Ruby's Reward — page 65: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“No ! replied the young man, a note of eager interest in his tone. “Yes, sit, anda valuable one too, besides indications of oil in various spots. I've known it for years, and, little by little, Pve ‘been buying up all the land west of me, | that I could get hold of, and Eve vot it for a mere sony, for it wasn’t considered good for mach. There have been a vreat many people who’ve thought Owen Ruggles was a little cracked in the upper story for wasting his money in sucha way. But I reckon, since a shafé was sunk this fall and the black di’monds have been pouring out as fast as they could be carried off, the boot hag pinched t‘other foot.” “Really, Uncle Owen, you astonish me,’ returned Edmund Carpenter, in a tone that had changed perceptibly. ‘1 don’t seo but you bid fair to be a rich man if that is the ease. Isuppose you'll be form- ine a company, and U shouldn’t wonder if should want to take some stock. Perhaps T will run up to Reclville and look into the thing before the snow flies.” ‘Ahem! Y guess I shan’t have an ‘ongarement,’ and I'll show you round with pleasure. I dont know about the ‘com- vany’ though—I ain’t so poor as I might be, and I guess I ean manage the thing for myself for the present,” was the dry re- SPONSE, Ruby nearly laughed outright at this shaft. She had been waiting for an opportunity to enter the room to give Mr Ruggles his book, but upon discovering that the con- versation was of a personal naturg she did not like to intrude. She had not meant tobe a Tistener to anything not intended for her ears! but she kept hoping they would slap so,that sho could go in, and thus heard what we have recorded, comiietbaskss com