Page:Hard-pan; a story of bonanza fortunes (IA hardpanbonanza00bonnrich).pdf/124

112 "Oh, I don't think that's likely. Lightning does n't strike twice in the same place."

"What was the stock? Mining stock?"

She seemed in doubt for a moment, then said:

"Yes, I think so—yes, surely, mining stock."

"Do you remember the name of the mine?"

He glanced at her as she walked beside him. She appeared to be cogitating.

"I don't believe I do," she answered at length. "To tell you the truth, I don't believe my father mentioned it to me. I 'm very stupid about business. I 've never had any necessity to know about it, and so I 've never learned."

"How long had it been lying in the desk?"

"Oh, years and years! Probably twenty. It was a relic of the days when everything was booming."

"If he's been paying assessments on it all these years, he ought certainly to be repaid now."

He was scrutinizing her sharply. Her profile was toward him, and at this remark he saw the color mount into her cheek, and that curious appearance of immobility come over her face which denotes a sudden, almost electric stoppage and then concentration of mental activity. She raised her head and said, without looking at him:

"Assessments are a yearly or semi-yearly payment, are n't they?"