The San Francisco call., 1904-07-03

made a fortune out Of the mine and
then when you lost the vein you
leased 1t to Mr.. Temple through mis-
representations. He paid you fifty
thousand, and has sunk more than
fifty thousand in searching for that
vein- Until day before yesterday,
from nearly a years work, he took
out less than $1,000. He told me that
you were up there yourselves only a
short time ago trying to induce him to
release the mine for twenty-five thou
sand, believing il to be exhausted.
Now
las Temple has rediscovered the
vein, richer than ever" finished Graw
cOolly, 1--WE propose to operate II our
selves. But you may tell him that IL
he will turn the mine over to US at day
light tomorrow we will pay him back
one-half the years lease-twenty-fYe
thousand"
And let him lose the other seventy
five thousand" flashed back Joyce.
No. thank you. We will hold the mine
until the very last moment Of the
lease"
But once outside she wondered II she
had done the best she could. He was
down In the mine working fercely with
his men at the almest pure vein which
the explosives had uncovered, and be-
hevtng that she would return with the
new lease. Only ten more days, and he
did not know 1t. What could she do?
Before she had gone hundred yards
she knew, and instead Of keeping on
toward tae stores, she hurried to the
only printing office Bedrock contained.
An hour later the town was conspicu-
ously posted with: Men wanted at the
Snake-Rock mine for ten days. Wages
SIS a day, pack mules $40"
Ordinary wages for good laborern
was 81 or IS. Bosses and superintend-
ents did not average SIS. In an, hour
men were leaving regular Jobs OF work
and ruthlessly breaking contracts.
When Joyce finished her shopping and
started for home she found straggiers
and groups with picks and shovels
scattered along the trail for two miles
or more But she reached the mouth OF
the mine first and sent an imperative
summons for Temple to come to the
surface. When he joined her a half
hour later, twenty men were waiting
for Jobs, with fifty hurrying up the
slope, and between the fifty and Bed
rock came half a thousand more.
The regular force OF the mine was
less than a hundred men. but the next
morning a thousand names were on
the payroll. divided into day and
night shifts. A great stream OF ore
rolled up out of the mine to the backs
OF the pack mules and on the smelter
at Bedrock, whence came certid-
Gates Of credit with figures that would
have staggered mine-owner Of mod
crate ideas. But Temple did not even
see them. He was down IN the mine.
working and watching day and night
to see that the great stream should
not slacken for even an instant.
Joyce insisted on a share In tha
work and remained at the mouth OF
the mine with book and pencil. keep
ing record OF the stream as II flowed
past. and 1t was she who took charge
OF the credit slips as they came in.
So week went by. eight days, nine
days, and the tenth was nearing its
close when Temple came up from the
mine and staggered weakly to where
Joyce was standing with her book and
pencil. And behind Temple came the
half thousand men Of the day shift,
slipping through the mouth OF the
mine like the coils OF a mighty SER
pent- The vein had again disappeared.
and four hours Of the lease remained.
When Temple looked over the credit
slips the weariness left his face. Il
knew II would be something stu
pendous, he said to Joyce with long
breath, but nothing like this. We
will divide two hundred thousand OF
it among the workmen-less than one
quarter-and then for the East"
Copyright 1904. by Frank H. sweet)