Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1913-09-27

everybody"
Sure thing" said Mr.. Smith. Take
straight tip, young man, and don't
believe in nobody Here, take this
land I've made ten thousand out of
it and the United States governments
got a hundred thousand more that's
rightly mine, only they got wise too
soon. Take it as gift from Al Smith.
as the prize for being the biggest suck
er in the United States"
1T looks as If there might be gold
here" said Dick thoughtfully. 81
think it is my duty to try to work it
until can get enough out of it to pay
back my friend the money he lost in
your swindle. Suppose you convey it
to me and take half the profits after
| ward"
I'll give you the land and all the
profits" said Mr.. Smith. 81 get my
gold ready coined, out of the pockets
of suckers. Young feller," he added
| impressively, there's nothing under
this land but lava rock, and you'd
never find gold in lava in a million
years."
That was the origin of the discovery
of the famous Alfalfa gold mine, the
history of which is too well known to
require retelling. In two years Dick
had not only made a million, but he
paid back all the investors in Mr..
| Smiths enterprise, which was a re-
| markable thing for such a hardest
| ed man to do.
President Winfield was famous as
| the hardest and most incredulous man
| with whom one had dealings. He be-
| lieved in no mans word, and least of
all in printed matter. Candy" Win
field had learned his lesson in the
school of experience. He seemed to
have grown a protective coat of armor-
| plate scepticism.
Three years after his interview with
Mr.. Smith President Winfield was trav-
| cling northward in a private car. A
| sudden WEAKNESS Of life had come
over him.
| 'Heigho," he said YEARLY, ct wish
could believe in something again 50
And something in the depths of his
| consciousness answered Sylvia"
IF could believe in Sylvia think 1
could believe in everything once
more he soliloquized. He had not
written to her since his journey to
Mexico. The shock of the awakening
had involved her with the general
| crashing down of his ideals.
I'm going to see Sylvia" said Dick,
| and got out at the next station. Two
days later a special train pulled him
| into his home town. He hired taxi
cab and half an hour later he was sit
ting in Sylvia's parlor.
He had often specialized upon what
he would do if he ever met Sylvia, and
now she was standing before him,
tears of happiness in her eyes, and the
poor ring he had given her cleaning
/ H.
changed in the least.
Dick" she cried TREMENDOUSLY, and
fell into his arms. And then all the
protective coat of scepticism suddenly
began to melt away, and the past
| seemed like dream
| Il knew you would come back she
said. IF you had been dead some
| thing would have told me, Dick"
You never heard of mel" exclaimed
Dick in amazement.
But you didn't write, Dick. 1 knew,
though, that you were too proud. You
| thought that it was not fair to me to
hold me to our engagement. But 1
had faith in you and 1 knew that you
would never forget and that some day
| when you were rich you would come
TO me. Are you not rich, Dick?"
Then his scepticism rose for a mo-
ment within him. But when he looked
into Slyvia's happy eyes he knew
that she could not lie. How should a
girl in far away Neopolis have heard
of the owner of the Alfalfa mine, or,
having heard of it, identify that Win
field with him?
Eyes, 1 am rich, Sylvia" he an
swered grimly. But, Sylvia, 1 must
tell you this. There came a time in
my life when 1 ceased to believe in
anything, even in you. And 1 wanted
to believe in you, wanted to desperate
| ly- So 1 came back to see. And ]
thought had learned my lesson, but I
know now that we may disbelieve in
the whole world and remain good men,
but we may never disbelieve in the
woman we love and keep our souls.
| VIII you give me back my soul, Syl-
via?''
Copyright, 1913. by w. G. Chapman)