New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-24
CHAPTER VIII.


DOR hours that night the miner took himself to task
for ever having dared hope % win the love Of such
girl as Eve Waters He asked himself bitterly
what right had he man Of the rocks and hills toa.pue
50 high He accused himself of ignorance, and admit
tel that had he known more AZ social usgcs and social
caste he might have been less liable 10 this hcartbrcak
Ing bunlcr And then and there, lying on his hac, IN
his bed and staring upward into the darkness, be- went
over his past mistakes and vowed 10 himself That when
the gold had been swept from the bottom Of the lake he
would profit thereby in his own way. With fortune 40
his command. he would venture ont into that world Of
cities and art glcrcs, and music and study men and
women IN their environment.
The dawn, bringing its first dim light 90 render dis
tinguishablc the familiar objects IN that room where he
had tocl dreamed, and been happy, brought him
weary rcposc and q faint philosophy. Could he but
seize that fortune and make speed hc might yet aspire
10 invade Eve Waters world and win her appreciation.
lie stcrnly banned himself from further air castles Of
love He must shut his teeth and fight, as he had
fought, for knowledge for advancement, for gold He
had dawdcd long enough. None but q Quittcr would
rcpinc And 50, rcsoutcy, he forced himself to sleep
that he might be strong for the new day.
When he awoke he was startled by the strength Of
light Fiful RAYS Of the sum- coming through crcviccs
between fields OF clouds and shifting the walls in side
spaces told him that he had oversight by hours. He
lcapcd from the bed to plunge his face and hands into
the cold water
Nor did he suspect that Haripan Brown queer faith
full and fathcrly, had heard him tumbling in his bed
throughout the night and shrcwdy surmiscd, in his
kindly, sympathetic way, that nothing but heart
wound could have caused that unrest: that lIarlpan
had crawlcd softly out Of his bunk in the morning
gathered his clothes into his hands, ptocd out bare
footed with ridiculous care and dressed himself at
least fifty feet away from the cabin door that lardpan
lest the splahng Of water disturb his partner had gone
down to the edge OF the little lake to wash his hands and
face grumbcd because he had forgotten TO bring soap
and towel and in the end chccrfuy dried his hands and
face on the voumlnous tails Of his wooden shirt
i'm hurried 10 the mcsshOusc where the Chinese cook
tried to look sympathetic but appeared merely more
craven.
"IIardpan-hc say YOU sleep blad Say kip Club hot.
Me vclly vclly soly' he declared as he FASTENED to
bring food to the table and im still striving TO adjust
himself TO new ways OF thinking and hoping tried to
smile and eat.
As he sat in the mcsshousc he could hear the persist
ent cack Of the hand pumps drawing the last Of the
water from behind the colfcram and then lust rs he
was starting from his chair the dull, earthly boom Of
blasts as the in the tunnel fired. He stepped out
side the door to hear Iardpans drawing voice exhort-
ing someone TO spell me at the pump because nv dad
hinged arms is most broke Off"
Somehow that rush and persistence Of steady work
soohed him. and brought him TO himself more than any
sounds he had heard since the well moduatcd dcber
ate voice OF John Holloway had made him realize his
own heplesSncsS. He brcathcd deeply, squared his
shoulders pulled his hat down over his eyes to shade
them from the suns iccting glare and hurried down the
hill to his work
HARDPAN pretended to notice nothing unusual in
his coming at that hour, and omitted the customary
"Good mornn Jimmy with which he started each
day. Instead of saluaton he began as if in the midst
OF the days work.
Now If them shots shows clean" he said ~the drill
holes Tor the next ones go nearly through the rock
jimmy, and that means that the big bores done Bet