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which wti her? by right of allotment, mod on his birthday presented him With s turning lathe of wonderful ?im pllclty end multifarious efficiencies. And their mutual delight In the latLe, which was his, was only equalled by their delight in Msb's first fosl, which wss Dede's speclsl private property. Dnylight had m :de no assertion of total ahstlneiics. though he had not taken s dring for months after the day he resolved to let his business go to smash Soon he proved himself strong enough to dare to take a drink without taking a second. On the other hand with his coming to live hi the t oun ry. had passed all de? sire and need (or drink. He felt no T"-<-t'rig for It, and even forgot that It 11 ated. Tet he refused to be aft of It. and in town, on occasion, wh Invited by the stoickceper, wm reply: "All right, son. T." my taklatf s drink will make you happy, here goes. Whisky for mine." But such a drink begat no desire for a second. It made no Impression. 1 He wss too profoundly strong to be effected by s thimbleful As he had prophesied to Dede. Burning Daylight, the city financier, hsd died a quick death on the ranch, and his younger brother, the Daylight from Alaska, hsd taken his p see. The threatened Inundation of fat had subsided, ana U his old-time Indien leanness and Itheness of muscle hud returned So, tkewlse. did the old slight hollows In his cheeks come back. Tor him they Indicated the pink of physical condi? tion. He became the acknowledged strong man of Bo no ma Valley, the heaviest lifter sod hardest winded among a husky race of firmer folk. 4 At first, when In need or reedy cash, r be had followed Ferguson's example of working at day's labor ; but he was not long In gravitating to a form of work that was more stimulating and more satisfying, snd that allowed him <even more time for Dede and the ranch and the perpetual riding throug* the hills. I ivlng been challenged l; the blacksmith. In a spirit of banter to attempt the bre aking of a certair Incorrigible colt, hi succeeded so slg nelly as to cam quits s reputation aa s horse-l r > And soon he wr sble to esrn * hstever money he Ue sired at this, to him. agreeable work His life wss eminently wholesome and natural. Early to bed. he slept like an Infant and was up with the dawn. Always with somsthtng to do and with a thousand little things that enticed but did not clamor, he was himself never overdone Nevertheless, there were times when both he and Dede was not above confessing tired fjeaa st bed*.l- e nf*.er seventy 01 f> ? * 1 Sometimes, whet he had accumulated a little money. a&. when the season favored, the) wouK mount tlelr horses, with sad die-bagt behind, and rids away eve. the .wall of the valley and down Inu the other vsl'evs. CJge> ggny, stoppte** t*> mall a letter st the Olea Ellen poeto. *> b hailed by the bUcksmlta. "flsy. Daylight," be said, "a young fellow named Slosson sends you his regards. He came through in an auto on the wsy to 8snts Rosa. Hs wanted to know if you didn't lWe hereabouts, hut the crowd with htm was In a hur? ry. So be sent you his regards snd eeJd to tell you he'd taken your ad vice and wss still going on break'ng his own record." Deyllght had long since told Dede of the Incident. "S'eeson?" he meditated. "Slosson? Tbst must be the hsmmer-thrower. He put my hand down twice, the 1 ? "fay." He Celled Out, "I'd Llks to Tsckls You Again." young scamp." He turned suddenly to Dede. "Ssy. It's only twslve miles to Santa Ross, and the horse* are fresh She divined what was In his mind. L of which his twinkling eyes and sheep ^ Ish. boyish grin gave sufficient adver tlsement. snd she smiled and nodded acqulescense. We'll cut across by Bennett Val? ley." he said. "It's nearer that way." There was little difficulty, once In Kan's Ross, of finding Slosson. He nr I his party had registered at the Oberlln Hotel, and Daylight encoun? tered the young hammer thrower him seif In the office l ook here, son." Daylight announ * ed a a noon as he had Introduced Dede. "I've come to go you another flutter n* 'hn? hand game. Here's a likely p!ace." si. >sson aosHi 1 Ms" ge> gpged 1 hi two men fgtigd ?-ach other, the elbows r>t |g*jtf ri/li' SFgSJ on the counter, tho hand" clasped. Blosson's band qulc k - Ijr forced backward and down. "You're the first man that evor suc? ceeded In doing It." he said "last's tr- ?? ?eh " "Bure," Daylight answered. "And don't forget, ton, that you're the first man that put mine down. That's why I lit out after you today." Again they clasped hands, and again Slosson's hand went down. He was a broad-shouldered, heavy-mus? cled young glunt, at least half a head taller than Daylight, and he frankly expressed his chagrin and asked for a third trial. This time he steeled him? self to the effort, and for a moment the issue was in doubt. With flushed face and set teeth he met the other's strength till his crackling muscles failed him. The air exploded sharply from his tensed lungs, as he relaxed In surrender, and the hand dropped limply down. "You're too many for me." he con? fessed. "I only hope youH keep out j of the hammer-throwing game." Daylight laughed and shook his head. "We might compromise, and each stay In his own class. You stick to bsmmer-throwing. and 111 go on turn? ing down hands." But Slosson refused to accept de? feat "8ay." he called out, as Daylight and Dede. astride their horses, were preparing to depart. "Say?do you mind if T look you up next year? I'd like to tackle you again." "Sure. son. You're welcome to a flutter any time Though I give you fair warning that you'll have to go some. You'll have to train up, for I'm plowing and chopping wood and break? ing colts these days." Now and again, on the way home. Dede could hear her big boy-husband chuckling gleefully. As they halted their horses on the top of the divide out of Bennett Valley, in order to wstcb the sunset, he ranged alongside and slipped his arm around her waist. "Little woman," he said, "you're sure responsible for It all. And I leave It to you. lf all the money In creation la worth as much as one arm like that when it's got a sweet little woman like this to go around." Daylight's steadfast contention was that bis wife should not become cook, waitress, and chambermaid because ehe did not happen to possess a house? hold of servants. On the other hand, chafing-dish suppers In the big living room for their camping guests were a common happening, at which times Daylight allotted them their chores and saw that they were performed. For one who stopped only for the nig't it was different. Likewise it was different with her brother, back , from Germany, end again able to sit a horse. On his vacations he became the third In the family, and to him *?r given the building of the fires, sweeping, and the washing of the dfthUi CHAPTER XXI. , B it there came the day. one y*ar, , h anrl] April, when Dede sat In an 1 eaaj obalr on the pofth, sewing on . certain small garments, while Day * light r. art aloud to her II was in the afternoon, and a bright sun was shining down on a world of new green. Along the Irrigation channels of the vegetable garden streams of water were flowing, and now and again Day? light broke off from his reading to run out ind change the flow of water. Alr.o, he wss teastngly interested In t'ue certain small garments on which Dede worked, while she was radiant I ly happy over thsm. though at times, when his tender fun wss too Insistent, she was rosily confused or affection? ately resentful. It was a few minutes Ister that Daylight, breaking off from his reading to change the streams of irrigation, found that the water had censed flowing He should'red a pick and shovel, took a hammcv and a pipe I wrench from ?he tool-hjuse. and re I turned to Dede on the porch. "I reckon I'll have to go down and dig the pipe out." he told her. "It's that slide that's threatened all winter. I guess she's come down at last." "Don't you read ahead, now," he warned, as he pissed around the house and took the trail that led down the wall of the canyon. Halfway down the trail, he came upon the ell !e. It was a small affair, only a few tons of earth and crum j bllng rock; but, starting from fifty feet above. It had struck the water pipe with force sufficient to break It at a connection. Before proceeding to work, he glanced up the path of the slide, and he saw what made his eyes startle and cease for the mo? ment from questing farther. 4 "Hello." he communed aloud, "look who's here." His glance moved on up the steep broken surface, and across it from side to side. Here and there, In places, small twisted manzanltas were rooted precariously, but in the main, save for weeds and grass, that portion of the canyon was hare. There were signs of a surface that had shifted often as the rain poured a flow of rich eroded soli from above over the lip of the canyon. "A true fissure vein, or I never saw one." he proclaimed softly. Dropping th#? hammer and pipe wrench, but retaining pick and shovel, he climbed up the slide to where a vague line of out-Jutting but mostly soil-covered rock could be seen. It was all but Indiscernible, but his prac tired eye had sketched the hidden In? formation which It signified. Hero and there, along this wall of the vein, he attacked the crumbling rock with the pick and shoveled the oncui.u.er ing soil away. Several times he e\ BJntned this rock. So soft w.s some of it that be COUld break it In his fin? gers. Shifting a dozen feet higher up. he again attacked with pick and shovel |sjd Ihhl time, when he rub bad the soil from I ( hunk of rock and looked, he straightened up suddenly, ' gasping with delight And than, like ? (b er at a drinking pool In fear of Its r - be ?h?n* a notes glance around to see If any eye~"were gazing upon him. He grinned at his own foolishness and returned to his exami? nation of the chunk. A slant of sun? light fell on It, and it was all aglltter with tiny Bpecks of unmistakable free gold. "From the grass roots down," he muttered in an awe-stricken voice, as hs swung his pick into the yielding surface. Sometimes he started small slides of earth that covered up his work and compelled him to dig again. Once he was swept fifty feet down the can? yon-side; but he floundered and scram? bled up again without pausing for breath. He hit upon quartz that was so rotten that it was almost like clay, and here the gold was richer than ever. It was a veritable treasure chamber. For a hundred feet up and down he traced the walls of the vein. He even climbed over the canyon-lip to look along the brow of the hill for signs of the outcrop. But that could wait, and he hurried back to his find. He tolled on In the same mad haste, until exhaustion and an intolerable ache in his back compelled him to pause. He straightened up with even a richer piece of gold-laden quartz. Stooping, the sweat from his forehead had fallen to the ground. It now ran Into his eyes, blinding him. He wiped It from him with the back of his hand and returned to a scrutiny of the gold. Tt would run thirty thousand to the on, fifty thousand, anything?he knew that. And as he gazed upon the yel? low lure, and panted for air. and wiped the sweat away, his quick vision leaped and set to work. He saw the spur-track that must run up from the valley and across the upland pastures, and he ran the grades and built the bridge that would span the canyon, until it was real before his eyes. Across the canyon was the place for the mill, and there he erected it; and he erected, also, the endless chain of "Here, Chick, Chick, Chick, Chick I" buckets, suspended from a cable and operated by gravity, that would cross the canyon to the quartz-crusher. Likewise, the whole mine grew before him and beneath him?tunnels, shafts, and galleries, and hoisting plants. The blasts of the miners were in hie ears, and from across the canyon he could hear the roar of the stamps. The hand that held the lump of quartz was trembling, and there was a tired, nervous palpitation apparently in the pit of his stomach. It came to him abruptly that what he wanted was a drink?whisky, cocktails, anything, a drink. And even then, with this new hot yearning for the alcohol upon him, he heard, faint and far, drifting down the green abyss of the canyon, Dede's voice, crying: ? "Here, chick, chick, chick, chick, chick! Here, chick, chick, chick!" He was astounded at the lapse of time. She had left, her sewing on the porch and was feeding the chickens preparatory to getting supper. The afternoon was gone. He could not conceive that he had been away that long. Again came the call: "Here, chick, chick, chick, chick, chick! Here, chick, chick, chick!" It was the way she always called? first five, and then three. He had long since noticed it. And from these thoughts of her arose other thoughts that caused a great fear slowly to grow In his face. For it seemed to him that he had almost lost her. Not once had he thought of her in those frenzied hours, and for that much, at least, had she truly been lost to him. He dropped the piece of quartz, slid down the slide, and start? ed up the trail, running heavily. At the edge of the clearing ho eased down and almost crept to a point of vantage whence he could peer out, himself unseen. She was feeding the chickens, tossing to them handfuls of grain and laughing at their antics. The sight of her seemed to relievo the pnnlc fear into which he had been flung, and he turned and ran back down tho trail. Again he climbed the slide, but this time he climbed higher, carrying the pick and shovel with him. And again he tolled frenzledly, but this tlmo with a different purpose. He worked artfully, loosing slide after slide of the red bo!1 and sending It Streaming down and covering up all he had uncovered, biding from the light of day the treasure he had dis? covered. He even went Into the woods and ?cooped armfuls of last year's fallen leaves, which ho scattered over the slide. But this he gave up as a vain task, and ho sent more Slides Of soil down upon tho scone of his labor, until no sign remained of the out-Jut? ting walls of the vein. Next he re paired the broken pipe, gathered bis tools together, and started up the trail. He walked SlOWly, feeling a great weariness, as of a man who bad passed through a frightful crisis. He put the tools away, took a great drink of the water that again flowed through the pipes, and sat down on the bench by the open kitchen door. Dede was inside, preparing supper, and the sound of her footsteps gave him a vast content. He breathed the balmy mountain air In great gulps, like a diver fresh-risen from s sea. And, as he drank in the , he gazed with all his eyes at the ouds and sky and valley, as if he ere drinking in that, too, along w**ai the air. Dede did not know he had come back, and at times he turned his head and stole glances in at her?at her efficient hands, at the bronze of her brown hair that smouldered with fire when she crossed the path of sunshine that streamed through the window, at the promise of her figure that shot through him a pang most strangely sweet and sweetly dear. He heard "ner approaching the door, and kept his head turned resolutely toward the valley. And next, he thrilled, as he had always thrilled, when he felt the caressing gentleness of her fingers through his hair. "I didn't know you were back," she said. "Wsb it serious?" "Pretty bad, that slide," he answer? ed, still gazing away and thrilling to her touch. "More serious than I reck? oned. But I've got the plan. Do you know what I'm going to do??I'm go ing to plant eucalyptus all over it. They'll hold It. I'll plant them thick as grass, so that even a hungry rab? bit can't squeeze between them; and when they get their roots agoing, nothing in cVeation will ever move that dirt again.' 'Why, is it as bad as that?' He shook his head. "Nothing exciting. But I'd sure like to see any blamed old slide get the best of me that's all. I'm going to seal that slide down so that it'll stay there for a million years. And when the last trump sounds, and Sonoma Mountain and all the other mountains pass into nothingness, that old slide will be still a-standing there, held up by the roots." He passed his arm around her and pulled her down on his knees. "Say, little woman, you sure miss a lot by living here on the ranch? music, and theaters, and such things. Don't you ever have a hankering to drop it all and go back?" * So great was his anxiety that he dared not look at her, and when she laughed and shook her head he was aware of a great relief. Also, he noted the undimlnshed youth that rang through that same old-time boyish laugh of hers. "Say," he said, with sudden fierce? ness, "don't you go fooling around that slide until after I get the trees in and rooted. It's mighty dangerous, and I sure can't afford to lose you now." He drew her Hps to his and kissed her hungrily and passionately. "What a lover!" she said; and pride In him and in her own womanhood was In her voice. "Look at that, Dede." He removed one encircling arm and swept It in a wide gesture over the valley and the mountains beyond. "The Valley of the Moon?a good name, a good name. Do you know, when I look out over It all, and think of you and of all It means, it kind of makes me ache in the throat, and I have things in my heart I can't find the words to say, and I have a feeling that I can almost understand Browning and those other high-fwtrg poet fellov i, Look at Hood Motu ust where the sun's strike c,. It was d >u n a. v. tse that I "Ai.d that was the night you didn't milk the cows till tea o'clock," she laughed. "And if you keep or*! here much longer, supper won't 1 j any earlier than it was that night." Both rose from the bench. ar*d Day? light caught up the milk-pail fro1 the nail by the door. He paused a mo? ment longer to look out over the val? ley. "It's sure grand," he said. "If8 sure grand," she echoed, laugh? ing joyously at him and with him and herself and all the world, as she passed in through the door. And Daylight, like the old man he once had met. himself went down the hill through the fires of sunset with a mllkpail on his arm. THE END, Horse-Loving Xenophon. We may breed different types of horses, and we may harness tod use them differently; but the points of excellence that combine to form the most perfect horse are no different in one age than another. Xenophon, It is true, attached some importance to points that we care much less about now?as, for instance, a smooth, round back that is 'easy to sit upon,' which was owing to the fact that the Greeks did not use saddles, but only a cloth, fastened to the horse's body by a surclng^; but these are minor matters. He knew the points of a good horse, and he knew horse na? ture. And he had. too, that delight in horses that is found only in the true horseman, the man who loves as well as knows them. "It Is upon horses," says he, "that gods and heroes are painted riding; and men who are able to manage them skill? fully are regarded as deserving of ad? miration. So extremely beautiful and admirable and noble a sight is a horse that bears himself superbly that he fills the gaze of till who see him. both young and old; no one, in? deed, leaves him or is tired of con? templating him as long as he COntln ucs to display his magnificent attl? I hides."?From the Atlantic. Shipbuilding in China. According to a Shanghai telegram, the Chinese government Recent ed the hid < ! ;l ? Klangnan arsenal for the that every day one ,,r lfj?] moff psrsosji MM.I SI <>P pllcantl for position! si rural police in* construction of four warships at about 1.500,000 tads. The arsenal, under control of Liang-Kiang, viceroy, en? gages principally in the manufacture of arms. Although it has equipment for shipbuilding, it has not turned out any warships in the history of Its existence for the last twenty-odd years, its experience so far having only consisted in putting together gunboats that wer built in foreign countries. Again, at the Mamel dockyard at Fukien one gunboat was constructed in 1899 and another in the following year, which were completed In 1902. But they were small ships, each hav? ing the displacement of 861 tons. The present order consists of two gun? boats with the displacement of 1,000 tons each and two smaller river gun? boats. Inasmuch as the Mamel dock? yard Is under the management of French people, this is the first time that China has ever attempted to build her own warships at her own dockyard. Philosophy of the Unsuccessful. We are perhaps too prone to get cur ideas and standards of worth from the successful, without reflecting that the interpretations of life which pa? triotic legend, copy-book philosophy, a:id the sayines of. tha wealthy giv*1 uy, are pitifully inadequate for those who fall behind in the race. Surely there are enough people to whom the task of making a decent living and maintaining themselves and their fam 'lies in their social class, or of win? ning and keeping the respect of their follows, is a hard and bitter task, to make a philosophy gained through.per? sonal disability and failure as just and line a method of appraising the life rround us as the cheap optimism of the ordinary professional man. And certainly a kindlier, for it has no 'bade of contempt or disparagement ubout it?Atlantic. Substantial progress is being made on the work of securing titles for the rights of way for the South Carolina Western Railroad, but no definite time has been fixed for the work to commence as it will not be started until there is a clear title to right of way between here and Bishopville. Teddy says "Big Business trembles when I speak." It is afraid he will put his foot in it and give away the deal.?Wilmington Star. WATSON WILL BE CAN pi DATO. Would Succeed Himself a- Commis? sioner of Agriculture. Columbia, Feb. 26.?Mr. E. J. Wat? son will be a candidate for election to the office of commissioner of agri? culture, commerce and industries at the primary this summer, and an? nouncement to thia effect was made today by Commissioner Watson. He has held this position, by appoint? ment, since the office was first creat? ed, and is well known all over the State and throughout the country. This office was made elective at this session of the General Assembly, having heretofore been appointive by the Governor. New Books at Library. The following new books have been added to the Civic League library: The Harvester?Gene Stratton Por? ter. The Following of The Star?Flor? ence Barclay. Adrian Savage?Lucas Malet. The Story Fire?L. M. Montgom? ery. Captains Courageous ? Rudyard Kipling. Dragon's Blood?Henry M. Rideout. Robert Kimberly?Frank Spear? man. Arminta?J. C. Snaith. , Broke of Convendene?J. C. Snaith. Thorpes Way?Morley Roberts. M. A. HOOD, Libriar.. At Work on Cave-In. City Engineer Lee Tuesday morn? ing had a force of hands at. work on the cave-in out on Salem avenue, preparatory to making the needed repairs in the sewerage line at that place. As the sewerage pipe is fifteen or sixteen feet deep at this place it re? quires considerable digging before the pipe is reached and considerable more work before the proper repairs are made. It is thought that the sewerage pipe broke at this place when the earth caved in and other piping will have to be put in to re? place it. *9\ Removal of Hardware Headquarters. The Sumter Hardware Companr have moved their place of business to No. 30 South Main St. (Geo. D. Shore & Bro, old stand-) Drop in and see us at our 1 place of business. = Sumter Hardware Go. 39 south m sumter, s. c. Gl ^RGE H. HURST, UNDERTAKER AND EMBALMER 202 N MAIN STREET Day Phone 539 :: :: :: Night Phone 201 T TTVTT? /"?'ITA ?THMT1 ai mk pi.astkh. hhinci.es LlMJli, LJdMijJNI, bk"k- k*h T_rOTr f^rain Flour. Slop Stuff. Bran, ridy, VJldlll, Mixed Cow and Chicken Feed. Horses. Mules. gltX!?'' ?*?0i? an: No Order Too Large Or Too Mtutlt. Booth-Harby Live Slock Co. SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA. Undertakers and Embalmers, and Private Ambulance HEARSES FOR WHITE AND COLORED Ring 14 or 1251?-Day or Night Prompt Service J. D. Craig Furniture Company 8, r, !2Wcst Liberty Street.