The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-12-25
CHAPTER |.
The Mystery of the Spotted Collar.

Dlack VelVet mole yaWneQ.
W Rubble lay streWn all about
the lodges. To layman this
rubble would have explained nothing;
10 miner it would instantly have eX
planned the nature Of the Eole. Pres
emily burly man emerged from the
hole, squirting He eyed the lump OF
quartz in his hand-always little, but
never quite enough gold TO make it
worth while. The prospector flung the
quartz savagely upon the accommodating
rubble and leaned disheartenedly
against the log support to the entrance
Of the mine. His grubStake was fast
dWindling, and in another four days
he would have to hike some thirty-tW0
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 i'll The ground.
He filed and lit his pipe and fell to
dreaming what he would do when be
struck it rich.
BY and by the dreams faded and
the bitter realities returned. He rose
Iamely and carefully picked his way
down 70 the lriShman'S shanty. The
two OF them shared their noon meals
on pleasant days
"Bow's she comm?
Same Old story" answered Trainor
erstwhile strong man of the Eclipse
circus
We'll, we'll; its peggin' away that
brings it. got lump t'day that
don't look so bad should say that
she'll run fifteen tn ton. guess them
wildcatters are tn chaps that make tn
re;.. sponduliX-widders an clerks All
childer'
In Trainor'S life there had been buI
trihing monotonieS He had been
sailor in the south seas. lumberJack
in the north. cowpuncher, fireman
on north Atlantic liner. He had
come from a poor but respectable OHIO
family. His father nor his grandfa-
tier had ever stepped over the state
boundary lines But in him there was
a reversion 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 be joined the circus he found
that roaming, uncertain life much to
his fancy. There he had met Mimi
Keene. known on the handbills for
lithocraphs were far beyond the reach
of this circus) as Mimi La France.
world renowned tight rope walker
Remarkable as it might seem. these
two loved each other fondly, and one
dav the lust to wander died in the
mans heart. and he wanted q roof
over his head. children about his knee
and money in his purse When the
opportunity to go hunting for gold
came he hesitated not an instant.
He had been hammering away at the
grim. unyielding rocks for eight
months, making only such trips to
town as were necessary for food. Per
haps the rubble extracted represented
Thousand dollars. perhaps less He
was discouraged.
One day he staggered out into the
brilliant sunshine. lump Of quartz
was clutched tightly in his hand
When be grew accustomed to the daz-
zling light be turned the stone over
and over his heart beating as it had
never beaten before. There were veins
in it-broad fakes of it-gold. gold.
gold.
Donovan. Donovan" he cried.
The old Irish prospector came out OF
his hole. blinking.
I've got it! I've got it!''
Donovan snatched the quartz from
the hand Of his friend.
Holy Virgin! Yeve struck it! II
it's all like that ye're a rich man,
Man, man, there's hundred dollars
in that lump alonef
Trainor collapsed on a pile Of worth
less rubble and laid his head on his
arms. He had done it all in these few
months. He was rich, rich! And al
his dreams were going to come true!
| The Irishman gazed down at him rue
fully, but philosophically.
AN me that's been prospectin' TWEEN,
ty years an amt hit my pile yet!
Well, God bless ye, man. I'm glad ye
cot it. An now let's go take look
Like ali men who suddenly stumble
! upon virgin fortune, Trainor instant
" began to plan how to project it. HI
had some bank attorneys draw up pa
pers leaving the mine to his wife, in
case Of her death to his child, to he1
husband. 1t was subtly understood
that the brother-in-law, Keene, should
never be able to touch 1t. These west,
ern bank attorneys were simple and
honest men.
Before he had time to write to bis
wife Trainor WIS killed by prema.
tI,re explosion. he was buried under
the rubbe his own hands had torn
from the mountains side. and the kind
" Donovan started out to find the
Eclipse circus.