The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1912-11-28
The FactsAbo
That Mine....
Weekly Short Story.

You don't know enough to come in
when 1t rains!"
Abner Day. farmer. had heard these
words hundreds Of times In the fifteen
years since he har married the Widow
Winters and his reply had always
been the same:
WAL, some folks are born that way
and can't help it,
ON portion of Abner's farm was a
range of hills. 1t was limestone
ridge, but there was legend that gold
had been found there years before
a nugget Of gold as big as a teacup.
That legend never died. When other
news was scarce It was brought to the
front and 1t was generally believed in.
Abner's grandfather had meant to
open the hills some day In search of
other nuggets. So had his father. So
had he. The trouble was to find time.
There were blowing and dragging and
planting and hoeing and reaping and
he never got day to himself
The widow began to poke at him as
soon as married, but it did no good
She would go on to tell how many tons
of gold were probably hidden away In
those hills and how, if dug out, they
could have the clock cleaned, new
door to the shed and the cellar stairs
repaired.
"I'll get around to it some day,
Sarah he would reply.
But why not tomorrow"
"Mebbe | can" ,
But he didn't. His farm work in
terfered AS he finished his morning
meal the wife would say:
Now, Abner, that gold mine today.
You can dig half ton of it as we'll as
not and we need new flatirons and a
wash board
Eyes, know"
AS the day passed and he sat down
to supper she would ask:
dig any gold today, Abner?"
Nope. had other things to see to,
OF course the gold mine legend was
gossip for many miles around. Once
a month at least some one came a,one
and wanted to dig on shares. They
would see the wife first and she would
readily agree. All she wanted was
that lawyer should draw up TN
agreement so that it would hold water
She had been cheated by lightning
rod man once and she didn't propose
to be anybody's victim again. Sh'
kept a corner of the cellar cleaned gu
to store the gold in but it was neve
used The stranger would go dow
into the field and talk with Abner AM
after he had winded himself he woul'
hear the farmer say:
"These taters has got to be hoe'
and you come around some other time
But don't you want to be a ricl
man?'
1T would be kinder nice"
"You could go to Europe
"Yaas."
"You could build a fine house an
have your carriage and servants"
II see."
perhaps you'd be elected governor
"Shoo.'
"And I'll have lawyer draw up IN
contract and bring It here tomorro'
to be signed Digging will begin
once. Within week.
Eyes, | know. but these taters-
It was always so and when Abnt
scuffed up to the house at shutdown
was to find his wife in the sulks or
tears and she generally ended u
with:
and If you don't go to digging II
first thing in the morning l Will.
Think of Fifteen years OF pokif
and not a hole made In the hilislo
The ex-widow must have been
- patient. determined woman to stand
But stand 1t she did. She would col
ouer or die. One day. after her maj
disappointments. she fell Ill. The 40
tor pronounced 1t typhoid fever al
she became a very sick woman.
times when she was out of her ne'
she would babble about that 90
nine At length. to prevent lur'h
worry, the M. d. advised Abner 20
to digging and ease the mind OF
patient.
But I've got to pillow out corn
morrow" was protested.
Never mind your corn You get
couple of men and open those Nils
you'l soon be a widower.'
do you think it'll be safe 10 I'D
several tons Of gold around
"Quite so. When | call again wa
to see you at work
In n lucid interval the patient
told that digging was to begin
was very i'll but she braced up ehou
to say:
.vrol, Ahrer that IL he finds any