Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-04-05
inquired mischievously.

Densive costume"
His manner was SO earnest that he
compelled seriousness. Iris took the
profl'cred specimen and looked at it.
"From the cave l suppose? thought
you said antimony was not very valu-
lble:'
THAT is not anthony. 1t is gold
By chance have hit upon an extreme
ly rich lode of gold. At the most mod
est computation it is worth hundreds
of thousands of pounds. You and are
quite wealthy people, Miss Deanc"
Iris opened 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.
Il am SO glad for your sake, but tell
me, pray, Mr.. jerks, what have got to
do with it?"
"You" he repeated. care we not
partners in this island? By sauatter's
right if by no better title we own land,
minerals, wood, game and even such
weird belongings as ancient lights and
nSnlnS privileges"
~ don't see that at all. You find a
gold mine and coolly tell me that l am
a half owner of it because you dragged
me out of the sea, fed me, housed me,
saved my life from pirates and general
ly acted like devoted nursemaid in
charge of baby. Really, Mr.. jerks
REALLY, Miss Deane, you will annoy
me seriously if you say another word
absolutely refuse to listen to such IN
argument"
For some time they stood in silence
until the sailor commenced to reproach
himself for his rough protest Perhaps
he lad hurt her sensitive feelings.
What brute he was to be sure! She
was only child in ordinary affairs,
and lie ought to have explained things
more lucidly and with greater com.
mand over his temper. And all this
time Iris face was dimpling with
amusement, for she understood him SO
well that had he threatened to kill her
she would have laughed ut him.
would you mind getting the lamp?"
he said softly, surprised to catch her
expression of saucy humor.
"Oh, please may l speak?" she in.
quired. II don't want to annoy you,
but l am simply dying to talk
lie had forgotten his own injunction
Let us first examine our mine,' he
said. "If you bring the lamp we can
have good look ut it,
Close scrutiny of the work already
| done merely confirmed the accuracy of
his first impression. While Iris held
the light he opened up the seam with Il
few strokes of the pick. Each few
inches it broadened into noteworthy
volcanic dixie, now yellow in its abso
lutte purity, at times a blush black
when fused with other metals. The adj.
ditional labor involved caused him to
follow up the line of the fault. Sud.
denly the flame of the lamp began to
flicker in draft. There was an all
passage between cave and ledge.
They came back into the external
glare Iris was now SO serious that she
forgot to eXtinguish the little lamp
She stood with outstretched hand
'There is lot of money in there
she said.
"Tons of it,
"No need to quarrel about division
There is enough for both of u.s."
quite enough. We can even spare
some for our friends"
The hour drew near when jerks
climbed to the Summit rock He Shout.
dered AK and rifle and set forth. Iris
heard him rustling upward thu gh the
trees soiie ect sunies sw .,tSr- *. ibvil,tc,,,
tea and. while bringing fresh supply
of fuel, passed the spot where the TORI
scraps Of paper Uttered the sand.
She was the soul Of honor for Il wo
man, but there was never Il woman YET
who could take her eyes off written
document which confronted her. She
could not help seeing that one small
morsel contained her own name
Though mutilated, 1t had clearly read
Dear Miss Deane."
$50 it was intended for mel" she
cried, throwing down her bundle and
dropping to her knees. She secured
that particular slip and examined II
earnestly. Not for worlds would she
pick up all the scraps and endeavor to
sort them. Yet they had fascination
for her, and at this closer range she
saw another which bore the legend-"l
love your
Somehow the two seemed to fit to-
gether very nicely.
Yet Il third carried the same words
II love your They were still quite
coherent. She did not want to look
any further. She did not even turn
over such Of the torn pieces as had
tluttered to earth face downward.
Opening the front Of her bodice, she
brought to light small gold locllet
containing miniatures of her father
and mother. Inside this receptacle she
carefully placed the three really mate.
rial portions Of the sailors letter
When jerks walked down the hill
again he heard her singing long before
he caught sight Of her sedulously tend.
ing the fire.
AS he came near he perceived the re.
mains of his useless document. He
stopped and gathered them up, forth
with throwing them among the glow
ing logs.
"By the way, what were you writing
while had my bath?" inquired Iris de
murely.
"Some information about the mine
On second thoughts, however, saw II
was unnecessary"
"Oh, was that all?"
practically all"
"Then some part was impractica
ble?'
He glanced sharply at her, but she
was merely talking Mt random.
well, you see," he explained, "ont
can do so little without the requisite
-
| @EER|E|gRZllllllj d1I1l|T1Ta1Nt1