The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 1 — page 106: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

06 . suddenly turned me adrift in the world with my certificate of shares in the I. O. His letter . U. mine as my one best bet. to that effect reached me in Egypt, and since then I have found that he would not do for his own son much more than you say he has done for his boyhood friend.” “In Egypt, did you say!” exclaimed Nancy, suddenly remembering Gladys Hayden’s letter. ‘‘ How strange! Only this morning I was reading a letter from Gladys Hayden, who spoke of meeting you there.” Her quick eyes noted the slight shadow that crossed his face at the mention of Gladys’s name, and she guessed that Gladys, too, must have heard of his dis- inheritance, and have acted accordingly. “Yes, I knew her there,” and Gerard colored slightly in spite of himself. tell me,” he went on quickly, though he longed to know what the letter had said, “how you happen to be here alone. Where is your father? Where are the men who work at the mine? The camp, as I came through it to-night, lodked like a village of the dead. The only human being I have seen within the last forty miles was that brute Symmonds.” “T will tell you; but it is a long story,” replied Nancy. “ First, though, have you had supper? If you have walked from Seattle to Yucatan, looking for the I. O. U., you must be hunery. What there is to eat I am afraid is cold and unpala- table; but it is the best I have.” Derby confessed that not only had he been without supper, but without lunch as well, and he seated himself at the table gratefully. Nancy set before him the bacon and tea which were to have been her own meal, pretending that she had already eaten. She seatedsherself oppo- site him, and with her chin propped in her hands, told him simply of the strug- gle she had gone through and of her father’s disappearance. As she told of the work which she had done, Gerard involuntarily, looked at her hands, bruised and roughened from toil, and swore softly to himself. Nancy, mis- “But THE ARGOSY. interpreting his glance, felt shame for the very signs of work of which earlier she had been proud.’ Had his mind not dwelt for months upon a girl of another type he would have noticed more particularly the charm of the little figure before him. “Only last week,” continued Nancy, “T still had three Megicans working; but Symmonds came and talked to them, and they left. The others went a month ago as soon as there was not money to pay them. I could borrow nothing. The house in Los Angeles that always sold us supplies on credit, suddenly wrote that they would send no. more. “But worst of all is the desperate worry I feel about father. I cannot im- agine what can have happened. Only to-night Symmonds” (she trembled at the mention of his name) ‘“ hinted that he knew where he was; but I think it was a lie. We have only one month more in which to complete the assess- ment work on the claims, and at best we can only save one. “You see, we have got to do five hun- dred dollars’ worth of work on each to hold them, and there are ten claims. Per- sonally I do not care; but ever since father located them he has put his whole heart into their development, and I feel that I must save them.” Derby had finished eating and sat smoking, listening to her intently. “But what is Symmonds’s, strange power here?” he asked as she finished her story. “ He seems to be the devil incar- nate.” “TI do not know,” answered Nancy. ‘ All the men appear to bow down before him. I somehow feel as if every one of our misfortunes could be traced to him. Old Patrick Moran, the one man who has stood by me, has an idea that there is some great order or brotherhood of which he is the head, made up of some of the worst criminals in thé West.” “Miss Gale!” exclaimed Gerards hold- ing out his hand impulsively, “‘ you have made the pluckiest fight I ever heard of, and you shall not fight it out alone. We CEOPMICGLOOOKS (E@)