The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1932-10-14

There's only one of me, guess"
"Um. You've just shaken hands
with faraway cousin by marriage,
Mr.. Starbuck; also, with very small
fractional owner in your mine. My
mother was Fairbairn on her moth
er's side; and once-I think it was on
your wedding trip-you stopped Off for
a short time with us in Carthage. BUT,
excuse me; you shook hands with me
won't you repeat the operation with
my friend, Owen Landis?"
.'Sure! And he's as welcome to the
Timanyoni as you are, Walter"
Gosh ~ said Markham. you don't
mean to say you remember my mare"
"Sure / do; now that you've told
me who you are. / recollect you as
a fat-faced little chap, but, Of course,
wouldn't have known you from
Adam now. What are you and Mr..
Lands doing?"
mo plans whatever; just driving
about to see how far we can go on so
many gallons Of gas"
The mine owner nodded. II see.
You may not believe it, to look at me
now, but was young once, myself
and / sure had restless foot. I'm
sorry Mrs Starbuck and the girls are
on a trip east. If they were here,
we'd have you both out Of this dump,
pronto; not that it isn't pretty fair
sort Of posada, at that"
'rll say it is" said Markham.
wouldn't you, Owen"
Lands agreed. 'The Carthage Ban
ner would run double-leaded editorials
about it for a week, if we had hotel
as good as this at home"
Speaking of Carthage reminds me-"
Starbuck put in. "There are three
other people from your town in the
hotel; got in this morning. Maybe
you know 'em-Or know about 'em?"
1--WE know two of them rather bet
ter than well. Professor Lawson used
to make a mammals pet Of Owen,
here. at the same time that he was
doing his level best to funk me in
Physics Four"
Starbuck smiled. II took an eye
shot at the professor-and at the
daughter. l take it you'll both agree
with me if 1 say that Miss Lawson
is pretty enough to start stopped
clock?"
ASK Owen" said Markham with
grin; and Starbuck switched to the
third member of the party. This
Candy person, who writes himself
down as from Carthage: do you know
him, too?'
Markham answered for both. "Rea-
sonably well; though we haven't
known him very long. He is COM
paratively newcomer in our town."
Starbuck's smile was grim. "Using
the word you just now tackled onto
your friends, the Lawsons, we know
him heap better than well, out
here"
SIS it tellable?" Markham asked.
"Oh, sure. He was here all last
summer booming bauxite mining and
reduction scheme sold good chunk Of
stock"
"And afterward?" Wally prompted.
"There wasn't any afterward, not
so you could notice it. The doomed
mine was-well you. might say it
wasn't exactly a straight fake, be-
cause there was, and is, small de-
posit Of the mineral in it. but not
enough to make 1t a commercial prop
OSition."
"All of which is mighty interesting
to listen to-" Markham commented.
"The more so, because just now he is
trying to float a factory-and-additio
scheme in our town. I'm wondering
what brings him out here, right in the
thick of his Carthage promotion"
II might be able to tip you off as to
that" said the mine owner. "Canby
made barrel of easy money out of
us here-and then got his own feet
wet. About half a mile above the
Little Alice there is mine that is
older than anything else in this neck
O. the woods. Some think it dates
back to the time when all this region
was part Of the Spanish posses
sions; anyway, 1t was here and
worked out and abandoned long be-
fore any of the American prospectors
came in. When Lake Topaz began to
be summer resort the old Quavapai,
as it's called, became a sort of show
place for tourists, like the Mammoth
cave. About two years ago a bunch
Of tinhorn freezeouts from Tonopah
came over here and reloaded the
Quavapai; claimed they'd explored it
and found new mineral in it. We
never have known the real inside, but
it's the general belief that they were
sailing the mine and fixing to stick
somebody with it. Anyhow that's how
it turned out. They sold the Quava-
pal to Candy; took his money and
faded away" .@rf"
"The bitter bit. eh?" said Markham
with laugh. "Does he still own it?"
Gowns it and operates it. He has
kept small gang in it ever since he
bought it; sending good money after
bad, you'd say, because there has