Mexico Missouri message., 1906-07-12
c0pulghl. b Lolhr0p PubIIshlag conpany.
CHAPTER IV.-CoNTINUED.

| you bJuDDOFu pefbou. hSdiAyt
know all about myself. l asked you to
tell me about yourself"
"And l began at once to tell you
everything about myself-everything
of interest-which is yourself"
IL see your sense of values Is gone,
poor man. l 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. remembered you kindly, with
real gratitude, indeed You didn't
seem like a New York man either, and
decided you weren't. Honestly,
am glad to find you here at your work
10 your miners clothes. You mustn't
think we forget how to value men that
work"
On the point of saying thoughtless-
ly: But I'm not working here-I own
the mine" he checked himself In
stead he began defense of the man
who doesn't work, but who could IL
he had to. For example," he contin-
ued, "here we are at place that you
must be carried over; otherwise you'd
have to wade through a foot Of water
or go around that long way we've
come. I've rubber boots on, and so l
pick you 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, wade out to the middle Of
this subterranean lake" He stopped.
"You see, I've learned to do things.
l could pick you from that slippery
street and put you in your carriage,
and l can pick you up now without
wasting words about it"
"But you're wasting time-hurry,
please-and, anyway, you're q miner
and used to such things"
He remained standing.
But I'm not wasting time, and I'm
not a miner IN the sense you mean.
own this mine, and suppose for the
most part I'm the sort of man 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
lSft"
But, hurry, please, and set me
down"
mot until 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 now. Look out for me
next time may not put you down
at ALL"
She gave a low little laugh, denotine
unrufied serenity. She was gloryins
secretly in his strength, and she knew
his boldness and timidity were still
, Justly balanced. And there was tht
rather astonishing bit Of news he hat
J Just given her. That needed lot o.
consideration.
With slow, sure-footed steps HI
reached tne farther side of the watel
: and put her on her feet.
J There, l thought I'd reveal the dis
tressing truth about myself while
I had you at my mercy"
. II might have suspected, but gavI
: the name no thought. Bines, to b.
|. sure. You are the son Of the Bine
a who died some months ago. hearr
e Mr.. Shepler and my father talking
J, about some of your mining properties
!. Mr.. Shepler thought the One Girl wa
: such funny name for your father t
: give a mine"
e Now they neared the foot Of tn
( shaft, where the rest Of the part,
i seemed to await them. AS they cam
!, up Percival felt himself raked by
a broadside from the maternal lorgnol
I that left him all but disabled. TIL
e father glowered at him and asked ques
lions in the high key we are apt t
{ adopt in addressing foreigners, in tn
e instructive fallacy that any languag
n can be understood by anyone If It b
: spoken loudly enough. The mother
z manner was crushing rebuke to tn
: young man for his audacity. The fl
4 TIERS manner was meant to intimat
d that natives OF the region in Whlc
2 they were then adyenturing were nc
!. worthy OF rebuke, save such generi
Z Tebukes az may be conveyed by dis
d playing ones natural superiority (
1 manner. The other members of III
3 party, excepting shepler, who talke
= with Pangburn at a little distanc
took cue from the Miibreys and al
& gressively ignored the abduetor Of a
g only daughter They talked owe
n around and through him, as only ma
y those mortals whom It hath please
= heaven to have born within certai
z. areas on Manhattan Island.
q II shall see you soon above groun
s. shall not?" Miss Milbrey had aske
"a at which her mother shot PerciVai
4 parting voiIey from her rapid-fl
Z, q lorgnon, while her father turned upc
o him back whose sidelines were real
e admirable, considering his age al
e feeding habits The behavior Of the
= Z people appeared 10 intensity the anus
4 mpnt Of their child The two solen
~ ammo uar4 WIN rarI1lntl1 oonf iutin5