Part 27 (1/2)
”Then----” she leaned forward, her eyes black as coals, her fingers clasped convulsively in front of her ”Then we uncovered it, that first little narrow vein o' gold runnin' through the rocks I thought dad would go plumb crazy when he seen it Honest, I was skeered for a minute, till I recollected thet joy never killed nobody
”Then I began to be skeered fer myself I felt so kind o' queer an'
wobbly inside o' me Then dad came runnin' out to show the other fellers what he'd found, an' seemed like they went crazy too
”Then you coirls drew a long breath
”All,” repeated Grace, softly ”I should think it was about enough for one day!”
”An' now,” said Meggy, in a small little voice, ”poor old dad an' y an' her dad! Now I can buy a hoss like--like--nigger,her fondly ”Of course you can buy a horse--a dozen of the else? Pretty clothes, a beautiful house to live in----”
”Yes,” agreed Meggy, but without any special enthusiasals come around lookin' all pretty an' stylish in your nice clothes thet I would like to dress thet way myself ef I wasn't as poor as dirt An' I would like to live in soh to your beds so's you could change 'es
”But a hoss----” Her voice lowered al-legged gal, seems like all I've really wanted was a hoss I s'pose,” she turned dark, rather wistful eyes on the girls, ”it's purty hard for you gals to understand what I' so's your heart ached till it seeht think I was foolish to take on so 'bout only a hoss”
”We don't think you're foolish, Meggy,” said Betty, gently ”We think you're wonderful, and you deserve every bit of the splendid luck that has coayly, ”that you will have the hted with joy Then they irls
”It's jest like dad said,” she murmured ”We wouldn't 'a' had nothin' ef it hadn't been fer you girls You don't knoe feel about you, 'cause we jest never could tell you”
The days that followed seeirls Peter Levine had knohat he was talking about when he had asserted that ”gold was running wild” about the northern end of the ranch and its environs
It was as though the finding of gold in the new Higgins' mine had been the key that unlocked the door to a steady streas of a new find, and, as soan to realize that the Nelson fa very wealthy They had always been well-to-do, for her father had prospered in his business, that of carpet manufacturer in Deepdale But now it seemed that they were to knohat it felt like to be really rich
The girls realized this, and once Mollie put the new idea into words
”This is a wonderful thing for you, Betty dear,” she said soberly ”You can have about anything in the world that you want now I--I--hope you won't forget your old friends” She said the last laughingly, but Betty was deeply hurt and showed that she was
”If--if you ever dare say such a horrid thing to ain, Mollie Billette,” she cried, half way between tears and anger, ”I'll never, never forgive you! You--you--ought to know me better”
And Mollie, heartily asha the Little Captain only after having apologizedhappened that aold diggings, Mrs Nelson, Mr Nelson, the four girls, and Allen Mrs Nelson and Allen were engaged in the joyful pursuit of trying to figure out how ed up to Allen and, pulling his sleeve, pointed out aalone, and he see the operations rather morosely
”Peter Levine, by all that's holy!” ht for a minute, folks, and watch me chase him”
With an elaborately casual air, Allen sauntered over to the morose individual The man looked up as he approached, and the scowl on his face deepened
”Howdy,” said Allen, loud enough to cause those near by to turn to look at hi?”
”None of your business,” snarled the other, with a black look ”Lay off me, do you hear?”