Page:Frank Owen - Rare Earth, 1931.djvu/197

. "Why 'e'll make as much money out o' this as you do. I'd o' taken over the place myself if I could o' spared the time. There's a reg'lar gold mine right 'ere if it were properly looked after."

Of course Jethro had told Samuel Gage what sort of an attitude he wished him to assume. Jethro did not want thanks, nor did he wish Linda to think for a moment she was being helped. If she could be made to believe that she was not poor, that her farm was keeping her, things would not appear quite so gloomy.

"I tell you what I'll do," said Jethro abruptly. "I'll advance you a hundred dollars right now." As he spoke he drew a roll of bills from his pocket and counted out ten ten dollar notes. "This is an instalment. I haven't any idea what you'll eventually get as your share but anyway it'll be far more than this."

Linda took the money. Her emotion was so great she could not speak. It had been long since she had had any money to handle.

"Say," broke in Samuel Gage, "kin I make