Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-11-15

= peyonN a statement 'o1, tne aldentlty
of the man, is necessary. Mills. lived
acar Rocky Canyon and had: often
aroused the people thereabouts Tor
8 within radius IF % miles] to state
of interregstive' curiosity which had
ansFer been fully satisfied. He dwelt
alone, in "a cabin not worth describing,
jast because, such, cabins have often
baen. described before. When he first
appeared lie had said nothing as to
his origin, A tall, silent man of 10
years, he went at once into his chosen
field, prospecting, asking advice, and
giving'none.
Mills had good eye for e1cads, f"
and had been moderately successful, for
; several times he had developed claims
until they had begun to assume the
dignity of mines, hal sold them and
moved on. In 1891 he located a
claim that seemed promising and for
(, weeks toifed Mt it single-handed. He
Twas strong and skillful, and his prog
ress remarkably rapid, but occasion
: ally he felt q pang of, solitude and
thought be ought to secure help, not
only for tho forwarding of the work
but the sake of companionship. One
summer day as this mood was upon
him, he heard d. voice at the mouth of
the slope mating the spot where he
had started into the side of tho noun
tain.
Hello there" said the voice, '.may
ca1ne down."
Hcs Mills dropped the sledge just then
poised, for q blow aud turned toward
the patch of light. $40, he answered;
TT II come up.''ases, 80
AS he walked, curving his long back,
he saw outlined againsta bit of sky q
-stlrdy figure aud head surmounted
by felt hat, the Tapping rim of which
had been secured in front, and from
beneath which there escaped wavy
mass of hair tossed on; the. breeze.
& The miner wondered vaguely why a
boy should be SO handsome. Emerg-
ing from She: :slopehe straighfened him
,sel taking a.full breath of the sweet
ona faSn u MIR Then he Dire from HIS
s absosbed d few SATISFACTORY whIfss and
said, slowly: 's4AYells''
m Rabe Jackson" " said the boy
in return; AM I'm here for work" :.
John pulled on. Better come 'to
the cabin while I yank a. little grub
together. I take it," he added, start
ing down the path, ''that ye're pros
pectin without no stalker
The boy, did not understand this,
but he gave an assent, and started
with Mills, who noticed that the sole
of the visitors shoe Tapped at right
angles with every step. "I'll cobble
, sit nfter supper" was his comment. 9
=. .."Busa about job, you know" the
boy put in, timidly, stepping high on
account of the. loose sole.
Z i"Oh,. that's MI right" answered
Mills; '.ye're hired. Didn't I tell
.yeh?" An,i they walked on. =.
. Infthe evening they grew,in a meas!
ure, confidential, although Rube did
a most OF the talking. as Mills cobbled
the defective shoe into state of use
fulness. Before bed time Rube had
told Of Susie Campbell She was
back in Missouri, whore he himself
/. had .been,.'born and raised" i"nt
- ST didn't have much money after
father and mother died, lie went ON,
simply, s'and Sue-her father has n
pile. I'll bet old man Campbell has
$4,000 out on. mortgage right now..' .
He paused to note the effect; Mills
drove another peg, while Rube laughed
nervously. "IfeA in love with Sue, y
he continued, ''but she. wouldn't have
it; that is" he corrected, recognizing
the awkward,less of the expression,
9. ashe' didn't seem to be in earnest
about it. Not like me, anyhow, but
fn'ly she laughed and said that if I'd
got fortune she'd marry me. So ]
struck out west. . In 49,. .,.o
..Must be fine gal, said Mills.
"Hope it amt serious. Has she got
any holt on yeh2'
Rube laughed again. 81 wish she
had" was his reioinder; '..but since
came away she hasn't written. J Sues
just tryin' me, that's what's she's
doin'. It's q way women have. When
I go back with pocketful of money
she'll be ready. Oh, I know what
women are. {
John took last stitch in silence,
I aud held up the reconstructed shoe.
Thus began, between John Mills,
miner, and Rubs Jackson, boyish, hope
full tramp, one Of. the serene friend:
: ships which last until death? Let'the
limit not be placed even there; per-
,haps, strengthened and renewed, they
last for ever.
During the days the pair worked,
speaking little. In the'evenings they
read aud talked, or Mills brought out
IAN ancient fiddle whereon he dis
5 coursed melody most fearsoine; but
duly applauded. The usual theme Of
I conversation was Sue. Gradually the
two built up an ideal woman, and q
home that she was to adorn after the
Millennium-for such they had named
the mine--had fbegnn to produce.
Rube would not listen to any plan
Z that did not involve the membership
OF Mills in the family. 80 &. = -
ssP'raps an old feller like me I'D
be, in the way Mills would say, aud,
regularly, Rube would rebuke this
= yisw..
4 Yet Sue never wrote. ."Mighty
t.s long trial an slow rerdick," Mill:
4 !, opined once. Rubs convinced hin
, that this bordered on treason. S 4
Weeks went by, aud the crucia
test of the Millennium was at hand
Tie hole for the shot which was tt
determine the character Of the TeiI
81 rfie - " g5i {.