The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1921-12-08
by
FRANCIS
LYNDE
oOpJngh, By Charles seribners soma

NA'i uphelu Dy an extra firm little Jaw.
AS she had admitted, her eyes were
oiue-the blue that shades into violet
-ahd they were well-set; wide apart
ana perfectly fearless; the kind Of
eyes Mt to match the straight-llned
orows that usually 20 with them.
sat before the cheerful blaze,
chuckllng quietly to myself over the
mad adventures OF the day and their
highly romantic, not TO say miraculous,
outcome. Beyond all manner OF doubt
mad stumbled upon the three tails
mans OF Cousin Percy's cryptic letter
by the most marvellous OF accidents
mad discovered the girl. the horse
ana the dog; and, II the remainder Of
Percy's letter were to be taken at
Its face value, should now be In
touch with my legacy.
As to the character Of that legacy,
there could be no further question.
Grandfather Jasper had left me a
mine; and l was fully prepared to
ma It the drowned mine OF Bullerton's
story. What 1 might be able to make
OF 1t was matter which could well
be postponed TO another day. Just ms
reached this postponlng conclusion,
the girls father came I'm, drew up n
chair on the opposite side OF the
hearth, and began to make me well
come In mild-mannered way, saying
that they didn't have much company,
and were always master" glad TO see
new face. He did not ask me any
troublesome questions; and beyond
telling me his name, which was Hiram
Twombly, did not volunteer any In
formation about himself or his daugh-
ter, nor did he explain how they came
to be living In so much comparative
comfort In such an out-of-the-way
place.
A little later the girl returned to
set the table, and presently we had
supper. II was an amazingly good
meal; crisp bacon, fried potatoes, hot
biscuits and honey. and coffee that
was most delicious In spite OF the
condensed milk which was made to
serve as cream.
After we left the table the blue.
eyed maiden got housewifely busy, and
the old man and sat before the fire
and smoked. l don't remember lust
how 1t was that we finally drifted
around to automobiles and motor boats
and such things hut we did, and may.
be ! may hnv' lgged a bit about
having driven .hd tlnkered pretty
nearly all the breeds Of go-cart on land
and water-as really had.
"Rnow about machinery, do your
said my hearth-mate; and then, with
n humorous CLINT In his mild eyes
Shouldn't wonder II you could be
sort Of n Godsend to me, II you want
ed to. To-morruh, II you amt In toe
big hurry to be leavln' us, I'll get
you TO show me a few things that
don't know, long them lines, maybe
OF course. acquiesced, cheerfully
BY and by the girl came In and sal
down TO knit, just as her grandmother
might have done, and at that her faith
er got up, and. lighting lantern
went out. / was fairly perlshlng by
this time to know vast number OF
things, but hardly knew how to beglr
asking about them. So, as the old mar
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 yoI
/ fam In ~
Meaning Daddy, and now, particu
larly7" she said, smiling across ut me
"He has gone to make his regular
round of the mine buildings and cab
lns. Not that there is the slightest us'
Of IL; only he likes to feel that he Il
at least pretending to earn his pay
1.-THE miner | querled.
''Yes; this is the old Clnnabar, yoi
know; and Daddy is the-well. sup
pose you might call us the caretakers
though there isn't much to take cart
Of. The mine has been shut dowl
for a year and more"
as It a gold miner"
at was"
"Why the past tensep
"Water," she said. briefly. sits
drowned mine. That is why II wa
shut down."
OF course, this was exactly what
was expecting to hear and yet thi
plain unvarnlshed confirmation o
things gave me a damp and soggy feel
ing Of dependency. Percy had wired
you remember, that his letter was NJ
Joke; but II seemed that It really wa
one, and that the joke-which wa
n mighty grim one-was on me.
cant the water be pumped outG
| asked.
at seems not. understand tn
company spent thousands Of dollar
trying to pump It out. lists rattle
pltlful."
"You mean the company's lossr
mo; the company didn't lose any
thing. # was just one old man."
Now we were coming TO the rea
meat Of the thing and looked m,
hand OF cards over carefully TO Ia
end that should not Oyerplay II.
"Pm fond Of stories" ! yentured
especially mining stories" and there
uDon she told me the story Of the Gin
nabar. II was a fair repetition o
| :. s.I. stslfh a fan mono q.