Licking Valley courier., 1921-12-15

Now we were coming 10 the real
meat of the thing and I looked my
hand of cards over carefully to the
end that l should not overplay 1t.
"Pm fond of stories," I ventured;
especially mining Stories" and there
upon she told me the story Of the Gin
nabar. 1t was q fair repetition OK
Bullerton's tale, with q few more Of
the particulars thrown In. 4
As my blue-eyed little Scheherazade
understood It. my grandfather had
been a minority stockhoadsr In the
company during its prosperous period.
When the water debacls came. the tact
of It was carefully concealed from
him and he was generously permitted
to come to the rescue-which hes did
by paying . fabulous sum CSchehera-
zade did not know how much) for his
w-stockholders holdings. In other
words, they had sold him a gold brick;
soaked him for q final cleanup on
doomed mine. That was about all
there was to 1t.
ibid my-did the old gentleman. you
speak of ever come out here himself?'
She nodded.
- "Once that we know off; that was
after 1t was all over and the place was
deserted. At that time Daddy had
taken up a claim just west Of here In
the next gulch and we were living in
this cabin; squatters, I guess you'd
call us. So we camped down."
"That was quite right and proper.
And this Mr.. Jasper Dudley he didn't
turn you out when he came, did he"
"Oh, no, indeed; he was very kind.
When he found that Daddy's gulch
claim wasn't going to pan out any
thing, he said he needed a caretaker
here, and since that time he has sent
us money every month. But now 1
suppose it will all be different. Mr..
Dudley is dead"
"But the heirsT l suggested.
I'VE don't even know who they nre.
When Mr. Dudley went away he left
sealed envelope with Daddy. He
said he might come back again, some
time, but If he didn't or couldn't, Dad
dy was to keep the envelope and give
it to his-Mr. Dudley's-represent
tive, whoever that might be-"
Talk about plots thickening! This
one was already as thick as mOlasses
In the dead Of winter
SLOW were you to know this repre-
sentative If one should Gomez, I edged
In cautiously.
81 don't know" she replied simply.
81. should suppose he would be able
to identify himself In some way,
though; shouldn't your That Is, If he
ever comes"
"Sure; nothing easier. Of course, n
! agreed; and then, since we seemed
to have scraped the bottom of the Gin,
nabar dish clean l switcheh a off to
something else.
"When we were coming up the road
q while back, Miss Jeanie, you gath
cred the impression that was a crazy
man, didn't your"
"Didn't you try to give me that i'm
pressionT she countered.
II fancy / didn't. have to try verJ
hard-inasmuch as..you had beer
spending the afternoon in Atropia."
She forced queer little laugh anf
bent lower over her knitting.
"When you were in Atropia. did yot
see or hear anything of the other crazy
man"
as there another onef" she asked
a bit breathlessly.
II was told SO In Angels this after
noon." a.
"1s this other man q friend o.
yoursi" she wanted to know. = 8.
"You could scarcely call him, that
I've met him only once. He isia min
Ing engineer and his name 10 Butler
ton-Charles Bullerton."
II / had reached up and rot. hsr pis
tol out Of Its holster over the mante
to bang It OF into the AespAcs sh,
could hardly have been mqrs startled
"Ch.Chariss BpllertsnY'' she stan
mered. rs Mr.. BullsrtoaJ hsreT'
mot here. exactly. but be was Il
AtrOpia tive days ago. DO you, b,
any chance. happen to knsw hinr
"Oh, yes; qul-Quite well"
"rhen, naturally. Dou know bes
whether or not he is In my class--th
crazy class. l mean.T
Once more she Yet the blue eye
drop to her knitting. and If l WASH
mistaken the pretty lips were twistln
themselves In sort OF wry smile.
"The last time / saw him he tol,
me he was crazy" she admitted.
isn't this delightful ulpiI murmured
"Bullerton is crazy and I'm crazy
perhaps we are all q bit crazy. d
you know, Miss Jeanie, that hav
come thousands Of miles TO find youi
. ITO find mer'-the blue eyes wer
as round as the full moon.
Even so; you, your horse and you
: dog. Would you-er-would you pei
init an exceedingly personal question
: Remembering always that 1t is pu
by man who has lostihis witsi Hav
you small brown mole on your lef
! sh0uder?"
She blushed very fetchlngly; eve
the handsome mougtaln wind tn
wasn't brown enough to hide II.
II think you are icrazy-completel
] crazy ....
Certainly am; there hasn't bee
the slightest doubt, of It since-wel
:. since about two weeks ago when
r started TO hunt for you and pi,
faced dog and nicbald horse"
e There was silence before the III
5 for long minute and-I began to b
afraid Daddy Ellram would come bac
before anything else happened. The
4 she said, with more curiosity than r,
= sentiment | thought:
b "llow did you know about II
e moleY" at w.
a "Then there is onef" l Questlone