Tip Top Weekly No. 61: Frank Merriwell in the Mines — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

14 FRANK MERRIWELL IN THE MINES. of the song she just sung she put to-! wore a ring, in which glittered a huge gether, assisted a trifle by me. It is her, diamond.. idea and here sentiment. The musicis! There was something sensual about the hers entirely. I have not improved upon face of the gambler. His lips, which were it at all, and I learned to play it by hear-/not fully hidden by the dark mustache, ing her hum the air.”’ | were full and red. ‘*By Jove!’’ muttered Rattleton. ‘‘If; With the first appearance of the little he isn’t lying, that is something wonder-, blind girl and the old man in the saloon ful! The child is a born musician." | Powers had immediately stopped plaving “Bush! cautioned Frank as the oldicards, and given them his full attention. man went on speaking, | Had anv one been watching him closely “Ror a year or ore siuice discovering | that person would have seen him draw man, ‘I have bent all my energies to! a shadow on his face, his manner seeming sinking: the shaft of ny mine deeper, ; to indicate that he wished to conceal his hoping to strike it rich right away, that I| features. might give her such a musical education; There was a look of satisfaction on the as she needs while she is yet yottng. I} man's face when he heard the little girl have been unsuccessful, Somehow I have|sing, and it deepened as he listened to lost the lead in the mine, and it is not! the words of the old man. paying at all 1iow.”? | Ofa sudden he started as if struck by -Pher yveiln never amounted ter] an idea, and huis lips muttered : shutks,’? said a man uear Frank, speak-; There’s money in her! She’s blind, ing toa companion. ‘Old North has a| and she can sing. If the game is worked crazy idee in his head that it must pan | Tight, the fools out here in this country out rich, but I reckon it has run out fer} Will throw their money at her. Well, she. good an’ all now.’ belongs to me—and I] have her!”’ . ’ * ‘ ++ “T haven't the money to open up the: The final words were uttered aloud, so mine as it should be,’ continued the old; the aman with whom Powers had been laying distinctly heard them. man, ‘‘and so I have decided that I must; P ; ' It happened that in starting out to take try to find some other wav to get a living: and raise money for Little Blossom to; ™P the collection Little Blossom moved have her education. That is why we are: toward Powers. He called to her: here to-night, and any assistance you can} Come here. I want to give you some es . Pa reves 13 render us, gentlemen, will be appre- thing first. a . ciated.” She heard his voice and turned her tace ‘Then Little Blossom took her hat and| nowa ta him, siniling sweetly. eons started to take up a collection. Thank you, sir,” she said.“ You are “At one of the card tables sat a man|°° good! Everybody is so good! It seems who had been in Silver Bluff Jess than to me that the world is filled with good two days, yet was well known, his repu-|P°°P i, and 2 Xue igtan pa Gatist oe es 7 2 A115 Tep"-| wrong when he says some of them are tation having reached the place in ad-|1,4 7 ° : vance of him. | She came toward him unsuspectingly, That man was a gambler—a poker and he eagerly scanned her face. sharp. He was known generally by the; ‘So you are Little Blossom ?”’ he said, name of Doubledeal Dan, but it was!as he reached out and took hold of her said that his real name was Powers. | hand. In a certain coarse way he was rather! Somehow at his touch it seemed that good looking, having dark eyes, hair, : the child instinctively shrank from him. | mustache and imperial. He dressed ina! “‘‘Yes,’? she answered, and the smile flashy manner, wearing a fancy double-|had faded from her face, while there was breasted vest and a gaudy, wide-striped: something like a look of fear in those shirt. Across the front of the vest was! sightless eyes. strung a heavy gold chain, and a large; ‘Well, Little Blossom,’’ said Double- horseshoe pin adorned his necktie. He|deal Dan, ‘‘I want you.”’ ECOMICLOO© S$} o(CO)