a cordon aroum the district and jet tbej've just found out that ho managed to bend a telegraphic dis patch from niack Ilock station just under their noses. Why , only an hour or so arter the detectives and the news arrived hem thar came along one o' them emigrant teams from Pike and the driver said that a smart- looking chup In store clothes had come ou of an old prospector's cabin up thar on the rise about a mile away and asked for a newspaper. And the description the team ster gave just fitted Trlxlt to a T. Well the Information was give eo public-like tha the detectives had to make a rush over thar , an' b'gosh , although there wasn't a eoul passed them but a file of Chinese coo lies , when they got thar they found nothln nothln' but them Chinamen cooking the ! rice by tbo roadside. " Mnsterton smiled carelessly and walkci to the window as If Intent upon the etll falling enow But he had at once graspci the situation that seemed now almost prov Identlal for his Inexperience and his mission The man he was seeking was within hi possible reach , if the stoiy he hid heard was true. The detectives would be likely to interfere with his plant ; , for ho was the only man who really wished to meet the fugitive. The presence ot Poole made him uneasy , though ho had never met the man before Was It barely ponslblo that be was on the same mission on l half of others' if what ho hard was tiue there might bo others equally Involved with the abscondIng - Ing manager. Hut then the spies how could the deputy sheriff ( dude them and how could ho ? idm Ho was turning Impatiently away from the window when hla eye caught sight of a straggling file of Chinamen breasting the storm on their way up the hill. A suddnn Idea seized him. Perhaps they were the spies In question. Ho remembered the driver's story a sudden flash of Intuition made him now understand the singular way the fllo of coolies which they met had diverted their course after passing the wagon. They had rceognl/ed the deputy on the boStay1 There was another Chinaman In the coach , ho might have given them the nlgnal. Ho glanced hur riedly around the room for him , he was gone Perhaps bo had already Joined the Hie ho had Just been His only hope waste to follow them but how ' and how to do It quietly0 The afternoon was waning , It would bo three or four hours before Ih3 duwn-coach would arrive , from which tlu driver expected assistance. Now , if over , was his opportunity. He made bis way through the back door and found himself among the straw and chips of the Btablo yard and woodshed. | Still uncertain what to do , he mechanically passed bcforo the long shed which servo 1 ns temporary stalls for the steaming wagon horses. At the further cud , to his ( surprise , IB n Ulhered mustang , ready saddled id brldloJ the opportune horse left for le fugitive , according to the lounger's etorj Masterton cast a quirk glance uround the stable ; it was deserted by all save the feeding animals Ho was now to adventures of this kind , or he would probably havoweighed the pos sibilities and consequences Ho was ordi l- narily a thoughtful reflective man , but , like most men of Intellect , ho was also Imag inative and superstitious , and this crown ing accident of the providential situation In which he found hlmi > t * < waa superior to his logic There would also bo a grim Irony in his taking this horse for such n purpose. Ho again looked and HstitnoJ. There wns no onu In sight or hearing. He untied the rope from the bit ring , leaped Into the saddle and emerged cautiously from the hed. The wet snow muffled the sound of the horee's hoofs. Moving round to the rear of the stables so as to bring ' f it between himself and the station , ha : clapped his heels Into the mustangs flanks and dashed Into the open At first ho was confused and bewildered- bj the half-hidden bowlders nnd snowBin shrouded bushes that beset the broken Riound and dazzled by the still driving storm. Hut ho knew tint they would also divert attention from his flight , and , beyond , I he could now see n white slope slowly rls- Ing before him , nenr whose rrest ft few dark spots wcro crawling In file , like alpine climbrlo crs. They were the Chinamen hn wag seek- Ing. He had reasoned that when they dls- covered they wcro followed they would , In the absence of any chance of signaling through the utorm , detach one of tholr num ber to glvo the alarm. Him he would fol- | low. Ho felt his revolver safe on his hip ; { ho would only use It If necessary to Intlm- date the spies For porno moments his ascent through the vet snow was slow and dlfllcult , but ns he idvanced ho felt a change of temperature orrcspotidlng to that ho had experienced hot afternoon on the wagon coming down. i | 'ho air grew keener , the BHOW drier and j Incr. Ho kept a slnrp lookout for the j Moving figures and scanned the horUon for oma indication of the prospector's deserted hut. Suddenly the line of figures he was vatchlng seemed to bo broken and then gathered together as a group. Had they elected him ? Evidently they had , for , as e expected , onp of them had been detached , nd was now moving at right angles from the > arty toward the right. With a thrill ot 'xcltemcnt ' ho urged bis horse forward ; the ; roup wns for to the left , and ho was Hearing ho solitary figure. Ilut to his astonish ment , ns ho approached the top of the slope , 10 now observed another figure , as far to ho right of the group as he was to the left md that figure he could see. even nt that ] ' ilstance. was not n Chinaman. He halted or a better observation ; for an Instant ho bought it might be the fugitive himself , nit as quickly ho recognlrcd It was another man the deputy. It was ho whom the Chinaman had discovered ; It was ho who had ! caused the diversion and the dispatch of ho vldetto to warn the fugitive. His own figure had evidently not jet been detected. Us heart beat high with hope ho again dashed forward after the fljlng messenger , A ho was undoubtedly seeking the ruined > rospector's hut and Trixlt. Hut It wns no easy matter. At this ele vation tbo snow bad formed n crust over which the single Chinaman a lithe joung Igure skimmed like a skater , while Mus- tcreon's horse crashed through Jl tefo un expected depths. Again , the runner could deviate by a shorter cut , while the horse man was condemned to the one half-obliter ated trail. The only thing In Miisterson's Favor , however , was that ho was steadily ncrcaslng his distance from the group and the deputy sheriff , and so cutting off their connection with the messenger. But the trail grew more and moro Indistinct as it neared the summit until at last It utterly vanished. Still ho kept up his speed toward the active , little figure which now seemed to be itbat ot a mere boj skimming over the frozen snow. Twlco a stumble and flounder of the mustang through n broken crust ought to have warned him of his rocklci"&ne s , but now a distant glimpse of a low , blackened shanty the prospector's ru ined hut toward which the messenger was making , made him forget all else. The dis tance was lessening between them , ho could BOO the long pigtail ofthe fugitive stand ing out from his bent head , when suddenly his horse plunged forward and downward. In an awful Instant of suspense and twi light such as he might have seen In a dream ho felt himself pitched headlong Into suffocating depths , followed by a shock , the crushing weight and steaming flank of his horse across his shoulder , utter dark- nt-bs , and merciful unconsciousness. How long ho lay there thus ho never knew. With his returning consciousness came this strange twilight again the twi light of a dream. He was sitting In tbo now- church at Canada City as he had sat the first ' Sunday of his arrival there , gazing at the pretty face of Cissy Trlxlt in the pew opposite him and wondering who she was. Again ho saw the startled , awakened light that came Into her adorable eyes , the faint blush that suffused her check as she met his inquiring gaze , and the conscious , half- conceited , half-girlish toss of her little head as she turned her eyes away , and then n file of brown Chlnamen.i muttering some harsh , uncouth gibberish , Interposed be tween them. This was followed by what seemed to be the crashing In of the church roof , a stifling heat succeeded by a long , deadly chill. But ho knew that this last was all a dream nnd ho tried to btrugglo to his feet to see Cissy's face again a reality that he felt would take him out of this horrible trance and ho called to her across the pow , nnd heard her sweet \oico again In answer. And then a wave ot unconscious ness once moro submerged him. Ho came back to life with n sharp ting ling of his whole frame as If pierced with n thousand needles. Ho knew ho wns being rubbed , and In his attempts to throw his torturers atido ho saw faintly by the light of a Ilickerlng fire that they were China men , and ho was Ijlng on the floor of n rude hut With his first movements they censed nnd wrapping him like a mummy in warm blankets dragged him out of the heap of loose snow with which they had been rub bing him toward the flro that glowed upon the largo adobe hearth The flinging pain was succeeded by a warm glow , n pleasant languor 1 , which made even thought n bur den , came over him , and yet his percep tions were keenly allvo to his surroundings Ho beard the Chinamen mutlcr something and then depart , leaving him alone Hut presently ho was aware of another figure that had entered and was now Billing wilh j Us back to him at a rude table roughly extemporized from a pack Jig box appar- enly engaged In writing. It wns a small Chinaman , evidently the one he had chased ! The events of the past few hours his mis sion , his intenllons and every Incidonl of Iho pursuit flashed back upon him. Where washo _ ? What wns he doing hero ? Had Trlxlt escaped him ? In his exhausted stale he was unable lo formulaic a queslloii , which oven then oj [ doubted If the Chinamen could understand 1 So ho simply watched him In/lly and with a certain kind of fascination , until ho should 1 , finish his writing and turn around. Ills' ' long pigtail , which seemed ridiculously dis proportionate to his sl/o the plglnll which , ho remembered had strcnnied Into Ihe nlr ' In his flight had partly escaped from the dish-covered hat under whli'h It had been ' colled. Hut what was singular , It was not the wiry black pigtail , of his Mongolian fellows j , but soft and silky , and as the fire light played upon It seemed of a nhinlng chestnul brown ! It was like like he slopped was ho dreaming again ! A long sigh escaped him. The figure Instantly turned Ho started. It was Cissy Trlxlt1 There was no mis taking that charming , sensitive face , glowIng - Ing with health and excitement , albeit showIng - Ing here and there the mark of the pig ment with which It had been slalned , now hurriedly washed cff A Illtle of It had run Into the corners of her eyelids and en hanced the brilliancy of her ejes Ho found his tonpue with an effort "Whal are jou doing hole' " ho said with a faint voice and a fainter attempt to smllo. "That's what I might ask about jou , " she said , pertly , but with a slight touch of scorn , "but I guess I know , as well as I do about the others , I came here to bee my father , " she added , defiantly. "And you are Ihe Ihe one I chased ? " ho gald , desperalelj. "Yes , and I'd have outrun jou easily , even with your horse to help jou , " she g'said , proudly , "only I turned back when you weut down Into that prospector's hole with jojr hortM and his broken ne k atop of jou - He I groaned sllghlly but more from shame * than pain The jomiR girl took up a Rln j a of whisky ready on the table and brought It to him. "Take thut' ' It will fetch you nil right In n moment. Popper sajs no bones are hrSken. " Masterlon waived "the proffered glass. "Your father' Is lip'hcre ? " he'sald. hur I rledly , recalling his mission. , j "Not now , he's Rene to the1 station to j fetch my clothe * , " she- said , with a lltllo laugh. ' | -'J1 "To the station' " repeated MaBtcrlon , be wildered. "Yes , " she replied , "to thestation. . Of course jou don't know the news , " she - dcd , with an air of girlish Importance , "They've stopped all proceedings ngnlnst him nnd he's ns free1 ns jou are. " < Mrtsterton tried to rise , but another groati escaped him HP was renllj In pain Clssv s J i bright ( cjes ioflened. Shr > knoll bewidc him , j her ) ] soft bn-nlli fanning his hair , nnd lifted him ) ) gently to n silling position , . "Oh , l'\e done It before , " Fho Implied ns she read his wonder with his gratitude * In his evc . "The horse was nlieady stiff and jou wcro nearly so by the time I came up to jou nnd got " she laupliod again "the other Chinaman to help me pull jou out of that hole. " "I know 1 owe jou mj life , " he said , his fnco flushing. "It wns lucky I was there , " she returned naively , "perhaps lucky jou were chasing "I'm afraid of the many who would run nfier jou 1 should bo the least lucky , " he said , with an attempt to laugh that did not , however , conceal his mortification , "but I assure you that I only wished lo hive tin Interview | with jour father a buslnohs In terview perhaps ns much In bis liitciest ns my own. ' The old look ot audacity came back to bci face. "I guc1 that's what they nil came hero ; for except one -but It didn't keep them , , from believing and sajlng he was n thief behind his back. Yet thev all wanted his tonlldence , " she added lilttcrlj' . Mastcrlon felt that his burning cheeks were confessing the truth of .this. "You ox- copied ] one , " ho said hesitatingly. "Yes the deputy bhqrlff. He came to help me. " "You ! " "Yes , me' " A coquettish little toss ot lici head added to his confusion. "He throw up his Job Just to follow mo , w Ithout my knowing it , lo sec tluit 1 dliln't eomo to liaim. Ho saw mo only once , lee al the house when he tame to take possession He eald ho thought I was 'clear grit' to rlbk everything to find father and ho said ho saw 11 In mo when ho was there that now ho guessed where 1 was gone when I ran away and followed me. " "IIo was as right as he was lucky , " said Masterlon gravclj"Bui how did jou get hero1" ' She slipped down on the floor beside him with an unconscious movement that her masculine garments only made the moio quaintly girlish nnd , clasping her knee with both hands , looked at the flre as she rocked herself slightly backward and forward ns she spoke "It will shock a piopci man like jou , I know , " she began dcniuicly , "but I came alone with onlj n Chinaman to guide me. I got these clolhes from our laundrjnnn so that 1 shouldn't nttiact attention. 1 would have got a Chinese lady's dross , but I couldn't walk In their shoes" she looked down nt her lltlle feet encased In wooden sandals "and I had n long way to walk. Hut even it I didn't look quite right to a Chinaman , no white man was able to de tect the dllfcicnco You passe 1 mo twice In the stage and didn't know me. 1 trav eled night and day , moat of the time walk ing , and being passed along from one China man to another , or when wo were alone being Hlims'on a pole between two coolies like a bale of goods I ate what they couhl glvo mo for I dared not grf Into a shop or a restaiiiant ; I couldn't shut my cjcs In their dens , so I btayed awake all night Yet I got ahead of jou and the sheriff lliough I didn't know at the time what j'ou wcro after , " she added prcscntlj' . Ho was overcome with wondering admi ration of hei courage and of self-reproach at his own shortslghledness This was the t girl he had looked upon as a spoiled village bcautj , satisfied with her binall triumphs and piovlnclal elevation and vacant of all other purpose. Hero she waa the all-un conscious heroine and he her critic , help less at her feet1 It was not a cheerful re flection and jet ho took a certain delight In his expiation. Perhaps he had half believe 1 in her without knowing It. What could ho do or saj' I regret to say ho dodged the question meanly. "And jou think youi disguise escaped detection' " he said , looking maikcdly at her rflcnued braid of hair. She followed his eyes rather than his vords. half pettishly caught up the loosened ened braid , wwlftly celled It around the top of her head and clapping the wcalhcr- bealen nnd ballered conical hat back again upon It , defiantly Eald "Yes ! Everybody isn t as critical ns jou are and LVCII jou wouldn't be of a Chlna- m r.n' " He had never seen her except when she was arrayed with the full Intention to af fect the beholders and perfectly conscious of her nllracllons ; he was utterly unpre pared for this complete Ignoring of adorn ment now , albeit ho was for the first time aware how her real prettlncss made It mi- npccrsarj' . She looked fully as charming In this grotesque head covering as she had In tint paragon of fishlon the now lint which had excited his tolerant amusement "I'm afralr I'm a very poor critic , " ho said bluntly. 'I never conceived that this sort of thing wa at all to jour taale. " "I came lo see my father because I wanted to , " she said with equal bluiitness. "And I came to see him though I didn't want to , " ho bald with a cynical laugh She turned and llxod her brown eyes In- qulrlnglj upon him Why did you come , then ? " "I was ordered by my directors " " 'I hen jou did not belief ho waB n thief" she said , her cyos softening. "It would 111 beonio mo to accuse your father ( or my dlrcUoiu , " ho bald dlpltmat i I. ally ii i She was quick enough to dotca the sug- ' gestion of moral superiority In bltt tone , gut ! woman enough to forgive it "You're no friend of Wlndlbrook , " she said , "I know " 'I nm not , " he repllod fiankly. "jf jou would like to HCJO my popper I can manage It , " she Hold hesitatingly "He'll do anything for me , " she added vvlili a touch of her old jirlde "Who could blame him' " returned Mas. torlon gravely. "But If ho Is a free man now and able to go where ho likes and to see whom ho likes ho may not care to glvo nn audience to a mere messenger " [ "You will wait and lot me see him first , " said the girl quickly. Then , act the Bound of slclghbells came from the road outside - side , she added. "Hero ho Is III get ; jour clothes they are out here drying by the flro In the shed" .Sho disappeared through n IncK door and returned presently bearing his dried garments. "Dress joul sel' , while I take popper Into the shed ' ube added quickly and ran out Into tut. toad. Mastcrton drcited himself with dlfllcill'j' Horsford's Acid Phosphate Relieves the sense of fullness , distress nnd pain in the btomach after meals. Makes digestion natural nnd easy. Genuine Uji oame HoMronu's cm wrapper , Although ir. u'liii n wat now ro torcd und hc fill a gln through hl warmed ilolhis 'ie ' wriR still - orrlhrugd | and Miakrn up h\ hl ' ' ' Tall IU' had * rarcolv flnlnhrd dre-iln. ; when Mnntami Trlxlt entered from the dhcd | MnMcrton looked at him with n new inter tM and a respect he had : ie\er felt liefori > Therecprlnlnlj - ns little of the daughter In this kceii-fAcf-d , rcBotutc-llpptHl man , though hi * tiVortn ryes , like her , had the same frank. Mcndf-m nud cltWith > \ buslnoos brenltj that wn < hurried , hut not t'liklndlj , he hoped Mactcrton had fullj re coxcrrd "Thank * to jour daughter , I'm nil right now , " paid Masterfon. "I need not toll jou that 1 uelle\e I owe no lift1 to her cnergj and courage , for 1 think jou hau > experienced what she can do In that waj Unlj jou hn\e hnd the mhantage of these v ho ! hi\e onlj enjojcd her Hochl acquaint ance In knowing all the time wlnt she was capahlo of , " hi1 added RlRiilllcnntlj "Sho Is n good girl , " said TrIMt hrlrfU. jot with a slight ripe In color on his daik , ration cheek and n sudden wa\orlng of his , steadfast ( cjes. "Sho tells mo jou hap .1 j message from jour dhoclois. I think I know what It Is , hut we won't discuss it now. . \B I am going dlrcctlj to Sacra mento I shall not HCO the'm , hut 1 will gl\o u an answer to take to them when we * reach thp station. I am going to ghe > o a lift there when my daughter Is reidy. And hcio she Is. " It was tln > old Cissy that steppe-d Into tia ! room , dressed ns slut was when she leu her father's house1 two dajs before Oddlj enough , he fn IK I oil that something ot her old conscious manner had returned with her clothes , nnd nn he stepped with her Into tlm back : scat of the eo\oicd sleigh In waiting , ho could not help snUiig "I ri'iilly think 1 understand jou better In jour other clothes. " A slight blush mounted to t'lssj a cheek , but her ejea wuo still uudaiMoim. "All the same I don't think you'd like * to walk down Main Ktreet with nu > in that rig , although jou oni'o thought nothing of Ink ing me o\cr jour old mill In j-our blue Inbt blouse nnd ou'inll.s" And having apparently geatly : iolle\ed her proud llltlo heait by this ' enigmatic statement who grew so chatty m' and contldentlal that tbo jnung man was tallsflcd that he had boon In love with her from the first. When they rr.ichcd the stntlon TrUlt drew him aside. Taking an cm elope marked 'Private ( "ontiucts" from Ills pocket bo opened it and dlsplajcd some | ) .ipori. "Thoso are the securities Tell your dlreclois that jou ha\e > seen them safe In my hands and that no ono rise has sc'cn them. Tell them that If they \\lll send mo their rcncwc'd notes dnteid from today to Sacramento within the > next tllreo dajs I will icturii the aecuil- tles That is mj message" The joung man bowe-d Ilut befoio the ccMch started he managed to diaw near to Cissy. "You nro not reluming lo Canada CItj , " ho s-ild. The joung gill made a gesture of Indig nation. "No1 I am no\er going theip ngulii 1 go with mj popper to Sacramento' ' "Then , I suppose , 1 must way 'good-by ' " The girl looked at him In surprise. " 1'op- pcr snjs jou arc coming to Saunmento in tlnco dajs ! " " ' " "Am I' IIo looked at her fixedly She returned his glance audaciously , stc.idfustlj' . "You are , " she uald In her low but dis tinct \olce. "I will " And to did. ( THH HMD ) \Vlij Ijiiilurc Ilcmlnclu'Nf You can be relieved " 1th Wilght's Paragon Headache and Neuralgia Cure Trj It. 25c. \ Dnrto'N Dcliixloii. A story la told about an old southern colored man who camr to , i watchmaker with the two hands of n clock. "I want jer to fix up dose hands , llcy aln'l kept no correct time for mo' den sU munfs " "Well , where Is the clock ? " responded the watchmaker. "Out at my house " "Ilut I must have the clock " "Oldii * I toll jer dor's iiuffln' de matter wld de clock 'ccptlng do nan's ? An' here doy lie You jest want do clock KO jou I'ln tinker wld It and charge me a big price Olmmo mo back dcm hands " And so say ing , he started off to find an honest watch maker. Genuine ir i 11 TT Tp > i n u1rT I f0 nT < r\T > tUi JUIII16Liver Jrl Must Boor Signature of See Fac-Slmlle Wrapper Iklow. Very amall nnd to MJus s nffar. ' FOR HEADACHE * CARTER'S FOR DIZZINESS. lTTLE FOR DILIOUSNESS. IVER FOR TORPID LIVER. PILLS. FOR CONSTIPATION. FOR BALLOW SKIN. FOR THECOMPLEXIOH oKNumu i CURE SICK HEADACHE. A .SUlii ill Ill-mil- it .my fnri'Tcr. 1)11. I , I'lIMV e. < lMtAIl'S OIIIKNTAb CHI\JI. ; ou MACK \i , nnu/rii.'inii. Remove * Tnn , Plmplai , ITitkh * , Moth 1'itches , Itimli and Skin dl- i inseo , and every l.lemlih on beauty , und d n n deteo * Hull It hat iituod ( hn test of M yean , und la BO harmleM ' WH tajte It to b * P-3 jOt SL .XA-I \ sure " ' Pr ° P < ; ' 'lp ) C i AS _ JL j-r.- * * * \ nln'l Atrpt no onun r u Of , , , , . I lar name Dr. l . j A Snyio raid to a 'Indyoftne haul-ton ra patient ) : "A _ _ yOU lluUta VTlll Ufd ilioin I ru'oinmuidrfl fiouraud'B Crcnm least bnriii/iilot nil the Skin preparatlonn no " tha naldby nil I > ru glBls and hmicy e/ooiU li ) lnrslu Kor the United Htiiti M. Canuda .mil hiiroim. VKUD.T HOPKINS. Prop'rl)7 ) Qre t Jont M N.T.
