The Argosy, Vol. XI No. 20 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

THE ARGOSY “*T have no monev.” Then I shall feel justified in ordering your arrest. Your guilt is aggravated by your seeking to throw the blame on Grant." ‘* have a valuable diamond at home. I will turn that over to you,” said Benton with a sudden thought. ‘* How much is it worth ?" ‘*T paid three hundred dollars for it.” “You can go and get it.’ Benton took off his apron, put on his hat, and left the restaurant. Half an hour—an hour—passed, and he did not return. ‘* Mr. Smithson,” said Vincent, ‘* the fellow has piven us the slip. He won't come back, nor will you ever see anything of his diamond. I don’t believe, for my part, that he had any.” The detective was right. Benton managed to borrow fifteen dollars of a friend, and within an hour he had left Sacramento for good. CHAPTER XNIT, PULLING UP STAKES. R. SMITHSON supplied the place vacated by Benton without M delay. He engaged a man of middle age who had come back from the mines witha fair sum of money. Before the first week was up, he made his employer an offer for the restaurant, and after some negotiation the transfer was made. ‘¢T should like to have you continue Grant Colburn in your employ- ment,” said Smithson, with a kindly consideration for his younp waiter. ‘*T am sorry to say that I cannot do it,” answered his successor, ‘* I have a young towusman at the mines who has not been very successful. ] have promised to send for hint in case [ went mite business.” “Tt is of no consequence,” said Grant. ‘TD have always wanted to go to the mines, and now T have money enough to make the venture,” The same day, by a lucky coincidence, Grant received the following letter from. Tom Cooper : Howe's Gutcn, Oct. 5. Dear Graxt: lhave been meaning to write you for some time, but waited till I could tell whether I was likely to succeed or not. For the first month I was here I only got out enough gold dust to pay my expenses, and envied father and you, who havea sure thing. The fact is, nothing is more uncer- tain than mining. You may strike it rich, or may failentirely Till last week 1t looked as if it would be the last in my case. But all at once I struck a pocket, and have thus far got two hundred and seventy five dollars out of it, with more in prospect. That will make up for Icst time. I tell you, Grant, it isa very exciting life. You are likely any dav to make a strike. Further down the creek there isa long, lank Vermonter who in a single weck realized a thousand dollars from his claim. He took it pretty coolly, but was pleased all the same. ‘' If this sort of thing continuesa little longer,”’ he told me, * I'll become a bloated bondholder, and go home and marry Sal Stebbins. She's waitin’ for me. but the old man, her father, told her she'd have to wait till I could show him two thousand dollars, all my own. Well, I don’t think I'll have to wait long before that cime comes,"' and [ guess he's right But I haven't said what [ set out to say. That is, I wish you would pull up stakes and come out here. I feel awful lonely, and would Ike your company. There's a claim about a hundred feet from mine that I have bought for twenty five dollars. and [ will give it to you. The man that's been workin’ it is a lazy, shiftless creeter, and although he's got discour- aged. I think it’s his fault that it hasn't paid better. Half the time he’s been sittin’ down by his claim readin’ a dime novel. Jf a man wants to succeed here, he’s got to have a good share of ‘‘ yet there” about him. ! think you'll fill the bill. Now, just pack up your things, and come right out. Go and see father and mother, but don't show ‘em this letter. I don’t want them to know how Iam getting along. I mean some day to surprise ‘em. Just tell them that I'm gettin’ fair pay, and hope to do better. There's a stage that leaves Sacramento Hctel for ‘‘ these diggin'’s."” You won't have any trouble in findin’ it. Hopin’ soon to see you, lam Your friend, Tom Cooper. This letter quite cheered up Grant. He was anxious to find out how it seemed to be digging for gold. He counted over his savings and found he had a little over a hundred dollars. But lack of money need not have interfered with his plans. On the same day he received a letter from Giles Crosmont, from which we extract a paragraph : Remember, Grant, that when you get ready to goto the mines, you can draw upon me for any sum of money you want. Or, should you lose your place, or get short of money. let me know, and I will see that you are not inconvenienced for lack of funds. I am thinking of making a little invest- ment in.your name, which I think will be of advantage to you. '" That’s a friend worth having,” said Grant to himself. a father, I should like to have him like Mr. Crusmont. could not be any kinder.” “Tf IT had He certainly 319 He wrote back that he was intending to start on the following day for Howe's Gulch, and would write again from there. He concluded thus : ‘Tl thank you very much for your K¥hd offer of a loan, but I have enough to start meat the mines, and will wait till I stand in need, When I do need money, I won't hesitate to call upon you, for I know that you are a true friend.” | He went round to see the blacksmith the next forenoon. ‘* How do you happen to be off work at this hour ?” asked Mr. Cooper. ‘I'ma gentleman of leisure, Mr. Cooper.” ‘* How is that, Grant 2 You haven't been discharged, have you ?” “Well, I've lost my place. M1. Smithson has sold out his restau- rant, and the new man has a friend of his whom he is going to put in my place.” ‘* I’m sorry, Grant," said the blacksmith in a tone of concern. doesn't seem hardly fair.” “Oh, it’s all right, Mr. Cooper. always intended todo. I shall start tomorrow morning.” ‘*T wish you luck, I don’t know how Tom is getting along.” “Then I can tell you, for I've had a letter from him. He writes that he is doing fairly well.” Jerry Cooper shook his head. ‘*T guess he ain't doing as well as he did on the old farm at home,” he said. ‘: He writes very cheerfully and wants me to come out.” ‘* He's too proud to own up that he’s disappointed. Just tell him that if he wants to come back to Sacramento and help me in the shop, I can ¢ It Iam going out to the mines, as I give him two dollars a day and his living.” ‘* Pibtell him, sir, IT hope you are doing well.’ ‘*T never did so well in my life,” answered the blacksmith compla- cently. ‘* Why, Grant, I've averaged ten dollars a day over and above all expenses ever since I took the shop. How is that for high 2” ‘Why, father, 1 never knew you to use slang before,” said Mrs. Cooper reprovingly. “Can't help it, old lady. [t’s my good luck that makes me a bit frisky. If we were only to home, I'd give you money to buy a new bonnet and a silk dress.” Thank you, father, but they wouldn't do me any good here. Just fancy me walking through the town dressed up in that style. How folks would stare! When I get home [ won't mind accepting your offer.” ‘Well, folks don't dress much here, that’s a fact. Why, they don't dress as much as they did in Crestville. I> never looked so shabby then, but nobody takes any notice of it. There’s one comfort, if I dont wear fine clothes it isn’t because I can't afford it.” “If you're poing away tomorrow, Grant,”’ said Mrs. Cooper hospi- tably, ‘* you must come and take supper with us tonight. [don’t know as I can pive you any brown bread, but I'll give you some baked beans, in Eastern stvle.” ‘*—T shall be glad to get them, Mrs. Cooper. since I left liome.” “To wish I could send some to Tom,” said his mother. ‘* Poor fel- low, I don't suppose he gets many of the comforts of home where he is.” “Tam afraid I couldn't carry the beans very conveniently,” said Grant with a laugh. On his way back to the restaurant to make some preparations for his coming departure, he was accosted by a tall, thin man, who looked like a lay preacher. ‘My younp friend,” he said, with an apologetic cough, ‘‘ excuse me for addressing you, but Iam in great need of assistance. Why, its Grant!” he exclaimed in amazement. “Mr. Silverthorn {” “Yes, my young friend, it is your old friend Silverthorn, who counts himself fortunate in meeting you once more,” and he grasped Grant’s reluctant hand and shook it vigorously. “You may be my old friend, Mr. Silverthorn,” returned Grant, ‘* but it strikes me you didn’t treat meas such when you took the money from my pocket.” ‘*T acknowledge it, Grant, I acknowledge it,” said Silverthorn, as he took the same old red silk handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his eyes, ‘‘ but I was driven to it by want and dire necessity.” ‘* Well, let it puss! When did you reach Sacramento ?” ‘Only yesterday. Ah, Grant, I have had sad vicissitudes! I wan- dered in the wilderness, nearly starving, till I came across a party of Pennsylvania Quakers, who aided me and brought me with them to this place.”’ I haven't tasted any |—— GOnM(G DOO CS pCO