Nogales international., 1936-12-12

Rowan opened his lips to speak,
then closed them.
"You see?" The girl laid her
hand upon his arm. Poor DON
Quixotel Won't you think better
.of it and go out to Gods countryi
You've earned it, Jim, and you'll
find your opportunity there. Father
is enthusiastic, he really believes in
this claim, but I know it's no good,
and. besides, we're un1ucl<y. Every
thing has gone badly since we lost
tour money back there in Dover.
Hes a feeble old man and disap-
ipointment has made him almost
childish. All he has left is that con-
;viction that some day he'll land in
the pay There are hundreds like
him"
'And what would you do" Row
ian inquired.
Wearily Rose shrugged. "What
have always done-remain at his
side. I love him. He gave me
|everything when he had it to give.
I'm the staff he leans upon and
without me he'd fall. We can get
along, Jim"
"How1"
II was offered job waiting on
table at the Bonanza"
The man uttered an exclamation.
Roughly he said, "I'd sooner see you
fn dance hall"
"I could even get married."
Rose smiled family.
Jim's hands twitched, bat his face
twas impassive as he said: 'No. I'm
going to stick. I made a few dol
lars in Dawson and | left there look
ing for one more chance-one big
chance to win or lose, make or
break. / play lunches, and when
your father offered to go ffty-hfty
with me I had a hunch that my
number was due. Have you ever
heard of 'Michigan's. luck?"
eyes, of course. Aladdin's lamp,
too, but never expect to have
either"
"Who knows? l have a feeling
that your troubles are over and that
your father is really going to land
in the pay. Let's hope SO, anyhow.
/ believe in hoping for things until
you get them"
1t was in this manner that Jim
Rowan became miner, piCk-and-
shovel man He put up a cabin
for himself and he did his own cook
ing-a thing any man abhors. AL
though he and Hiram began to
prospect the claim, it was Jim who
did most of the actual work. His
f1abby muscles rebelled, at first;
blisters grew upon his white palms;
they burst, then turned into cal
louses. Slowly, painfully he hard
ened himself. 1t was an ordeal, but
as his body grew strong so did his
determination to win the love OF
Rose Morris.
Every day he had to fight the
desire to voice his love, but the
better he came to know Rose, the
more fearful he became that some
how the grave of The Michigan Kid
would be disturbed and that she
would behold the skeleton it con-
cealed-grass was slow in growing
over thence he showed his devo-
ton only in the things he did.
Autumn came and Jim put into
effect a plan he had worked out.
He "salted" the paintings from their
ground just enough to make show
ing, this being necessary to his
scheme; then he interested a pur-
chaser in buying the claim. He in
structed the man to offer twenty
thousand dollars for it, supposing,
of course, that Mr.. Morris would
leap at the chance to sell.
But this was the first gold the
old man had ever found and those
few yellow fakes strengthened his
senile conviction that the property
was rich. He refused the offer He
refused again and again, even when
Jirn's man raised the bid to forty
thousand dollars. He did more
than refuse; he boasted about the
offer in town and said he had struck
regular 'Michigan's' luck" This
caused quite furry Of excitement
and reluctantly Jim was forced to
call off his bidder.
Jim's effort had an effect other
than he had expected; a forty
thousand-dollar offer for wildcat
claim on Friday Creek centered in
terest there, and promptly the Bon
ana crowd sent an outfit over and
began work on some property
they owned below old Hiram's.