Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-08-24

I've heard that story often" Gram
mere commented. impatiently.
$50 have /. And that its waters
used TO be salt?"
"les. Where does the gold come
irc
This is MantsTs idea: Bombon has
an outlet, but no inlet; therefore IL
must have subterranean sources. and
he holds that il is fed by an under
ground river that flows from the
heart of the island He believes that
he could enter this river by diving,
and by its means go straight TO the
mountains, where he VIII fad gold.
The whole foundation to< his theory
is blind Ash found In Bombol."
"A blind fish, That mS6Ks a rood
deal. Does he expect to snS his ex-
periments alone?'
No; he is looking foS some Amer
lean fool enough to go with him. He
is afraid TO tESss the naAspes."
I'm his mani"
"You?''
II believe there rs sonetmng In Il, -
Death, most likely"
You will send that fellow Mantal
to me to-nigbt?-
"See here, Ctanme%e, this b the
craziest scheme ever started. That
lake is hundred fathoms deep and
covers hundred square miles,"
''He was pearl fisher" Cranmere
continued, without noticing his
friends interruption. 'aDd dare say
still has his diving rig. We would
need boat, but that can be
managed. 1t rs no use kicking,
Ford. I'm going TO give this thing
a trial. ] tell you, man, rather
than ask that little girl TO wait an
other six months for me I'd go to
the Internal regions If there was q
chance of making enough by the trip
TO get married on
Ford's jaws snapped upon q vigorous
protest. He could write TO Lucy TO-
night. A beastly two weeks, bat when
he came back everybody would be
talking OIL.
There is Maptal now. III send him
to you," he mSttered. Good luck
old man."
They shook hands warmly, end the
next day it was reported that Corporal
Cranmere had gone to q neighborins
| village to spend his furlough.
Ford, writing to his sweetheart orr.
tain passages TO be read aloud, drew
vivid description OF the desperate
undertaking. HE told me once" be
concluded, that for the sake of get
ting enough together to be married
on he would cheerfully make Q trip
to hades. Well, he has stvuck some
| thing worse than hsdes this trip
Whoever his girl Ia, she must be al
| most as lovable as somebody else
he's swfully gone ON her. Poor fel
low, i hope ne will come back alive
now that his land pconisee so well.
"And / hope" he muttered, as he
posted the letter, that she win b,
so scared and miserable for the next
six weeks she'll learn some sense
I've no patience with q girl that cam
be satisfied when n man has told bel
that he loves her. Histrionics b
hanged. I'm glad Lucy doesn't go n
for that sort sf thing, deer, sensibl
little soul that she ISL
This was how it happened tha
when Corporal Cranmere, none tn
worse for his wild goose chase t
Lake Bombon and the long homewsrc
/ voyage that had followed ciose upoI
it, dashed into the private parlor o
a San Francisco hotel and found I
worn-lool<ing girl with big eyes AM
white cheeks, who had no high-howI
\ prefers of freedom to make. Oni,
an eager whisper that she was glad
so glad he had no. been killed in tina
horrid volcano.
Never mind, sweetheart be said
soothingly, the Philippines are no
so bad. But Texas is the place 70
us. Isn't it?"
wherever you are, dear boy" sh
answered, contentedly.