Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-04

ing arter work. without 'em. Take one
damp like Injin rubber Take one to follow
the boys
Accustomed the partners were to
adopt and wear each others opinions be-
fore folks. they did each others cloth
ing, Uncle Billy was. nevertheless, astonish-
ed and delighted at Uncle Jim's enthusiasm
over his pills The guest took and
swallowed it.
Mighty bitter!" he said. CHANGING at his
hosts with the quick Californian suspicion
Of some practical joke. But the honest
faces of the partners treasured him.
That bitterness ye TASTE said Uncle
Jim. quickly, lis whar the things gettin'
in its work. Sorter sickenin' the malaria
and Kinder waterproofin' the insideS all to
onct and at the same lick, Don't yer see?
Put another in yer vest pocket: you'll be
crying for EN- like a child afore ye get
home. Thar! Well. how's things agoin' on
your claim, Dick? Boomin'. eh?''
The guest raised his head and turned it
sufficiently to fling his answer back over
his shoulder at his hosts. Il don't know
what you'll call 'boomin.'" he said. gloom-
lily; Il suppose you two men sitting here
comfortably by the fire. without caring
whether school keeps or not would call
two feet of backwater over ones claim
'bcomin';' l reckon you'd consider a hun
dred and fifty feet of sluicing carried away,
and drifting to thunder down the South
Fish, something in the way Of advertising
to your Old claim. I suppose you'd think
1t was an inducement to investorsi
shouldn't wonder" he added. still more
Gloomily, as a sudden dash Of rain down
the wide-throated chimney dropped in his
tin cup-"and it would be just like you two
chaps, sittin' there gormandizng over your
quinine. If yer said this rain, that's lasted
three weeks, was something to be proud
off,
1t was the cheerful and satisfying GUS
tom of the rest of the camp. for no reason
whatever, to hold Uncle Jim and Uncle Bill
ly responsible for it's present location its
q ,lcy<
OF nature; and it was equally the partners
habit, for no reason whatever. to accept
these animadversions and apologize.
ITS rain that's soft and mclowin'
said Uncle Billy gently, land supplin' to the
sinews and muscles Did we ever notice,
Jim SYSTEMATICALLY to his partner-"did
we ever notice that you get inter a kind O.
sweaty iather workin' in it? Sorter open
in to the pores"'
Fetches EN- every time" said Uncle Bill
iy Better nor fancy soap"
Their guest laughed bitterly. well I'm
going to leave it to you ] reckon to cut
the whole concern tomorrow. and lite ont
for something new. 1t can't be worse than
this
The two partners looked grieved albeit
lney were accustomed to these outbursts
everybody who thought of going away
from Cedar Camp used it first as a threat
TO these patient men. after the fashion of
runaway nephews, or made an exemplary
scene of their going.
Better think twice before We 20" said
Uncle Billy.
I've seen worse weather afore We came"
said Uncle Jim slowly. Water all over
the bar; the mud so deep We couldn't get
to Angels for sack O. -four and we Ind
TO grub on pine nuts and jackass rabbits
And yet-we stuck by the camp and here
areo'
The mild answer apparently goaded their
guest to fury. He rose from his seat
threw back his long dripping hair from
his handsome but querulous face and scat
tered few drops on the partners Yes
that's just IT. That's what gets me! Here
you stick. ard here you are! And here
you'll stick and rust until you starye or
drown. Here you are, two men who ought
to be out in the world, playing your
part as grown men. stuck here like chill
dren playing house In the woods-playine
work IN your wretched mudpie ditto hes and
content Two men not SO old that you
| mightn't be taking your part in the fun OF
the world, going to balls or theaters or
paying attention to girls and yet old
enough to have married and have your
families around you, content to STAY in
this God-forsaken place. old bachelors pig
ging together lie poor house paupers That's
what gets me! Say you like 1t! Say you
expect by hanging on to make a strike
and what does that amount to? What are
your chances? How many OF us have made,
or are making, more than grub wages?
Say you're willing to share and share
alike as you do-have you got enough for
two? Aren't you actually living OF each
other? Aren't you grinding each other
down, choking each others struggles as
you sink together deeper and deeper In