"Now _I_ know a good one;" spoke up Eleanor, suddenly. "I am crazy to spend a winter in New York, but Bob won"t give up her social season at home, and mother wouldn"t think of spending the time in New York just to oblige me. As Anne has always been found to be so helpful to me, in everyway, I shall insist upon going to New York this Fall and choosing her as my companion while there. Naturally her mother wants to go, too, and so we will decide to keep house in one of those cute little three-room-and-kitchenette apartments. Then Anne has so much time on her hands that she decides to fill in by going to this seminary for certain hours. How"s that for a plot!"
"Oh, it"s lovely--all but your being able to go East," replied Barbara, sarcastically.
The others laughed at both plotter and objector, for it sounded so visionary. But once Eleanor had the idea in her mind she mulled it over and over until it really appeared feasible to her.
The others talked of the mine, of Kenneth"s father and the invention for cutting jewels, of everything that concerned any interest in their lives, while Eleanor sat and planned her new idea.
"Now listen to me, folks--I"ve got everything ironed out smooth for Anne"s going. I am expected to remain in Denver all this winter and attend school there. Live with Anne and her mother. These are Mother"s orders to the doctor--and he ordered them on to Daddy. I know all about it, because Barbara and Mother planned a big campaign to try and marry Bob off sure pop this year!--"
"Nolla! I _will_ not sit here quietly and listen to you tell such dreadful stories. You know very well that you are too delicate to live in Chicago where the climate does not agree with you," Barbara cried.
"Tut, tut! We are all old friends here, Bob, and no one will squeal on you about family skeletons. Anne knows as much about this arrangement as you or I do; and Polly, or her mother, are not interested enough to repeat what I say," giggled Eleanor; then she continued her outlines: "Hence, it matters little whether the eager student (that"s me) lives in Denver, New York, or Timbuctoo, as long as she is in "safe hands" and out of society"s way.
"Now Anne Stewart and her mother have absolutely "safe hands" for such as me; so there will be little argument and no difficulties in convincing mother or Bob to have the doctor say that I must go East with Anne. Convincing Dad of this need, will be the only obstacle. But I shall play upon the fact that he can visit me quite often in New York, whereas he never comes West on business. He can fly across country from Chicago on the Twentieth Century and be in New York in the morning.
"Yes, Anne, considering all things, I believe it will be New York for my schooling this Winter, instead of Denver."
Eleanor wagged her head wisely as she finished speaking, and her hearers began to wonder if she really meant what she said. Anne rather liked the suggestion of having Eleanor go East with her, and Polly sat mute, wishing some one would persuade her mother that it was the only thing to do for her, too.
Sary came in at this point to say that supper had been waiting so long, that it was all sizzled up in the pan.
"My goodness! I forgot we hadn"t had supper!" laughed Eleanor, jumping up and catching Polly by the arm to whirl her away.
Once out of hearing, she whispered quickly: "Don"t say a word to any one about this New York plan of mine--if I go, you go, too; for we are a second "Ruth and Naomi" you know!"
Polly smiled, but she knew her friend"s suggestion for her going, too, would have no backing from any one at _her_ home.
Sat.u.r.day dawned and every one at Pebbly Pit was on the lookout for the adventurers, as they surely would not remain on the mountain over another Sunday! But it was late in the afternoon when the clip-clop of horses" hoofs rang out over the crater of the ranch. Then the riders were seen pa.s.sing the Cliffs, and soon they were at the door.
Such a babble of voices and questions asked, would have deafened any one not concerned in the meeting. But every one, even Sary, had a heart interest in the returned scouts, and no one took the trouble to bottle up their rejoicing.
Several farm-hands were present, so the horses were sent off to the barn and Jeb was allowed a rest period. Of course, the men were hungry, and every one turned to the well-laden table.
While eating an early supper, John and Tom were called upon to give expert opinions about "Choko"s Find" Mine.
"As you must know, Tom and I did the job up well while we were up there.
That is why we remained so long. We"ve got the plan worked out and we also took photographs of the entire surroundings so that investors can see exactly what the difficulties will be," explained John.
"Oh, then we haven"t lost it!" cried Polly and Eleanor together.
"You couldn"t lose it unless Old Grizzly split the whole side of the mountain open and washed the gold down into the bottom. But the land-slide makes the mining more difficult in the beginning; once things are going, it will make no difference, excepting that there is always the danger of fresh avalanches wreaking the same havoc this one has done," said Tom Latimer.
"Well, I always had a theory that I believe will prove to divert a great deal of slide that does the damage, in a case like this one. And since looking around up on Top Notch, I"m sure my idea will work," ventured John.
"All I can say to that is, if you have such a theory it will prove more valuable than Kenneth Evans" father"s patent device for cutting lava jewels from Rainbow Cliffs!" laughed Eleanor.
"What"s that?" demanded John, while Tom Latimer wondered how this Chicago girl ever had heard of Dr. Evans" machine that his father was financially interested in.
Then Polly and Eleanor had the "speaker"s chair" and they told all about Kenneth, his father"s patents, and Old Man Montresor"s relationship to him.
"Why then, if this lad is the direct heir to Montresor, he must inherit the mine!" declared John.
"Not according to law, because Polly was left the claim, but we had to discover it all over again under a new claim, you see," explained Eleanor, anxiously.
"That will make a fine little problem in law, I"m thinking," laughed Tom, shaking his head.
"It would if all concerned could not agree, but _we_ all intend to agree--Ken said so!" exclaimed Polly, emphatically.
"Oh--you-all know this "Ken" so well, eh?" teased John.
"Of course! And he is the nicest boy--as nice as Jim Latimer, anyway,"
retorted Eleanor.
Every one laughed, and Tom said: "Well, after paying my kid brother such a left-handed compliment, I feel I must continue my work on that mine problem."
"Give us a chance to finish our reports, won"t you, before you tell us you gave away your interests, or launched us all in a will-contest,"
added John, laughingly. Then he continued:
"Now this is what we have to say about Choko"s Find: The pyramids of trash now covering that area of Top Notch can be readily cleared away.
We set fire to certain parts and opened a way to the ravine. There we found the old gulch literally filled in with rocks, earth and roots, so that we could not get through to find the cave. But we brought home bits of gold ore, just the same."
John rolled the nuggets across the table, and the girls gazed with bated breath at what they believed had been buried forever under the land-slide.
"We have much to tell you about this, so let"s go to the living-room to talk," suggested Mr. Brewster, rising.
CHAPTER VIII
"POLLY-ELEANOR COMPANY, INC."
The girls were impatient to hear about the plans Mr. Brewster and the two engineers had decided upon, but Mrs. Brewster smiled knowingly, as if she had already been told the secret. Mr. Brewster was morose and silent, looking more as if he was compelled to consent to something as a just and fair man, rather than from preference and desire.
"Now don"t you girls ask too many questions if you are displeased or delighted at what we tell you," began John, nodding to Tom to proceed with his story.
Having promised not to interrupt the important conference, the girls sat expectantly smiling at the chair-man of the meeting.
"I have to preface our report on Choko"s Find, by telling you-all about a little company that was incorporated in New York several months ago.
Father wrote me all about it.
"Dr. Evans is a very clever inventor, as you now know, and having this unusual device for cutting stones by machine, he called on father"s law firm to secure a patent on it for him. Latimer Brothers make a specialty of patents, you know.
"Well, the doctor had but little money for the costs, and father saw a great fortune in the invention if it was properly financed. So articles of agreement were drawn up, that Latimer Brothers were to pay all costs of getting the machine on the market, and for this they were to share in the stock of the company.
"This was done and when the papers were ready and the shares of stock divided between the princ.i.p.als, an injunction was served on Dad by a tricky company in New York which claimed prior rights to the patent.
This has held up everything so that Dr. Evans is not sure whether he will ever realize anything out of his invention or not. Of course, we are fighting the legality of Ratzger & Wriggley"s injunction and claims.