Unable to contain our excitement, we scurried down the path to the site. When we got there, we were even more amazed than before. Although the buildings were old and in bad shape, the grounds looked freshly mowed, and bright flowers adorned the walkways. Little pathways led here and there and each one had a unique charm. There was even a koi pond with water lilies and a wooden bridge that led to a small island. It was as if we were in a dream.

Neil stepped up and said, "It's my turn to take command. I say we make this our base for exploring." Sara and Margaret agreed and said, "O.K., but we get to be scientists on this mission."  Neil nodded as he turned to direct his scouts, the Obannon brothers, to inspect the new find and report back. They tore off on their bikes like dutiful sentries while the girls went looking for frogs on the little island.

After a short ride, Thomas signaled James to stop. The scouts approached a clearing where Thomas thought he saw someone sitting down. The two boys crouched up to a spot behind some bushes and, sure enough, there was a grown-up, sitting in a big Adirondack chair petting a cat. The boys watched for what seemed like eternity. The man seemed friendly enough and he was saying nice things to his cat.

Thomas whispered, "Let's go say hi and see what's up here and then go tell Neil and everybody. James agreed, reluctantly, and the boys approached the friendly looking old timer.But before they got there, the man turned and said, "Hello boys" The boys smiled back saying hello. Then Thomas stepped forward saying,  "Hello sir, my name is Thomas Obannon and this is my brother James." He smiled and shook Thomas's hand remarking that it was a pleasure to have their company on this fine day. "Do you live here?" asked James. The man, whose name was Joe, answered, "No, but I work here. I am the keeper of this gold mine." James got excited and asked, "Is there still gold here?"

"In a way" said Joe. You see, I have been the head grounds keeper here for nearly 60 years. "You said you work here, but where are all the people?" Thomas asked politely. Oh, they are all long gone most of them. I am the only one left. Joe said. James interrupted, "Where's the gold? Just then Thomas said they had to get their friends and would be right back. 

Thomas and James went scrambling as fast as they could to report back to Neil. They were out of breath and Neil couldn't understand them, so he put his hand over James mouth. He discerned from Thomas that there was a nice old man over there and they should go and talk to him. And they have huge pile of gold over there too, James blurted out.  Excitedly the girls got their bikes and the entire corps went to meet this Keeper of The Goldmine.

Now we had many questions for old Joe and he didn't seem much to mind. He answered every question, and sometimes had to think real hard to remember. Neil was able to piece together that Joe had worked there since he was a boy. His boss told him that the grounds were like gold and that he was the keeper of the goldmine. He could tell that Joe took real pride in his work. He could also tell that there really wasn't a pile of gold like James said. He wondered why Joe kept calling himself the keeper of the goldmine

Hey Joe, said Neil, All James could spout out was that there was gold here. Is this really a goldmine? What is this place really? Joe just laughed, Oh oh, well, you see, this is a goldmine to me and I think there are real treasures here. He told them the story of how his boss had told him that he should care for this place like he was the keeper of the goldmine. He went on to say that when he was a young man, this was the best company around to work for; the ACME Office Products and Accountants. He said the grounds were not just a factory, like James thought, but the location of the  ACME International world headquarters building. There were small pilot factories in the back and smaller utility buildings here and there, but this was THE place to be working in Mystic Valley. Many important bankers and future accounting executives got started right here, Joe said. I knew most everyone of them, he added proudly.

            It was getting late and we had to get back. Joe said it was about 'quittin time' anyway, so we all left, but not before Neil promised we would return and keep Joe company the following day. That night, James had a dream about the gold. He dreamt that there were piles of pure gold bricks taller than a man. And there were rows and rows of these piles and everyone said, Good morning gold keeper,as they tipped their old- time hats to him. The next day, we all were back at the site. James told everyone about the dream he had and everyone had a good laugh. But Sara said, "Yesterday you mentioned there was not any gold but that there was treasure. What kind of treasure?"

Once again Joe laughed with delight at the inquisitiveness of the children. Well there was the time the employees all got together and bought a car for Mrs. Yoblanski. She was the receptionist who worked there forever. She got too old to walk to and from the bus stops, so the employees all chipped in a bought her a brand new car. I had to teach her how to drive, Joe said. And the company gave her a reserved parking spot right up front near the lobby entrance. Joe seemed to stop and look out as if he really missed Mrs. Yoblanski.

 Where did all the rest of the people go? Neil asked. Joe recalled the final days of the company, After the war, things was different. Everything seemed to change. I didn't seem to know anybody anymore and then one day the company sold out to a bigger company and most everyone moved out."

All that spring and all through the summer we would come to the world headquarters building and help Joe with his chores. Every day we would work and then stop for a little picnic. On Fridays, Joe would bring ice cream. We especially liked Fridays. And of course we would make Joe tell more stories, like the day the big storm came and wiped out all the landscaping. Joe said it took a year-and-a-half til things were back to normal.

One Friday, he told about Marvin the messenger and how Marvin had started as a telegraph boy. Everyone loved Marvin but he always missed the company parties because he was busy delivering the unending steam of messages. Marvin said how he wished he could go to the parties. When Marvin retired after 45 years, never missing a single day of work, they closed the whole company and had the biggest party Joe had ever seen. The grounds crew had to hire extra helpers to put up the unending row of tents. The celebration lasted three days.

Did you ever get any big rewards or parties, Joe? asked Margaret. Joe really beamed when he recounted his award for exceptional service. He said there was a corporate stockholders meeting once and the company used the occasion to honor him. His name was on the marquis for a whole week and he even got invited to the executive dining room for a luncheon in his honor. They had a huge cake and the entire company came to see the president give Joe a huge plaque. From that day on, he got a special parking place with Keeper of the Goldmine stenciled on it in gold letters.

That night Margaret dreamed she was getting an award and Joe was the presenter. She dreamed she was getting a new big car at the biggest party ever and she got her own parking place with MINE, in gold letters.

When it had turned to fall we could only come on Saturdays because of school. The grounds were beginning to show the change of seasons and all the nice flowers were dying back. When we came we would see Joe raking the leaves into the hugest mounds perfect for leaping into. Joe got such a kick out of seeing us kids jump into the orange and tan piles.

Soon after, winter began to set in and the cold north wind blew gales and storms and rain. The rain turned to snow preventing us from visiting all winter but we always wondered what Joe was doing.

Then, there was that one clear day in March, before its officially spring, when the temperature rises above the chill and into full sunshine. Everyone knows it will still snow again once or twice, but they get out to see how things look after old man winter has frozen everything. We of course were no exception, and rode straight away to the ACME company. 

When we got there, everyone knew something was wrong. The fence was broken and it looked like no one had been there since the fall. We searched around for Joe but didn’t see anyone. That night James learned the truth of what had happened and he told the others. Joe had passed away during the winter. Everyone was sad. The next night, Sara had a very sad dream. When the children got together in the morning, Sara told of her sad dream and it made her sad again just to think of it. 

Thomas stood up and said that he, too, had a dream. But his was a happy dream! He dreamed that Joe had made all of us volunteer keepers of the goldmine. He said how Joe told him to remember all the details entrusted to such a position, and not to forget any of the people he had told them about. So we grabbed some tools and began to whip the old mine back into shape. Slowly that spring, the grounds came back to life.

Now-a-days, the cat always sleeps in Joe's old Adirondack chair as long as the sun is shining. You can still hear the frogs in the ponds all around the place. Purple and pink flowers dot the landscape and the thick smell of mulched grass is everywhere. There is a through-road that cuts right in front of the old place and you can hear them building new houses not far away. And every spring, when the snow melts, you can still ride on the old secret path, near the Mystic River. And every Saturday, if you walk down by the old company, you can probably see one of the Obannon brothers and their kids, mowing the lawn and planting spring flowers.