Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-12-31
loAAprER /.


rubble would have explained potnlng'
70 a miner It would instantly have ex-
p,ained the nature OF the hole. Pres
emily a burly man emerged from the
hole, squirting. He eyed the lump OF
quartz In his hand-always little. out
never quite enough gold to make IT
worth while. The prospector dung the
quartz savagely upon the ACCOMMODATING
rubble and leaned disheartenedly
against the log support % the entrance
of the mine. His grubstake was fast
dwindling, and in another four days
he would have to hike some thirty-two
miles to the nearest town for supplies.
Done! He had paid $500, every one
of them earned at the risk Of his neck.
for this damnable hole in the ground.
He filled and Lit his pipe and fell to
dreaming what he would do when ne
struck 1t rich.
BY and by the dreams faded and
the hitter realities returned. He rose
lamely and carefully picked his way
down to the Irishman's shanty. Inc
two of them shared their noon meals
on pleasant days.
Flows she comin'T
"Same old story" answered Tralnor'
erstwhile strong man Of the Eclipse
circus.
"Wen. well; it's peggin' away that
brings it. got a lump tday that
don't look so bad. should say that
she'll run fifteen tn ton. Iguess them
wildcatters are tn chaps that make tn
real spondulix-widders an clerks an
childer."
In Trainor's life there had been but
triAine monotonies. He had been
sailor in the south seas, fumberJack
In the north, a cowpuncher, fireman
on A north Atlantic liner. He mad
come from poor but respectable ONO
family. His father nor his GRANDPA
ther had ever stepped over the state
boundary lines. But in him there was
a reyersion to the type of pioneer who
had established the Trainor family
when Ohio was wilderness he
could not settle down; he must be on
the move continually, and when at
length he Joined the circus ne round
that roaming, uncertain life much 20
his fancy. There he had met Mimi
Keene, known on the handouts tror
autographs were far beyond the reach
of this circus) as Mimi La France
world renowned tight rope walker
Remarkable as 1t might seem. these
two loved each other fondly. and one
day the lust to wander died 10 the
mans heart, and he wanted a roof
over his head, children about his knee
and money In his purse. When tne
opportunity to go hunting for goio
came he hesitated not an instant.
He had been hammering away at the
grim, unyielding rocks for eign'
months, making only such trips tc
town as were necessary for food Per
haps the rubbe extracted represented
a thousand dollars. perhaps less. Ht
was discouraged.
One day he staggered out into the
brilliant sunshine. A lump Of quartz
was clutched tightly in his hand
When he grew accustomed to the daz
cling light he turned the stone Owe
and over. his heart beating as 1t nae
never beaten before There were vein
in it-broad fakes of it-gold. gold
gold!
Donovan! Donovan!" he cried.
The old Irish prospectOr came out o
his hole. blinking
i've got it! I've got It,"
Donovan snatched the quartz from
the hand of his friend.
Holy Virgin. we've struck 1t! l
it's all like that yere rlch man
Man, man, there's hundred dollar
In that lump alOne!
Trainor collapsed on a pile OF worth
less rubble and laid his head ON al
arms. He had done it all in these feV
months. He was rich. rich! And q
his dreams were going to come true
The Irishman gazed down at MIN rue
fully, but philosophically.
IAN me that's been pr0spect1n' tWen
4 years an amt hit my pile yet
Well, God bless We, man. I'm glad y
cot IT. An now let's go take look.
Like all men who suddenly stumbl
mon a virgin fortune, TrainOr instan
" began 10 pan III" :" PAO'SN@ -
Ind some bank attorneys draw up pa
Dcrs leaving the mine to bis wife, i
case Of her death to his child, to he
husband. Il was subtiy understoo
that the brother-in-law, Keene. shout
never be able to touch it. These wes'
ern bank attorneys were simple an
honest men
Before he had time to write to hi
wife Trainor was killed by a prems
hrre explosion. He was buried unda
the rubbIe his own hands had tor
from the mountains side. and the kinC
II Donovan started out to find tn
Eclipse circus
The caravan was at that time q
miles to the south, about to turn l
\ for the winter. But Donovan tOun
II By mistake be ambled into u