The Bottineau courant., 1922-01-19
Uopyrish. 81 Charlss soribners Sons

might nave uoHe, dHu at tnat ner 1aIh-
er got up, and, lighting lanteri,
went out. l was fairly perishing by
this 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. ,*
"All dressed up, and nowhere to 60;
isn't that about the way of it for you.
two up on this mountain" -
Meaning Daddy, and now, particu-
larly?" she said, smiling across al me.
He has gone TO make his regular
round Of the mine buildings and cab,
ms. Not that there lis the slightest use
of it; only he likes to feel that he is
at least pretending to earn his pay
"The mine" Il queried. = -
"Yes; this Ii the old Cinnabar, you
know; and Daddy Is the--weIl. sup
pose you might call Us the caretakers,
though there isn't much to take care
| Of. The mine has been shut down
for year and more
us it gold miner"
ut was"
| why the past tense?'
water" she said. briefly. Its a
drowned mine. That is why 1t was
shut down."
OF course, this was exactly what
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 1t seemed that it really was
one, and that the joke--which was
mighty grim one-was on me.
Cant the water be pumped out?'
I asked.
"It seems not. understand the
company spent thousands of dollars
trying to pump it out. lists rather
pitiful." =. -
"You mean the company's loss?"
NO; the company didn't lose any
thing. It 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 I should not everyday 1t.
I'm fond of stories," ventured !;
especially mining stories" and there
upon she told me the story OF the Gin
nabar. 1t was a fair repetition of
Bnllerton's tale, with a few more Of
the particulars thrown In.
| As my blue-eyed little Scheherazade
understood it, my grandfather had
| mir Nv or t.
company during its prosperous period.
When the water debacle came, the fact
Of It was carefully concealed from
him and he was generously permitted
to come to the rescue-which he did
by paying fabulous sum (Schehera-
zade did not know how much) for his
fellow-stockhoider holdings. In other
words, they had sold him gold brick !;
soaked him for a final cleanup on a
doomed. mine. That was about all
there was to it.
| did my-did the old gentleman you
speak Of ever come out here himself r
She nodded.
"Once that we know on that was
after 1t was all over and the place was
deserted. At that time Daddy had
taken up claim just west of here I'm
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 he found that Daddy's gulch
claim wasn't going to pan out any
thing, he said he needed aScaretaker
here, and since that time lie has sent
| us money every month"; but now /
suppose II will all be different. Mr..
Dudley Is dead" IS
'sBut the heirs?" / suggested. r.
We don't even know who they are.
When Mr.. Dudley went AWAY ne left
a sealed envelope with Daddy. He
said he might come back again. some
time, but if he didr't, or couldn't, Dad
dy was to keep the envelope and give
| 1t to hisMr. Dudley. representa-
tive. whoever that might be. 3 s
Talk about plots ,thickeningl This
one was already as thick as n1oIasses
In the dead or wintert
How were you to know fhis repre-
sentative y one should come e edged
in caufiousfy. sss 4 4
VI don't know she replied simply.
Al Should suppose ne weuId be able
lto identify himself M some way.
though; stloutdn't YOU i That III Il heII
Ieser comes 3
sSure nothing easier Of course &,
hi ngreed mia then. slncs M seeE,ed
Ito hays scraped the b,tfosn " the Gin.
nabAr diah cjeaD & switchsd Ol1 tO
somefhing eise.
lIile1 Me were cofptFIe M tn road
n rhits bssi - lssl,ts ~ NTH