POLLY'S FIRST CONTRACT
Promptly at eight, Jack Baxter and Mr. Dalken were announced to Polly and
Eleanor. The Fabians had gone to the Opera and Mr. Dalken was supposed to
act as chaperone for the evening.
"This is a new experience for me," laughed he, "but not one that I
dislike. In fact, I will be glad to offer my services in the same
capacity, at any time, for you girls."
"Better beware how you offer yourself on such an altar," teased Polly,
trying to appear calm and composed, whereas she was keyed up to hear
about the proposed work young Baxter wished them to do for his new
apartment.
Eleanor deemed it wise to mention another subject first, so she asked:
"How long were you at Pebbly Pit, Mr. Baxter?"
"That's one of the reasons we came over to see you," interpolated Mr.
Dalken. "Jack has a lot to tell you about the troubles there."
"What troubles?" wondered Polly. "You don't mean the land-slide, do you?"
"We know about that," added Eleanor.
"You only heard the first news of it. But you never knew what followed
that first event," returned Mr. Dalken. "I've known how things stood for
a short time, but I talked it over with the Latimers, and we decided to
let Jack go West with Mr. Alexander, and investigate matters for
themselves."
"Dodo's father! What has he to do with it?" asked both girls in surprise.
"More than we can ever appreciate. Because he is such an experienced old
miner, having spent years in the Klondike, and later, down in the
Colorado mining districts, his going to Pebbly Pit was the best thing
that ever happened to our company. Jack had just decided to invest a
great deal of his capital in the joint companies, so he decided to
accompany Alexander and see for himself how the land lay."
"And what was Mr. Alexander's verdict?" asked Polly.
"Listen to Jack's story of what happened on the mountain, that early
morning. It is as thrilling as anything I ever heard," said Mr. Dalken.
"I'd have given anything to have been on the spot when that old peak
divided her earthly substance," laughed Jack. "But even the telling of it
by Tom Latimer and John Brewster, was so exciting that I tried every way
possible to reach the mountain where the awful avalanche took place.
"Tom had felt a tremor run along the side of the peak the night before,
and had warned John that old Grizzly was ripping mad again. So the two of
them rode along the Crest where those claim-jumpers were buried the time
that other avalanche occurred, and they saw that Grizzly Slide had broken
up great masses of ice-field, and on the far side where it drops suddenly
to the valley, thousands of feet below, a great block of ice and rock had
fallen from the top-side and had rolled down, destroying everything in
its terrific plunge.
"Both boys were satisfied that it was only a matter of time before the
gaping crevices showing on the side towards the gold mine, would widen
and the top-mass begin to move. It was impossible to say whether a slide
would happen on the cave-side or roll down one of the gulleys on either
side of the mine. But the two of them made up their minds that everyone
must move from the camp without delay, and seek safety.
"Orders were given to strike camp at once, and the men worked all night,
packing away outfits and tools, and such machinery as could be moved
inside the cave. Then the mouth was closed against winter storms, and
they started, on their horses, to ride along Top Notch Trail, on the down
trip.
"It was almost noon when they left the mine, and by two o'clock they
halted on one of the crests to cook dinner. The horses were hobbled where
a patch of Buffalo grass provided good pastureage, and Rattlesnake Mike
started a fire to cook the meal. Tom and John got out their tackle to
catch a few trout, when a fearful roll of thunder sounded along the
crest.
"'She come down, pooty queeck!' exclaimed Mike, startled out of his usual
calmness.
"'Do you mean Old Grizzly?' Tom asked him.
"But before he could reply, there was such a crash and roar, and the
whole ground shook under their feet as if an earthquake had caused it.
Everyone stood aghast looking at what had been snow-capped Grizzly but a
moment before. So astonished were the men that they couldn't speak.
"The roar and tumult continued so seemingly close at hand, that the men
ran for their horses, and would have ridden down the trail had not Mike
laughed and applied a match to the kindling, just as if nothing was
happening above them on Grizzly Slide. It instantly quieted the fears of
the others, and they turned again to wait for further events.
"Tom Latimer says, that what caused such a panicky feeling in them all,
was the fact that one moment they had seen the glistening cap of Old
Grizzly, and the next, it was gone, and a great cloud of flying white
particles hid the scene for a time.
"The terrific detonation they heard immediately after the peak's snow-cap
rolled down the mountain-side, was caused by the mass of rock, ice, snow
and general debris, striking the ground below. How far it fell before
striking, they could not say, but Mike claims it must have been hurtled,
from the peak of Grizzly, to the great gulch that runs along its lower
side, about five thousand feet below--all that distance before landing
and filling the ravines about that section.
"All the way down, from Grizzly Gulches to the bottoms that run along
Bear Forks branches, the avalanche tore up trees, boulders, moraine, and
other heavy matter, that generally forms a dam for smaller slides than
this one was. But this time, entire forests were shoved along, still
standing, just like a great cake of icing with fancy frosting of colored
sugar on top of it, is pushed off from a slice of birthday cake, when the
knife loosens it. The moment any part of this avalanche came up against a
cliff, or rolled over into vast ravines, that much of the sliding forest
tumbled up against itself, or fell into the gulch to instantly fill up
the cleft and cause the remaining slide to roll over it.
"The end of that avalanche did not come until it reached the valley of
Bear Forks, just below Pebbly Pit ranch. If your home had not been snugly
located up in that crater, but had been down in the valley by the river,
it would have been completely covered with the tons of trash that still
remained after having rolled for miles, and finally worn itself out on
the banks of the stream.
"All the branches of Bear Forks that start up on the side of the
mountain, are choked, and the waters rushed in every direction, starting
smaller slides by up-rooting trees and loose stones and shale.
"The miners followed Mike's example, and ate a hearty dinner, although
they were all crazy to ride back and ascertain the extent of the damage
caused. Mike was for their going quietly on home, but not one of the
others would agree to this. So they turned back and rode as far as the
trail was passable. But they could not climb over the great mass of
debris that was piled up, shortly after leaving Four Blaze Tree. And the
queer sensation of not seeing the old familiar top on Grizzly Peak,
unnerved them for further adventure that day.
"They got home past midnight, to hear the account of what happened as
witnessed by Anne, and Mr. and Mrs. Brewster.
"At the first rolling of the slide, Anne ran out of the ranch-house and
watched anxiously, as she knew the men were up at the mine. She saw such
a strange sight that she rubbed her eyes to make sure she was not
dreaming. She says, she saw the top of Old Grizzly break right off as if
someone had cleft it at a given point down from the peak. And this
gigantic mass of ice, still glittering in the sun-rays, toppled down
until she heard the crash and roar and felt the earth shake under her
feet even at that great distance from the Peak that the ranch was.
"The ranch-house and the out-buildings shook as in a quake, and caused
everyone to run toward the terrace that runs along the edge of the
crater. There they stood watching clouds of snow float up over the
forests that, one moment were to be seen, and the next were moving
swiftly down the mountain sides.
"The folks feared the men at the mine had been killed, as the avalanche
was the greatest they had ever heard of in that vicinity, so Mr. Brewster
rode madly to Oak Creek to get some men to go with him to see if any
signs of his boys could be found.
"They met them at Lone Pine Blaze, and Tom said that John's father sat
still and sobbed like a child, with relief at finding everyone in his
mining-party safe.
"So, Miss Polly, the gold mine is closed by Nature, for untold repairs.
Whether this generation will ever locate the ore and dig out the tools
and machinery buried in the cave, remains to be seen. But I was so
infatuated with life in the Rockies during the short visit I had there,
that I determined to put in all the cramming at college that was
possible, and finish my education so I could go out there to join Tom
Latimer and John Brewster in their exciting engineering work."
When Jack had concluded his story, the girls seemed rather downcast at
the knowledge that their little mine was gone, but Mr. Dalken said to
young Baxter:
"You may as well tell them about the Cliffs, and have all the mourning
over at one time."
Polly glanced anxiously from Mr. Dalken to Jack, and then at Eleanor, but
the young man explained without waiting longer: "All the miners working
at Rainbow Cliffs went on a big strike shortly after the calamity on
Grizzly Slide, and so unreasonable were their demands that Mr. Brewster
refused to grant them. That stopped work on the lava jewels, too, and
everything is closed down until next year. Of course, while there is no
work going on, there are no wages to pay, but there is also no income
from the vast amount of money invested in machinery."
"Dear me, then really, I am a pauper for the time being," exclaimed
Polly, but not in a distressed tone as one would expect after such dire
news.
"Your mother told me most emphatically, that that was _not_ the case.
Everyone at Pebbly Pit seems to want you to continue with your studies
until you have finished; and your father said there was a tidy fortune in
a Denver bank for you, so that no matter what happened to others, you
were amply provided for. With your business that you wish to take up, you
will not have to worry over the future," explained Jack Baxter.
Eleanor remembered that Mr. Dalken had invested heavily in these two
Pebbly Pit ventures, and now she turned to him.
"Will everyone connected with those two mines lose a great deal of
money?"
"Your father, the Latimers, the Evans', myself and John Brewster hold
equal shares of stock, but Polly's father holds twice as much as anyone
else, for he holds Polly's stock as her guardian as well as his own. The
Montresor Estate, representing the heirs of Kenneth's uncle who first
discovered the mine on Grizzly, and then willed it to Polly who later
re-discovered the same vein of ore in the cave, hold the same number of
shares in the stock-company as either of us, although they did not
furnish any cash for their stock.
"Now Ebeneezer Alexander told Jack to tell us, that he simply could not
stand city-life another day. And, after enjoying the freedom and open
life of the Rockies again, he was determined to stay at Pebbly Pit and
see the tangle worked out. His experience will be most valuable to Tom
and John, who are only young engineers, after all. And Mr. Brewster is a
stock-grower with no knowledge of mining. So we think it is a good plan
to let Mr. Alexander take up some of our shares, and sell him an interest
in the future of these mines.
"If anyone can pull Choko's Find Mine out of the grave it is buried in,
old Ebeneezer can do it. He has such energy and perseverance that nothing
daunts him--excepting big cities."
"And titles!" added Eleanor, making her friends laugh.
"Oh, I'm glad to hear he will stay there to help. I like him so much!"
declared Polly.
"Well, now that most of our evening was given to the story about the
land-slide on Grizzly, how much time am I to be given for the furnishing
of my apartment?" asked Jack Baxter.
"Just talking about it won't furnish it," retorted Polly, smilingly.
"No, but we can get at first principles, can't we?"
"Yes; if both sides know on what basis each wishes to start!" said
Eleanor.
"I know my side of it, and I really think you girls know yours. This is
my basis: I have two large rooms and bath near Fifth Avenue, that I want
a decorator to do in keeping with the style of the rooms. I don't care
where or how you get the items for furnishing, but I'd like some of the
fun of going about with you when you visit odd corners of the country to
dig up the antiques."
"If you waste your time that way, how do you expect to finish a hurried
education in engineering?" asked Polly.
"Oh, furnishing won't last long, and studying will."
"If Mr. Dalken is a conscientious executor of your estate I should think
he'd forbid your wasting any time hunting up furniture and hiring
decorators to do it for you, at the same time," teased Eleanor.
Mr. Dalken laughed and said: "I always said 'All work and no play makes
Jack a dull boy.'"
"Well, Jack can work for two whole weeks before he gets any play, as far
as going to a sale is concerned. There will be no sale, that we know of,
until the old house at Parsippany is sold in two weeks," explained Polly.
"I won't have to wait as long as that, I hope, for my apartment. I'm
paying rent on it already, and am stopping with Mr. Dalken as his guest,
until I get a bed and a chair."
"But I thought you wanted to furnish by going to the sales of antiques,"
ventured Polly.
"I did, but I want to go to one tomorrow. Can't you girls contract to
escort me to places in the city where we can get things without waiting?"
"As far as that is concerned, we can take you right over to the Ashby
Shop and find everything on earth you can use, right in his collections,"
said Polly.
"I wanted to feel that you two girls were getting this contract and the
profits, and not a famous establishment," demurred Jack.
"We'll have the contract, all right, but we will only buy what we need
from Mr. Ashby, at regular discount, you know," explained Eleanor in a
business-like manner.
Mr. Dalken smiled indulgently on his two young friends who had developed
such marvelous aptitude for business since their trip abroad that summer.
And young Baxter concluded with: "All right; tomorrow, you girls get Mrs.
Fabian, and come over to my rooms to get your 'atmosphere.' Then we'll
start in and shop."
So the next ten days were filled with a great many visits to the
apartment to determine certain colors and styles of things, and with a
great deal of important conferring between the client and the decorators.
But eventually, the apartment was almost ready for its occupant, and
three young people declared that the decorating was a work of art--simply
perfect! And it did not cost so _very_ much, either! Mr. Dalken reserved
his opinion on costs, however, and laughed in his sleeve at Baxter, for
the latter had no more need of an apartment than a cat has for two tails.
It was a whim of his to give the girls a contract, and Jack could afford
whims, so his guardian said nothing about the bills.
"Well, I must say," said Polly the day after Jack held a "house-warming"
in his newly furnished domain, "I never saw ten days go by as fast as
these did. Here we are almost on top of that sale in the country, and it
seems like yesterday that we got the announcement."
"It shows how much we really love our profession," said Eleanor, "when we
get so much pleasure out of work."
But Dodo was present at some of the conferences the two amateur
decorators held with Jack and she now remarked: "Work! did you two think
that going about in Jack's sporty car and lunching at swell dining-rooms,
or holding up a strip of gold-gauze to watch the sheen on your hand, was
hard work?"
Mrs. Fabian laughed to herself at the conversation. But Polly answered
with an experienced air: "When you have had years of study in decorating,
like Nolla and I have had, you will find that work is not altogether a
physical effort. At present, in your apprenticeship, you do more than you
saw us do in furnishing, but you'll learn, some day!"
Dodo tossed her head confidently, and remarked: "I have nothing more to
learn--if your knowledge is the acme of the understanding of your trade."
As no reply was given this statement, Mrs. Fabian hurried from the room
to laugh quietly to herself at the egotism of youth. Later when Mr. Ashby
was told the story, he said:
"When they have been at the profession for thirty years, and have
acquired all the knowledge that I have in that time, they will begin to
learn that we all know very little of harmony and perfect ideals in
decorating."