The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1906-07-06
Copyright, by Lothrop Publishing Company.
CHAPTER IV.-CoNTrNuEp.

shahOV @aa
tell me about yourself"
and l began at once to tell you
everything about myself-everything
of interes-which is Yourself"
II see your sense Of values Is gone,
poor man. I shall question you. Now
you are a miner, and l like men of
action, men who do things; I've often
wondered about you, and seriously,
I'm glad to find you here doing some
thing. I remembered you kindly, with
real gratitude, indeed. You didn't
seem like a New York man either, and
I decided you weren't. Honestly, l
am glad to find you here at your work
In your miners clothes. You mustn't
think we forget how to value men that
work."
On the point Of saying thoughtless-
iy: But I'm not working here-I own
the mine" he checked himself. In
stead he began a defense Of the man
who doesn't work, but who could If
he had to. For example," he contin-
ued, here we are at a place that you
must be carried over; otherwise you'd
have to wade through a foot of water
or go around hat long way we've
come. I've rubber boots on, and so /
pick o up this way" He held her
lightly on his arm and she steadied
herself with a hand between his shoul-
ders.
"And staggering painfully under my
burden, I wade out. to the middle Of
this subterranean lake." He stopped.
you see, I've learned to do things.
I could pick you from that slippery
street and put you in your carriage,
and I car pick you up now without
wasting words about it" on
but you're wasting ~time-hurry,
please-and, anyway. you're a miner
and used to such things" n
He remained standing.
but I'm not wasting time, and I'm
not O miner In the sense you mean.
I own this mine, and l suppose for the
most part I'm the sort of nan you
seem to have gotten tired of; the man
who doesn't have to do anything.
Even now I'm this close to work only
because my grandfather wanted me to
look over the properties my father
left"
But, hurry, please, and set me
down."
mot until I warn you that I'm Just
as apt to do things as the kind Of man
you thought | was. This is twice I've
picked you up low. Look out for me
next time I may not put o down
at ALL"
She gave a low little laugh, denoting
unrufied serenity. She was glorying
secretly in his strength, and she knew
his boldness and timidity were still
justly balanced. And there was the
rather astonishing bit of Jews he had
just given her. That needed a lot Of
consideration.
With slow, sure-footed steps he
reached the farmer side of the water
and put her on her feet.
There, l thought I'd reveal the dis
tressing truth about myself while l
had you at my mercy" .9 eui
Il might have suspected, but l gave
the name no thought. Bines, to be
sure. You are the son of the Bines
. who died some months 6 / heard
Mr.. Shepler and my father talking
about some of your mining properties.
Mr.. Shepler thought the One Girl was
such a funny name for your father to
give a mine"
Now they neared the foot Of the
shaft, where the rest Of the party
seemed to await them. AS they came
up Percival felt himself raked by a
broadside from the maternal .lorgnon
that left him all but disabled. The
father glowered at him and asked ques-
lions in the high key we are apt to
adopt in addressing foreigners, in the
instructive fallacy that any language
a be understood by anyone if it be
spoken loudly enough. The mothers
was a crushing rebuke to the
young nan for his audacity. The IA
theirs manner was meant to intimate
that natives Of the region in which
they were then adventuring were not
worthy of rebuke, save such general
rebukes as may be conveyed by dis
playing ones natural superiority of
ann The other members of the
party, excepting Shepler, who talked
VIII ahSDuAA az q lltiC ulSIduCo
took cue from the Milbreys and ag-
excessively ignored the abductor of an
only daughter. They talked over,
around and through him, as only may
those mortals whom 1t hath pleased
heaven to have born within certain
areas on Manhattan Island.
81 shall see you o o above ground,
shall l not?" Miss Milbrey had asked,
at which her mother shot Percival a
parting voiley from her rapid-fre
lorgnon, while her father turned upon
him a back whose sidelines were really
admirable, considering his age and
feeding habits. The behavior OF these
psor'e appeared to intensity the amuse-
ment Of their child. The two solemn
young mon who remained continued to
chat haf0re rercival M thav would