The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-12-13

| oitci u COohcu supper hnu ctetncu
up at the abode, could hear Prot
singin' and Kitty playin' accompani-
ments as usual but instead of rilin'
me, as it had all along. / just laughed
to myself when / thought of the
Heavenly Snow-Shoe,' and of how
quick this would all be knocked in the
head when Kitty and old man German
learned of my good luck. 1 went into
the saloon first, where / could gen.
orally count on findin' the old man of
an evenin' but they said he was in the
parlor with Prot and Kitty takin' in
the music.
"When / went in after knockin',
they all looked surprised, and didn't
seem very hearty; but l knew what
had come to me, and what was comm
to Prot, and didn't mind, but started
in right away and told 'em what I'd
foand, and opened up the Hour.sack
! I'd brought my specimens down in,
and laid 'em all out on the table under
the light of the hangin' lamp, where
they showed up richer'n any speci-
mems ever / see. They oil got round
the table and admired EN-, and Kitty
was very friendly and old man Cor
man got very much interested and ex-
cited over it all, although he was gen.
orally pretty cold-blooded about most
| things.
There wasn't any more singin' or
playin' that evenin'. and pretty quick
Prot said goodnight and left us, not
lookin' cheerful. Old man German
asked me all kinds Of questions about
the size and dip of the ledge and the
nature of the croppin's, and Kitty sat
by the table, and was brighter and
chatter than I'd seen her in month.
| When / told the old man Id located
him in with me on the claim, he was
| pleased all through, and we arranged
to meet next mornin' and talk up the
best way of handlin' the property.
Then at last we said goodnight all
round, and / went up to the adobe
feelin' all toned up with satisfaction
at the style in which my prayer was
| workin'.
next day old man German and me
had our talk out, and it was settled
between us that we was to locate ex-
tensions OF the 'Snow-Shoe,' start in
developin. and incorporate the whole
business right away, settin' aside part
OF the stock for what old man German
called working capital, and mean.
time the old man was to put up for
expenses. Things went on almost too
smooth for the next month. The
ledge opened up very promisin', Kitty
was more friendly every day, and as
for Prot, he never turned up nova
days-anyhow when was round.
"Now my folks back in Missouri'l
been writin' on an average once every
six months for the last five years,
urgin' me to come home and see 'em
before they all died off; but I'd never
had no means to go or any way to get
any up to now. But when another
letter came about this time, still
naggin' me to come on, / showed it to
old man German, for he and I'd got
to be very thick, and he said I'd
oughtef go, and he'd lend me the
money to go with and look after
things while / was gone. The old
man kept his word; he did look after
things, rs you'll see, ma'am.
"Well, this was in April. / got
back and saw the folks, took little
general passear all round, and it was
way into August before l fetched up
one evening on the stage at Germans
again. At the first glance, before L
got down, l see therc'd been some
considerable changes in the hotel
since I'd been gone. The main build.
ind been repainted, and there was
complete new outfit of red settees on
the front porch. A strange man, with
the air of ownin' the whole plant,
came out from the Office, and there
was no sign of old man German or
Kitty standin' in the front door, as
was usual with 'em when the stage
came in.
81 felt a sort of sinkin' at the heart
at all this, as though somethin' bad
was goin' to happen TO me. wasn't
kept long in doubt, though, about the
state of things. / hadn't been Of the
stage five minutes when j learned it
all. Quick as I'd left, old man Cor
man sold Prot all the 'workin' capi-
tai as n starter. Then between 'em
they worked up n scheme TO sell me
out on delinquent assessment. Then
they struck an English syndicate and
sold out the property at big figure.
Next thing Kitty became Mrs. Prot.
old man German closed out the hotel,
and the three OF 'em lit out for no one
knew where.
"Well, ma'am, won't dwell on my
feelin's, or how expressed 'em when
/ heard all this and found it true, for
that's neither here nor there. could
see, after I'd cooled down and re-
elected, Just how it all came about. I'd
'hoodood' everything up there on the
summit by asking for bad luck TO
strike Prot by usin' the pointed ian
suage I've referred to so close on top
of my prayer when the snow shoe went
WnltZin' down the hill