The diamond drill., 1921-11-26

a Little Later the Girl Returned 70
Set the Table.
and smoked. I don't remember Just
how Il was that we finally drifted
around to automobiles and motor boats
and such things, but we did, and may
be I may have Dragged bit about
having driven and tinkercd pretty
nearly all the breeds Of go-cart on land
and water-as really had.
"Know about machinery. do your
said my hearth-mate; and then. with
humorous CLINT In his mild eyes:
Shouldn't wonder II you could be
sort OF Godsend TO me, IL you want
ed 10. To-morruh. II you amt In too
you 70 show me few things that
don't know. long them lines. maybe"
OF course. acqulesced. cheerfully.
BY and by the girl came in and sat
down 10 knit, just as her grandmother
might have done. and at that her faith
er got up. and. lighting lantern.
went out. / was fairly perishing by
this time TO know vast number OF
things, but hardly knew how 10 begin
asking about them. So. as the old man
clapped on his hat and left the cabin,
/ blew out the first foolish remark
that came uppermost.
"All dressed up, and nowhere to go; ;
isn't that about the way of II for you
two up on this mountain
Meaning Daddy. and now, particu-
larly?" she said, smiling across at me.
"IIe has gone 10 make his regular
round of the mine buildings and cab
ins. Not that there is the slightest use
OF H.; only he likes 10 feel that he Is
at. least pretending to earn his pay"
"The mine?" 1 queried.
"Yes; this Is the old Clnnabar, you
know; and Daddy is the--well, I sup
pose you might call us the caretnkers,
though there isn't much to take care
OF. The mine has been shut down
for year and more"
'Is II a gold miner"
at was"
"Why the past tenser
WATER she said. briefly. "Its a
drowned mine. That is why IL was
shut down."
or course, this was exactly what
was expecting 10 hear, and yet this
plain unvarnished confirmation Of
things gave me damp and soggy feel
ing Of dependency. Percy had wired,
you remember, that his letter was no
Joke: but 1t seemed that II really was
one, and that the joke--which was
a mighty grim one--was on me.
Cant the water be pumped outr'
asked.
"It seems not. understand the
company spent thousands OF dollars
trying to pump It out. Its--it's rather
pitiful."
"You mean the company's lossf"
"No; the company didn't lose any
thing. 1t was just one old man."
Now we were coming TO the real
meat of the thing and / looked my
hand of cards over carefully to the
end that should not everyday II.
I'm fond OF stories." 1 ventured; (;
especially mining stories." and there
upon she told me the story OF the Cin-
nabar. II was fair repetition OF
BulIerton's tale. with few more OF
the particulars thrown In.
AS my blue-eyed little Scheherazade
understood II, my grandfather had
been minority stockhoider In the
company during Its prosperous period.
When the water debacle came, the fact
OF IL was carefully concealed from
him and he was generously permitted
10 come TO the rescue--which he did
by paying a fabulous sum (Schehera-
zade did not know how much) for his
fellow w-stoclholders' holdings. In other
words. they had sold him a gold brick |;
soaked him for n final cleanup on a
doomed mine. That was about all
there was 10 IL.
sDid my--dld the old gentleman you
speak of ever come out here hiinselff'
She nodded.
"Once that we know OF: that was
after jt was all over and the place was
deserted. At that time Daddy had
taken up claim just west OF here IN
the next gulch and we were living In
this cabin: squatters. 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 her
"Oh. no. indeed; he was very kind.
When ne found that paddy's gulch
claim wasn't going TO pan out any
thing. he said he needed caretaker
here, and since that time he has sent
ms money every month. But now I
suppose Il will all be different. Mr..