The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-12-01

1N. ~ htS
tunnel, sliding along In the greasy
muck, the torch e%xtinguished now. A
moment Of watchfulness from the
cover OF the darkness, then Harry
pointed. On the opposite hill, the fig
ure Of a man had been outlined for
just a second. Then he had faded.
And with the disappearance Of the
watcher, Harry nudged his partner in
the ribs and went forth into the
brighter light. An hour more and
they were back in town. Harry
reached for his mustache again.
Go on down to Mother 'Oward's,"
he commanded. "Tve got to wander
around and say 'owdy TO what's left
Of the fellows that was ere when I
was. It's been twenty years since I've
been away, you KNOW" he added, "and
the shaft can watt
Fairchild obeyed the instructions,
looking back over his shoulder as he
walked along toward the boarding
house, to see the big figure Of his COM
panion lettering up the street, on the
beginning Of his homecoming tour.
The blocks passed. Fairchild turned
through the gate of Mother Towards
boarding house and went to his room
to await the call for dinner. The
world did not look exceptionally
good 10 him; his brilliant dreams had
not counted upon the decay of more
than a quarter of a century, the slow,
hnt SI1ra 1Yinntnr &C vrotp. xyh;ph I,I
seeped through the hills and made
the mine one vast well, instead of the
free open gateway TO riches which he
had planned upon. An hour Of thought
and Fairchild ceased trying to look
into the future, obeying, instead, the
insistent changing of the dinner bell
from downstairs. Slowly he opened
the door Of his room, trudged down
the staircaSe-then stopped in Devil
derment. Harry stood before him, in
all the splendor that a miner can
know.
He had bought a new suit, brilliant
blue, almost electric in its flashiness,
nor had he been careful as to style.
The cut Of the trousers was somewhat
along the lines Of fifteen years be-
fore, with their peg tops and heavy
cuffs. Beneath the vest, a glowing,
watermelon-pink shirt glared forth
from the protection Of a purple tie.
A wonderful creation was on his head,
denied in four places, each separated
with almost mathematical precision.
Below the cuffs Of the trousers were
bright, tan, bump-toed shoes. Harry
was a complete picture of sartorial
elegance, according to his W dreams.
What was more, to complete it all,
upon the third finger Of his right hand
was a diamond, Dubious and yellow
and throwing off a dull radiance like
the glow of a burntout arc light full
of flaws, it is true, off color to a great
degree, but a diamond nevertheless.
And Harry evidently realized 1t.
"Ain't I the cuckoo?" he doomed, as
Fairchild stared at him. "Ain't l? l
'ad to ave a outfit, and
ut might as well be now!" he par
APPRAISED, to the tune Of the age
whitened sextette from "Floradora."
And look at the sparkler! Look
at it !"
"But-but how did you do it," came
gaspingly. Il thought"
"Installments - the Cornishman
burst out. Ten per cen down and
the rest when they catch me-. Install
ments" He jabbed forth a heavy
finger and punched Fairchild in the
ribs. "Where's Mother 'Oward? Won't
l knock 'er eyes out?"
Fairchild laughed-he couldn't help
tin spite of the fact that five hun
dred dollars might have gone a long
way toward unwatering that shaft.
Harry was Harry-he had done enough
in crossing the seas to help him. And
already, in the eyes Of Fairchild,
Harry was swiftly approaching that
place where he could do NJ wrong.
you're wonderful, Harry" came at
last. The Cornishman pulled with
pride.
"Tm a cuckoo!" he admitted.
where's Mother 'Oward? Where's