"I never said I would go away to school with you, Nolla, although I should like it better than going alone. And I'm sure I couldn't think of leaving home if Daddy objected to it," said Polly seriously.
"Oh, well, I know you won't, but a lot of money of your very own will help coax him to our way of thinking," explained Eleanor.
"You seem to think your mine will turn out money in time for you to spend it this Fall," ventured Kenneth, amusedly.
"Why, of course it will, if we can get at it through that land-slide," returned she.
"Other mines take from one to ten years to prepare for and operate. If you do the thing right, and have engineers plan for the apparatus to work the ore, you won't be spending that gold this year," added Jim.
"No! Then what good will it do Polly or me? I have a fine idea that I want to perfect right away, and it needs money. I haven't even told Polly a word of it, as I must see how much money we get from the mine before I mention it."
"But once your mine begins to pay it will keep on paying for ever so long. You can plan to spend all the money you can possibly use, if the mine has any kind of vein in it," said Kenneth, soothingly.
"I believe in taking a 'bird in the hand instead of the one in the bush,' and here is a fortune right on this wall!" said Jim, pointing at the jeweled cliffs.
He picked up a handful of the colored lava-stones and showed them to Kenneth. "Do you know, Ken, that I wouldn't be one bit surprised but what that new patent your father got out for cutting rare gems would work on these to some good."
"I never thought of that! Maybe it would. If only he could come here to investigate and try his machine on the jewels."