“This letter is going to cause rather a change in our plans. From what I gather, my mother and yours, Phil, are rather worried; and, furthermore, Mother wants us to have a short vacation at the beach with her before we go to school. Dad suggests that we stay here a week or two, if we want, and have a little fishing and swimming and so on, without feeling that there is any work to do and halt us from just enjoying ourselves.”
“Say, why wouldn’t this be a good time to go and visit the mine, and see if after all it is really a good one, or was just a vain hope,” said Phil.
“You know, I hope that there are some real tourmalines there, for they are valuable things. You know the last time that we were in Bangor, when I slid out for awhile and you wondered where I was. I was at the library, reading up on the stones. I find that they are valuable for more than gems; something I didn’t know before. They are used a great deal in delicate electrical instruments, as they are responsive to electricity and are used to measure the intensity of radium emanations. Then they are used by oculists to test lenses with. The finest specimens are the ones that are used for gems, after being cut, and the others are used in the electrical apparatus. You know, I’d give most anything if we could make some money out of the mine,” he concluded wistfully.
Garry was about to answer, when he caught a significant expression on Dick’s face. He did not know what it was all about, but took it as an indication that he should keep silent.
Soon after that Nate engaged Phil in conversation, and perceiving this, Dick left the room, motioning Garry to follow. They left the house and walked down the street, and as soon as they were out of hearing, Garry asked:
“What kind of a high sign were you trying to give me, Dick?”
“Garry, if it’s the last thing we ever do, we’re going to start for that mine right away. I see the whole idea in the back of Phil’s head.”
“I don’t get your meaning yet,” responded Garry in a puzzled tone.
“Dunderhead! It’s as simple as the nose on your face. First thing that started him off was your reference to our going away to school. You know Phil hasn’t said a word about it to either of us since the day we first mentioned it, except to refuse Dad Boone’s offer to stake him through and let him pay it up later on. But you can bet you that he’s thought about it a lot. Now he has built up a lot of hope on making money out of this mine. If it is anywhere near successful, he could easily afford then to go to school with us. Now does the idea percolate through that thick skull of yours?”
“Thick is right, Dick,” admitted Garry, as he rapped the offending skull with his knuckles. “We’ll outfit up and start tomorrow. In the meantime I’ll write Dad and explain matters to him, and get him to secure our release from the State Forest Ranger at Augusta. I think perhaps we’ve been of enough service so that we can be let off. Anyway, we would have to be released to carry out Dad’s wishes about our vacation with Mother.”