Harriet Beamer Strikes Gold by Joyce Magnin Page B

go all the way up the mountain to the source, but we can get close.”
    Harriet’s heart raced. “Do you think I’ll see some gold?”
    Lily smiled. “I’m sure of it. I’m sure you’ll see some gold—probably just specks, you know. The big stuff has to be separated from the gravel and sand.”
    “Oh, I know that,” Harriet said. “I remember that from my visit to the Empire Gold Mine.”
    Lily turned her head as the café door swung open.
    “Dad,” she called. “That’s my Dad,” she told Harriet.
    Harriet looked at the man walking toward them. He was tall and burly and wore a cowboy hat and boots, rugged jeans, and a light plaid shirt. His hair was blond, like Lily’s probably was in reality.
    “Howdy,” he said, tipping his hat.
    “Daddy,” Lily said. “This here is Harriet Beamer. I was telling her about the gold mine lease and Old Man Crickets.”
    “Oh, okay,” he said. He grabbed a chair from a nearby table and sat down. “Nice ta meet ya, ma’am. My name is Winslow G. Jump. But call me Win. Ha! All my friends do because knowing me is a Win for you.”
    Harriet watched Lily turn away like any embarrassed teenager would.
    Harriet extended her hand. “Nice to meet you, Win.” She thought he sounded like a politician.
    The waitress came by and asked Win if he wanted anything. “Go on,” Harriet said. “Order whatever you want. My treat.”
    Win leaned back in his chair and patted his belly, which was kind of round and jolly. He wasn’t exactly starving. “No, no, nothing for me, pretty lady. But my little girl and me are gonna eat good tonight.”
    “You really got all that money from the assay office today, Dad?” Lily asked.
    “Sure did, little filly, enough for hamburgers and dessert, a big slice of that red velvet cake you love so much.”
    Lily smiled wide. “I’m proud of you, Dad.” She turned to Harriet. “He had to work hard for that. Panning is not so easy.”
    “No, no, sure ain’t,” Win said. “Not like it would be if we could just get into Brunner’s Run. The machines do most of the work. We just have to dig and keep the water flowing.”
    “So, Dad,” Lily said, “is the mine lease still available or did Crickets sign it off to someone else already?”
    “No, no, he didn’t lease it yet. But he’s close. I don’t think he has a choice. He’s ready to retire and get out of the gold game, and he’ll lease Brunner’s Run to someone else unless I can find me a backer and take over.”
    Harriet took a breath. She felt another stronger check in her spirit but thought it was the fries coming back. “Maybe I can help.”
    She watched Win’s eyes grow wide. “Really, ma’am? Are you sure? You’d only need to make a piddly little investment at first. Just to secure the lease and then—”
    Lily interrupted. “We can talk about all that later. If you really want to help, maybe we should get to the bank so Daddy can get back to Crickets before it’s too late.”
    Harriet watched Win smile at Lily. “Easy to tell who has the brains in this family. But patience now, gal. I don’t want to rush Mrs. Beamer into anything.”
    Harriet chuckled. “I don’t know anything about the gold mining business, but from what Lily’s been telling me you seem to know an awful lot about gold and gold mines.”
    “I sure do. I’ve been studying on it for quite some time. Just looking for the right opportunity, and I’m pretty confident that Brunner’s Run is it.”
    Harriet felt her heart skip a beat and touched her fingertips to her sternum. “My son just told me to buy whatever I want, but I just wonder if I know enough to be an investor. What will I have to do?”
    “Oh, that’s not a problem,” Win said. “We’ll take care of all the details. All you got to do is sit back and watch the money roll in—after you sign the agreement, of course. And naturally, I’ll get a percentage of all the gold we find.”
    “Of course,” Harriet said. A small investment