Newspapers / Greensboro Daily News (Greensboro, … / Nov. 27, 1921, edition 1 / Page 18
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GREENSBORO DAILY NEWS, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1921 BARKER'S LUCK By BRET HARTE Copyright, 1921. fey Haavhtra Mini l . I'nblished ky nrutniul with th LIU ernry Digest Newspaper Syndicate. A bird twittered! Th morning iun hilling throuf h th open window vu apparently mor potent than th cool mountain air, which had only caused the sleeper to curl a little mor tight lr In hi blanke'ts. Barkor's eves open ed Instantly upon the light and the bird on th window ledge. Like all healthy young animals he would have tried to aleep main, but with hie momentary consciousness came the recollection that It waa hl turn to cook the breakfast that morning, and he regretfully rolled out ot hie bunk to the floor, Raking together the few ember jn th adobe hearth, not with out a prudent regard to the rattle snake which had once been detected In haunting the warm ashes, he began to prepare breakfast lly this time the other eleepere, hie partners Stacy and Demorest, young men of about hie own age, were awake, alert, . and lazily critical of hie progress. ' "I don't care about my quell on toast awing underdone for breakfast" said Stacy, with a yawn; "and you needn't erve with red wine. I'm not feeling very peckish this morning." Accustomed to these regular Barme cide suggestions, Barker made no di rect reply. Presently looking up from the Are, he said, "There's no more ealeratus, so you mustn't blame mo if th biscuit Is extra heavy, 1 told you w had none when you went to the grocery yesterday." "And I told you we hadn't a red cent to buy any with," eald Stacy, who was also treasurer. Nevertheless, they sat down to what Barker hud prepared, with the keen appetite begotten of the mountain air. Jerked beef, frizzled with suit pork In frying pan, boiled potatoes, biscuit nd coftco compaxcri the repast. Sud denly they heard the sound of horses' hoofs, saw the tiulck pusxuge of a rider In the open space lie lore the cabin, and felt the smart Impact up en the trible nf soma smalt object thrown by him. 1' was the regular morning delivery of the country news paper. ' " I "He's getting to be a mighty sure shot," eiiid Dcmorpjtt approvingly, looking st his upset can ot coffee as h picked up Hie paper, rolled Into a cylindrical wad n tightly as a car tridge, and began to xtralghten It out.. "Nary news?" skked tftacy. "No. ThiTn never In any," said Demoreet scornfully. "We ought to top the paper." "You rncan the pnper man ought to. We don't pay him." said barker gently. "Well, that's the same thing, smarty. No news, no psy. Hallo!" he continued, his eyes suddenly riveted uti tho paper. Then, after (he fashion of ordinary humanity, ha stopped short and read the Interesting Item to himself. When he had finished ha brought his fist and the paper, together, violently down upon the table. "Now look at this! Talk ot luck, wtll you? Just think of It. Her are we- hard-working1 men With lots of sabe, too grubbln' away en this hillside Ilk niggers glad to get enough at the end of the day to pay for our soggy biscuits snd horse bean coffee, and Just look what falls Into the lap of sum long, lank, pen wlplng scrub who Just knows enough to sit down on his office stool and hold on to a bit of paper." - "What's up now 7" asked Stacy, with th carelessness begotten of familiarity with his partner's ex travagance. "Listen," said Demoreet. reading. "Another unprecedented rise has tak en plan In the shares of the Yellow Hummer First Extension Mine slnoe the sinking of tho new shaft. It was quoted yestorday at $10,000 a foot. When It Is remembered that scarcely two years ago the original shares, Is sued lit $50 per share, had dropped to only 50 cents a share, It will be seen that those who were able to hold on have got a good thing." "What mine did you say?" asked Barker, looking up meditatively from the dishes he was ulreaiTy washing. "The Yellow Hammer First Inten sion,", returned liemorest shortly. "I used to have some shares In that and I think I have them still," said Barker musingly. "Yes," said Demorest promptly: "the paper spcke of it here, 'Wo un derstand,' ' he continued, reading aloud, " 'that our eminent fellow cltl sen, Oeorge Barker, otherwise known as (let-Left Marker and Chuckle hesd. In one of these fortunate Indi viduals.' " "Vou tnsy laugh, boys," said Barker, with simple sei-lousncHS; "but I real ly believe I have got 'cm yet. Just wait, I'll see!" lie rose and beg-nn to drag a well-eorn valise from under his bunk. "You see," ho continued "they were given to me by an old el'.np In return" "For curing his life by delaying Iho Stui'kton bout (hat afterwards blew up." returned Liemorest briefly. , "For lending him $2,000 then," con tinued Burlier, with a pimple ipnnrlng of tho interruption, ns he quietly brought out the valine. "Two thousand dollars!" repeated Stacy. "When did you have $-4,000 r "When 1 first left Sacramento three years ago." said Markor, unstrapping the valise. "How long did you have It?" suld Demorest Im-reditlouslv. "At least two vlnys, I think." re turned Barker quietly. "Then I met l that man. Me was hard up, and I lent I him my pile and took those shares. He died afterwurds." Tho two partners regarded Barker rulnmaK'Ing nmoiiij some looso clothes and papers with a kind of paternal toleration. ( "If you can't And them, bring out your government bonds," suggested Stacy. But th next moment, flushed and triumphant, Barker rose from his knees, and cam toward them, carry ing some papers In his hands. Demorest seized them from him, opened them, Spread them en th table looked wildly at Stacy and then at Darker, and gasped, t "By the living hookey, It Is so." ' "Twenty shares," continued liemor est breathlessly, "at $10,000 a share even If If only a foot Is $ituo,000! Jerusalem!" "Of course," said Barker, wiping his forehead, "we'll Just get some money on theso certificates and buy up that next claim which belongs to old Car tor where you know w thought we saw the Indication." 'We'll do nothing of the kind," said Demorest decldely. "We ain't In It. That money Is yours, old chip every cent of It properly acquired before marriage, you know. "But we're partners," gasped Bar ker. " 'Not In thlsl Ths utmost w ran for you, opulent sir, though It 111 becomes us horny-handed sons of toll to rob shoulders with Dives is perchance to dine with you, to luke a pasty and a glass of Malvolsie, at some restaurant In Sacramento when you've got things fixed, In honor et your return to af fluence. But mor would 111 become us!" "I suppose," he said desperately, aft er a pause, "1 Ought to go over to Boomvllle and make some Inquiries," 'At tne bana, old chap: at tne bank!" said liemorest emphatically. Tako my advice and don't go any where else. Don't breathe a word of your luck to anybody. And don't, whatever yon do, b tempted to sell Just now: you don't know how high that stock's going to jump yet" "I thought," stammered Barker, 'that you boys might Ilk to go over with tne." We can't afford to take another holiday on grub wages, and we're only two to work today," said liemorest, wllh a slight Increase of color and the faintest tremor In his voice, "And It won't do, old chap, for us to be seen bumming round with you on th heels of your good fortune. For everybody knows we're poor, and sooner or later everybody'!! know you were rich, even when you first came to us. "Nonsense!" said Parker indignantly. "Gospel, my boy I" said Demoreet shortly- "The frozen truth, old roan!" said Stacy. Darker took up his hat with some stiffness and moved towards the door. Here he stopped Irresolutely, an' Ir resolution that seemed to communicate itself to his partners. There was a moment's awkward . sllsnce. Then Demorest suddenly seised him by the shoulders with, a grip that was halt a caress, and walked him rapidly to the door. "And don't-stand foolln' with us. Barker boy; but Just trot oft like a little man, and get your grip on that fortune; and when you've got your hooks In It hang on Ilk grim death. You'll" he hesitated for an Instant only, possibly to find the laugh that should have accompanied nis speech "you're sure to find us her when you get baok," Hurt to the quick, but restraining his feelings. Barker olapped his hat on his head and walked quickly away. Th two partners stood watching him In silence until his figure waa lost In tb underbrush. Then they spoke. Like him wasn't It?" said Demor est 'Just him all over," said Htaoy. 'Think ot him having that stock stowed away all these years and nev er even bothering his dear old head about Itl'i 'And think of his wanting to put the whole, thing Into this rotten hillside with us!" 'And he'd have done It by gosh! and never thought of It again. That's Barker." Meantime Barker was on his way to Boomvitle. Being of a simple nature, his emotions were less complex. It he had not seen the undoubted look of nffuctlon In the eyes ot his partners he would hsve Imagined, that they were Jealous of hi good tortun. Yet why had they i-efused his offer to share II with him? Why had they so strangely assumed that their partnership 'with him had closed) Why had this money ot which he had thought so little, and for which he had cared so little changed them towards hlmT It had not changed him he waa the same! He could not make It out He was hurt wounded, yet oddly enough he wss conscious now ot a certain power within him to hurt and wound In retri bution. II wss rich, he would let them see h oould do without them. He was qulto troo now to think only of himself and KUty. For It must be recorded that, with all this young gentleman's simplicity and unselfishness, with all his loyal attitude to bis partners, his first thought at the moment he grasped the fact of his wealth wbs of a young lady. It was a Kitty Carter, the daughtor of the hotel keeper at Uoomvllle, who owned the claim that the partners had mutually coveted. That a pretty girl's face should Hash upon him with his conviction that he was now a rich man meant perhaps no disloyalty to hts partners. But It occurred to him now. in his half-hurt, half-vengeful state, that they had often Joked him 5 Stief f Pianos For Three-Quarters Of a Century a Leader IT 1 If i V t The very fir.t StiefT Piano manufactured was regarded at that time as being an ar tistic instrument. Never from that early period to this good day has the StiefT fam ily deviated in the slightest degree from the high ideals of the honored founder , of their now mammoth business. The highest possible de- & e e-i'-i i i . , 15 gree 01 penecuon nas Decn rcacnea in me pianos now Be ing produced. Stieff Pianos are used and indorsed by hundreds of the greatest musicians, of the world and colleges ana gervatories. fill not I'kls Itlnak and Mall CHAW, M. f.TIKFF, INC. Charlotte. N. C. rieas send catalogue and prices Piano. Name j , Address .' ...,...-. ot con- Chas. M. Stieff, Inc. - Charlotte, N. C about Kitty, and perhaps further con fidence with them waa debarred. And It was only due to his dignity that he should now see Kitty at once. This waa easy enough, for. In the naive simplicity of Boomvllle, and the eoonomlo arrangements of her father, she occasionally waited upon the hotel table, Half th town was always ac tively In love with her? the other half had been, and waa silent; cynical, but hopeloss in defeat For Kitty was one of those singularly pretty girls oc casionally met within southwestern frontier civilization. Hut the tact re mained that she was slight, graceful, and self-contained, and moved beside her stumpy, commonplace father, and her faded, commonplace mother, In the dining room of the Boomvllle hotel like soms distinguished alien. The thre partners, by virtu, perhaps, of their college education and refined manners, had been exceptionally notlcod.by Kitty. And for some rea son Barker was particularly f.vord. But when h reached the hotel, a strange trepidation overcame bim. The dining room was at Its slack water, between th ebb of breakfast and before the flow ot the preparation for the midday meat. He could not have his Interview with Kitty In that dreary waste of reversed chairs and bare trestle-like tables, and she possi bly engaged In nor household duties. But Miss Kitty had already seen him cross the road, and had lounged Into th dining -room with... aa. artfully simulated air of casually examining it. At the unexpected vision of his hopes, arrayed In the sweetest and fresh est of rosebud sprigged print, his heart faltered. Then, partly with the des peration of a timid man:' and partly through the working of a halt-formed resolution, he met her bright smile with a simple Inquiry for hsr father. Miss Kitty bit her pretty Up, smiled slightly, and preceded htm with great formality to fho office. Opening the door, without raising her lashes' to either her father or the visitor, she said, with a mischievous accenting of th professional manner, "Mr. Barker, to see you on business," and tripped sweetly away. And this slight Incident precipi tated the crisis. For Barker Instantly made up his mind that he must pur chase th next claim for his partners of this man Carter. Carter wss a shrewd business man, and th well known simplicity of Barker was a proof of his truthfulness, to say. noth ing of th shares that wr shown to him. His selling price for his claim had been $200,000, but her was a rich customer who, from a mere fool ish sentiment, would be no doubt willing to pay more. He hesitated with a bland but superior smile. "Ah, that was my price at my last offer, Mr. Barker," b said suavely: "but, you see, things are going up sine then." , The keenest duplicity . Is apt to fail before absolute simplicity, Barker, thoroughly believing him, and already a little frightened at hts own pre sumption not for th amount of the money Involved, buffrom th possibil ity of his partners refusing his gift utterly quickly took advantage ot this locus penltentlae, "No matter, then," he said hurried ly! "perhaps I had better consult my partners first. ' Carter was staggered; this would clearly not do! He recovered himself with an Insinuating smile. "You pulled me up too shoit, Mr. Barker; I'm a business man. but hang It still what's that among friends? If you recokoned I gav my word at $200,000 why, I'm thrl Say no more about It th claim's yours. I'll make you out a bill of sal at once." "But," healuted Barker, "you se I haven't got the money yet, and" "Money!" echoed Carter bluntly, "what's that among friends? Gimme your note at 30 days that's good enough for me. An' we'll settle the whole thing now nothing like finish ing a Job while you're about It" And before the bewildered and doubtful visitor could protest, he had filled up nromfssorv note for Barker's siirna- tfiro and himself signed a bill of sale for the property. "And I reckon, Mr. Barker, you'd like to take your part ners by surprlBO about this little gift of yours." he sdded smilingly. "Well, my messenger Is starting for the Gulch In five minutes; he's going by your cabin, and he can Just drop this bill of sale, as a kind of settled fact on 'em aforo they can say anything, seel Ye'll stop here over lunch, and I reckon, as the old woman Is busy, why, Kitty will fry to malt th time pass till then by plnyin' for you on her new planner." Delighted, yet bewildered by the un expected luvltntlon and opportunity, Barker . mechanically signed the pro missory note, and as mechanically ad dressed the envelope of the bill of sale to Domorcst, which Carter gave to the mossenger. Then he followed his host across the hall to th apartment known as Miss Kitty s parlor." He cast his eyes timidly round the room. A wave of hope psssed over him, but It was quickly spent as Mr. Carter roughly playful voice Intro duced him; "Yo kin give Mr. Barker a tune or tw to pass time aforo lunch, Kitty. You kin let him see what you're do ing In that line. But you'll have to sit up now, for this young man's come Inter some property, and will be sashcylng round in 'I'rUi-o afore long with a biled shirt and a stovepipe, and be glvln tho go-by to Boomvllle. As he slipped away, Barker felt his heart sink. Carter had not only bluntly forestalled him with tho news and taken away his excuse for a confl dentlal interview, but had put an ostentatious construction on his visit lis stood ashamed and embarrassed before her. . But Miss Kitty, far from noticing his cmbnt-rnsBiuent In a snnden con cern regarding the 'horrid'' untidl ness of the room, which made her cheeks quite pink in one spot, and obliged her to take up and set down in exactly the same place several arti cles, was exceedingly delighted. These things were always so unex pected! It was so kind of him to come here first and tell her father, "I really wanted to tell only ycu, Miss ' Carter," stammered Barker "Yen 8coM he hesitated. Bui Miss Kitty saw perfectly. He wanted tell her, and, seeing her, he asked tor her father! --It--wsa-nlso- kind of her father to Invite him to luncheon. Otherwise she might not nave seen him before he left Boomvllle. But this was more than Barker could stand. With the same desperate directness and simplicity with which he had approached her father he now blurted out his whole heart to her. He told her how ha had loved her hope lessly from the first tlm that they had spoken together. He had sat and worshiped her, and nothing else, at church 1 How her voice In the church choir had sounded Ilk an angel's how his poverty and his uncertain fu ture had kept him from seeing her often, lest he should be tempted to betray his hopeless passion. How ai soon a he realised that he had a po sltlnn, that Ms lovo for her need not make her ridiculous to the world's eyes, he cam to tell her all. Indeed, there was no getting away from his boyish, simple, outspoken declaration. In vain Kitty smiled, frowned, glanced at her pink cheeks in th glass, and stopped to look ou of th window. Th room was filled with his love It was encompassing her seemed to be almost embracing her. But sh managed at last to turn upon him a face that was bow as white and grave as his own was eager and glowing. . "Sit down," she eald gently, He did so obediently, but wonder Ingly. She then opened and took a seat upon th muslo stool before It "Now listen to me be good and don't Interrupt! There! not so near; you can hear what I have to say well enough where you are. That will do." . Barker had halted with th chair he was dragging towards her and sat down. ' ' . .. . "Now." said Miss Kitty, withdraw ing her .eyes and looking straight be fore her, "I believe everything you say. But because I do believe you it seems to mo all wrong! For the very reasons that you give for' not having spoken to ma before are the same reasons why you should not speak to m now. You see, all this tlm you have let nobody but yourself know how you felt toward me. In everybody's eyes you and your part ners have been only the three stuck up, exclusive, college-bred men who mined a poor claim in th Uulch, and occasionally came her to this hotel as customers. In everybody's eyes I has been only the 'rich hotel keep er's popular daughter, who sometimes watted upon you but nothing more. But at leaet we wer then pretty much alike, and on as good as th other. And now, as soon as you have become suddenly rich, and, of course, the superior, you rush down her to ask me - to aeknowlsdg It by accepting you!" "You know I never meant that, Miss Kitty," burst out Barker vehemently. "Ot course you never meant It," sh said with an odd laugh; "but every body will take It In that way. Every body will say I accepted you for your money: .everybody will aay It waa a put-up Job ot my father's. Everybody will say that you threw yourself away on me. And I don't know but that they would be right. ."You see," she went on, without looking at him; "Just now you Ilka to remember that you tell in love with me first as a pretty waiter girl, but If I became your wife It's Just what you would like to forget, And I should not, for I should always like to think of the tlm when you came here, whenever you could afford it, and sometimes .when you couldn't just to see me; and how we used to make, excuses to speak with each other over the dishes. "So," sh said, rising up with a grave smile and grasping her hands tightly behind her, "it's a good deal better that you should begin to forget it now. Be a good boy and take my advice. Qo to San Francisco. You will meot some girl there in a way you will -not afterwards regret I suppose you are right," he said simply. She glanced quickly at him, and her eyebrows straightened. He had risen, his face white and his gray eyes wide ly opened. - - I suppose you are right," he went on, "because you are saying to me what my partners said to m this morning, when I ottered to shar my wealth with them, God knows as hon estly as I offered to shar my heart with yo. I suppose that you are both right; that there must be some curse of prlda or selfishness upon the money that I have got; but I have not felt it yet and th fault does not 11 with me." She gave her shoulders a slight ah rug, and turned Impatiently toward the window, nhen sh turned back again he was gone. It Is th characteristic and perhaps cruelty of a simple nature to make no allowance for complex raowvea, w to even understand them I So It seemed to Barker that his simplicity had been met with equal directness. It was the possession of this wealth that had In some way hopelessly changed hts relations with th world. His cheeks flushed again as he thought he had tried to tempt an Innocent girl Wltn it, ana n was Keenly nurc inai he had not seen In Kitty's eyes the tenderness that hid softened his part ners' refusal. He resolved to wait no longer, but sell big dreadful stook at once. He walked dlreotly to tb bank. The manager, a shrewd but kindly man, to whom Barker was known al ready, received him graciously. He listened with marked attention to Barker's hesitating but brief story, only remarking at its close: lou mean, of course, ths 'second Extension' when you say 'First'?" "No," said Barker; "I mean the First' and it said First In the Boomvllle paper." . - les, yes! 1 saw It It was a print er's error. The otock of the 'First waa called In two years ago. No. Tou mean the 'Second, for, of course. you've followed th quotations, and are likely to know what stook you're holding shares of. When you go back. take a look at them, and you U se am right." "But l brought them with me," said Barker, with a slight flushing as he full In his pocket, "and I am quit sure they are th 'First' " He brought them out and laid them on th desk before tho manager. The- words "First Extension" were plainly visible. Th manager glanced curiously at Barker, and his brow darkened. Did anybody put this up on you?" he said sternly. "Did your partners send you here with this stuff?" No! no!" said Barker eagerly. "No otic! It's all my mistake. I see It now. I trusted to th newspaper. And you mean to say you never examined the stock or th quotations. nor followed It in any way, since you had lt7" Never!" said Barker. "Never thought about it at all till I saw the newspaper. So It s not worth any thing?" And. to- the innlnlte surprise ot the manager, there was a slight srell on his boyish face. I am afraid It is net worth the paper It's written on," said th man' ger gently. Th smile on Barker fee Increased to a little laugh, in which his won dering companion could not help Join ing. Thank you," esld Barker suddenly. and rushed away. -"He - heat - every thing!" - aaid the manager, gnslng after him. "1 d If he didn't seem even pleased." He was pleased. TJhe burden of wealth had fallen from his shoulders the dreadful inenbus that had weighed him down and parted his friends was gone! lie would go directly back to his partners: they would laugh at him of course,-but they could not look at him now with the same sad, com mlseratlnsr eyes, I'erhaps even Kitty But here a sudden chill struck htm. Ho had forgotten the bill of sale! He had forgotten th dreadful promissory note given to her father In the rash presumption ot his wealthl Would anybody believe it was only a stupid blunder of his own? Yes? his partners might bellev him; but horrible thought, he had already. Implicated them In his fraud! Even now, while he was standing there hesitatingly In the road, they were entering upon the new claim h had not paid for could not pay for and In th guise of a benefactor h was dishonoring them. Yet it waa Carter he must meet first he must confess all to him. He must go baok to th hotel thst hotel where he had Indignantly left her, and tell th father he was a fraud. He turned back to th hotel and en tered th offlos. But Mr. Carter had not yet rturned. He ran up th stair case and knocked timidly at the sitting room door; saw tho vision of a hand kerchief thrown away, "of a pair of tearful eyes that suddenly changed to stony Indifference, and a graceful but stiffening figure. But he was past all insult now. "I would not Intrud," he said sim ply, "but I came only to see I your father. I have mad an awful blunder mor than a blunder, I think a fraud. Believing that I was rich; I purchased your father's claim for my. partners, and gav him my promis sory not. I cam her to give him back his claim for : that not can naver be paid! I hav Just been to the bank; I find I have made a stupid mis take in th nam ot th shares upon which I based my heller in my wealth. The ones I own are worthless I am as poor as ever I am even poorer, for I owe your father money I can never pay." To his amasement h saw a look of pain and scorn com Into her troubled eyes which he had never seen before. This is a feeble trick," sh said bitterly; "it Is unllk you It Is un worthy of youl" ("Good God! Tou must belle me. Listen! It was all a mistake a printer's error. I read in the paper that the stock for ths First Extension mln had gone up, when It ehould have been ths Hecond. I swear to you " But It was unnecessary. There was no doubting the truth ot that voice that manner,. The scorn fled from Mlsa Kitty's eyei to give place to a stare, and then suddenly changed to two bubbling blue wells of laughter, Sh went to th window and laughed. Sh sat down to the piano and laugh ed. She finally collapsed into an easy chair, and, burying her brown head in Us cushions, laughed long and confi dentially until she brought up sud denly against a sob. : And than wss still. Barker was dreadfully alarmed. He had heard of hysterias before. He felt he ought to do something. He knelt bo sld her and pressed his arm around her waist He drew her head upon his shoulder. II was not sur that any of thess things were effective until sh suddenly lifted her eyes to his, put her arms round his neck, and sobbed "Oh, George! Tou blessed Innocent." An eloquent silence was broken by remorseful start from Barker. "But I must go and warn my poor partners, dearest - "Yes, George dear," sail th young girl, with sparkling eyesj "and do so at once!" "But your father oh, I see, dearest. you will tell htm all -ylourself, and spart me." "I shall do nothing so foolish, Georgey. Nor shall you! Don't you se th not Isn't du for a month. Stop I Hav you told anybody but paw and m?" "Only th bank manager." "I'll run over and fix him," she said. "Fix him?" returned Barker, aghast. "Yes, I'll say your wicked partners have been playing a practical Joke on you, and he mustn't give you away. He'll do anything for me." "But my partners 'didn't! On the contrary" "Don't tell me, George," said Miss Kitty severely. "They ought never to hav let you come her with that stuff. But cornel You must go at once. You must not meet paw; you'll blurt out everything to him; I know you! I'll tell him you oould not stay to lunch eon. Quick, now; go. What? Well there!" Whatever It represented, th excla mation was apparently so protracted that Mlsa Kitty was obliged to push her" lover to th front landing before she could disappear by the back stairs. But, once In the street Barker no longer lingered. Th sun was beginning to send dwarf shadows towards the east when be reached the crest of the Gulch, where their old working ground was spread before him liks" a map. They wer not there; neither were they ly ing under ths four pines on the ridge where they were wont to rest at mid day. He turned with some alarm to the new claim adjoining theirs but there waa no sign of them there either. A sudden fear that they had, after part ing from him, given up the claim In a fit of disgust and depression, and de parted, now overcame him. He clap ped his hat on his head and ran in the direction of th cabin. He had nearly reached It when the challenge o "Who's there?" from the bushes halted him, and Demorest sud denly swung Into th trail. But the singular look of sternness and impa tience which he was wearing vanished as he saw Barker, and with a loud shout ot "all right, It's only Barkerl Hooray I" he ran toward him. In an Instant he was Joined by Stacy from the cabin, and the two men, catching hold of their returning partner, waltzed him Joyfully and breathlessly Into the cabin. But the quick-eyed Demorest suddenly let go his hold and stared at Barker's face, "Why, Barker, old boy, what's up?" "Everything's up," gasped the breathless Barker. "It's all up about these stocks. It's all a mistake: all an infernal lie of that newspaper. 1 never had th right kind of chares. The one I have are worthless rags:" and the next instant he had blurted out his whole Interview with-the bank manager. The two partners looked it each other, and then, to Barker's Infinite perplexity, - the same extraordinary convulsion ttiat had seized MrtTsfcHlty fell upon them. They laffhed, hold ing on each other's shoulders they laughed, clinging to Barker's strug gling figure; they went out and laugh ed with their, backs against a tree. They laughed separately and !n differ ent corners. And then they eame up to Barker with tears In their eyes, dropped their beads on his shoulder, and murmured exhaustedly: "You blessed ass!" "But," said Stacy suddenly, "how did you manage to buy ths claim?" "Ah! that's the most awful thing, boys. I'v never paid for it," grotned Barker. "But Carter sent us th bill of sale," persisted Demorest, "or we shouldn't have taken It" "I gave my promissory not at 30 daj," said Barker desperately, "and where's 'the money to come from now? But," he added mUdly, as the men glanced at each other "you said taken It' Good heavens, you don't mean to say that I'm too late-that you've you've touched itV "I reckon that's pretty much what w hav been doing," drawled Demor est "It looks uncommonly Ilk It, drawled Stacy. Barker glanced blankly from th one to the other. "Shall we pass our young friend 1 to se th show?" said Demorest to, Staoy. - ....... "Yes, If he'll be prfeotly quiet an not breathe on th glasses," returned Stacy. i' They each gravely took on of Bar ker's hands and led him to the corner ot th cabin. There, on an old flour barrel, stood a large tin prospecting pan. In which th partners also occa sionally used to knead their bread. A dirty -- towel covered It Demorest whisked it dexterously aside, and dis closed three large fragments of de composed gold -and quarts. Barker started back. "Four thousand dollars'- weight If a penny!" said Stacy, In short staccato sentences. "In a pocketl Brought II out the second stroke of th plekl We'd been awfully blu after you left Awfully blue, too, when that bill of sals eame, for we thought you'd been wasting your money eu as. Iteokoned we oughtn't to take it hot send it straight baok to you. Messen ger gonel Then Demorest reckoned as it was done It couldn't be undone, and we' ought to make just on prospect' on th claim, and strlk a single stroke for you. And there It is. And there's more on the hillside.1" ('But It Isn't mine! It Isn't yoursl It's Carter's. I never had the money to pay tr It and I haven't got It now." . - i. "But you gave th note and It 1 not du for 30 days." A recollection flashed upon Barker. "Yes," he said with thoughtful sim plicity,' "that's what Kitty said."" "Oh, 'Kitty said so," said both part ners gravely. "Yea." stammered Barker, turning away with a heightened oolor, ."and, as I didn't stay there to luncheon, I think I'd- better be getting it ready." He picked up the coffee pot, ,and turned to the hearth as his two part ners stepped beyond the door. ' "Wasn't It exaotly Ilk him?" said Demorest ... "Him all over," said Buoy. "And his worry over that' ndtot said Demorest ' "And "what Kitty saldf" said Staoy, "Look here) I reckon that wasn't all that Kitty said " . , "Of oourse not" ' "What hick!" REBELS AND ARMY BANDS ' :' ' RESPECT ATf OlD MONASTERY (Correipoadeoes Amdato Pra.) " ; Nov! Afon, On th Black Sea, Oot 10. The magnlfloent buildings of . th monastery here, modelled after th more celebrated on of Mount Athos, In the Aeagean sea. have been respect ed during the various revolutions. Even the Green army bands have not dis turbed the monastery Several thous and tuberculosis patients from Georgia have been housed here and now refu gees from the famine districts of, Rus sia are being cared for GIFTS THAT LAST "ft it I ; v.i -f-, ft IWIU You are perhaps perplexed what to give your wife, mother,, some other member of the fam ily or very near and jiear friends. My whole business life has been helping to solve these very questions at lowest cost. It is wrong to suppose that jewelers only carry ex pensive articles. So won't you let me see your Christmas list first and get my suggestions? Come in soon to avoid the later crowds. I am sure you will enjoy the visit whether you buy or riot. In no other store will you find so quick- ly gifts at every price attuned to every per sonal desire. Why delay? JEWELRY GIFTS THAT LAST. - BERNWm The Jeweler WATCHES, DIAMONDS, JEWELRY, SILVER, CLOCKS ',k S mi VvT'lt r-TfeJ PS hwVi 41 h '-S av St M. GIFTS THAT LAST
Greensboro Daily News (Greensboro, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Nov. 27, 1921, edition 1
18
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