dare take Charlie again, for fear he'd hoodoo it
all," said Grant disrespectfully.

"Who's going?" asked Howard.

"All of us; Cousin Euphemia and all; and Dr. Brownlee and Marjorie and
you. We're going to have an early dinner, and start at one, so we can go
through the smelter, after we come up. Cousin Euphemia is making her
will now, most likely; she didn't want to go, but papa talked her into
it. You'll be on hand; won't you?"

"We'll be thar," responded Howard, with a twang that might have done
credit to Janey.

"Isn't it fun to go!" said Allie delightedly. "I've always wanted to go
down, and never could. You and I will be the green ones, Charlie; all
the rest have been before."

"The doctor and Cousin Euphemia haven't," said Ned. "But I'll take care
of you, Allie, and show you all there is to be seen. Come along, Grant;
we must be going." And the brothers departed in haste.

Punctually at one o'clock, Charlie and his cousins were at the
Everetts', where they found that their party had received one unexpected
addition. The Reverend Gabriel Hornblower had dropped in to dinner, and
common courtesy had made it necessary for Mr. Everett to invite him to
join the expedition. As they left the house, Louise, with her father and
Dr. Brownlee, took the lead, while close in the rear walked Dr.
Hornblower, edging forward as far as possible, in order to join in their
conversation, with an utter disregard of Mrs. Pennypoker, who had
attached herself to his side, and manifested every intention of
maintaining her position. The short walk through the town was quickly
taken; and it was still early in the afternoon when they stood beside
the shaft. Mr. Somers, Mr. Everett's assistant, was waiting for them
there; and, a few moments later, the new cage had come up the shaft, and
halted to receive them.

"But what makes them call it a cage?" demanded Allie, eyeing with
disfavor the pair of heavy platforms before her "I thought 'twould have
openwork brass sides, like the elevators in Denver."

"And hot and cold water, and gas, and all the other modern
improvements?" inquired Ned, as he helped himself to a pair of candles
in their iron sockets, and passed one of them on to Allie. "Don't be a
snob, Allie; you won't find much furniture down below."

"You take Mrs. Pennypoker and my daughter, with the gentlemen, on the
upper deck, Somers," Mr. Everett was saying; "and I'll take these
children in the lower, and look out for them the