The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-12-05

supper. 1t 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 IN
serve as cream.
After we left the table the blue
eyed maiden got housewffely busy. and
the old man and sat before the fire
and smoked / don't remember Just
how it was that we finally drifted
around to automobiles and motor boats
and such things. but we did and may
be I may have Dragged a bit about
having driven and tinkered pretty
nearly all the breeds Of go-cart on land
and wafer as ! really had.
Know about machinery. do yOu?'
said my hearth-mate: and then. with
a humorous CLINT in his mild eyes:
Shouldn't wonder if you could be
sort of a Godscnd to me- ii you want
ed TO. To-morruh. if you amt in too
big a hurry TO be leavin' us. I'll get
you to show me d few things that
don't know, long them lines. maybe"
OF course I acquieSced, cheerfully.
BY and by the girl came in and sat
down Ia knit. just as Eer grandmother
might have done. and al thar her faith
N goy up, and lighting a lantern.
e-ent out | was fairly perishing by
his time TO know vast number of
Things. but hardly knew how to 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.
''AIl dressed up. and nowhere to go;
sn't that about the way of it for you
wo up on this mountain
Meaning Daddy and now. particu-
aryE' she said. smiling across at me.
He has gone 70 make his regular
round of the mine buildings and cab
ms. Not that there is the slightest use
of it; only ne likes TO feel thai he is
at least pretending to earn his pay"
THE mine?" queried.
Yes: this is the old Cinnabar. you
know: and Daddy is the-well. l sup
pose you might call us the caretakers.
though there isn't much TO take care
of. The mine has been shut down
for a year and more"
SIS ii a gold mine?'
III was
why the past rense?"
water" she said. briefly. Its a
drowned mine That is why ii was
shut down"
OF course. this was exactly what l
was expecting To- 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 it seemed that it really was
one. and that the joke-which was
a mighty grim one-was on me.
Cant the water be pumped outF
/ asked
III seems not. | understand the
company spent thousands Of dollars
Trying To pump ii out. Lts-its rather
aittEul.
Yen mean the company's loSs?"
We the company didn't lose any
thln-. Ii was just one cid man"
Now we were coming 10 the real
meat of the dining and l looked my
hand of cards over carefully 10 the
end that I should not everyday ii.
I'm fond OF stories. l ventured:
..asna,fauv mining stories. and there
mon She told me the story of the Gin
nabar II was a iair repetition OF
BuIterron's tale. with a few more OF
ebe particulars thrown in.
A. my bfue-eyed little Scheherazade
understood it. my grandfather had
/ been minority stakeholder in the
/ company during its prosperous period
/ When tie water debaele came. the tact
I of il was carefully concealed from
bia..ss.a- he. was generously permitted