Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1900-07-12

that the mine was fairlSn investment.
He might be induced to sell IT. but ne
had little rather hang on. He was in
this undecided state when two or three
parties were quoted as offering thump-
ing big figures. That was where the
majors fine Italian hand came IN. lie
was doing his share OF the work, out
doing it on the outside. The Bostonian
wasn't averse to picking up good
thing at bargain, even II 1t was Tar
from home. and he soon began to talk
business. The bait wasn't jumped at,
however. An expert was secured to
make investigation and report. and the
Bostonian took a whirl further west
while waiting.
1t was at this juncture that Mrs.
Wharton was summoned to receive
legacy left her. 1t was a sum large
enough to permit the major to return
tohis lofty principles and stick to them
for life, or as long as he continued to
buy and sell mines. but. having taken
hold of PARADISE" he was bound to
see her through. If he could beat some
body out of SIC, 900 by working Off that
"salted'' mine it would be just retribu-
ton for what he had suffered by being
honest. His wife had heard more about
the mine than all others in the state.
Day after day the ma jor had bemoaned
his foolishness in not knowing enough
to hang onto good thing. and be-
walled the fact that he hadn't the mon
ey to buy an interest in the biggest nit
of the decade. If that legacy had only
come a few weeks sooner! If the Bos-
tonian would only turn to redwood
lands or a California fruit farm and
surrender his option on PARADISE
But things didn't come the majors
way. A few days after his wife left
home the Bostonian returned. The ex-
pert's report was ready. 1t was glow
ing. 1t left nothing to be desired ex-
cept transfer of ownership. A check
was drawn and the papers were passed,
and as the new owner departed for
home to complete his arrangements for
turning out ton or two OF silver daily,
Mai. Wharton beamed upon Clark and
chuckled.
'Fifty thousand big dollars apiece!"
he said. as he rubbed his hands and
beamed some more. Didn't tell you
so? AS honest, square-toed men we
were going to the dogs. AS up-to-date
chaps we have made scoop at the first
go-off. Let's look around for another
hole"
Mrs. Wharton received her legacy in
Buffalo. All the way from west to east
she was thinking of the paradise"
mine ard wondering if her money
couldn't get the major at least quar-
ter interest. There was delay Of
three or four days in Buffalo, and she
was almost in despair. When she
finally got the money she telegraphed
the good news and advised her husband
not to lose good thing. He laughed
as he read the telegram. He wasn't
missing any good things thus far. When
the wife reached Chicago on her return
trip, she stopped for a day to order
some dresses. To offset the delay she
sent another telegram to brace up the
major. It was while she was lunching
and thinking of bonanza silver mines
and various sorts of dresses. that she
heard couple near her speaking of the
"Paradise." 1t was the Bostonian and
his wife. The discovery was soon made
that the mine had changed hands. Mrs.
Wharton was overcome with despair
for moment. Then she made move
which business man would have hest
tated over. She introduced herself and
wanted to know if the new purchaser
wouldn't sell out for satisfactory
bonus. For the last day or two there
had been creeping into the Boston
mans mind feeling that he had bet
ter have invested his hundred thousand
in hides and leather or Back Bay land.
That experts report had been little
too fervid! The assay had smacked too
much of Golconda. He was not an i'm
petuous man. He took ten minutes to
think it over. and then said he mi ght be
induced. He was induced. but it took
exactly $150,OOO to coax him around.
Mrs. Wharton had barely enough mon
ey left to see her through, but para
disc was hers. What was hers was
also the majors. 1t didn't take Chi
cago lawyer and commissioner of
deeds two hours to complete the trans
fer, and it was-a happy.rejoicing wom-
an who went west on the ten o'clock
train. The proper thing to do was to
telegraph her husband again. and she
sent him dispatch which lifted him
out of his rocking chair. as he sat
smoking and chuckling in his library
at home. There wasn't much to it, but
every word pulled his hair on end.
Congratulate your little wife, I have
| bought the Paradise mine for tenth OF
! its value, and have the deed in my pocket,
Home Thursday evening""
The ma jor didn't sleep that night as
! business. and men missed him off the
street for the next two days. He made
| hundred attempts to figure out how
! his wife had got hold of that mine. but
| could arrive at no satisfactory conc,u-
sion. AS he waited for her arrival he
tried to make himself believe that it
| was one of her little jokes. Two or
| three times in their married life she
had attempted to spring jokes on him.
| They had been dismal failures. but per-
| haps she was not discouraged. The
man who tries hard enough to make
believe in anything can succeed up to a
certain point. The majors hair set
tied down on the second day, and he ac-
tually caught himself whistling now
and then. but he refrained from going
| 70 his office He even thought it bet
not to go to the depot to meet his wife.
1t was all over within two minutes
after he had opened the door to her