Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-27

peared. Search ~revealed the book all but
hidden back of the school books on the
shelf.
One evening Walt and Laura returned
from a walk and found the Old man pac-
ing off the ten-acre lot adjoining his own.
Striding round his ground at the bounda-
ries was "a favorite exercise with him,
but this was another mans land.
You're off side, father!" Walt shout
ed. Barden halted. Yes, yes, lad, of
course" he replied, and Joined them to
the house in a mysterious mood.
Not long after this they came upon
him AIT niglatfau busy in the tomato gar
den, apparently slIoveling earth. In the
morning Wall noticed THAT the old coal
shaft was filled in level with the sur
face.
The p~rospeotor's face these days wore
Something's up with dad" said Walt
to Laura. He's covering up all his
tracks of the last ten years."
Laura canned HE thinks our we'd
ding win end it, and is trying to put coal
out of his mind. Won't we spread 1t
thick, thought"
On Christmas Eve the surprise on both
sides was complete. Just before the cere-
Tor the pr%ospector produced a deco,
running to Walt and Laura, of the ad-
Joining ten-acre lot.
Build your house there, boy. It's all
ighlt; you didn't know, but I've saved
it. The lands your'n and the little gals
for a home.'
Then the two placed the parcel con-.
tanning the drill in his hands.
That highway gossip. the
P,atteville News, printed a long notice OF
the wedding, without so much as a hint
of this spreading it on thick"
After the wedding they took the pros
pector to live in the Jenifer house, which
wa slight and warm. All We're attentive
to his thre. He was better contented
than he had been for years. Wait
the frost gets out O. the ground" he
would say, "well ee-wf} Wen see."
The drill he kept beside him-fondled it
sometimes when he thought he was un-
observed. He drew elaborate plans OF
the strata as he had found them at the
former drilling. At the bottom, lying at
such and such an angle, to the surface,
shown in jet black on the plat-but scru-
pulousay without the word coal. Plenty
for everybody" said he. Il can see the
smoke from the mines now! By Jimmy!
hin't 1T grand? The Platte Valley'il pay
us what she owes us yet"
Thus IN his bright days.. Other times
he would rub the frost from the pane,
peer out past the bare-limbed cotton
woods, tap n~ervously on the sill. and
heave a great sigh, which, translated.
meant: When the frost just gets out
O. the ground, if it ever does"
Perhaps in such moods he had a fore
DOQ1lR OF Cne CTulH-4uIldIl ~ never WouiO-
in time for him.
Winter was prolonged into March. At
ter a thaw in February there was fierce
aftermath. There was much illness In
the county. Pneumonia claimed more
than one life in Platteville on fearfully
short notice. Barden was cut down be-
tween Thursday and Sunday. His hands
clenched the new drill to the last, they
told me.
'"That is the tragedy of existence" I
suggested; mot death, but the ruthless
ness of DEATH. The great wish comes in
reach after all, but the hand put out to
grasp 1T is withered in the act"
Laura suddenly turned away, fright
ened. I had philosophical ineptly.
Eyes, I am an optimist," I made haste
to add. A great many times the frost
Genes u OF the ground in time, and the
wish comes true as the children say
The young wife gave me a grateful
look, and slipped her hand in Waits.
"Shall we go and show you the grave "
she said.