"Oh! it's Jerry, my husband!" exclaimed Mrs. Hoskins just then, "and he
seems to be dreadfully excited, too. Listen to him calling to me! I
wonder what could have happened. What if he's gone and cut himself
badly, always digging and making holes in the ground, since that silly
old fortune teller said he would find a mine on the farm. And here he
comes too!"
Just then a figure came staggering around the corner of the house. It
was the old farmer, plainly tremendously excited, and although weak and
almost out of breath from running, trying to tell her something.
"It's there, Jennie--found it, wife--ain't had all my work for nothin'
I tell you! A vein of hard coal, think, enough to make us all rich! D'ye
hear that, Jennie, girl, rich! Gimme a drink of water, for I'm nigh dead
from runnin' to tell you the great news. Who's these boys, wife? Where's
Sallie at?"
Frank would have liked very much to remain and hear the particulars of
the farmer's good luck in locating a vein of coal on his property; but
time would not permit. He only hoped Hoskins was not mistaken, for
traces of coal had been known to exist around that neighborhood for some
time, though up to now none had been found in paying quantities for
mining purposes.
"Come on, Andy, we'll have to be skipping out.
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