White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1915-09-19

tho SeCTet OFdWcF.
~ATELCOME to our family"
NV said Blackie cordially. Jim
has been telling me about
the reckless Imagination
you've brought into the firm, and Al
1901 as Toad Jessop takes your meas
ure well sign them papers. Come on
and educate me In antique furniture
I'm to be the sales person"
They went into the dim old rooms
and became better known to each 9th
er amid the hoary antiquities deposit
ed there by William j. Shuvit. and By
nightfall they were so well acquaint-
ed that Paul stopped whatever he was
doing every time Blackie started to
say anything.
That day had been unproductive.
with collectors who were willing to
bankrupt themselves on a H~oppendale
highboy or a T%ingietower table. but
staggered family away on the ulti-
matum Of all or none.
About 9 O'Clock the next morning.
uOWCtCI. 1 Nui DuStitu OdIh "
ford. who was h having fun with the
preparation OF a frog leg pie and tool
down his overcoat.
"If you don't need me I think I'll
run into town to my boarding house
and pack up" he suggested
"All right" agreed Wallingford.
opening the oven door to test the heat
whats your hurry?"
"Your buyers here" explained Paul
briskly. "Just judging him from the
outside. l should say he was worth u
few hundred thousand dollars that are
hungry for company and are not par
ticular about their associates"
Washing his hands and slipping on
his coat, Wallingford strolled into the
front DOT In a gravely preoccupied
fashion and found there in furtive In.
spection Of the surroundings q
eyed man whose broad mouth and
heavily wrinkled cheeks suggested that
be would feel more natural with q
knife between his teeth.
81 know but very little about such
things" Blackie was saying al Wal
lingford entered. land. In fact, Nj.
Wallingford is equally ignorant Of old
furniture. He only knows that this n
a very valuable collection and bought
1t on speculation. Mr.. Wallingford,
this is Mr.. Day. who has come To look
at the Bunker collection"
1T is a very fine collection" Wal.
lingford gravely assured him. my
business agent will give you every op-
p~ortunity to examine 1t, and | feel
sure that. IL you are a judge Of such
things. you will be ready to talk bust
ness when you are through"
well. l don't know" speculated MI.
Day, his n keen eye rowing to the
grandfather's clock and to the what
not and TO the ceiling. Il hear that this
old Jonathan Bunker was a queer Case
He was rather an eccentric charac-
ter, | believe" agreed waliingford-
Heard he was a miser." went on
Mr.. Day. his greedy y straying Into
the heavy black desk and to the book
case and to the padded chairs.
II think that report was greatly ex-
aggerated." returned Wallingford. with
q smile. The town went crazy over
finding a few odd coins scattered
about the grounds. and ! discovered .
few gold pieces In the cellar: but. come
to sift 1t down. | don't believe there
was more than $500 hidden all told
I've made some inquiries. and ! can't
nnd where Bunker could have obtain
ed any money to hide"
Mr.. Days anxious eye returned from,
a rowing voyage into the visible por
ton of the dining 0 Il suppose
not" he acquiesced. "Your man tells m.
you amt a regular furniture dealer"
Hardly" laughed W~allingford
This is my first offense. | don't know
any more about furniture than a cat
does about building a nest In a tree
| only bought this place to oblige a
friend. Mr.. Daw. I'm afraid | shall
have to leave Mr.. Day entirely in your
hands. have some business In town
After Wallingford had gone Blackie
also excused himself on the plea OF
writing a letter and begged Mr.. Da.
to conduct his own tour Of inspection
for awhile. He wen upstairs to WRIT
his letter and instead looked down int
the library through a hole which hao
been conveniently bored In the elab
crate plaster centerpiece Of the hang
ing lamp
Mr.. DsyS orst action. on being lief
alone. was to walk through all tn,
rooms downstairs. to make sure tina
they were vacant; then he returuet
hastily to the library and pulled on
the dra wers Of the old desk. q b,
one, feeling into the vacant dra We
spaces with bis eye upturned In !
painfully hopeful sQuint- At last b
gave a grunt of satisfaction as he drew
forth a small inner dra wer frsn tn.
base Of the desk. behind TIE longei
ones. and Blackie. whose tread was O.
light as a cats. arrived In TIE door o.
the library just as Mr.. Day Wal 49,,