Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-03-12

water for, papaP" querried Little
Stumps, who had left on his work,
which consisted mainly of pulling flow
ers and putting them in the sluice-box
to see them float away. lie was sitting
by his fathers side. and he looked up
in his face as he spoke.
Hush, child,n said the old man,
softly, as he again dipped his thumb
and finger in his vost pocket as II about
70 take snuff. But he did not take
stuff. Again his hand was reached
down to The ripping water AT the head
of the sluice-box And this time curious
but obedient Little Stumps was silent
Suddenly there was a shout, such n
shout from Jim as the hills had not
heard since he was school boy.
He had the ''color. 1.-Two colors!
three, four, five dozen!" The boy
shouted like Modoc, threw down tho
brush, and scraper, and kissed his little
sister over and over, and cried as he did
so; then he whispered softly to her as
he again took up his brush and scraper,
that 1t was for papa; all for poor papa;
that he did not care for himself, but he
did want to help poor, tired, and
crippled papa" But papa did not seem
10 be excited so very much.
The little miners were now continual
ly wild with excitement They were up
and at work Monday morning at dawn.
The men who were in the fathers ten
der secret congratulated the children
heartily and made them presents of sew
eral small nuggets TO add TO their little
horde.
In this way they kept steadily at work
for half the summer. All the gold was
given to papa to keep. Papa weighed 1t
each week, and suppose secretly con-
graduated himself that he was getting
back about as much as he put in.
| Before quite the end of the third
month, Jim struck q thin bed of blue
gravel. The miners who had been hap
PLY chuckling and laughing among
themselves to think how they had man
aged TO keep Jim out of mischief, began
to look at each other and wonder how
in the world blue gravel ever got up
there on the hill. And in n few days
more there was well-deilned bed of
blue gravel, too, and not one of the
miners could make it out
One Saturday evening shortly after,
rs the old man weighed their gold he
caught his breath, started and stood up
straight; straighter than he had stood
since he crossed the Plains. Thea he
hastily left the cabin. He went up the
hill to the children's claim almost with
or. limping. Then he took pencil
and an old piece of a letter, and wrote
out notice and tackled it Up on the
big oak-tree, claiming those mining
claims, according to miners law, for
the three children. A couple of miners
laughed as they went by in the twilight,
to see what he was doing; and he
laughed with them. But rs he limped
on down the hill he smiled.
That night, as they sat at supper, he
told the children that as they had been
such faithful and industrious miners, he
was going to give them each present,
besides little gold to spend as they
pleased
So he went up to tho store and bought
Jim red shirt, long black and bright
gum boots, d-brimmed hat and
belt. He also bought each of the
other children some pretty trappings,
and gave each dollars worth of gold
dust Madge and Stumps handed their
gold back to ''poor papa" But Jim
was crazy with excitement. He put on
his new clothes and went forth to spend
his dollar And what do VII suppose he
bought l hesitate to tell you. But
what he bought was pipe and paper
of tobacco!
That red shirt, that belt and broad
brimmed hat, together with the shiny
top boots. had been too much for Jim's
balance. How could mamie spoke
al s,,, sal1 M -hntv ont1l1 a
man be an "honest miner and not
smoke pipeP
And now with his manly clothes and
his manly pipe he was to be so happy!
He had all that went to make up 'the
honest miner" True, he did not let
his father know about the pipe. He hid
it under his pillow at night. He meant
to have his first smoke at the sluice-box,
as miner should.
Monday morning he was up with sun
and ready for his work. His father,
who worked down the Gulch, had al
ready gone before the children had
| finished their breakfast. So now Jim
filled his bran-new pipe very leisurely;
and with rs much calm unconcern as if
he had been smoking for forty years, he
| stopped to scratch match on the door
as he went out.
From under his broad hat he saw his
| little sister watching him, and he fairly
swelled with importance as Stumps
looked up at him with childish wonder.
| Leaving Madge to wash the few dishes
and follow as she could with Little
Stumps, he started on up the hill, pipe
| in mouth.
He met several miners, but he pulled
away like tug-boat against the tide,
and went on. His bright new boots
whetted and creakcd together, tho
warm wind lifted the broad blim of his
Sombrero. and his bright new red shirt
was really beautiful, with the green
grass and oaks for background-and
SO this brave young man climbed the hill
| to his mine. All, he was so happy!
Suddenly as he approached the claim.
his knees began to smite together, and
he felt so weak he could hardly drag one
foot after the other. He threw down
his pick, no began TO tremble and spin
around. The world seemed to be turn
ing over and over, and he trying in vain
to mold on to it, He jerked the pipe
from his teeth, and throwing it down on
the bank, he tumbled down, too, and
clutching at the grass with both hands
tried hard, oh! so hard, TO hold the
world from slipping from under him.
| 20, Jim, you are white as snow.
cried Madge as she came up.
white as 'er sunshine, an blue, an
green, too, sisser. Look at Burner all
colors, "piped Little Stumps pitifully.
20, Jim. Jim--brothcr Jim, what Is
the matterP" sobbed Madge.
"Sun stroke" murmured the young
man, smiling grimly, like true CALI
| fornian. mo; II Is not sun-stroke, it's
its cholera" he addcdin dismay over
| his falsehood.
Poor boy! he was sorry for this second
lie, too. He fairly groand in agony Of
body and soul.