eh, Mrs. Nitschkan?"

The gipsy, for she was one by birth as well as by inclination, nodded
and showed her teeth in a satisfied smile. "So good that it looks like
we'd be kep' here even longer than I expected when we come." She drew
some bits of quartz from her pocket and threw them out on the table
before him. "Some specimens I chipped off in my new prospect," she said,
her eyes upon him.

"So," he said, examining them with interest, "your luck, Mrs. Nitschkan,
as usual. Where--? Excuse me," a dark flush rose on his parchment skin
at this breach of mining-camp etiquette which he had almost committed.

For a few moments they talked exclusively of the mining interests of
the locality. It is this feverish, inexhaustible topic that is almost
exclusively dwelt upon in mining camps, all other topics seeming tame
and commonplace beside this fascinating subject, presided over by the
golden fairy of fortune and involving her. To-day she tempts and eludes,
she tantalizes and mocks and flies her thousands of wooers who follow
her to the rocks, seeking her with back-breaking toil and dreaming ever
of her by day and by night. Variable and cruel, deaf to all beseeching,
she picks out her favorites by some rule of caprice which none but
herself understands.

Supper over, Gallito ensconced his two feminine visitors in easy chairs
and took one himself, while Jose, with noiseless deftness, cleared away
the remains of food. Pearl had wandered to the window and, drawing the
curtain aside, stood gazing out into the featureless, black expanse of
the night.

"Quite a few things has happened since I saw you last, Gallito," said
Mrs. Nitschkan conversationally, filling a short and stubby black pipe
with loose tobacco from the pocket of her coat. "For one, I got
converted."

"Ah!" returned Gallito with his unvarying courtesy, although his raised
eyebrows showed some perplexity, "to--to--a religion?"

"'Course." Mrs. Nitschkan leaned forward, her arms upon her knees. "This
world's the limit, Gallito, and queer things is going to happen whether
you're looking for 'em or not. About a year ago Jack and the boys went
off on a long prospectin' spell, the girls you know are all married and
have homes of their own, an' there was me left free as air with a dandy
spell of laziness right in front of me ready to be catched up 'twixt my
thumb and forefinger and put in my pipe and smoked, and I hadn't even
the spirit to grab it."

"Why didn't you t