St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-05-07

Positions were scarce in this section OF
the country, and his spirits sank low.
What would Mary think of it? Mary
was the "beggarly milliner." D
He began slowly to replace the BOOKS
which Uttered the floor. The blue
nrint Law between a tattered ledger and
a letter book. He picked it up and
turned it over.
"What'S this"
1t was a private chart showing the
borings through the boundary to the
Rusv Bee, and the assays averaged
5000 per ton. Ryan whistled soft
w. slipped the paper in his pocket,
closed the safe and tossed the keys on
the desk. Grafton had taken the south
road to Ripple, and Pat didn't want
to meet him, so he climbed the dump
on the north side of the shaft and hur-
red down the hill. A whistle footed
up the canyon.
"That must be the 11:45."
He rushed down the rocky pathway,
climbing powders, lodging spruce
stumps, sliding on the dry pine needles,
until he reached the depot.
Going to Dunton, Mr.. Ryan"
drawed the station agent.
EYES," guIped Pat breathlessly.
The man pushed down the signal
lever, and the roar of the oncoming
train lessened as it swung round The
bend, slowed down and stopped. Pat
jumped in, the conductor raised the
green flag, the locomotive snorted loud
Iy, and the glittering tracks shot out
from beneath.
Up on the miners ridge man was
running, waving franticalIy. Pat recog
nized him, but the 11:45 thundered on
through the canyon.
At Dunton depot two hours later Pat
met Cuthbert, the chief telegraph
operator
Hello, Ryan! Business brisk at the
mine"
Nothing doing at all; just been
fired"
Want a job, then? Burke quit this
morning. Come right over now. And
the affable operator grabbed Pats arm
and led him into the office.
Ryan understood the work. He had
served his time on the Western Union
He thanked Cuthbert, threw off his
jacket and sat down before the ma
chine. Tick-tick! A message was
claiming Interpretation:
Haggart Boston Block, Dunton:
Excavations in western section start immediate
ly GRAFTON.
Pat knew the western section to be
worthless. The blue print and the tele-
gram confirmed his suspicious Graf
ton was going to steal. On the stroke
of he boarded a car at the office door
and got off at a milliners store.
He had scarcely released the spring
doors when a girls voice cried "Patsyr'
and a pair of soft arms were round his
neck, pulling his head forward and
down on the artificial violets on the
counter.
The greetings over, Mary surprised
him with unexpected news.
Mothers just had a proposal, Patsy.
| The gentleman comes for his answer
tonight"
"Who is it,"
"NIr. Grafton"
"What" gasped Ryan.
Now he understood why the man
waved so frantically. Heavens! If
he had caught the train, there would
have been no telegram; he'd have az
rived here ahead of me, thought Pat.
Next afternoon Grafton called on the
widow, but he did not stay long. Later
| he boarded the Santa Fe for the Pacific
coast, and Iaggart never saw him
again.
In the underground chamber of the
Evening Star the black diamonds had
pierced through fourteen feet of solid
rock, and the rich vein of the Busy
Bee showed up richer every foot The
machine was still drOning noisily when
Ryan and his attorney entered.
"Stop that drillr shouted Ryan.
Jack sprang up.
"You can't come in here; Graftons
orders! he reared.
you're not likely to take further
orders from Grafton" said Ryan quiet.
ly.
The Cornishman's face went white.
"What-d'yOu-mean" he stammer.
ed.
Il mean the games up" answered
Ryan.
Jack stopped the drill, and the Even.
ing Star closed down.
SIMMER fe0MEnpTS