Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1905-01-19

Il y poor place, but | don't feel
d " 8 willing to give it UP. It's
q Il i been my home-as it was
6O~ my fathers before me; and
did hupc"--with a sigh
''that you'd ha' takeE 10 il. and made
it as good as twas in his time. Per-
haps if you'd marry and settle down
here, with good managing wife to
help you, you'd DO better and be better
satisfied; and if it weren't for old
David Gardner's obStinacy, you and
Lefty"
Enough, mother" interrupted Rob
ert Langly, flushing all over his hand
some, sunburnt face: ITS no use say
ing anything more on that subject.
I'll never ask any woman to marry me
so long as | know that | cannot afford
her Il servant, or so long as there's
mortgage hanging over the roof that
Id bring her to-
His mother looked at him anxiouSy
over her spectaclcs.
1T it wasn't for the mortgage" she
said, slowly, we might get alons.
Twas that worried your father into
his srave-that, and not lindiuS tie
goldstreak--"
Her son made an impatient .loyc-
ment. and she added.
Don't you think you could =ct lit.
tie more time allowed us, Robert?
Maybe when the crops sold, and the
apples and c!der--'
Mr.. Davis won't hcar of il, mother.
: saw him yesterday and talked it over.
but he insists il must all be paid by
the first of August ALI, here he comes
now"
And Robert went out to meet the
well-dresSed. Sharp-'yed man IN Il
handsome trap, while his mother re-,
manned in the back porch, with sleeves
rolled up, mixing food for The poultry.
"There amt many of EN- TO feed
now" she said, talking aloud TO her
self, as she had been accustomed with
her late husband. Then there's old
Speck missing-the best layer cf 'rm
all, ami Gold streak. fit for nothing
since her legs broke, All, me. I'm
mighty afeared that she's tic only
gold-streak We'll ever know ut this
place.
whats that about goit-StrPak,
Mrs. Langy?' exclaimed clear,
young voice.
And girl with sweet face ana
bright brown eyes and \ blue cStripcd
chintz dress, lifting perfectly TO her
trim figure, stood smiling before her
Mrs. Langlys face frightened inmc.
diately.
"Why. Lefty, how do you always
manage to take one by surprise. as If
you'd risen out o the earth or dropped
down from the clouds Well you're
welcome, Ill tell You about the gold
streak if you care to listen
You see she continued. the Lang
lys come of Scotch stock, and it's been
said that Roh's great grandfather
Langly, over in Scotland, had the Gift
o. second sight-that is, seeing and
knowing things that are going TO hap
pen. But never did think much Of if,
though my husband-poor departed
JeemS !-believcd in it as firmly as he
believed in summer and winter. Well,
about eleven years ago old Alick Lang
Iy paid us Il visit / hadn't seen him
but once before in my Iife--for he lived
long way from here. Him and
Jeems, they walked all over the farm,
and it was far better cultivated place
then than 1t is now. though nothing
compared to what it was in my fathers
time. Jeems' Uncle Alick didn't seem
to think much Of it. though.
The day he went away" she went
on, "he was standing and looking all
around him on the farm. All of sud,
den he says. 'Jemmy-Jemmy and
Mary'-turning to me-'rve one thing
to say before | 90. Stick to your farm.
for there's Il streak of golden luck in
it. Of course, asked what he meant
but all he would say was, I've seen it
I've seen it by the power that's given
us to look into the future. I've seen a
streak of gold-uck running through
your land that's to better your fortunes
In good time. Don't part with it until
your luck's found And that same day
he went away, and the first we heard
of him after he got home was that he
was dead"
There was another pause, and Lefty
said:
"And you think there is really vein
of gold to be found on your farm
"Jeems thought So TO his dying day
he believed in it,
"And what does Robert think about
it?" inquired the girl, with faint flush
on her cheeks
"Oh, he thinks it all nonsense-about
the gold, and the second sight, and all
Just at this moment they heard Mr.
Davis trap roll away, and Robert came
around the corner of the house.
He looked little excited. but that
might be from finding Lefty there. He
walked home with her across the fields
to the next farm. When he returned
he said, quite abruptly:
Mother, Mr.. Davis wants to buy
the fam. He's offered more for it thar
! ever dreamed it would bring. HI
seems quite anxious to get it; and wher
I told him that you objected to par