THE
OLD MINE’S SECRET
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
NEW YORK · BOSTON · CHICAGO · DALLAS
ATLANTA · SAN FRANCISCO
MACMILLAN & CO., Limited
LONDON · BOMBAY · CALCUTTA
MELBOURNE
THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Ltd.
TORONTO
“There was Dick, waving his hand tauntingly”—page 18
THE
OLD MINE’S SECRET
BY
EDNA TURPIN
AUTHOR OF “HONEY SWEET,” “PEGGY OF
ROUNDABOUT LANE,” “TREASURE
MOUNTAIN,” ETC.
FRONTISPIECE BY
GEORGE WRIGHT
New York
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
1921
All rights reserved
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Copyright, 1921,
By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.
Set up and electrotyped. Published September, 1921.
Press of
J. J. Little & Ives Company
New York, U. S. A.
TO
REBECCA BROCKENBROUGH
AND
TERRY LEE ROBERTS
THE OLD MINE’S SECRET
CHAPTER I
“O-O-OH! oh me-e!” Dick made the sighvery sad and pitiful.
His father did not seem to hear it.He tilted his chair farther back, perched his feeton the porch railing, and unfolded his newspaper.
It was a mild April morning, and the Osbornefamily had drifted out on the porch,—Mr. Osbornewith his papers and Mrs. Osborne with hersewing; Sweet William was playing jackstrawswith himself, Patsy sat on the steps with herback to the others, especially Dick, who, however,was pitying himself too much to notice her.
“I always get blamed for everything I do,”he said mournfully, “but David——”
“‘House for War: Vote 373 to 50.’” Mr.Osborne read the headline. “That is the answerto the President’s message four days ago. Nowthe Senate——”
“Father! If you’ll just let me off to-day, I’llwork from school-out till dark every day nextweek. I certainly will. Father, please——”
“Richard Randolph Osborne! You are to[2]work your assigned part of the garden to-day, to-day,without further pleas for postponement.”Mr. Osborne’s mild voice and red flabby facestiffened with determination. This was not thefirst week that Dick had neglected his gardentask.
“Yes, sir,” Dick answered meekly, wrigglinga little. That was all he could do—wriggle alittle—because he was made into