r
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GAMBLING WITH FATE
By WILLIAM WALLACE COOK
Author of ”The Cold Gleanerj: A Story of the Cyanide
TanKj.” "Wilby'j Dun." "Hij friend the Enemy.”
” Hotferj <5/ Datte." Etc.. Etc.
' IX
(Copyright, 1SW3, by William Wallace Cook )
(Continued from last week.)
‘ * * * , . , k, j
"Is there any bad news from Mr.
Ormsby, Mr. McCloud?” asked Mrs.
Gorton, in an agitated tone.
“We must not anticipate, Mrs. Gor
ton,” answered Darrel, with an en
couraging smile, as he put the letter
away. “If you will tell me in what
way 1 can serve you, I shall be most
happy to do all 1 can.”
“Thank you,” came from Miss Avery,
in a low voice. Then she looked to
ward her aunt as though desiring that
she should make the necessary explan
ations.
“We have come here to find Elise's
father," said Mrs. Gorton. “He has
been absent from home for five years
and during (he last year no word what
ever has been received from him.
Naturally we can draw but one infer
ence"—-she cast a hasty glance in her
companion's direction—“vet, in the ab
, sence of any positive knowledge, we
cannot but have some hope.”
Darrel bent his head thoughtfully on
his hand. The next moment the girl's
voice came to him tremulously.
"What would you advise us to do,
Mr. McCloud?”
“Please describe your father to me,”
he returned, looking.
She did so. A glint darted into Dar
rel’s eyes. Between the Sturgis he
knew and the man described by Miss
Avery there were material differences.
“Ellse speaks of her father as she
saw him last, five years ago," spoke up
Mrs. Gorton. "He must have changed
since he came west.”
"You have not seen your father for
five years?” asked Darrel, his eyes
an the girl's face.
“No.”
“And it has been a year since you
heard from him?"
“Yes.”
"From what part of Montana did his
last letter come?”
"From Helena ”
“Then do you not think that Helena
would be ibe best place to go and
search for him?”
' “Mr. Ormsby lias institu'ed some in
quiries and thought it best for us to
come here, meet you and. if you would
he so good as to help us, go on to Sandy
Bar ”
In a measure. Ormsby had cut the
ground out from under Darrel’s feet.
He had withheld from the girl the as
sumed nanu c: uer father hut had
named the locality where he might b*
found.
Ormsbj was inconsistent. Not only
that, but lie had heaped upon Darrel
the unforseen icsuits of his incon
sistency.
»nai is your miners iuii
Miss Avery?” Darrel inquired.
“Ezra Avery."
Again Darrel lapsed into silence.
“I shall do my utmost to help you,’
said he. finally, "and will make you*
cause my own. There are no other
demands upon my time and 1 can give
this my undivided attention. But I
shall want you to agree to one thing
beforehand.”
“What is that, Mr. McCloud?” re
turned Mrs. Gorton.
“1 shall want you to let me have
entire charge of the search for Mr.
Avery.”
“We shall he grateful to you for re
lieving us of that responsibility,” said
the girl.
“I am a peculiar man. in some re
spects." resumed Darrel. “1 shall put
my heart and sou I into this matter and
you must trust my judgment implicit
ly. If 1 seem dilatory, or if I do things
you cannot understand, will you con
tinue to have confidence in me even
though I offer no explanations?”
A puzzled look crossed the elder
lady’s face. Her companion, however,
gave an affirmative answer.
“And 1 am to have complete charge,”
added Darrel: "everything is in my
hands eve n to the point of communi
cating with the authorities. You have
not spoken with any one in Anaconda
concerning your mission?”
“We called yesterday to see the
sheriff.” said Mrs. Gorton, "but he was
out of town.”
“I will attend to everything,” an
nounced Darrel, briefly.
“We had intended going at once to
Sandy Bar ” began Mrs. Gorton.
Darrel shook his head decidedly.
“It is a rough mining camp and you
must not go there until such a move
is absolutely necessary."
“We are to remain in Anaconda?”
asked Miss Avery.
“For the present that will be best.”
When they rose to leave both ladies
thanked him again, the younger one
impulsively giving her hand.
A sunny light all but dispelled the
sadness of her face. Hope was strug
gling to assert itself and Darrel was
the cause.
Long alter they had left him he sat
in a chair by the window, the fair,
sorrowful features of the girl plainly
before his eyes. Never before had he
felt as he felt theu.
He was Involved in a hopeless tan
gle.
CHAPTER XII.
DARREL'S MONTH OF INACTION.
Four weeks followed, weeks of vac
illation during which Darrel fenced
with necessity in the effort to gain
lime. He saw Mrs. Gorton and Miss
Avery almost daily, calling at the pri
vate hoarding place where they had
1 taken their lodgings.
Often he took them driving and they
paid many visits to various mines in
the surrounding country. And where
ever they went there was but one
question in the girl's anxious eyes.
Both the girl and her aunt were
most, patient. The dragging, unfruit
ful days must have told heavily upon
them but they proved their trust in
Darrel by retraining to question him
in any manner.
Fatalism took insidious root in Dar
rel’s brain during those four weeks.
Hitherto he had been sufficient unto
himself; now he was coming to believe
that Fate knew thoroughly the end of
the game and simply dallied with him.
There was a cause for this revulsion
of principles. That cause lay with
Elise Avery herself.
At first there was a wholesome, up
lifting delight for Darrel In simply be
ing near the girl. He would watch her
covertly and, if detected, would shift
his gaze guiltily, feeling like a thief. !
He knew every graceful curve of her
face, every fold of her soft, luminous
hair, every movement of form or trick
of manner. Her eyes opened myste
rious voids, wide as Heaven and deep
as space, set with vague delights that
passed his understanding.
He did not arouse in her the same
interest that she aroused in him. Not
(.nee, despite his efforts, had she been
beguiled out of the deep shadow of
grief; not once did she take note of
his actions or jwty the slightest heed
to them.
She was grateful to him and showed
it in every way. But gratitude was
not all that he had hoped to inspire.
Let it stand to Darrel's credit that
the nature of the girl’s mission to that
part of the west was a sufficient bar
rier between them. The circumstances
surrounding that mission laid icy
hands upon them and pressed them
apart.
Yet, had these circumstances been
different, the matter could not have
been otherwise. Through Darrel’s
brain, in those days, beat fiercely the
words of the Mexicans: "You may he
honest hut you cannot be honorable.”
Even while he cried out against the
harshness of the judgment he recog
nized his own unworthiness.
Although his changing manner
toward Elise escaped her, it was not
so with her aunt. Mrs. Gorton was
troubled.
j\\, lilt* cuu kji lur iuui
Gorton contrived an interview with
Darrel that did its part towards bring
ing the vacillation to an end. This is
what Mrs. Gorton conveyed to him:
The fate of Elise’s father was not
alone responsible for her sadness and
melancholy. There had been an tin
fortunate affair of the heart, a mis
understanding, and a lover as w'ell as
a father had gone out of the girl's life.
Nevertheless, that shattered dream
had become a part of Elise’s existence.
The longing that somehow and in
some way the paths of herself and her
lover might cross buoyed her up and
gave her strength to face the future.
This information was more than
enough for Darrel. When he left Mrs.
Gorton, after that interview, he was
a fatalist and courted the arrows of
outrageous fortune. The end of the
game could not come too quickly.
His resolve to return to Sandy Bar
was further strengthened by a letter
from Ormsby. Ormsby complained of
receiving no word from McCloud and
stated that, as business matters called
; him west, he had planned to halt for
| a time at Anaconda and would greet
his friend in person within the next
I ten days.
So Darrel once more rode out of An
aconda along Blaekfoot trail. But this
time Mrs. Gorton and Miss Avery went
with him. They insisted and he could
not refuse.
A lumbering old stage coach made
the outward trip on alternate days. In
, this the little party engaged passage
and whipped out of Anaconda in a
driving storm.
The storm may have been an evil
omen. Darrel's mind was now- prone
to indulge in such speculations and he
afterward so regarded it.
CHAPTER XIII.
DARREL TALKS WITH AN OLD AC
QUAINTANCE.
The principal hotel in Sandy Bar
was fulsomely known as the "Grand
Central ” It was not pretentious and
was lacking in nmny comforts which
Mrs. Gorton and Miss Avery would
otherwise have considered necessities,
but there was nothing else tor it.
The usual crowd of hangers-on clus
tered about the door of the Grand Cen
; tral when the driver of the Anaconda
stage drew up before it and halted
with a flourish. Darrel stepped out
and swept his eyes over the curious
faces of the assembled throng.
Almost the first to meet his eyes
was that of the young man whom he
had met. under such tragic circum
stances, at Hawkhill’s. and whom he
had later seen at the Half Way house.
rn'T'i
^1
“GOD BLESS YOL’!" SHE SAID I'.ltO
KENI.Y.
In startled wonder the youth gazed at
Darrel as he turned and assisted his
companions to alight.
Left and right the crowd broke to
permit the ladies an unobstructed pas
sage into the hotel. Darrel stepped
back to attend to the luggage which
the driver was handing down to him.
An exclamation from Elise A very
caused him to tnm in time to witness
a dramatic little episode. Elise and
her aunt had halted midway of the
lane of curious faces and the youth,
whom Darrel knew, was confronting
the girl in blank amaze.
For one intense moment the two'
gazed at each other. “Elise!" came in
a hoarse whisper from the young man's
lips.
He started forward, one hand waver
ing before him. The girl recoiled in
stinctively.
The next, moment she had pressed
eagerly forward. “Roy!” she mur
mured.
But by then the young man bad re
treated into the ranks of the crowd.
A brief pause followed and Mrs. Gor
ton. taking her niece by the arm. hur
ried her into the hotel.
A ripple of astonishment swept
among the spectators and Darrel, a
puzzled trown on his brow, followed
his friends quickly. Elise had sunk
info a chair in the office and her aunt
was standing near her.
Darrel halted an instant to flash
a questioning look at Mrs. Gorton.
She understood and returned a glanc-e
that left no doubt in Darrel s mind.
“There is a little parlor upstairs.”
he murmured; “take her there. I will
attend to everything.”
Elise arose at the touch of her aunt's
hand and left the office like one in a
dream. Darrel was also experiencing
somewhat of her bewilderment, but it
did not take from him his grasp of de
tails nor make him any the less ac
tive.
ne secured tne Dest rooms in the
hotel for his companions and had their
luggage taken there. He also ordered
that their evening meal should be sent
up to them.
After Elise had left the parlor Mrs.
Gorton came to him.
• There is such a thing as destiny,
Mr McCloud,” she sighed.
“'I ere is,” he returned, with su
pre: o conviction.
“\ i would have dreamed that we
shod meet Hoy Lenyard here. In
this ; tie corner of the world, as we
have ■ one?”
“T! ■■ world is not so large.”
”1* would seem so, yet.—yet I can
hart credit iny senses.”
“I e is a magnet,” went on Darrel,
soft . a distant look in his eyes. “A
dou. > magnet, it appears, has drawn
Elis- to Sandy Bar. You say there is
a nr.. understanding between them?”
“A misunderstanding pure ano sim
ple, Mr. McCloud.”
, .. t^ent for a little. “I ant glad
th-o i. u.i so fallen out,” he said,
flTlii i». .
She looked at him wonderingly.
“Why are you glad?” she asked.
“I cannot tell you now.” He spoke
hastily aud with a stern attempt to
smother the sharp pain that came with
the words. "You will know soon.”
He started unsteadily toward the
door, but the elder lady caught up with
him and rested a soft hand on his
shoulder.
“God bless you!” she said, brokenly.
He went downstairs and out into
| the street, searching anxiously every
face he met. He had no time to mar
vel at the course true love was taking
insofar as it concerned Elise Avery
and Roy Lenyard.
What concerned him most was the
misunderstanding between the two.
That could be explained away and
' would help to heal the wound to he
caused by the announcement of Ezra
Avery’s death.
Knowledge of her father's fate could
not be kept much longer front PHlise
and it. was God’s providence that Roy
Lenyard was there. Only a moment ary
indecision had prevented a reconcilia
tion at their unexpected meeting at
the hotel door. It was now Darrel's
business to dispel every doubt and pave
the way for the harsh news to follow.
After that—Murgatroyd! After clear
ing his own name Darrel cared not
what might happen.
From one end of the street to the
■ other Darrel walked, searching for
| Lenyard. The lights flamed out over
; the entrance of Hawkbill’s and Darrel
! went in.
Roulette wheels and card tables
looked very tempting to him and some
thing urged him lo play another game
there w'here he had played the last. He
fought off the desire, looked around
the long room and whirled and went
out.
His thoughts were never more busy
j with plans and expedients, but he was
none the less watchful. Suddenly he
became aware that Lenyard was fol
lowing him, dogging his stejts steaLth
i ily from point to point and trying to
j keep out of sight.
Darrel did not ask himself what this
might mean, but turned in;r> the hall
way leading lip to Murtatrovd’s office.
He did not ascend the stairs, but. h.Ur
ed and waited.
(To be continued.!
YOUNG RAVENS.
Carious Bit of Natural History from Ara
cient Records.
1 have not learning enough to
know whether in the earliest times
raven.-* wereaccounted "unlucky." If
eo.whv were they chow'll fromamong
all the birds of theair for the merci
ful errand of carrying broad to Elijah,
in the wilderm'>!' (Did they .steal it?
They are given te theft!) Also in tha
written word we are assured that “God
heareth the young ravens when they
cry out unto Him." And nothing of
this is >aid of dove-, or of any ■other
white or heavenly kind of bird. An
explanation is given in the Egyptian,
commentary on St. Luke, in the Cop
tic script by Epriphanius, A. D. 3iH8
401. The passage is certainly very
eurious, and I am permitted to tran
scribe it here.. “Why. then, did the
evangelist mention no name among
the birds except ravens only? Be
cause the hen raven, having laid her
eggs and hatched her young, is wont
to iJv away and leave theinoiiaccount
of the hue of their color, for when
hatched they are red in appearance.
Then the Notuisher of all Great ion
sends to them a little r-warw of in*
wets, putting it by their nest, and
thus the little ravens are fed until
the color of their body is, as it were,
dyed and becomes black. But after
seven days the old ravens ret urn, and,
seeing that the bodies of their young
have become perfectly like* their own,
henceforward they take to them and
bring them food of their own accord.”
It is for naturalists to ascertain
whether or no this strange account
•f the young ravens holds goodanous
—Corn hill Magazine.
Contx-ary.
Either a girl loves a man be
cause she wants to or because her
family doesn’t want her to.—N. Y.
Press.
SHE ENJOYED THE OPERA.
But the Music Was the 'Least Part ol
the Entertainment.
lie—Well, did you enjoy the even
ing?
She—Indeed I did. We went to the
opera.
He—Of course you enjoyed it?
She—1 mmensely.
He—What did you hear?
She—What did I hear? Well, what
didn’t I hear? J heard that Nell Van
derd vke is engaged to Tom Browning
and that Jack Rentsarelow and Edith
Singleton have quarreled and are not
going to be married after all. Then I
heard that Mrs. Tenbroke is going to
get a divorce from her husband. Mrs.
Thorndyke has been sued by her dress
maker. The Livingstons have a baby.
Count Cantukount is not a count at
all. The Thompson boys—
He—But—
She Well, don’t interrupt me. I
thought you wanted to know what I
heard?
He—So 1 did. but—
She—Well, keep still.then. I—
He—What I meant was. what opera
did you hear?
I She—Oh—well, I’m sure I can’t re
1 member, but I saw the name on the
programme.—London Tit-Bit*.
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