Free Rocket from Infinity by Lester del Rey

judgment—keeping a family of girls out here in an environment that was a challenge to strong and experienced men. She could have sold the Snapdragon and gotten enough to establish her growing family in one of the Martian communities. There was work for women there. Rachel Barry could have set up an apparel shop for one thing. The wives and daughters of the Martian colonists were hungry for fashionable clothes, for new things, and they had plenty of money. With a little wisely directed initiative, Rachel could locate on Mars and send them all to schools on Earth. It was a shame that Jane had to waste her early years in a place like the Belt.
    He became so preoccupied with the injustice that he almost overshot Parma, dropping down just in time to keep from missing the settlement where the Federation office was located. He moored his car and hurried into the building with just about enough time left to file his claim.
    The greeting he received from the young man behind the desk was not enthusiastic. A blond youth with a faraway look in his eyes, he was easily identified for what he was—a native Earthling—a career man in the vast Federation who’d drawn the dreariest of assignments as an apprenticeship—a temporary exile on this airless, soilless rock far from the fabled green hills of Earth. And even though the attractions of Earth were strictly objective to Pete and thus not greatly attractive, the young man still had Pete’s sympathy. Pete got a concept of how he felt by reversing the thing. Suppose he, Pete Mason, were exiled on the big central planet far from the free, robust life in the Belt. He would be miserable!
    â€œI’ve got a claim to file,” Pete said as he pulled off his gloves.
    The young man glanced at his wrist chronometer. “It’s pretty late.”
    â€œThere’s still time to file, though.”
    â€œYes. And I’ve got no place to go anyhow.”
    â€œI’ve got the orbit of the claim plotted and entered on a claim form.” Pete plunged a hand into his pocket. A blank look wiped the smile from his face. The clerk looked at him questioningly.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?”
    â€œIt’s gone.”
    â€œMaybe you put it in a different pocket.”
    He watched as Pete started going through his other pockets. Finally, as a gesture of despair, he took out his wallet and examined the contents, although he knew he hadn’t put the claim form into it.
    The clerk was mildly sympathetic. “You couldn’t possibly have those figures in your head?”
    â€œI’m not a genius,” Pete said ruefully.
    â€œCan you locate the claim again?”
    â€œOh, sure. I remember the section markings and the stream location bearings.”
    â€œIt takes a lot more than that to file a claim. I guess you’ll have to do it all over again.”
    â€œI guess you’re right.”
    â€œWe’ll be open all day tomorrow.”
    â€œI stopped to tow a disabled car home,” Pete spoke just on the edge of anger. “Otherwise everything would have been all right.”
    â€œMaybe you can claim salvage. That way the day won’t be a total loss.”
    â€œFat chance. The people I towed haven’t got anything to pay it with.”
    The clerk shrugged. “Then you’ve stored up treasure in heaven. You’ll have to settle for that.”
    â€œAt least until tomorrow. I’ll see you then.”
    â€œI’ll be here,” the young man said wearily.
    * * * *
    â€œYou must have just thought you put it in your pocket,” Betcha Jones said. “It would be there otherwise. You went straight to the claim office—”
    â€œWell—not exactly.”
    â€œNot exactly? Where did you go?”
    â€œI towed a disabled monocar.”
    Betcha scowled and began tapping his boot on the floor. “Well, that’s interesting. You found a car floating along in the stream—”
    â€œNo.