American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1922-10-28
CHAPTER XIV

joined the parade. A IL was, no
stood far to one side, . silent, grim
ngure, watching the miners and towns
people passing before him, leaping
about in their happiness. calling to
him the news that he did not want to
hear:
The Silver Queen had "hit." The
faith Of Squint Rodaine. maintained
through the years, had shown his
perspicacity. II was there; hN a.
ways had said II was there, and now
the strike had been made at last, lead
silver ore, running 40 high % two hun
dred dollars a ton. Il meant every.
thing for Ohadi: Il meant that mining
would boom now, that soon the hills
would be clustered with prospectors,
and that the little town would blossom
a. . result Of possessing one Of the
rich silver mines Of the state.
Fairchild felt cheap. He felt Do
feated. He felt small and mean not
to be able to Join the celebration.
Squint and Maurice Rodaine possessed
the Silver Queen; that they. OF all
persons. should be the fortunate ones
was bitter and hard to accept. Why
should they, Of every one In Ohadi, be
the lucky men to find a silver bonanza.
that they might haunt II before him.
that they might increase their stand
ing in the community. that they might
raise themselves to q pedestal in the
eyes Of every one and thereby rally
about them the whole town IN any
dificulty which might arise In the fu.
turef Il hurt Fairchild. II sickened
him. He saw now that his enemies
were more powerful than ever. And
for . moment he almost wished that
he had yielded down there in Denver.
that he had not given the ultimatum 10
the greasy Barnham, that he had &c
cepted the olIer made him--and gone
on. out Of the fight forever.
Anita What would it mean to hsef
Already engaged. already having Given
her answer to Maurice RodainN this
now would be an added incentive for
her to follow her proulsa Il would
mean q possibility Of further argument
with her father, already too weak
from illness to and the means Of
evading the insidious pleas Of the two
men who had taken his money and
made him virtually their slave The
future looked black for Robert Fair
child. Slowly he walked past the
happy, shouting crowd and turned up
Kentucky gulch toward the Inflated
Blue Poppy.
The tunnel opening looked more for.
lorn than ever when he sighted II. .
bleak. staring. single eye which
seemed TO brood over IT. own misfor
tunes. Q dead. hopeless thing which
never had brought anything but disap-
pointmsnt. A choking came into Fair.
chiid's throat. He entered the tunnel
slowly. ploddingiy: with tagging mus
cles he hauled up the bucket which
told Of Harry's presence below. then
slowly lowered himself into the ~
cesses Of the shaft and to the drift
leading to the stope, where only few
days before they had found that
saunt. whitened. haunting thing which
had brought with It new misfortune.
A light cleaned ahead. and the
sound Of . single jack hammering ou
the end Of drill could bs heard. Fair
child called and went forward. to flnd
Harry. grimy and sweating pounding
| away at q narrow streak Of black for
nation which conferred In the top d
the stope
TITS the vein," hs announced, aftel
he had greeted Fairchild. and Il DOM
look like It's going 10 amount b
muchi"
"NOr'
Harry withdrew the drill from ~
hole no ives making end moppsd b
forehead.
IL amt Q world-bsater." came d.
conssiately. n doubt whether TIN "a
mecs'u twenty dollars to the ton. h
~ smslting prices ave gone ~
And there ain't m ach money In tina
What 'appened IN Denvsrr
"Another frame up BY the Rodain'
to get the mine away from Us. II W.
q lawyer. He stalled that the on'
had been made to " By Miss Ricl
mond."
"How muchf"
1.-TWO hundred thousand dollars al
% to get out Of all the troubles v
J are In"
"And you took IT, Of coursef"
ii n did not I"
"NoT Harry mopped his foeehs'
again. "Well. maybe you're righ
Maybe you're wrong. Rut whatsv
you did--well. that's Just the thing
twould ave done. Only-" and HaE
was staring, lugubriously at the "
above him. ''it's going to take 10
long time 70 get two hundred thu
sand dollars out Of things the y
/ they stand now"
"But ws'rs going - ksso At
+ Harry. sink or swim"
You know I'll"
The Ncdainss have hit----maybs