The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-05-17
Copyright. 1905. by
Edward J. Clode

II don't see That at ali. 40u u0Q q
gold mine and coolly tell me that I am
a.flaH owner Of it because you dragged
smesout soff thapsea, fed me, housed me.
saved my HE from pirates and general
" acted like q devoted nursemaid In
charge Of q baby. Really, Mr.. Jenks"-
Really, Miss Deane, you viii annoy
me seriously II you say another word.
I absolutely refuse to listen to such an
argument
. 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 brute he was to be sure! She
was only child In ordinary affairs.
and ne ought to have explained things
more lucidiy and with greater COM
mand over his temper. And all this
time Iris face WIGS dimpiing with
amusement, for she understood him so
well that had he threatened to kill her
she would have laughed at him.
Would you mind getting the lampY
he said softly, surprised to catch her
expression Of saucy humor.
.tOh. please may speak," she In
quired. ST don't want to annoy you,
but am simply dying to talk"
He had forgotten his own Injunction.
4Let us first examine our mine" he
said. ''If you bring the lamp we can
have good look at 1t"
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
few strokes Of the pick. Each few
inches 1t broadened into noteworthy
volcanic dixie, now yellow in its abso-
lutte purity, at times blush black
when fused with other metals. The ad-
ditional labor involved caused him to
follow up the line Of the fault. Sud-
denly the fame Of the lamp began to
flicker In q draft. There was an air
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 shoul-
dered ak and rifle and set forth. Iris
heard him rustling upward through the
trees. She set some water to boil for
tea and. while bringing a fresh supply
Of fuel, passed the spot where the torn
scraps OF paper Uttered the sand.
She was the soul Of honor for wo-
man, but there was never woman yet
who could take her eyes OF written
document which confronted her. She
could not help seeing that one small
norSel contained her own name.
Though mutilated, it had clearly read,
Dear Miss Deane."
so it was intended for me-" she
cried. throwing down her bundle and
dropping to her knees. She secured
that particular slip and examined it
earnestly. Not for worlds would she
pick up all the scraps and endeayor to
sort them Yet they had fascination
for her. and at this closer range she
saw another which bore the legend-'I
love you"'
Somehow the two seemed to fit to-
gether very nicely.
Yet third carried the same words
81 love you" 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
futtered to earth face downward.
Opening the front Of her bodice she