The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-04-25
CHAPTER Nj.
ANOTHER STRANGER APPEARS.

soon rs he had another interview with
her he would take his departure. His
purpose III seeing her again was to
make Il strong and final effort to in
duce her to accompany him to some
point In the far west where they
would remain unknown and where, ns
he reasoned, they could lead safe and
happy lives.
One evening he came In from a long
tramp In the woods, where he had
gone ostensibly to prospect for mineral,
and found Turner sitting in front OF
the house In deep study. He watch
ed the old man for Il little while, then
called out gayly to him:
"A penny for your thoughts, Mr..
Turner"
The old man gave start and looked
up.
81 don't know" he replied. .That
monght be a good price IND .ansnI1iit it mought
ho' @ l at9fs-. J;sl .1HAl-''ead ready to sell yit no.
naS nss"~r ~
"Going to hold them for rise in the
market, eh?"
"Mcbby. Guess III offer 'cm for sale
bout the time you put your mines on
the market. S'pose you found oodlins
Of mineral today, didn't you"
mo, didn't find any"
"That SO? Too bad, ain't it?"
"Oh. don't know. 1t talcs time to
locate mineral, you know"
II see 1t does. 1t pears to take time
even when you don't locate it too.
Reckon you must be gittin sort OF tired
Of smcllin round in the ground that
away. ain't you!"
mo, | guess not"
Lord a-maSsy. | know I'd be. Yes,
stree! Ia be iist plumb tired out, an
my hopes OF findin anything would be
petcrcd clean down to a whine. 3cck-
on that company of rich fcllrrs you're
workn for hain't fcclin as good rs
they mought."
"Oh. they're all right. They never
expected me to strike fortune in a
week or two"
Guess, though. they mought "a
had Il notion that in smrlln round
ycre for Il mouth you out to run your
nose up agin little bit OF mineral.
don't YOU think?"
"'rhey wouldn't regard a month as
anything In prospecting for mineral"
"Wouldn't they"'
"Ccrtainly not. nor six months nor
year"
"Waal. sw'ar! Jest lay back thar
all take it easy an let you smell round
down yerc long rs you pIcasc?"
81 suppose So"
"llumph! Reckon. then, | been fig.
germ kind OF wrong a-settin yerc?'
~ don't know how you've been fig.
uring."
"Gucss If them fcllcrs feels bout II
IKE You say tain't likely they'd turn
in an send another fcller down ycrc
to jinc in an holp YOU is it,"
"Of course not. How came you to
think or the possibility Of such q
thlngI"
1T come out Of mo tryin to fit two
ends Of ravolcd string together"
Il don't understand that" Melvin
said, with laugh. Put 1t in plain
English. II you please"
WAL. 1t seems kind Of odd that two
fellers would be sent down yerc by
diheront companies. nll at once, to
hunt for mineral. specially when thar
haint no mineral to hunt for so 7
lowcd mebby your company had con
cludcd to send fellcr to hoIp you out
a bit.'
Two fellows sent down here! What
do you mean:'
Jest that. Thor's another fcller yere
besides you"
''Who Is IT."
Lord a-maSsy, don't know who #
is." y
How do you know he's hereY"
Sced hlm, seed him with my own
eyes"
"WhenY
To-day" q So.
'Where" S;'|'
fright yere."
Melvin began to feel uneasy. He
niol IKE the idea Of another man
coming there claiming to be a pros.
pector for minerals. 1t didn't have the
right look, and it smacked OF some.
thing wrong.
did he tell you his name?" he asked
HE told me name," Turner replied.
"a namel Do you think he didn't
tell you his own nameT
Lord a-massy, how can I tellP You
fellers come down yere IN say your
names is 80 an 80, an how do I know
whether you're tellin the truth or
whether you ain'tW
Melvin blushed and eyed tho old man
keenly. Such talk made him suspi.
clous. Then he was not easy about
that newcomer. He wondered if Tur.
ner had heard something to arouse his
suspicions. When one Is in continual
suspense, it requires but little to alarm |
MN. Quietly enough, however, Melvin
asked:
what name did that man give your"
'Waite-W-a-tt-e. He spelled It ont
for me. Said ha belonged to the firm
Of Waite &, See."
Waite &c See! Humphp'
THAT ain't your firm, / reckon"
mo-"
Don't know nothin bout 'em,
guess"
"No."
"Quare name for firm, amt itp'
Rather"
THAT'S what he said It was, though