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Show and torn up. Then it flashed upon him that the trail had simply been hidden under the over the top of the ground as we do, and One day George Grimshaw came to her door and asked for a last interview. sinking a hole here and a hole there, and Thinking he had at last water, for then going broke when of his what reason, he could easily guess. The way was now clear, and filled with joy at his miraculous escapes and discoveries he hastened on. The canyon gradually widened out, and at length he emerged on the banks prospecting all they got within a few feet of the vein, they’d go prospecting along the sides of some deep washout that nature had already sunk for them, and when they found the lead of the stream and found himself in the they jist hid themselves and their mine, and worked it on the sly, and didn’t get wound up in no lawsuits, and jist as the valley left that morning, and a mine was beginning to pay, have it sold he had short time later saw Joe Land whole party, all armed, toward him. with the hurrying along out not to pay the lawyer’s fees. Oh, no, them. I tell you, what they didn,t know “Found, by thunder!” exclaimed Joe as they met. ‘We saw your horse float- about material ment.” mining for a wouldn’t patent pill make advertise- conduct, she thought better consented to see him. He came in, locked the door behind him, and standing before her, said: “Miss Stoddart—Grace—I have come to make a last appeal toyou. After this interview, I shall never seek another for the same purpose, and I will be candid with you in allI say. In the first place, Miss Stoddart I made up my mind to marry you simply to obtain control of your fortune. But as time passed on, and I saw more of you, I came to ing down past camp, and had it put up that you was in trouble,” he continued; “and so we turned out to find you.” “Pye had a narrow escape,” said up, love you as well and as deeply as I can ever love anyone, and—” Richard, Land and three others taking the trail to the tunnel, while the rest went along the bluff and camped just “Say no more!’ she interrupted, her eyes flashing,and her lip curled in scorn, “Why do you go over that ground again? Richard, “but got out of it all right with over the mine. And to say you—you love me! Do other the loss of Tom’s gun and my horse. But before I tell my story lets get back to camp, and if I don’t make your eyes water Mr. Land, you can duck me in the river.” The whole party returned to camp and Richard told all that had happened to him since morning. At last as he finished he pulled out the quartz from dug out the quartz and grinding it up in the old stone mortar washed it clean and at night it was hoisted up by those above, and buried. his pockets and strewing it around on the ground in their midst said: “And nel.” We that’s what I found in the tun- omit the congratulations and ex- clamations showered upon him, and pro- The next day the party divided Then Land and his party So they worked away for a month, and had succeeded in securing an almost ineredible amount of the precious metal for the time and the slow process of pounding and washing it from the rock, side of them. Oh, I tell you, boys. they was cunning; think of hiding that trail under water; and jest there, too, where the opposite end was hid around west. “You see,” he continued, “up there, not far from a little branch of the Rio Grand, there’s a deep gully or washout something, like this one up above here, mebbe not so deep, nor steep, but deep enough and steep enough to make it uncomfortable for a fellew to climb or fall down it. And one day a couple of Greasers was riding along not far from the edge of this washout, which hal in the and water below, and another, followed counted eight, and then until they another they had realizea that everyone of their unfortunate comrades So they went back into the cave and matter over decided the next day, taking and proceeding from organize a company to start the gold there to and buy- was worth. So the next morning they went up on the bluff, and dug up their gold—all theirs now, though the knowledge brought more sadness than joy—and started out, loaded so heavily with their precious burden that it was them to travel at all. been sewed up in hollow hard for The gold had belts of buck- events proved it to be a wise into They had intended to make for El Paso to convert their treasure into currency, der the rocks, or buried, and subsequent and so headed that way. One night they camped precaution. about one miles hundred miles from El Paso, and caching to get out of the washout again, when one of them, seen a hole in the left side the gold went to sleep. Richard was dreaming that a mountain of gold was laying on his chest and awoke to find his arms pinioned, and a huge Apache warrior sitting astride of him. He saw that Joe Land was in the same fix, but was horrified to see the other three men bleeding on the ground had started to ride back the eight of the wall with a ledge in front of it, about twelve feet above the ground. Be‘ing a prying sort of a fellow, he rode his animal under it and standing up in the saddle (for them Greaser horses is as tame as dogs with their masters)-he could jist reach Now a Greaser is this one being scrambled up on the ledge with his hand. as supple as a cat, and like all the rest, soon the ledge and went into the hole. “Well, he stayed so long that his partner got tired waiting for him, and tying the horses by their lariats to a boulder, scrambled up And he’d after and went in after him. gone in about seventy- five feet he found his partner sitting on the ground with a big pile of quartz, jist full of gold (like this) between his legs, and crying over it like a baby over its first spanking. And so he jist set while these warriors were brandishing three gory scalps over their heads. His attention at that juncture was called to himself, as his Indian held a huge knife poised over his devoted grace and dignity that with rage, and said hoarsely: “What?” she said,as she him with a sudden fury that quake for a moment. Then he said doggedly: turned on | made him . fore it is too late,’ and then he paused. “Go on,’ she said, keeping her glowing eyes on his face. George Grimshaw had tried to win got quite a little stake. Then they hired men, bought a horse and windlass (instead of stedm-hoisting machinery) pity at first, and at last with scorn. And sunk a shaft from the top, tapping the vein. That was several years ago and its a good mine today if they’d only work knew there was no time toplose. For the last few days Grace had been now he had resorted to force, for her, him. and with he confined to her room, and her letter to the ambitious Septimus, her only friend “Oh,you kill me whenyou talk like that!” Then springing to the door which he unlocked and threw open witha bang, he pointed to it and cried: “There! The way is free before you. Go where you please—come when you will, and where and how you will, and no one shall molest. you. For you are mine now. You have promised.” And the poor deluded fool did think she had promised. And so, with asmile of triumph, her form erect and her eyes glowing and her bosom heaving again, she swept past him down stairs into the drawing-room, and never spoke to him again that day, while he sat hungering forher at a distance. And such is woman. That night when she was about to retire to her room George came up to her, place I desire to fill.” “How?” “T will give you till tomorrow morning to think it over and make a final decis- and both entered. And all the while George Grimshaw, whose cunning had got the better of his passion, stood eyeing her through the plate glass window of the entrance, and who, when she disappeared with the girl, walked away with a satisfied smile on his face. . In about half an hour, a blonde young woman, with hideously painted face, came out of the store, and slipping an X into the coachman’s willing hand, said: “Your mistress wishes you to drive me over to Cedar Junction, railway station,some six to get o’clock now.” will be (the nearest miles away,) a parcel which will arrive at two from New York. It is one o’clock she added, but it wasn’t, “and she ready to go home by then.” “Very well, miss,” said the coachman, touching his hat and opening the carriage door. Now, the coachman knew very well he was doing what his master had expressly forbidden, but he had a theory of his own, as most coachmen have, that a man who would not take a ten-dollar bill when it was offered him was a fool, and he was a married man besides, with eight or ten children to feed. So when the blonde young lady got into the carriage, he closed the door, mounted his seat and drove away, but took special care to keep as far from Grimshaw’s residence and warehouses as possible, which wasa very lucky precaution for him. He arrived at the Junction in the course of an hour, and the blonde young lady alighted from the carriage, and entering the station, soon returned with a small package addressed to Mr. GEORGE GRIMSHAW, said: for it is after two o’clock now “Give me one word before you go. You have not spoken to me all day.” She looked at him from under her food, and kissed it again and again, all the while pouring out a torrent of pas- determination to re- ing which Grace slipped one of George’s bills into her hand, led the way to a private dressing or fitting room in the rear, Ardentown.” “There is the parcel,” she said, “and you had better hurry back to the store, ing can alter your fuse me your hand in marriage, as a last resort, I will at least put it beyond the power of any other man to take the the girl, after a moments hesitation, dur and putting out his hands imploringly, while devouring her with his eyes, she turned her face from him and held out her hand. He seized itas a starving man _ seizes that I have sionate words upon it. Then, quivering with gust in every nerve, she horror and dis- withdrew her hand from his caresses and went up to her room. And there the first thing she did was to plunge that hand into a bowl of water and wash it clean from his touch. (another fib) and your mistress will be waiting for you.” So saying she turned and went back into the station again, while the train for New York came thundering up the track, and the coachman, knowing that his horses would be frightened to death at the train, and having a great respect for his neck, started from the station as fast as possible for Ardentown. Arriving there he drove to the store ~ again, and after waiting for his mistress till nearly dark, concluded she had got tired of waiting his return with the parcel and walked home. And soheturned would not alter it!” she said: and drove home too, expecting a fine blowing up when he got there. Arriving there, he found George waiting for him in silent wrath. “Whera is your mistress?” he asked. “Don’t know sir,” said the coachman as re scrambled down to the ground. “Then,” said he, drawing closer to her, with a malicious twinkle in his little eyes, “in twenty-four hours you will be an inmateof a private mad house!” ‘What!’ she exclaimed. And then as the terrible significance of the words dawned upon her, her form melted and shrank, her eyes lost their fire, her face turned from red to dead white, and recoiling from him, with an expression of such unspeakable horror that he almost shuddered from sympathy, she cried: “No, no! my God! Anything but that! “May I have the carriage this. morning? I want to do some shopping. And my money is all gone, too,” she added, seeing him glance at her cunningly and hesitate. For a moment she feared she had de- left before I got back. Ithought she’d eome home, sir.” “Where did she send you?” asked George. “Over to Cedar Junction, sir, for a ion-——” he began when she interrupted him. “You have heard it,’ she said, her voice ringing: out likeaclarion. “You have heard it, and it is final. I need no time to think it over, for all eternity him : or hands learned “T tell you again crouched, sailed away in the Vulture. Im one short month Grace Stoddart would be her own mistress, and mistress of lips on her bare flesh, and then disengaging herself from his embrace gently, she stood before him and went red again, with shame this time, and said with a faint, forced smile, which he took for the simon pure article: “May I leave the room now?” “Oh,” he cried, crushing her in his arms again and raining a dozen kisses on her, which made her shudder again, but which she bravely took under protest, to love you deeply—so deeply that I intend to marry you atall hazards. But if you persist in spurning my offer, if noth- Anything but that!’ and she CHAPTER XI. MAN PROPOSES AND WOMAN DISPOSES. It was early spring in Ardentown. Nearly a year since Richard Arden had sick at every touch of his dark lashes and almost pitied him, he looked so wretched and despairing. Then cowed and: her, but the more attention he paid the more she disliked and despised He had proposed time after time, time after time had been repulsed; continued, witha and What she had suffered in the last few months, no one on earth but herself knew. “Oh, I tell you boys,” he Then and and the Richard’s fortune. 2 SE it right. her form erect, her bosom heaving her eyes glowing, “I despise you!” breast, “But after awhile they got tired of that, and loading themselves with the and sold out. And so they madeseveral trips, always in the night, until they’d love. cried, Richard turned his head away, waited in breathless agony for stroke. down and cried with him.. rock (not having sense enough to pound the gold out of it) rode over to El Paso man’s “T beg you will hear me out. It is for your own good, as I w.sh to warn you of ernment, locate it and work it for all it the consequences of your obstinacy be- his partner to go with him, and they both rode back eight miles to get down eight more down to where the sombrero went over. “Well, they found the sombrero, and no you! you!” she ing the land right from the Mexican gov- earried about forty pounds of gold on him. When they camped at night, the belts were taken off and cached, or hidden un- bed of the washout, and then want: as for you! “Miss Stoddart.” above had been massacred! head and carried it over intothis gulley. Now a Greaser is closer and stingier than the very devil, and so when this one seen his hat go over there, he got the I made the foul thing before her quail like a thief before the stern eye of the law, she turned from him and swept to the other side of the room, where she stood panting and quivering, with her backon him. Once more le approached her, his eyes sparkling, his face pale and distorted as a bone for years and years, and the wind lifted one fellow’s sombrero off his a river once, but has been as dry If so, from above. He went in and told Land and the rest and as they all rushed back to the mouth of the tunnel, they saw a dark skin, which were worn fastened ‘securely around the waist. They were well armed, and each party been prizes? And talking the the point. And that makes me think for El Paso how the ‘Hspaniola,’ up there not far. with them, ‘from El Paso wasstruck—one of the best New York, paying gold mines in the whole ting away from her all that she lovesand when one night as Richard was standing out on the ledge in front of the tunnel, a perfect bedlam of shouts, yells and the noise of firearms struck upon his ear ceed. “Well, sir,” said Land presently, “that tunnel was an old Aztec mine! If it body shoot past them and heard asplash ain’t I'll agree to swaller it. And them ' old Aztecs was the best miners in the world. Why, us fellows is infants along men show their affection for a woman by keeping her prisoner? By denying her the right of choosing her own friends, of making her own life as full of pleasure as she can without harming others? By forcing her to accept and tolerate all that she loathes and despises, and put- “Save me—save mefrom that, and I’ll do anything!” He stopped and turning back like a Hash, white and trembling now as she had been a moment before, caught her in his arms, and in a voice choked with passion, said: “My darling! my darling! Forgive me! Forgive me!” But I loved you so that I would rather see you dead a thousand times than lose you. Oh, forgive me darling!” And there she stood panting in his arms a momen*, shuddering at the very sound of his voice, and growing cold and trembling before moment. ; “Miss Stoddart—Grace,’”’ again, with a triumphant face, “there is an in a began and you have but to accept it tofree yourself from all thisunpleasantness. You know that alternative—and you must choose between it and—” “Not that!’ she cried again, speaking more to herself thantohim. but that!” met George in the feated her own plans ness. It was a good play, for by her when are “Anything ( “Am I to understand then, that you have changed your mind?” he asked. Then his face darkened again as he observed the look of disgust she could not conceal. . She did not answer, and he turned angrily toward the door. But, cowed and frightened as she was, her woman’s wit had not entirely deserted her. She had been thinking like lightning, and as he turned away she threw up her arms, and gliding up to him, laid them on his shoulders and cried: an errand, sir, and she ap- turn white in a sudden panic of alarm, which he thought was anger. “Did you get the parcel?” asked George quietly, controlling himself with an effort. ished like magic, and he cried: You todo parcel,” replied the coachman, trembling for his place now, as he saw George pealed to him for money, his doubts van“Did I not tell you! “She sent me eager- mine, and all I have is yours—yours.” Then going from the room he flew up stairs and was back again in a moment with-a huge roll of bills, which he threw he smile upon his, alternative, The next day she drawing room again, and once more she was obliged to give the poor wretch her hand to fondle and rave over,.and then into her hand, he said: “There! Use it all if you wish, or throw it away. Only don’t stay all day, for I shall be famishing for a sight of you every moment.” She went to her room then and dressed in her best, and had hardly finished when she heard the carriage drive up to “Yes, sir,” replied the coachman, and then began congratulating himself, as he saw the color come back to George’s face again. “Come with me,” said George, and they both entered the house, and then went into the library. “No,” said George, “tell me where you went and what you did.” The coachman then told him all that had occurred, except, of course, the incident of the ten-dollar bill, and coneluding, said: “And here’s the parcel, sir.” “You may go now,” said George, ashe the door, and went down. She was. spared another sight of George, and entering the. carriage she bade the driver go down town. Then she got out at the door of a dress-making and hair dressing establishment, which she entered:. She walked along the counters, searching with all her eyes for the kind of a face she wanted, which she found presently on the body of a young woman, who approached her and took the parcel, and coachy went ina hurry, glad to get off easily. George unwrapped the parcel with his brows k 1it, and a puzzled expression on his face, and after one searching glance threw it from him. ; It was the money he had given Grace gaid: that “Your And then words rapidly Grace replying spoken in an morning, and as he moment how he had beea pleasure, miss?”’ in a few undertone, SaE now had been intercepted of going and “mena etnett Aztecs knew a thing or two, peace grt ween" old and instead realized ina duped by the poor, weak creature whom he had imagined so completely in his power, and a ‘them i Sig wall WEEKLY. lee tect hash, — again and run along the side of the down the canyon. WESTERN agate THE |