The girls enjoyed the wonderful drive along the trail that ran to Oak Creek, and having reached their destination, left the team tied to the post in front of Mr. Simms' office, for they purposed having a good time.
Anne and Barbara went to the store where they could buy candy, while Polly and Eleanor ran to the post office. To their surprised delight, they found Kenneth Evans there. He was reading a telegram and did not see the girls until he had finished.
"Oh—hullo! I never expected to see you here," exclaimed he, seemingly too excited to remember that he had not met them since Sunday.
"I wired mother last Monday—sent it in by Jake, you know. And told her to reply so I could get her answer to-day. The Boss let me off because I finished my work on the old line yesterday. So I came to town myself for the message."
Kenneth acted so elated that Polly and Eleanor wondered what news he had received to make his eyes sparkle like stars and his face to flush in a way that made him positively handsome.
"Isn't it great, though? And just think, if it hadn't been for you girls, I never would have known it!"
"Known what? What have we done that is so great?" asked Eleanor, laughingly.
"Why, the mine, don't you know!"
"What about it?" cried both girls at once, thinking that news of some moment from the engineers had reached Oak Creek before they arrived there.
"Why, the mine—you know, my uncle's mine!"