The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-12-16

OF course? The new striker When
'Poleon shook his head the young
mans eyes kindled. why, man."
he broke out, the towns crazyl
dippy! It's the biggest thing ever!
Frencl,man Hill. it's called. Get
that: Frcnchman Hill!'
Some French Teller max lucky
strike. CHI" 'polcon was not greatly
interested. 'Whcrc dc place is:
Who dis Frenchman?" q ~ 80
ITS high bar somewhere above
FL Dorado----a mountain OF pay
gravcl-an old river-bed or some
thing. They say it's where all the
/ gold came from. the mother lode.
You can see it right at the grass
roots
! 'Polcon started and his mouth
opened: then he shook his head. \
by Gar! OATS ionnyl l seen
gravel up dcrc, but mc--1'm On
lucky. Never l quite get not'in'; al
ways I'm close by when 'noder fcl-
Ter max strike"
Pierce still managed to control
himself enough to explain: They
were shooting dead timber down
into the gulch and they wore the
snow off where the rim cropped out.
1t happened to be stakcd ground
right there" Pierce's excitement,
the odd light in his dancing eyes.
bore to 'Poleon a significance.
Some Frcnchn,an had taken it up,
SO they called it Frcnchman's Hill"
Doret's blank. conioundcd stare
caused the speaker finally to blurt
out: Good Heavens! man, wake
up! I'm trying to break the news
gently that you. re millionairc-thc
Frcnchman Of Frcnchman's Hill. l
don't want you to faint. First time
in history a miner ever left his claim
and another fellow came along"
Doret uttered a feeble cry and
rose to his feet. ma sGur!' he ex-
claimed. "She's got claim up derc
III stake it for her. For me, don
care If I lose minc--plenty tam |
come jus SO close as dis: but ii dem
Teller jump her gr6un-'
"Wait, wait! There's no question
OF anything like that. Nobody has
jumped your claim, or hers, either.
The law wouldn't let 'en. I Won
der if she knows Why, she can't
know! l left her not two hours
ago"
"She don know"
Pierce shook his head. "She
doesn't dream. l wish I'd known.
Id have loved to tell her"
'Poleon Doret gazcd fiNedly, Curl
ously at the speaker. He nodded
his head. A peculiar; set. hopeless
look crept into his eyes; his broad
shoulders sagged YEARLY. He had
travelled far and swiftly on this
young mans affairs; he had slept
but little; and now a great fatigue
mastered him. Oddly enough, too,
that fierce. consuming desire to see
Rouletta which had hourly gnawed
at him was gone: all at once he felt
that she was quite the last person
he wished to face. This weakness.
this smallncss OF spirit. was only
temporary. he assured himself; it
would soon pass, and then he would
| find the strength ~ 70 10 hel with
his customary smile, his mask III
place. Now. however, he was empty
cherries, frightened by the portent
of this new thing. It could have
but one sig,,ifcancc-it meant that
| he would lose his SISTER that she
would have no further need OF him.
| Well, that was AL right. 1t was
something like this that he had
worked for. WHY cherish a mean
envy OF this happy boy? Why per-
init narrow selfshncss to mar this
supreme moment!
Doret was, not a grudging giver
he Strengthened himself finally, and
into his tired eyes there came the
CLEAN that Phillips had been wait
ing for.
"Bier!" he brcathed. MY iii bird
goin' wear de plumage she deserve
She's goin' be reech an happy all
her life. BY golly! OATS nice, for
fac. feel lax gcttin' drunk"
"Shc'd never stand for that"
II spec you tol' her you an me
IS PARTNERS on dis Frenchman's Hill,
eh? An she's glad bout dat-"
"Oh, see hercw Piercc's tone
changed abruptly. "Of course l
didn't tell her. That's cold; it's off.
D'you think I'd permit" The boy
choked and stammered. "D'you inn
agine for a minute that I'd let you
20 through with a proposition like
that? l understand why you made
Tito get me away from the life I've
been leading. 1t was bully of you,
but-well. hardly. I'm not that sort.
No, I've laid off the Old stuff, abso-
!uteiy-straightened out. I've lived
ten years in the last ten days. Wait
and sec. 'Poleon. I'm the happiest,
the most dcliriously happy: man you
ever saw. / only want one thing.
That's work and lots Of 1.-THE
harder the better, SO long as it's
honest and sclf-respecting. What
d'you think Of that?'
swat l t'ink?" the woodsnlan
| said, warmly. II t'ink dat's he bes'
news of all. Mon ami, you got
reecher pay-streak in you as French
man Hill, if only you work i'm hard.
But you need pardncr to get i'm
| out" He winkcd meaningly. II
guess mebbe you fin dat pardner,
chr"
Pierce flushed; he nodded vigor-
ously and laughed in the purest,
frankest Joy. You're a good guess
or. A partner-life partnerl +
She Oh. my Lord! I'm over
flowing! Pm Funny thing, I've
never said a word to her; she doesn't
know" /.
"Ho, ho!' cried the elder man.
"Oh, she does know, Of course. If