d the Vac-o-jac. I seen the same young feller that sold
Jabez the sweeper hangin' about the mill a good bit. And nights Jabez
figgered up his accounts and counted his money till 'way long past
midnight sometimes. Bimeby he says to me, one day:

"'Alviry, that Vac-o-jac works all right; don't it?'

"I didn't want to tell him it was hard to work, and it does take up
the dirt, so I says 'Yes.'

"'Then I reckon I'll give the boy the benefit of the doubt, and say
he's honest,' says Jabez.

"I didn't know what he meant, and I didn't ask. 'Twouldn't be _my_
place ter ask Jabez Potter his business--you know that, Ruthie. So I jest
watched and in a day or two back come the young sweeper feller again, and
we had him to dinner. This was long before Thanksgivin'. They sat at
the table after dinner and I heard 'em talking about the mine."

"Ah-ha!" exclaimed Ruth, with a smile. "Now we come to the mine, do
we?"

"I told you it was all of a piece," said Aunt Alvirah, complacently.
"Well, it seemed that the boy's father--this agent warn't more than
a boy, but maybe he was a sharper, jest the same--the boy's father and
another man found the mine. Prospected for it, did they say?"

"That is probably the word," agreed Ruth, much interested.

"Well, anyhow, they found it and got out some silver. Then the boy's
father bought out the other man. Then he stopped finding silver in it.
And then he died, and left the mine to his folks. But the boy went
out there and rummaged around the mine and found that there was still
plenty of silver, only it had to be treated--or put through something--a
pro--a prospect----"

"Process?" suggested Ruth.

"That's it, deary. Some process to refine the silver, or git it out
of the ore, or something. It was all about chemicals and machinery, and
all that. Your Uncle Jabez seemed to understand it, but it was all Dutch
to me," declared Aunt Alvirah.

"Well, what happened?"

"Why," continued the old woman, "the Tintacker Mine, as the feller
called it, couldn't be made to pay without machinery being bought,
and all that. He had to take in a partner, he said. And I jedge your
Uncle Jabez bought into the mine. Now, for all I kin hear, there ain't
no mine, or no silver, or no nothin'. Leastwise, the young feller
can't be heard from, and Jabez has lost his money--and a big sum it is,
Ruthie. It's hurt him so that he's got smaller and smaller than ever.
Begrudges the very vittles we have on the table, I be