The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-12-28
JlM's GOLD LEDGE
Nv ANsoN CARTER.

in the sheep camp and taiKeu 'o' NH
much with Silent Coates. I'LL
Coates had little to say. YES ne Hi
Inew old man Peterson and his dausn, Hi
Tor He even admitted that they sun t||
lived in Valley Creek. he never n 40. iii
known Adams. That was peiore n' iii
time. Yes, he had heard that ne hau HI
discovered a gold mine and tneh ios'
its location. but that was all ne knew.
All this mostly in mods and grunts VI
assent. while Barton questioned eae
erly. ,.r foot III
Rnt after the stranger lay fast III
asleep by the dying emoers ooa.
took out a stub of pencil and tore IN
a piece of paper from soap wrappe.
in the wagon. Then he wrote ho'o
m his nearest neighbor, as neighpors
run in the land of Duties. Anu
tied the note with piece Oh s,i me
to the collar Of Brag. one OF HIS uoe0'
and pointed down the valley roao'
Rrag knew the road. He had car
ried tobacco along it before, anu so"o
times brought back newspapers anu
letters. There we're only three spo's
If human habitation throughout the
val,ev-Peterson's s.. Tony Allen clai.n
,, and. higher up, Coates sheep ranch.
So they all hung together IN mu'ua'
: And the sovereign of the three was
\ Sue Itch
u She was slim and dark Win
. glancing, witching eyes ana SIM
= that would have made Cerperus "ae
= his tail. And nearly every eVehhe
= after shutdown Tony would ride down
the mountain road just to talk awhiie
with Sue out on the little front stoop
of the shack and to tell her what II
~ meant to him to have her even IN the
same world as himself
He read the note from coates,
" When he drew rein before the oio
W shack. old Peterson was out Win
-. lantern. ), .;d
W "The moons bright enough saia
10 ,rorv "put that out l don't want
10 anyone to see a light here.
~ Sue slept on while the two taikeu
together out in the cleared grounu
OK beyond the house. When she aWoke
It was after four.
ne "You're here pretty early, amt you
ro. Tonv?" she called from the wash
bencn at the back of the shack
nd "There's more coming answered
eet TONY dryly, and he watched barton
up approaching them half mile away
Dit coming gingerly down the rough put.e
lrd, troll, on a horse he had bought IN
NC. town.
her He laid two hands on her shoulders
ned and turned her around to face him
Remember how we've waited AM
the hoped for years?'
eak "Eor pold?"
nee mo. for each other. Haven't you
Didn't I tell you when you were ohi
rear sixteen what thought OF you! Loo
nm at me. You put your arms
ung TONY, they'll see you' please
ONE please
way The stranger and Peterson cam
y at leisurely up to the shack barto
sven looked cheerful and friendly He res
Cd one foot on the first step and raise
leas- his hat to Sue. -
Got a nice little place here. ~
} me Just been looking the valley over. !
a-er-a geologist'
Bar "Fine rocks around here Tony sa
de- gravely
Yes, splendid-er-strata DO "
You hanpen to know of ledge that 1u
d ev- ont along the other side of this cree
about somewhere through the valley?
hidden in a ravine. There's sm
cascade there.
,ough 81 know the place" Sue answer
tty l straightly.
the "You do?" Barton's small, ia
,nths. eyes cleaned with interest. exp
& and to build cabin there. the water
wasn't very good, was told. bought
claim up from a man named Ada
as he this spring back in Ohio
Iuoted Pleasant to have you TOT a mel
bor,' Tony said.
Sues dark eyes widened with anna
stay ment and swift indignation.
But the ledge is ours, dad.
n, Do can't have it. You wouldn't sell
s time would you, for anything
sit can't be yours if | bought 1t
ful of last spring from Adams, could it?
And how could you buy it fro'
ou fol- man that's been dead over We;
y demanded Tony. coolly, stepping
toward tween them. Jim Adams died a
III his county hospital right south vi hei
Sweetwater. He sold everything
J news. ever owned in Valley Creek to n
Betty son here and it's on record. What
# Phil YOU so anxious about taking il
for?"
gently. Barton hesitated, choosing
ut she words, watching the girls face.
Well, since that's so, | don't
should to put through crooked deal
line on willing to put up cash and work i
Wash fifty-fifty with you all here"
Break Work what out?' demanded S
"Jim's gold claim. I'll tell yo1
a frown, straight truth. | was nurse a
it to Do hospital where he died and he
me about the ledge and where 1t
showed me the sample of rock
, a;.I Ws "a brought away with him, and aft
y can't died took 1t down and had IT ass
e eioplns 1t showed $500 to the ton.
eoa rye good, isn't It! So | came aft
!. / wish But you're in before me. W
partner?'
BEL Peterson shook his head slow
nsciousiy ITS all IN my girls name.
,lutely to got anything to say.
Sue laughed and put her he
have Won TonyS