Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-06-10


very. very rich. Miss Deane. an ex-
travagantly wealthy yoEpg person"
"Of course you know you are talking
nonsense. Why. only the other day my
father said
Excuse me. What IS the average
price of a walking dress from a Lead
ing Paris hOuseF"
Thirty pounds"
And an evening drcssF~
"Oh. anything from fifty upward"
He picked up few pieces of quartz
from the canvas sheet.
Here is your walking dress" he
said, handing her a lump weighing
about pound. with the balance in
the heap there you can stagger the
best dressed woman you meet at your
first dinner in England"
DO you mean by pelting herr" she
inquired mischievOusly.
Far worse. BY wearing a more ex-
pensive costume"
His manner was 50 earnest that he
compelled seriousness. Iris took the
proffered specimen and looked at IL
From the cave. | suppose? / thought
you said anthony was not very vaIu-
able?~
THAT is not anthony. 1t is gold.
BY chance l have hit upon an extreme
iy rich lode of gold. vt the most mod
est computation it is worth hundreds
of thousands OF pounds. You and 1 are
quite wealthy people. Miss Deane."
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 I, Wealthy she gasped.
Il am SO glad for your sake. but tell
me, pray. Mr.. jerks. what have I got TO
do with it?'
Your he repeated "Are we not
partners in this island? BY squatters
right II by no better title we own land.
minerals. wood. game and even such
weird belongings as ancient lights and
fishing privileges"
81 don't see that at ALL You find
gold mine and coolly tell me that 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 a devoted nursemaid in
charge OF a baby. Really. Mr.. jerks
Really. Miss Dcane. YOU will annoy
me seriously If YOU say another word.
l absolutely refuse TO listen to such an
argument"
For some time they stood I'm silence
until the sailor commenced 10 reproach
himself for his rough protest. Perhaps
he had hurt her sensitive feelings
What brute he was 10 be sure, She
was only child in ordinary affairs.
and he ought to have explained things
more lucidly and with greater com
mand over his temper And all this
time Iris face was dimpllng with
amusement for she understood him 90
well that had he Threatened To Kill Ler
she would have laughed at him.
Would YOU mind getting the lampF"
he said softly. surprised 10 catch her
expression OF saucy humor
oh. please may l speakF' she in
quired. Il don't want TO annoy YOU
but am simply dying to talk"
He had forgotten his own injuncu "a
Let Us first examine our mine" hc
said IF YOU bring the lamp we can
have good look az &c."
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 a
few strokes of the pick. Each few
inches IL broadened into a noteworthy
volcanic dixie, now yellow in its abso.
lutte purity. at times blush black
when fused with other metals The adj
ditional labor involved caused him 10
follow up the line OF the fault. sud
denly the fame OF the lamp began TO
flicker in draft There was an air
passage between cave and ledge.
They came back into the external
glare Iris was now 50 serious that she
forgot 10 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 US"
quite enough. We can even spare
some for our friends"
The hour drew near when jerks
climbed TO the summit rock. He Shout
dered ax and rifle and set forth. Iris
heard him rustling upward through the
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 a woman vet /
who could take her eyes off a written 4
document which confronted her. She 1
could not help seeing that one small /
morsei contained her own name. 4
Though mutilated. il had clearly read /
Dear Miss Deane"
SO IL was intended for mem she
cried, throwing down her bundle and
dropping TO her knees. She secured
that particular slip and examined IL
Not for worlds would she
pick up ali the scraps and endeavor TO
sort them. Yet they had a fascination
for her, and at this closer range she
saw another which bore the legend-'I
love your
Somehow the two seemed TO fit to
gether very nicely.
Yet third carried the same words