Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-06-01
CHAPTER NJ.

day TO day in the hope OF seeing her
again and promising himself that as
soon as he had another interview with
her he would take his departure. His
purpose in seeing her again was to
make 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, as
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 little while then
called out gayly to him:
"a penny for your thoughts, Mr..
Turner"
The old man gave a start and looked
up.
II don't know" he replied. THAT
mought be Il good price. and IL mouyht
not. 1 amt jist ready to sell yit no
how"
Going to hold them for rise in the
market, eh?"
'Mebby. Guess I'll offer 'em for sale
bout the time you put your mines on
the market S'pose you found oodlins
of mineral today, didn't your
mo, l didn't find any"
THAT so? Too bad, amt itY'
"Oh, l don't know. 1t takes time to
locate mineral, you know
Il see il does. 1t pears to take time
even when you don't locate 1t too.
Reckon you must be gittin sort of tired
OF smellin round in the ground that
away, amt your
NO, l guess not"
Lord a-massy, l know I'd be. Yes.
stree! I'd be jist plumb tired out, an
my hopes Of fndin anything would be
petered clean down to a whine. Reck-
ON that company Of rich fellers you're
workin for hain't feeliu as good as
they mought."
"oh, they're all right. They never
expected me to strike a fortune in a
week or two"
Guess, though, they mought "a
had notion that in smellin round
we're for n month you out to run your
nose up ag'in little bit of mineral.
don't you thinkT
They wouldn't regard a month as
anything IN prospecting for mineral
"Wouidn't theyT'
Certainly not. nor six months nor
a year"
WAL, l sw'ar! Jest lay back thar
an take 1t easy an let you smell round
down we're long as you please?"
81 suppose So"
"Humphl Reckon, then. | been fig
germ kind OF wrong a-settin yereY'
81 don't know how you've been fig
uring"
Guess If them fellers feels bout It
like you say faint likely they'd turn
in an send another Teller down we're
to jine in an holp you, is it?"
"Of course not. How came you to
think of the possibility OF such
thingT'
at come out OF nee tryin to fit two
ends OF a raveled string together"
Il don't understand that" Melvin
said, with a laugh. Put it in plain
English, if you please"
WAL, 1t seems kind of odd that two
fellers would be sent down we're by
different companies, all at once, to
hunt for mineral, specially when thar
hain't no mineral to hunt for, so I
lowed mebby your company had con-
Guided to send Teller to holp you out
a bit"
Two fellows sent down here! What
do you mean?"
jest that Thar's another Teller yere
besides you"
"Who is it?'
Lord a-massy, I don't know who it
Isl
How do you know he's here?'
Seed him, seed him with my own
eyes"
"When?"
To-day"
"Whera?"
Right we're"
Melvin began to feel uneasy. He
didn't like 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 4 name" :rner replied.
"A name! To You think he didn't
tell you his own name?"
"Lcrd amasSy how can l tell? You
fel9ers come down we're IN say your
names is 50 "a -. IN how do / know
whether ycu':a ,2,lin the truth or
whether yCu a.-c!"
Melvin blrsE, , ana c-od the old man
keenly. S@ol ;ai!. made h..a suspl-
cious. Then he was not easy about
that newcomer. He wondered if Tur-
ner had heard something to arouse his
suspicious. When one is in continual
suspense, it requires but little to alarm
him. Quietly enough, however, Melvin
asked:
What name did that man give your
'W aite-W-a-i-t-e. He spelled it out
TOR me- said he belonged to the firm
If Waite x See
Waite & See! Humphr'
That amt your firm, reckon"
"No."
'poa't know nothin bout 'em, l
guess"
'No."
"Q,-a,a N arna For n frn, a;,,,t ,tos,