Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1908-01-09
THE BUILDERS
By George Willis Emerson
CHAPTER xxi.

party are not unusually miserable,
and Fred was not exactly hilarious
when in looking over his accounts,
he found he had to his credit in
the Chemical National Bank barely
six thousand dollars lie paced the
floor for a full half-hour in deep
thought. "She would advance her
last dollar to sink the shaft deep
en-" he said aloud. "She, a weak,
frail, little woman yet stronger
in her affections and deUotioA
than a regiment OF soldiers. Many
rich man has paid out his last
farthing for experience and then
died pauper-but, l will try
once more. 1t ay be gambling
my last dollar, for this is certainly
nothing more or less than gam
BILE, and yet-well, quien sabe.
We may strike it after all. A Won
derful memory suggests greatness,
but the greatest achievement is a
conveniently poor memory is a
crisis, ad | will try to forget that
| ever put farthing in the Shon-
bar, if"
He drew check for the amount,
r'aiung 1t payable TO Benjamin Nil
lard. lie looked at it long and
thoughtfully. "Why am | doing
thisq" he said to himself. ut is
not for Mr.. billiard; it is not my
faith in the Shonbar. l might as
+. well 'fess up, it is love for Ruth,
bless her heart
His hand trembled little in
allow the work to stop at the four
siging his name to the check. 1t
was the last throw Of the dice. He
felt he had in a measure given his
word to Ruth. Now there was the
question of his daily bread immedi-
ately ahead of him that must be
considered. He would call on Mr..
Hilliard and then devote all his
energies to the solution of the prob
lem, and he would solve it, too. n
Strong with resolutio, and With
Judgment sadly warped, perhaps,
because of his infatuation for
Ruth Ruth. he he turned to the. billiard
home. Ruth met him at the door
and together they went into the
little parlor where a wood fire
was burning brightly.
81 delivered your message to
daddy" she said, "and almost i'm
mediately he fell into restful
sleep"
"Do not disturb him." said
Fred, "but when he awakens,
kindly give him this evelope; in it
is a check for six thousand dollars
Tell him to start tomorrow for
the five-hundred-foot level"
The impulsive Ruth took the en-
yelope with hands that trembled,
while two great tears dimmed her
eyes. "Why have you done thisg'
she asked.
The object Of an ardent love ap-
proaches perfection as love ripens
into completeness, and the longer
a man is constant in love, the
nobler he, himhelf, becomes Fred
would probably have answered her
question then and there, had he
not felt that, IN a way, she was
conscious of an obigdtion, and he
spurned even the thought OF tell
ing her his love at such a time.
Mr.. billiard appeared at the
door. "Mr. Rockwell" he said,
"your presence in my house brings
sunshine with it. You know the
worst. Ruth tells me she has in
formed you of the unfortunate
low-grade ore found at the four
hundred foot level Of the Shonbar,
but there is encouragement IN the
improved geological formation as
well as the Increased values. "
Ruth turned from Fred to her
father while he was speaking and
buricl her face on his shoulder,
crying VIII soft little sobs that
nearly broke Fred's heart.
I'D. after why are you cryln +?
If Iwnis gilin you advice would
tel, sou never to she'd tears in Il
mans presence. They have so bind
ed the eyes Of many a little woman
that whole battallions of choice OPP
portunities have slipped by unob-
served. Here, daughter, what 8
4I,a ,,~.ftaY. 90