The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-08
JAMES CALLEN'S LUCK.
ILLUSTRATING THE LIFE OF A PR0SPECTOR,
WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT.

UNDAY INDEPENDENT.
cheering you up after q while. Once b
thinks things good he keeps on thinkin
20 and its the big and little together wha
self in this characterization of the impor
tant third party to the bargain. had al
| ready determined to conclude as soon a
possible. In spite of the ominous hint Of
probable future gloom I laughed. "Yo'
''Some," he replied dryly. "He's biz
ma, man no 1sn mining operator as they Gal
he used to operate with pick and drill. Il
was before the time of power drills mostly.
He amt changed much since, neither"
"Only changed in the size of his pocket, ,
l observed. ''At any rate, when you had {
prospect good enough to put price on anG
expect to sell you went to him."
"Oh, Hale never objected to getting hold
of good thing. he replied quickly, land
he's lived long enough to see where he'd
better pay and where he'd better not. Some
folks never do learn" And with this re.
Election he pushed open the door, which on
coming out he had closed from force Of
habit, and went in.
whose judgment and ability to estimate
correctlv both persons and their surround
lngs ID dependent upon previous experience
He had grown hard-hearted, but he was moi
shrewd. In the course of wanderings which
must have made him acquainted with the
tory west of the Mississippi he had acquired
something not unlike the provincialism OF
the man who has never left his native
county-the provincialism of mountains
and canons, great pine forests and deer
mines, of mushroom camps and lonely
ranches, perhaps. In learning to exist
upon the necessaries he had come to regard
existence itself as SO much of chance to
make ''strike." Afterward I decided
that his capacity for self deception was ex-
tremely small. But very little intercourse
with him was required to perceive that the
philosophy with which he seasoned its dis
comforting was more than equal to his
scepticism.
He was not of that class of workers to
whom steady paid employment is once
thought of rs an impossibility. He had,
fancy. regarded months of wage earning
simply as a way to the possession of some
small capital. The chance shaping of fate
him in the search for a goal that hope and
some geological knowledge assured him
was obtainable; but what seems less natural
from the standpoint of superstition and not
fact, he had kept his sense of the practical.
His distinguishing trait WAS the combine
ton OF drudging energy and lack of per.
he had established the fact that he had a
good claim and his application to Hale had
been the first logical step toward realizing
his success. The basis of my investigation
was self-interest and knew quite we'll the
terms Hale's liberal shrewdness had Of
fered. If my report confirmed Clalen's
assertions, he had proposed to supply
the money for further development,
allowing the former owner to retain
a third interest and superintend the work
Callen had refused. He preferred to sell
the whole and be done with it. he said dog
gedly. Hale's generosity never presses it.
Callen really shrank from sense of re-
sponsibility to two associates but the more
apparent motive was his impotence at the
idea of working and waiting longer after
partial success was assured.
1t was starlight night and when he re-
turned after his last visit to the tunnel he
sat down on the door step and whistled the
dog to him. Presently he scratched
match and held it up in front of his face
to light pipe which he had filled. As he
threw the burning match away it whirled
in the air an instant before it went out, and
the glowing spot that marked the bowl of
pipe remained the only interruption of the
darkness.
For me at least lying on my blanket,
spread where meant to Sleep the impulse
to talk became Irresistible. "Callen,' be-
gan suddenly, "if Hale and buy this of
you what are you going to do with the
He did not reply at once. Probably my
question had banished several vague plans.
1t isn't going to be big lot," he said at
last.
mo; but you won't let it lie aud you go
on rs you have been doing. Will you put
It into mine some place else," I asked,
would be inconsistent with his present
course. '.or will you spend it in enjoying
yourself?'
"Well, might travel around some - he
said. II suppose I'd like to enjoy myself
if could find good way. don't know
as it would pay to put it back in the
"Oh, you could find a way said. He
knocked the ashes from his pipe II wish
could keep a share in this" he began I'M
'"Ihat is. some one could keep
it for me. don't want to bother and then
maybe lose everything / can get anyway,
Dut somehow hate to give it up. What
He stopped in perplexity.
AN alter ego to take, the bother" I sug-
yested.
"A what?"
well, partner. I should have thought
WORKING here all alone you would have
AIKEN one long ago.. You'd better get one
low. and go shares"
Guess not" he said decidedly. 'It's
,een rule of mine for years to 90 alone, |
III try and keep on that way. I had one
PARTNER and he was enough. It was in |
.eadville, and we struck it rich. thought
hen things were going to be pretty COM
ortable, but my partner-well, he sold out |
he whole concern. OF course he got paid |
or 1t, and his swearing was az good az |
nine SO the fellow he sold out to-one of |
he kind that has wonderful luck with iur- |
away with it. Then moved out"
And came up here.'
mo, my wife thought we'd do better 90.
ng back to Kansas to try farming. But we |
!ldn't. married her in Leadville and we |
wed pretty happy for two or three years. |
Nell-she died" There was a pause and |
hen he continued: ''She left me girl. I |
lidn't know much about children but see
lear enough that couldn't bring that one |
lp by me, SO let the Sisters have her They |
AXE care OF 'em younger thansshe was some
'ome when they could scarcely walk-with |
,arents like me. But I always meant to
end mine back to my folks in the east
had rolled over on the blanket in order |
o face him. He could not see me distinctly
nut he must have felt that was interested.
i thought you were Cornishman," said;
though to be sure you don't talk like one,''
My father was; Pm from Pennsylvania"
10 answered. in his pre-occupation. II
lsed to 60 and see her good deal and she |
lways looked to me fourishing enough.
Sut at last the head sister-what do thew
all her!-the Mother?-wrote to me she'd |