If we work it as a stock company it will make us money; but young c.o.x being in such bad shape physically, and his finances being as they are, we"ll probably decide to sell out to a syndicate of Denver people. c.o.x will close the contract with them before he comes East, it may be, and on such terms," added Uncle Jabez with a satisfaction that he could not hide, "that it will be the very best investment I ever made."
"Oh, Uncle!" cried Ruth Fielding.
"Yes," said Uncle Jabez, with complacency. "The mine is going to pay us well. Fortunately you was insistent on finding and speaking to young c.o.x. If you had not found him-and if he had not recovered his health-it might have been many months before I could have recovered even the money I had put into the young man"s scheme. And-so he says-_you_ saved his life, Ruthie."
"That"s just talk, Uncle," cried the girl. "Don"t you believe it.
Anybody would have done the same."
"However that may be, and whether it is due to you in any particular that I can quickly realize on my investment," said the miller, rising suddenly from the table, "circ.u.mstances are such now that there is no reason why you shouldn"t have another term or two at school-if you want to go."
"_Want to go to Briarwood!_ Oh, Uncle!" gasped Ruth.
"Then I take it you _do_ want to go?"
"More than anything else in the world!" declared his niece, reverently.
"Wall, Niece Ruth," he concluded, with his usual manner. "If your Aunt Alviry can spare ye--"
"Don"t think about me, Jabez, don"t think about me," cried the little old woman. "Just what my pretty wants-that will please her Aunt Alviry."
Ruth ran and seized the hard hand of the miller before he could get out of the kitchen. "Oh, Uncle!" she cried, kissing his hand. "You _are_ good to me!"
"Nonsense, child!" he returned, roughly, and went out.
Ruth turned to the little old woman, down whose face the tears were coursing unreproved.
"And you, too, Auntie! You are too good to me! Everybody is too good to me! Look at the Camerons! and Jennie Stone! and all the rest. And Mary c.o.x just hugged me tight when we came away and said she loved me-that I had saved her brother"s life. And Mr. Bill Hicks-and Jimsey and the other boys. And Bashful Ike and Sally made me promise that if ever I could get out West again I should spend a long time at their home--
"Oh, dear, me Aunt Alvirah," finished the girl of the Red Mill, with a tearful but happy sigh, "this world is a very beautiful place after all, and the people in it are just lovely!"
There were many more adventures in store for Ruth, and what some of them were will be related in the next volume of this series, to be ent.i.tled: "Ruth Fielding on Cliff Island; Or, The Old Hunter"s Treasure Box," in which will be related the particulars of a most surprising mystery.
"Only one Ruthie!" mused old Jabez. "Only one, but she"s quite a gal-yes, quite a gal!"
And we agree with him; don"t we, reader?
THE END