Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-03
CHAPTER IX-Continued.

4
unconsciously murmured the musical lines
of Tennyson's Maud
| ''She is coming my own my sweet;
| Were II ever so airy tread,
NV heart would hear her and beat
| Were 1t earth in an earthly bed;
| My dust would hear her and beat,
| Had lain for a century dead:
Would start and trembe under her feet,
| And blossom in purple and red
| Good gracious! Don't gaze at me in that
| fashion. l don't look like a ghost, do I?'
| cried Iris, when near enough to note his
| rapt expression.
You would not object if 1 called you
| vision?'' he inquired quietly, averting his
| eyes lest they should speak more plainly
| than his tongue.
Not if you meant it nicely. But fear
| that specter' would be a more appropriate
| word. Via ma meilleure robe de sortie!
She spread out the front widths of her
| skirt, and certainly the prospect was la
mentable. The dress was so patched and
mended yet SO full of fresh rents that a re-
| spectacle housemaid would hesitate before
| using it to clean fire-irons
is that really your best dresS?' he
said
Yes. This is my blue serge. The brown
| cloth did not survive the soaking it received
| in salt water. After a few days it simply
| crumbled. The others are muslin or cotton,
and have been-er--adapted"
There is plenty of mems clothing he
| began.
Unfortunately there isn't another is
land she said, severely.
No. l meant that it might be possible
to-er-contrive some sort of rig that will
serve all purposes"
But all my thread is gone. 1 have bare
ly needleful left
I'm that case we must fall back on our
supply of hemp"
Il suppose that might be made to serve"
she said You are never at a loss for an
eXpedient.
1T will be poor one, fear. But you
can make up for 1t by buying some nice
gowns at Doucets or Worths.''
She laughed delightedly. Perhaps in
his joy at my temperance my dear old
dad may let me run riot in Paris on our
way home. But that will not last We are
fairly well off, but l cannot afford ten
thousand year for dress alone"
IF any woman can afford such sum
for the purpose, you are at least her equal"
Iris looked puzzled. us that your way of
telling me that fine feathers would make
me a fine bird?" she asked.
No. 1 intend my words to be understood
in their ordinary sense. You very, very
rich, Miss Deane-an extravagantly wealthy
young person"
nonsense. Why, only the other day my
father said
Excuse me- What is the average price
of a walking dress from a leading Paris
house?'
Thirty pounds
And an evening dress?'
"Oh, anything, from fifty upward"
lie picked up few pieces of quartz from
the canvas sheet.
Here is your walking Dress he said,
handing her a lump weighing about a
pound. with the balance in the heap
there you can stagger the est-dressed
woman you meet at your first dinner in
England
DO you mean by pelting her?'' she in
quired, mischevously.
Far worse. By wearing a more expen-
sive costume"
His manner was so earnest that he COM
PEELED seriou ..-ess Iris took the proffered
specimen and looked at It.
From the cave, 1 suppose? I thought
you said antimony was not very valuable"
That Is not antimony. 1t Is gold. By
chance L have hit upon extremely rich
lode of gold At the most modest computa-
ton 1t Is worth hundreds of thousands Of
pounds. You and / are quite wealthy peo-
pie, Miss Deane."
Iris openeG her blue eyes very wide at
this. intelligence. 1t took her breath away
But her first words betokened her innate
sense of fair dealing.
You and 1! Wealthy" she gasped. II
am so glad for your sake, but tell me-
pray, Mr.. jerks. what have 1 got to do
with it?''
You" he repeated. Are we not part
ners in this island? By squatter's right, If
by no better title. we own land minerals
WOOu game. ana even Sucn weird DeiOng-
ings as ancient lights and fishing privi-
leges."
Il don't see that at all. You find a gold
mine, and coolly tell me that I am a half
owner of 1t because you dragged me out
or the sea. fed me, housed me, saved my
life from pirates, and generally acted like
a devoted nursemaid in charge of a baby.
Really, Mr.. jerks"
Really. Miss Deane. you will annoy me
seriously If you say another word. / alb
solutely refuse to listen to such an ar
gument''
Her outrageously unbusness-lke utter
2nceS, treading fast on the heels of his
own melodramatic and written views con-
corning their property. nettled him greatly
Each downright syllable was a sting to his
conscience, but of this Iris was blissfully
unaware. else she would not have applied
caustic to the ranking wound caused by
his momentary distrust of her.
For some time they stood in silence until
the sailor commenced to reproach himself
for his rough protest. Perhaps he had hurt
her sensitive feelings. What a brute he
was, to be sure! She was only a child in
ordinary affairs, and he ought to have ex-
planned things more lucidly and with great
er command over his temper And all this
time Iris's face was dimpling with amuse-
ment. for she understood him so well that
had he threatened to kill her she would
have laughed at him.
Would you mind getting the lamp?" he
said softly, surprised to catch her express
sion of saucy humor.
"Oh, please may speakT she inquired
I don't want to annoy you. but am SIM
ply dying to talk"
He had forgotten his own Injunction
Let US first examine our mine" he said
If you bring the lamp we can have a good
look at it,"
Close scrutiny of the work already done
merely confirmed the accuracy of his first
Impressions. Whilst Iris held the light he
opened up the seam with few strokes of
the PICK Each Few inches 1T broadened
into noteworthy volcanic dyke now yell
low In its absolute purity. at times a blush
black when fused with other metals The
additional labor involved caused him to
follow up the line of the fault Suddenly
the flame of the lamp began to flicker in a
draught. There was an air passage be-
tween cave and ledge.
Il am sorry" cried jerks. desisting from
further efforts, that / have not recently
read one of Bret Harte's novels or / would
speak to you in the language of the mining,
camp But in plain Cockney Miss Deane,
we are on to a good thing IL only we can