NormalizeHEAD main

author: nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> 2025-02-06 01:18:17 -0800
committer: nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> 2025-02-06 01:18:17 -0800
commit: fda21ccb242f18f461cdc87e9c7d4e0cb39c690d (patch)
tree: 56a7976d0b1546581f3d382f407a2506933c439d
parent: 907eab6fde7c2591549ebf849ebc80860886aff7 (diff)
125 files changed, 17 insertions, 24729 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d7b82bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+*.txt text eol=lf
+*.htm text eol=lf
+*.html text eol=lf
+*.md text eol=lf
diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6312041
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements,
+metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be
+in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES.
+
+Procedures for determining public domain status are described in
+the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org.
+
+No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in
+jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize
+this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright
+status under the laws that apply to them.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3050412
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #52458 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/52458)
diff --git a/old/52458-0.txt b/old/52458-0.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 2724fa1..0000000
--- a/old/52458-0.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7465 +0,0 @@
-
-
-The Project Gutenberg EBook of My "Pardner" and I, by Willis George
-Emerson
-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
-most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
-whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
-of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
-www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll
-have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using
-this ebook.
-
-
-
-Title: My "Pardner" and I Gray Rocks, A Story Of The Middle-West,
-Illustrated
-
-Author: Willis George Emerson
-
-Release Date: June 30, 2016 [EBook #52458] Last Updated: August 2, 2016
-
-Language: English
-
-Character set encoding: UTF-8
-
-*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MY "PARDNER" AND I ***
-
-
-
-
-Produced by David Widger from page images generously provided by the
-Internet Archive
-
-
-
-
-
-MY “PARDNER” AND I
-
-(Gray Rocks)
-
-A Story Of The Middle-West
-
-Illustrated
-
-By Willis George Emerson
-
-Chicago: Laird & Lee, Publishers
-
-1894
-
-
-
-“Beneath yon rocky peak that hides
-
-In fleecy clouds its snow-flecked crest;
-
-Beneath those crimson crags abides
-
-The fairest queen of all the West.”
-
-
-
-0009
-
-
-
-0010
-
-
-
-0011
-
-
-
-
-
-CONTENTS
-
-PREFACE.
-
-PARTIAL LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
-
-CHAPTER I.—VANCE GILDER.
-
-CHAPTER II.—THE OLD MINER.
-
-CHAPTER III.—THE BANNER FORCE.
-
-CHAPTER IV—A SUPPER PARTY.
-
-CHAPTER V.—AN ODD CHARACTER.
-
-CHAPTER VI—THE TOWN BOOMER.
-
-CHAPTER VII.—A VISIT TO WATERVILLE
-
-CHAPTER VIII.—AT THE MINE
-
-CHAPTER IX.—THE STAGE DRIVER.
-
-CHAPTER X.—PROPERTY HAS GONE UP.
-
-CHAPTER XI.—OWNER OF THE PEACOCK MINE.
-
-CHAPTER XII—TROUT FISHING.
-
-CHAPTER XIII.—THE STAGE RIDE.
-
-CHAPTER XIV.—THE TOWN COMPANY’. MEETING.
-
-CHAPTER XV.—MISS VIRGINIA BONIFIELD.
-
-CHAPTER XVI.—THE OLD COLONEL’. DISAPPOINTMENT.
-
-CHAPTER XVII.—An AWAKENING.
-
-CHAPTER XVIII.—VANCE RETURNS TO WATERVILLE.
-
-CHAPTER XIX.—THE INDIGNATION MEETING
-
-CHAPTER XX.—THE STAGE IS ROBBED.
-
-CHAPTER XXI.—REACHING THE 400 FOOT LEVEL.
-
-CHAPTER XXII.—STARTING THE BOOM.
-
-CHAPTER XXIII.—RUFUS GRIM S AMBITION.
-
-CHAPTER XXIV.—THE GOLDEN MAUSOLEUM.
-
-CHAPTER XXV.—CROSS-CUTTING IN THE MINE.
-
-CHAPTER XXVI.—A STARTLING EDITORIAL.
-
-CHAPTER XXVII.—AT LAST!
-
-
-
-
-PREFACE.
-
-The breaking of a twig in some vast forest, or the dull echo of a
-miner’s pick in a rugged mountain canyon, alike suggest the solitude
-of Nature. The unwritten history of mining prospectors who search for
-yellow gold, or the advance guards of our civilization in the rich
-valleys of the West, are replete-with interest and dramatic incident.
-The “boom” town builder also plays a most conspicuous part in this
-unwritten drama.
-
-There are no frayed-out remnants of a former greatness to be found on
-the frontier. A man sells for his intrinsic worth—no more, no less.
-Conditions that made men great in former generations are here active.
-and develop manhood in its highest form.
-
-There is hardly a cross-road hamlet without its hotel, and usually a
-“Dick Ballard” presides. “Brainy men.” such as composed the
-Waterville Town Company, may be found wherever a new town is building,
-while a “Rufus Grim” is usually the autocrat of the mining camp.
-
-The old “Colonel” represents a class of sturdy miners whose untiring
-labor occasionally gives to the world the golden keys of some fabulously
-rich discovery; while the greater number dedicate their lives to a
-fruitless search for hidden treasures, and finally die of disappointment
-and a broken heart.
-
-“Louise,” in her unswerving devotion to her father, is a specimen of
-superior womanhood whose duplicate may be found in many a ranchman’s
-home throughout the nestling valleys of our y re at West.
-
-Sometimes I imagine I was with “J. Arthur Boast” in his hiding place
-when he wrote that last letter and saw the spectral ghost that ever kept
-him company. The retribution perhaps was just, yet my sympathy lingers
-around the old prospect shaft.
-
-Many of my readers will doubtless desire to express their criticism of
-GRAY ROCKS. Nothing will afford me more pleasure than to receive just
-criticisms, for it will at least enable me to escape similar errors in
-other stories that I am now engaged in writing.
-
-Sincerely, WILLIS GEORGE EMERSON.
-
-ELM REST, August 20, 1894.
-
-No. 1363 Central Park Boulevard, Chicago.
-
-
-
-
-PARTIAL LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
-
-
-
-I. The Mr. Gilder for Whom I am Looking is a Much Older Gentleman..14
-
-II. He Clasped Vance’s Hand Warmly.................................21
-
-III. A Letter Was Handed to Him....................................30
-
-IV. My Salary Has Been Raised,.....................................37
-
-V. Hello, Pardner! How D’.e Do.....................................41
-
-VI. He Offered Vance Some Havanas,.................................50
-
-VII. This ‘ere Town is Comin’ Out of the Kinks in Fine
-Shape.......60
-
-VIII. He Forgot Time,..............................................68
-
-IX. I Am Going to Give Him a Piece of My Mind......................76
-
-X. Vance Turned and Saw J. Arthur Boast............................82
-
-XI. “You’re the Young Man, I Reckon,” Said Grim, “From New
-York,”..87
-
-XII. Don’t You Think I Am Horrid to Go on Talking this Way to You?.96
-
-XIII. The Stage Ride..............................................108
-
-XIV. Gentlemen, We Deliberate Upon the Destiny of Waterville......114
-
-XV. Vance Was Presented to Miss Virginia Bonifield,...............124
-
-XVI. We Have Cross-cut Into Whar’ the Vein Ought to Be............135
-
-XVII. “Lost Your Position?” Said Louise, with Unmistakable
-Concern143
-
-XVIII. Vance Handed Marcus Donald a Copy..........................151
-
-XIX. They Are the Brainiest Lot of Men This Country Has Produced..162
-
-XX. They Started Pell-mell Down the Mountain Load.................171
-
-XXI. You Will Not Be Angry With Father, Will You?.................179
-
-XXII. There Are Times, When It’s Necessary to Put My Foot Down....189
-
-XXIII. “Yes,” Whispered Bertha, “I Love You So
-Much,”.............207
-
-XXIV. A Dark Form Crouched Near,..................................215
-
-XXV. Where Is the Powder?.........................................228
-
-XXVI. A Guilty Conscience Needs No Accuser........................236
-
-XXVII. Such Tender Things of Earth Are Sanctified in Heaven.......256
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER I.—VANCE GILDER.
-
-9019
-
-ANCE GILDER [11] had an ambition. It was to be a great journalist.
-
-The sunshine that gleamed in at his western windows disclosed
-most luxurious apartments—indicating refinement and culture. The
-bric-a-brac; the leathern walls stamped with gilt; the frieze of
-palm-leaves; the chandelier; the richly carved book-case, filled with
-tawny-covered volumes; the upright piano, and a guitar which stood
-sentinel-like in a retired corner; together with India rugs and tiger
-skins on the floor before an open grate, half hidden by a large Japanese
-fan—bespoke wealth as well as refined taste.
-
-Seated at an open escritoire with writing materials before him, on the
-evening of a June day, was Vance Gilder.
-
-He was not more than twenty-five, of medium height, dark brown hair,
-soft and wavy as the silk of Indian corn, large brown eyes, a clear
-complexion, an aquiline nose, [12] and a rather heavy, dark moustache,
-which in part hid a well-formed mouth.
-
-Before him lay numerous packages of papers, but they were not claiming
-his attention. He was perusing a billet-doux written in a lady’s hand.
-
-There was a refinement and gentleness in his face, while his dress and
-surroundings indicated a serious elegance, rich but unaffected.
-
-“Who can she be?” was the exclamation that escaped him as he again
-read the letter which he held in his hand.
-
-Tossing it down, he walked back and forth across the room with measured
-strides.
-
-Stopping before the mantel, he lighted a cigar. “Louise Bonifield,”
-he ejaculated, between puffs of smoke, which he blew away in rings
-toward the ceiling, “where have I met her?
-
-9020
-
-Where have I seen that name?”
-
-Walking back to the escritoire, he took up the letter and read aloud:
-
-Murray Hill Hotel, June 18.
-
-Kind Sir:
-
-Father and I arrived in the city last night. He wishes me to call on
-you at three o’clock this afternoon; business of special importance to
-himself.
-
-Respectfully,
-
-LOUISE BONIFIELD.
-
-To Vance Gilder, Esq.
-
-“No,” he said aloud, “I do not remember Miss Louise Bonifield. It
-is doubtless very stupid of me, and all that, but if ever I even heard
-the name before, it certainly has [13] passed from my memory. She says
-three o’clock,” and glancing at the French time-piece which helped
-to make up the furniture of his room, he saw it was preparing to strike
-the hour of three.
-
-Scarcely had the sound of the mellow cathedral bell died away, when the
-door-bell clanged out like a harsh echo of the clock’s last stroke.
-
-9021
-
-The servant brought in a card bearing the name of “Louise
-Bonifield,” and received instructions to admit the visitor at once.
-
-The rustling of skirts was soon heard in the hallway.
-
-With the deportment of a queen, she accepted the proffered chair and
-raised to Vance’s face a pair of laughing blue eyes that might be
-dangerous. The parting of her rosy lips displayed her ivory teeth
-to advantage, while her evident embarrassment tinged with pink her
-beautiful cheeks.
-
-“I called,” she stammered, “to see Mr. Vance Gilder.”
-
-“At your service,” he replied, bowing low.
-
-“But really, sir, are you Mr. Gilder?”
-
-“I believe,” he replied, “that I enjoy the doubtful honor of that
-appellation.”
-
-The half-hesitation of the visitor as she stood in the open door might
-have suggested momentary confusion, but reassurance seemed to assert
-itself as she complied with the melodious invitation of Vance Gilder to
-enter and be seated.
-
-This vision of loveliness that entered the bachelor apartments of Vance
-Gilder might have been eighteen years old, but certainly no more. In
-stature she was of medium height, rather slender, and sustained herself
-[14] “It must be,” she faltered, with increasing embarrassment, “all
-a mistake.”
-
-0022
-
-Vance Gilder, with all his boasted matter-of-fact principles, was
-wonderfully interested in his fair visitor. She evidently was a stranger
-in the city, or a skilled actress. In referring to her afterwards, he
-spoke of her as a “dream of loveliness.”
-
-He was too chivalrous to permit his visitor’s embarrassment to
-increase if he could help it and quickly [15] assured her that it was
-not a very serious mistake, and asked in what way he could serve her, at
-the same time saying he regretted exceedingly that he did not answer the
-description of the Vance Gilder for whom she was seeking.
-
-“The Mr. Gilder for whom I am looking,” said his fair visitor, “is
-a much older gentleman than you. He visited father some three years ago,
-at Gold Bluff, Idaho, and owns an interest in Gray Rocks, my father’s
-mine. My father is very anxious to meet Mr. Gilder; in fact, we have
-come all the way from Idaho expressly for that purpose. He would have
-called in person, but was taken ill last evening—so ill, indeed, that
-we found it necessary to summon a physician. We are stopping at the
-Murray Hill Hotel. I fear my father will be greatly disappointed.”
-
-A shade of sadness stole over the usually buoyant face of Vance Gilder.
-
-“I think I understand,” said he. “I bear the name of my father,
-who, after spending several months in the mining districts of Idaho,
-went to California, where he remained over a year, endeavoring to regain
-his health. He returned home a little less than two years ago and died
-within two months after his arrival.
-
-“As his living representative, and in honor of his memory,” said he,
-with feeling, “if there is any way in which he could have served you
-or your father, had he lived, I will volunteer, to the extent of my
-ability, to act in his stead.”
-
-“It certainly is very kind of you,” she replied, “but I am
-distressed at this intelligence, and know my father will be also.
-We learned to think a great deal of Mr. Gilder [16] during his few
-months’ stay at Gold Bluff. You can certainly do my father a great
-service by calling on him.”
-
-“I shall take great pleasure,” said Vance, in his earnest way, “in
-doing so. I am employed on the Banner, and my duties will prevent me
-calling before tomorrow at ten o’clock, but at that hour, tell your
-father he may expect me.”
-
-She had risen while he was speaking, and with a face full of sympathy
-and kindness, thanked him for his promise; and before he realized what
-was transpiring, the hall door closed and she was gone.
-
-The house from which she had taken her leave was one of the best
-overlooking Central Park, in New York City. Vance Gilder, the elder, was
-a man of great determination of character, and had accumulated a fortune
-while yet in the prime of life. He built for himself this house. It was
-surrounded by elegantly kept gardens and velvet lawns.
-
-He retired from business late in the ‘60’., intending to devote
-himself to his wife and only son, then a mere child, and his library.
-Scarcely a year of such enjoyment was allowed him before his wife
-sickened and died, leaving him his son and his fortune. It was hardly
-more than natural that he should lavish a great deal of attention and
-wealth upon his child.
-
-As his son grew to manhood, his father discovered a recklessness and
-extravagance which was sadly at variance with those economic principles
-which he himself had so studiously practiced. Vance stood fairly well
-in his classes, and after graduating at Princeton, went abroad, visiting
-the principal cities of Europe, and spending money in such a lavish way
-that at the expiration of a [17] year his father summoned him home and
-remonstrated with him severely on his manner of living and his expensive
-habits.
-
-Piqued at the rebuke, he quarreled with his father, and started out to
-make his way in the world alone. The estrangement was of short duration,
-however, and soon after the reconciliation he secured a position on the
-__Banner_ _, and assiduously devoted himself to the study of journalism.
-He gave up his follies and fast living, and found more enjoyment in his
-work on the Banner than he had ever found in swell dinners and midnight
-carousals at his club.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER II.—THE OLD MINER.
-
-9026
-
-ROOM [18] in which we have introduced Vance Gilder to the reader, in
-the home overlooking Central Park, had been his from childhood, and
-furnished by his father in its present luxurious style, as a reward for
-his devotion to the profession of journalism.
-
-His father had invested his income in real estate, and in the lapse of
-years found himself possessed of a fortune many times greater than he
-had ever anticipated. He traveled a great deal over the west, and at
-Gold Bluff, Idaho, he found in Ben Bonifield, the owner of Gray Rocks, a
-playmate of his youth.
-
-Ben Bonifield had staked out a claim which he called “Gray Rocks,”
-and had worked away for several years with pick and shovel, believing
-that some day he would “strike it rich”—and from the output
-of other mining properties in that vicinity, it seemed as if his
-expectations might be realized some day.
-
-He deeded a half interest in his mine to the elder Gilder, in
-consideration of certain moneys advanced him to develop the property.
-This one investment was the only one that Mr. Gilder ever made outside
-of New York [19] City, and it is quite probable that in making this one
-it was not so much an investment as a desire to assist his boyhood’s
-friend. The deed which Ben Bonifield gave had been duly recorded, but in
-his travels on the Pacific coast he had in some way mislaid it, and on
-his return to New York City he had died without ever having mentioned
-the matter to his son. When his father died, Vance was bowed down with
-grief, while the old Scotch house-keeper and her husband could not have
-mourned more sincerely had the elder Gilder been related by the nearest
-ties of blood.
-
-Vance found his father had not only left a fortune, but also a will. The
-date of this instrument showed that it was executed during the months
-of their estrangement, and had never been changed. The important part of
-the will, for this narrative, was a clause limiting Vance to an annuity
-of $5,000, provided he remained at the old homestead and gave employment
-and a home to the Scotch house-keeper and her husband; but the title to
-the vast property which he owned was not to pass into his custody until
-he was forty years of age.
-
-To the credit of the son, it can be said that he entertained no enmity
-towards his father because of this provision, but regarded it as simple
-justice. In the meantime, he devoted himself with more energy than ever
-to his profession, was economical in his habits, and had the consolation
-of knowing that he was being advanced from time to time on the Banner,
-until he was now regarded as one of the most trusted men on that great
-journal.
-
-To be a member of the Banner staff of newsgatherers was a position to
-be envied by those similarly employed on less imposing journals. His
-associates—the city [20] editor, the religious editor, the
-dramatic critic, the police reporter, and the heads of several other
-departments—were in the habit of discussing the topics of the times
-from a strictly democratic standpoint, with the regularity with which
-day follows night.
-
-The “old man,” or managing editor, could not take a deeper
-interest in the columns of the Banner than did his faithful coterie
-of assistants. The managing editor prided himself on his ability to
-recognize and command intellectual forces.
-
-With the breaking of the dawn anew paper, filled with news deftly
-gathered from the four corners of the earth, was ushered into life,
-teeming with the world’s history of a day, to be discussed by the
-banker, the politician, and the professional and non-professional
-classes over the breakfast-table. Each issue was a daily history
-possessing a soul and character distinctly its own, which collectively
-made up the policy of one of the greatest journals of New York City.
-Before high noon of each day a newspaper has generally served its
-purpose—dies; is a thing of the past, and the record of events found
-in its columns becomes ancient history.
-
-The following morning at ten o’clock, agreeable to his promise,
-Vance Gilder was at the Murray Hill Hotel, and sent up his card to Ben
-Bonifield. Instead of receiving in his room, the old gentleman joined
-Vance in the lobby. He was a typical character—once seen, never
-forgotten. An old Virginian by birth and education, he still retained
-the courtly polish of one of the southern aristocracy, which many years
-of mining life had not been able to wholly destroy. In stature he was
-fully six feet, and rather portly; his oval face was smooth-shaven, save
-an [21] iron-gray moustache. He wore his hair rather long, and the rim
-of his black felt hat was broad as a sombrero. His Prince Albert coat
-of broad-cloth was of old-time date, and suggested a revival of ancient
-gentility.
-
-“Glad to see yo’, suh; am delighted to meet a son of my old friend,
-Colonel Gilder.”
-
-0029
-
-He clasped Vance’s hand warmly, and his face was full of sympathy as
-he referred to the recent information he had received concerning Mr.
-Gilder’s death. They [22] soon found seats in a retired corner of the
-lobby, and after assuring Vance that he had entirely recovered from his
-recent illness, the old gentleman plunged into business.
-
-“Yo’ know, of cou’se, that yo’r father owned a one-half interest
-in Gray Rocks?”
-
-“No, I was not aware of the fact until your daughter named it to me
-yesterday,” replied Vance.
-
-“Yo’ su’prise me, suh, yo’ really do,” said the old miner,
-“but it is true, nevertheless, and the deed is on record; and what is
-mo’, suh, Gray Rocks is destined to be the richest gold mine in
-Idaho. Yo’ see, I have been workin’ away on Gray Rocks for seven
-years—kep’ right at it, winter an’ summer, and while I have not
-‘struck it’ yet, I am positive, suh, that if I had a little mo’
-money to push the work, my most sanguine expectations would be mo’
-than re’lized. We are now on the 200 foot level, but it seems, suh, it
-is not deep enough. A most wonderful showin’, in my opinion, suh, will
-be made when the 300 foot level is reached, and we have cross-cut into
-the vein.”
-
-“I am not very well versed in regard to mining, in fact know next to
-nothing about it, but of course, as I am a half owner in a gold mine, I
-am naturally interested in having it developed.”
-
-“Well, suh,” said the old gentleman, “yo’ see I am. I know all
-about mines. Yes, suh, I assure yo, on my honor, that I can tell ‘pay
-dirt’ as far as I can see it, suh, if I am sixty-five years old, Yo’
-see, suh,” continued the old miner, “let us suppose this table is
-the top of the mountain. Now, where I place this ink-stand, is Gray
-Rocks; just beyond, here where I lay this pen-stalk, is the Peacock
-mine. It joins us directly on the nawth. The [23] Excelsior is at this
-point, where I lay my eye-glasses, directly south of Gray Rocks. Both
-of them, suh, are payin’ immense dividends, and befo’ a year, with
-proper management, Gray Rocks will be doin’ the same. When he learned,
-suh, that I only had a half interest, he refused to talk with me any
-mo’ about it. He said he wanted all or none. Confidentially, Mr.
-Gilder, I consider old Grim the most ill-mannered man in the Fish River
-minin’ district, and us miners, suh, usually form a pretty correct
-idea of mankind in gene’l. I have been minin’ it now fo’ over
-thirty years, and while I have never ‘struck it’ yet, I assure yo’
-on my word, suh, that I have mo’ confidence in Gray Rocks to-day than
-ever befo’.”
-
-“Of course, Col. Bonifield,” said Vance, “I know nothing about
-your technical expressions of ‘sinking-shafts,’ ‘cross-cutting,’
-and all that sort of thing, but I remember now of my father speaking of
-you on several occasions, and I doubt not, if he were living, he would
-gladly assist you in any way in his power. Personally, my means are
-limited, but if your wants are not too great, I will gladly give you my
-assistance.”
-
-“Give me yo’re hand, suh! Why, Mr. Gilder, yo’re a gentleman that
-I’m proud to meet, suh.
-
-“What we must do, suh, is to sink the shaft on Gray Rocks to a 300
-foot level, and we will cross-cut into a vein of wealth, suh, that
-will make yo’ rich as a Vanterbilt. Yes, suh; take my word fo’ it.
-Now,” he continued, “there is old Grim; he owns a majority of the
-stock in the Peacock, and he wanted to buy out Gray Rocks, but [24] of
-the old school, belonging to one of the oldest and proudest families of
-Virginia—yes, suh. Now, you have a half interest in Gray Rocks, and
-if yo’ can furnish the money, Mr. Gilder, to sink the shaft to the 300
-foot level, I will go back to Gold Bluff and immediately commence the
-work—and mind, Mr. Gilder, I give yo’ my word that yo’ will
-never lose a dollar; no, suh, Gray Rocks is a sure winner. The claim is
-patented and our title is perfect; but we must do mo’, suh; we must
-sink our shaft, and it costs money to sink shafts, and a pow’ful sight
-of hard work into the bargain, suh. I came to New York especially to see
-yo’re father and have him help me by advancin’ a little mo’ money.
-He paid me $1,000, suh, fo’ a half interest in Gray Rocks. I told him,
-and I tell yo’ now, it will bring yo’ a million. Yes, suh, I pledge
-yo’ my word it will.”
-
-The old gentleman’s words, his enthusiasm, his southern courtliness,
-and his unmistakable belief in Gray Rocks, carried Vance quite away, in
-anticipation of his half-ownership in a gold mine. He mentally computed
-the amount of money he had in the bank, and felt that he would willingly
-check out his last half-dollar to sink the shaft on Gray Rocks to a 300
-foot level.
-
-He had to his credit in the Chemical National Bank some fifteen thousand
-dollars, and finally ventured to ask about how much it would take to do
-the work.
-
-“Why, yo’ see, suh,” replied the old miner, “the mo’ a fellow
-has, the quicker he can sink a shaft. Now, I could get along at present
-with, say $1,500, but $2,000 would be betteh, and $2,500 would be a
-great plenty.”
-
-“Very well,” replied Vance, “I’ll advance you $2,500, and can
-bring it to you within a couple of hours.”
-
-[25] The old gentleman was highly delighted with Vance’s ready
-acquiescence in the matter, and shook his hand warmly, assuring him that
-he was a very true Virginian. Taking his leave, he quitted the hotel,
-and in less than two hours paid to Col. Bonifield $2,500.
-
-The old gentleman was very urgent for Vance to remain and lunch with
-him.
-
-“My Louise, suh,” he said, “will be delighted to see yo’.
-
-8033
-
-Now, suh, there’s one girl in a thousand. I call her a diamond in the
-rough, suh. She stays by the old man, and has just as much faith in the
-ultimate outcome of Gray Rocks as I have, I sometimes think, suh, that
-I ought not to keep her away so far from civil’zation, so to speak,
-among the mountains; but she says, ‘We will wait until we strike
-it.’ I assure yo’, suh, she is a wonderful comfort to me.”
-
-Vance endeavored to persuade the old gentleman to bring his daughter and
-stop at his house for a few days, but the old miner explained that his
-stay could not be prolonged; that he was impatient to begin work on
-the mine, sinking the shaft to the 300 foot level, and then commence
-cross-cutting. He insisted that he must start for Gold Bluff by the
-evening train.
-
-Ascending to the ladies’ parlor, Vance waited until the old miner
-brought his daughter to bid him good-bye. As she came into the room on
-the arm of her stately father, Vance had hard work to convince himself
-that such a queenly girl as stood before him could have grown to such
-loveliness among the mountains of the northwest.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER III.—THE BANNER FORCE.
-
-9034
-
-GREAT [26] metropolitan journal like the Banner, has a tendency to
-swallow up individual characteristics in its own self-importance. A man
-may be ever so clever with his pen, and contribute the most readable
-articles day after day and year after year, and yet not one reader in
-ten thousand has any idea whose composition he is perusing.
-
-Vance Gilder was only one of the force, and yet he was a favorite with
-his associates. He sometimes dreamed of promotion, and the time when
-he would be a correspondent of note, or possibly at the head of some
-important department on that great paper. Visions of special work which
-would call him not only to different parts of his own country, but to
-foreign parts as well, charmed him into contentment and renewed energy.
-
-Only once during his connection with the Banner had he made anything
-like a “hit.” He had on one solitary occasion succeeded in
-“scooping” the other New York journals in a most masterly manner.
-Indeed, to Vance belonged the credit of having completely humiliated the
-other dailies with an article under flaming headlines and double-leaded.
-As a compensation, he was sent for by [27] the chief, and received that
-august person’s special thanks. This was a mark of distinction, for it
-was seldom that he paid compliments. On the other hand, if the work was
-not up to the standard, the staff generally heard from him in a
-volley of profanity that caused them to doubt the permanency of their
-positions.
-
-On the night after Ben Bonfield started for Gold Bluff, Vance found
-himself thinking a great deal about Gray Rocks. To a young man of
-twenty-five, fifteen years seems a long time to wait for the possession
-of one’s property. There is a certain fascination about the idea of
-owning a gold mine, and this charm had taken possession of Vance to a
-degree far beyond that which he was willing to admit, and between the
-lines of copy, he speculated on the future and built many castles in the
-air.
-
-The half interest which his father owned in Gray Rocks had not been
-named in the will, and as Vance was his only heir, it naturally occurred
-to him that in case the old miner should “strike it rich,” he
-would find himself with a handsome competency long before his fortieth
-birthday.
-
-For the first time during the years of his connection with the Banner,
-a feeling of dissatisfaction stole over him, and he was glad Colonel
-Bonfield had been so prompt in returning to Gold Bluff, for he felt
-the work of sinking the shaft on Gray Rocks should be commenced at the
-earliest possible moment. There was also a feeling of regret deep down
-in his heart that he had not had an opportunity to know more of the fair
-Louise, the remembrance of whose laughing blue eyes and perfect freedom
-from affectation hovered near him with a distinctness that he had never
-before experienced with any of his young lady friends. [28] He was in
-this state of mind when the police reporter came in and declared that he
-was disgusted with the scarcity of crime.
-
-“I say, Vance,” saidhe, “it’s getting to be a pretty pass when
-a fellow has to rummage all over the city for a few crumbs of accidental
-deaths, street brawls and shooting affairs.”
-
-9036
-
-Before Vance had time to reply, the religious editor commenced swearing
-about the uninteresting sermons he was compelled to write of late.
-
-The dramatic critic observed that lie presumed writing sermons was a
-rather stupid business, but if the reading public could endure them, the
-religious editor ought to be able to, at $60 a week.
-
-The religious editor said, “by Gad! old boy, you’re about right,”
-and begged a cigarette of the dramatic critic, declaring that he did
-not know with whom he would rather smoke than a representative of the
-footlights. He then slapped Vance on the shoulder in a jocular way, and
-asked him what made him so quiet.
-
-“Scoops are scarce,” replied Vance, without lifting his eyes from
-the copy he was revising.
-
-“Scarce!” chimed in the city editor, “I should say so. We have not
-had such a thing as a ‘scoop’ about the office for six months.”
-
-“Journalism,” observed the dramatic critic, “is, without question,
-the king of professions. Here we see life in its every phase.”
-
-“I am [29] beginning to think,” said Vance, “that journalism is a
-drudgery without hope or reward.”
-
-“You astonish me,” replied the religious editor. “Why, Vance,”
-he continued, knocking the ashes from his cigarette, “a fellow with as
-bright a future in the profession as you have, making such a remark
-as that, causes me to think you are growing cynical. Think of the
-opportunities which journalism affords.”
-
-“What opportunities,” replied Vance, “have I, or you, or any other
-members of the staff, excepting those we have no right to take advantage
-of? I freely admit that there is a fascination about the profession of
-journalism; an influence, if you please, that holds us in the rut, much
-the same as the current of a mighty river—always drawing everything
-into the center where the current is swiftest—but the individuality of
-the most talented among us is completely lost in the great octopus that
-we are daily and nightly striving with our best efforts of brawn and
-brain to keep supplied with news.”
-
-“Bravo!” shouted the police reporter. “There is not an ordinary
-prize-fighter in the land but has more individual reputation than any of
-us. Vance is about right in his position.”
-
-At this juncture of their conversation, a note was handed to Vance.
-It was a polite request to report at the chief’s private room at ten
-o’clock the next morning. After hastily glancing over it, Vance read
-it aloud.
-
-“I say, Vance, [30] old boy, that’s a little rough; and still,”
-continued the religious editor, between vigorous puffs of his cigarette,
-“it may be a step up.”
-
-It was an open question with members of the force whether a formal
-summons into the presence of the chief, without any intimation of the
-nature of the interview, was a good omen or otherwise.
-
-“Possibly,” responded Vance, “but I rather surmise it is a step
-out.”
-
-0038
-
-“The evil is sufficient unto the day thereof,” observed the dramatic
-critic. “It is twelve o’clock, boys; let us adjourn to the ‘realm
-of pie,’ and there we will discuss the unlooked-for summons.”
-
-A half dozen as jolly young fellows as could be found anywhere, were
-soon seated in a private room at Thompson’s cafe, partaking of the
-reporter’s stereotyped lunch. [31] As a result of their deliberations,
-there were many hopeful expressions made for the benefit of Vance. There
-was an under-current, however, of unmistakable belief, which Vance was
-not slow to perceive and share, that his interview with the chief would
-not result satisfactorily.
-
-The dramatic critic soon drifted to the leeward of the question, and
-with almost forced vivaciousness recounted the latest hit of a jolly
-little soubrette dancer at Madison Square Gardens. His description was
-not only interesting, but a welcome diversion from the somber subject
-that might mean a separation of Vance from the staff. The religious
-editor took up the cue where the dramatic critic let go, and commenced
-swearing in newspaper parlance about the unsatisfactory work he was
-doing in his department.
-
-8039
-
-The police reporter came in for a description of a “knock-out” he
-had witnessed in the Bowery, and for the edification of his associates,
-explained the difference between a “shoulder-strike” and an
-“undercut.”
-
-On returning to their respective posts of duty, there was but little
-said, but it was noticeable that Vance was bid good night with more
-consideration than usual.
-
-As Vance hurried along toward the elevated road, his thoughts were again
-filled with that demure little Louise, a product of the great mountains
-of the west. With her had come a hope—perhaps only a visionary
-one—stimulated by the enthusiasm of the old miner. He did not pause to
-analyze [32] the sustaining hope which he experienced; he only knew that
-it took off the keen edge of anxiety which otherwise he would have felt
-concerning his coming interview with the chief.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IV—A SUPPER PARTY.
-
-9041
-
-T TEN [33] O’.LOCK the following morning, Vance sent in his card
-to the chief, and was immediately admitted to his presence. “Good
-morning, Mr. Gilder.”
-
-“Good morning, sir,” was Vance’s prompt reply.
-
-“I sent for you,” said the chief, as he industriously looked over a
-bundle of papers on his desk, “To discuss a matter I have had in mind
-for some time.”
-
-“Yes, sir,” was Vance’s laconic reply.
-
-The chief having found the paper he evidently had been searching for,
-motioned Vance to be seated, and turning to him, asked:
-
-“Have you ever traveled much in the west?”
-
-“Have never been west of Buffalo.”
-
-“Your work,” observed the chief, “has been very satisfactory—I
-may say, especially so—and it is the policy of the Banner not only to
-reward those who have talent, but also to keep pace with the times, and
-give its readers reliable information upon all questions of moment and
-importance. The great Northwest has been opening up for the last half
-century. There have been booms and counter-booms out in that country,
-spasmodically, for [34] many years, and a great many fortunes have been
-lost by ill advised investors, but I am not personally familiar with
-anyone who has bettered his condition in western speculations. Just
-at the present time the northwest is attracting, as you are doubtless
-aware, considerable attention, and the effort to popularize it by the
-western press, seems unabating. Our eastern people, even some of the
-oldest families of New York, are becoming poisoned with the virus of
-western investments. My private opinion is that instead of receiving
-dividends on these holdings, they will lose principal and all.
-
-“We want,” said he, “a level-headed correspondent in that western
-country. Mark, I say level-headed, for the reason that not infrequently
-an eastern man, especially if he is unacquainted with the wonderland of
-the west, loses his head, figuratively speaking, and becomes won over
-by the fairy tales of prospective wealth, as told by the average real
-estate boomer.
-
-“You, Mr. Gilder,” said the chief, eying Vance with great
-directness, “have been selected for this important position of trust.
-I might,” he continued, as if it were an afterthought, “modify my
-remarks by saying there are some places in the west worthy of credence,
-possessing real merit; but in nine cases out of ten, the new towns that
-are ringing up throughout the north western portion of the United
-States are, in my judgment, intangible as moonshine. In short, there
-is entirely too much capital flowing from the east into those wildcat
-western speculations, and we desire to give a series of letters
-descriptive of that country to the readers of the Banner, containing the
-facts stripped of all allurement, and dissuade them from such unstable
-investments as are daily being made.
-
-[35] “I deem,” continued the chief, “these few suggestions necessary
-for your good in governing the character of your correspondence from
-that western country to the columns of the Banner. I shall expect you to
-be ready tomorrow evening, and start on the six o’clock train. As you
-will probably be away for some time, it would be well for you to arrange
-your private affairs accordingly.
-
-8043
-
-Call tomorrow at eleven o’clock, and I will have ready the necessary
-credentials, transports and instructions.”
-
-Vance bowed his acquiescence and turned to go, when the chief said,
-“By the way, instead of $40 a week, your present salary, you will
-receive $60 and expenses, which doubtless will be satisfactory.”
-
-Vance attempted to express his appreciation of the confidence that had
-been reposed in him, of so important an undertaking; but the chief waved
-him to silence and muttered something about “time being money,” and
-at once turned to other affairs that were awaiting his attention.
-
-That afternoon Vance was not found among the staff, and a new man
-occupied his chair. He called on Thomas Patten, Esq., the attorney
-who had represented the Gilder family for many years, and named in his
-father’s will as trustee, and explained to him his promotion, telling
-him he would start for the west the next evening.
-
-His old associates at the Banner were asking questions of one another as
-to what had transpired between Vance and the chief, but no one seemed
-to know anything about it, except that a new man was on duty and Vance
-absent.
-
-[36] At half past eleven o’clock that night the dramatic critic
-hurried in from the street and passed word around among the coterie that
-a surprise was waiting for them over at Thompson’s cafe. Thompson’s
-is, and has been for many years, a favorite resort for newspaper men.
-Vance Gilder was well known to the manager as a member of the Banner
-staff, and when that afternoon he requested that a lunch something
-better than the ordinary be prepared, he was assured that everything
-would be in readiness.
-
-The dramatic critic ushered his associates into a private room precisely
-at twelve o’clock. Vance was in waiting, and a warm greeting was
-exchanged. The religious editor declared that he believed a conspiracy
-of gigantic proportions had been laid to entrap the meek and lowly, but,
-nevertheless, he took his place with alacrity at the table to enjoy the
-modest but excellent feast prepared for the occasion.
-
-A few bottles of rare old wine added interest to the surprise which
-Vance had so cleverly arranged. After the glasses had been tilled and
-drained, the political editor moved that an explanation was in order.
-
-“My friends,” said Vance, “the most important disclosure I have to
-make is that my salary has been raised to $60 a week.”
-
-The religious editor said, “By Gad,” and fell from his chair,
-declaring that his nerves were so unstrung that it would require another
-glass of wine to restore them. After Vance had carefully narrated his
-interview with the chief, he received the hearty congratulations of his
-associates. Each vied with the others in wishing him unbounded success
-as a western correspondent for the Banner. [37] “I understand,” said
-the political editor, after clearing his throat with a glass of wine,
-“that the west is teeming with opportunities in a political way; and
-I would not be surprised,” he added, “if the Honorable Vance Gilder
-would be the next thing we hear of, as mayor of some municipality in
-the Rocky Mountain region, or possibly as a member of Congress from the
-Third District.”
-
-0045
-
-“Or still better,” observed the religious editor, “president of
-one of those bonanza gold mines that advertise [38] themselves as being
-the greatest dividend paying properties in the world.”
-
-“What’s the matter,” said the police reporter, “of being
-moderate in your expectations? Suppose Vance secures the position of
-judge of the police court in one of those western towns, where from a
-dozen to twenty drunks and brawls occur every twenty-four hours—ye
-gods! what a country for rich morsels of crime!”
-
-It was conceded by all that Vance would have abundant opportunity
-for making investments here and there in the growing west that would
-materially increase his financial prospects.
-
-8046
-
-“Sixty dollars,” said the dramatic critic, as he finished his third
-glass of wine, “is quite a step up, but evidently a mere bagatelle to
-the ‘pick-ups’ on the side, in a new country that is just developing
-like the west is at the present time.”
-
-That Vance was one of the luckiest fellows living was the verdict of all
-his associates. After the lunch had been disposed of and a good-night
-glass of wine drunk to Vance’s success, he bade his companions
-good-night, and was soon being driven rapidly up Eighth Avenue to
-Central Park, west.
-
-On reaching his room he began to feel more than ever that he had
-awakened to find himself famous, and that a great honor had been thrust
-upon him.
-
-His gratitude to his chief was unbounded, but like the young and
-ambitious everywhere, his own personal advancement in a financial sense
-was a consideration not to be overlooked. [39] While he knew personally
-very little about the Western country, the many allusions of his
-companions to the rare opportunities which awaited him in the new world
-he was about to visit filled him with a vague, indescribable sense of
-importance.
-
-As he retired for the night, he assured himself that Gold Bluff, Idaho,
-would be one of his objective points, and hoped he would be there when
-the shaft reached the 300 foot level. He was beginning to share the old
-miner’s enthusiasm and confidence in Gray Rocks.
-
-He drifted away into a restful sleep, while visions of a lovely girl in
-early womanhood, with beautiful blue eyes, “gentle grace and sovereign
-sweetness,” rose in a mist before him, and he dreamed he was at Gold
-Bluff.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER V.—AN ODD CHARACTER.
-
-9048
-
-TRIP [40] from New York to the inter-mountain country of the west, with
-the present railroad facilities of palatial Pullmans and dining cars,
-is now an every-day affair. The traveler is surrounded by every comfort.
-Vance Gilder was more than ever in love with the change, as the cars
-rumbled on through dell and forest, across broad stretches of beautiful
-valley country, and ever and anon rushing over an iron bridge that
-spanned some beautiful stream of water, some of them calm and peaceful,
-and others rushing madly along, breaking into white spray over rocky
-ripples, and then hurrying on again as if they were running a race with
-time.
-
-As he approached the Rocky Mountain country, and for the first time in
-his life gazed upon that mighty range of Nature’s towering masonry, he
-was almost intoxicated with the new sights to be seen on the “crown of
-the continent.”
-
-Notwithstanding his enjoyment of the new and varied scenery, he was glad
-enough to abandon the cars at Butte City, after four days and nights of
-continuous riding.
-
-Butte City is said to be, not only the greatest mining [41] camp in
-Montana, but the greatest in the world. They boast of the many millions
-that are brought to the light of day by the magic wand of the miner’s
-pick. Vance found lodging at the Mercury Hotel, and early the next
-morning, after breakfasting heartily, started for a walk.
-
-0049
-
-The town is built on a side-hill, gently rising from the depot grounds
-westward to a very considerable elevation. He paused now and then to
-inspect the architecture of some of the buildings, and then looked away
-toward the smelter districts, at the black clouds of smoke which the
-[42] chimneys were belching forth, and falling over the city like a veil
-of mourning.
-
-Presently he was accosted by an individual of grizzly beard and
-good-matured countenance, who said: “Hello, pard; how d’ye do?
-Sizin’ up these diggins’ be ye?”
-
-As Vance eyed his questioner rather critically and acknowledged the
-salutation, the fellow reached him a card which bore the name “Hank
-Casey.” While Vance was glancing at the card, his new acquaintance
-said:
-
-“I reckon you be from down east? I come from thar a long time ago.
-You’ll notice from my card that I’m in the real estate business;
-also have some fine minin’ propositions.”
-
-“Yes,” replied Vance, “I am from the east, but do not know as I
-care to make any investments.”
-
-“Well, now, look’ee? here, stranger. I ‘spect I might give you a
-pinter or two that may not come amiss. This ‘ere town is chuck up full
-of dead beats and black legs, who make it their business to run
-every new feller in that comes from down east. Now Hank Casey do a
-straight-for’ard, legitimate business—that’s me,” said he, as he
-tucked his thumbs into the armholes of his vest and straightened himself
-to his fullest height.
-
-Vance was amused by this odd character, and determined to learn from
-him what he could concerning Butte City and the claims made for it.
-He therefore asked, “What population have you and what are your
-resources?”
-
-“Over fifty thousand people, above an’ below. You see, thar’s
-several thousand of us in this town below ground, workin’ away with
-shovel an’ pick. I reckon as how you’ll see a fair sample of our
-miners if you’re on the [43] streets tonight. As for resources—why,
-pardner, thar’s no end to ‘em. We took out mighty near forty million
-dollars from our mines last year, an’ thar’s ore enough in sight
-to keep on minin’ at the same rate for a hundred years to come. What
-d’ye think o’ that?”
-
-Vance replied that it certainly was a most extraordinary statement.
-
-8051
-
-“What other towns have you in this state,” asked Vance.
-
-“None to speak of,” was the prompt reply. “Butte City is the
-pertest town in any o’ these western diggings. Thar’s not another
-town in Montana as can tech one side of us, for money, marbles, or
-chalk. To be sure,” he went on, in a condescending tone, “we
-have lots o’ towns in this ‘ere state, sech as they be; lots
-o’ minin’ camps, but they are merely
-blacksmith-shops-on-the-crossroads,’ compared with Butte City. D’ye
-see that Corner lot over thar’. Five years ago I owned the ground
-whar’ that buildin’ stands. I bought it for $300, held it just
-thirteen months, and sold it for $4,000 spot cash.”
-
-“Why that was an immense profit,” said Vance, with more interest
-than he had yet manifested in Hank Casey’s description of Butte
-City. Hank Casey smiled contentedly and expectorated an accumulation
-of tobacco juice with a resounding “pit-tew” on the side walk, and
-said: “You call that a good profit? Why, pardner, I bought stock in
-the Blackbird mine at twelve cents a share when the company was fust
-organized, and now its worth $300 a share and payin’ an immense
-dividend monthly. That’s what I call a good investment; but as fer
-that speck,” [44] said he, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the
-corner lot, “that don’t amount to nothin’.”
-
-“Do you know where Gold Bluff, Idaho, is?” asked Vance.
-
-“I reckon I ought to know,” replied the boomer; “me an’ Steve
-Gibbons were the fust prospectors in that ‘neck o’ the woods.’
-Steve an’ I claim to own the Peacock, but old Rufus Grim, the biggest
-scoundrel in Idaho yes, the biggest in this whole minin’ country
-claims to own it, and has got possession, and I’ve learned, in this
-western country ‘specially, that possession is not only nine points of
-the law, but mighty near ten. Of course, a gold mine like the Peacock
-is a mighty handy thing to have in the family, but as a general rule,
-they’re mighty unsartin. Give me a silver or copper mine every
-time.”
-
-Vance assured his new-found acquaintance that he was under many
-obligations for the information received, and said he hoped to meet him
-again. Hank Casey, however, was not to be disposed of in this way,
-and walked along with Vance. Presently he called his attention to some
-vacant lots across the street.
-
-“D’ye see them lots over thar? I can sell you one o’ them
-fifty-foot lots at $3,500. an I’ll bet diamonds against peanuts
-it’ll be a rich buy at $10,000 before two years. By the way, stranger,
-what’s the matter with you takin a leetle ‘flyer’ in Butte City
-dirt? Buy a few lots, stop here with us for six months, sell ‘em out
-agin for 100 per cent, profit, an’ that’ll pay all the expenses of
-your western trip. See? said he, touching Vance gently in the ribs with
-his elbow.
-
-“Yes; I see,” said Vance, “I see very clearly, or would, [45] were
-it not for the smoke. It smells like sulphur. Does it come from some of
-your mills or smelters?”
-
-“Now, look’ee here, pard, you’re just like every other
-down-easter. They’re always kickin’ ‘bout this smoke.
-
-9053
-
-Now, let me tell you; if we didn’t have that ‘ar smoke we wouldn’t
-have any Butte City, and besides, it kills the bacteria, molecules,
-an’ all that sort o thing. It’s mighty healthy here, I can tell you,
-an’ a mighty pert town into the bargain.”
-
-Vance coughed immoderately, but Hank Casey who was acclimated, assured
-him that he was at that moment breathing the healthiest air that ever
-his lungs were filled with.
-
-In the course of their walk, the boomer kept up a constant conversation,
-explaining different points of interest, pointing out the different
-mining properties in sight and telling their names, until Vance felt
-that he had been very fortunate in falling in with one so conversant
-with Butte City. At parting, Vance bade his new-found friend good day,
-and promised to call at his office before leaving the city.
-
-When he returned to the hotel, he commenced his first letter to the
-Banner, but it was not finished until late that night. When it appeared
-in the great New York journal it surprised, in point of brilliancy and
-interest, even his warmest friends. His descriptions were so vivid
-and lifelike, and his characters so droll, and withal teeming with
-information, that a score of letters came to the managing editor,
-assuring him of the great pleasure and profit they had experienced in
-its perusal. Of course, Vance knew [46] nothing of this at the time,
-but devoted himself with unceasing diligence in searching out reliable
-information, and then training it into weekly letters.
-
-Butte City began to impress him as a place of more importance than he
-had at first thought. He learned that almost one million of dollars was
-paid out monthly to the miners alone, and they, as a class, are “hail
-fellows well met,” who believe in the doctrine of keeping money in
-constant circulation.
-
-He noticed in many of the mercantile houses that when the day clerks
-went off duty at six o’clock in the evening, another set of clerks
-came on, and the shops and stores, by the aid of brilliant electric
-lights, continued business twenty-four hours out of the day the year
-around.
-
-Vance frequently thought of his conversation with the managing editor,
-and what he had said about western towns and the over-enthusiastic town
-boomer. In Hank Casey he felt he had found a typical character
-that fully came up to all the managing editor had inferred, and had
-frequently used him as an inspiration, but was becoming more and more
-convinced that Butte City was one of those solid, substantial places
-which the managing editor had classed as exceptions to the rule.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VI—THE TOWN BOOMER.
-
-9055
-
-BOUT TWO WEEKS [47] after Vance Gilder arrived in Butte City, he noticed
-one morning that everybody was talking about a new town, and each was
-asking the others what they thought about it. Glancing at the hotel
-register, he saw the name, Homer Winthrop, of Waterville, Idaho.
-
-In looking over the Butte City Miner and the Inter-Mountain Blade, both
-healthy dailies and well edited, he was somewhat astonished to find a
-full-page advertisement in each of the papers, setting forth in blazing
-splendor the great Thief River Valley, and signed by Homer Winthrop
-as agent, announcing that he would be at the Mercury Hotel for a short
-time, and inviting those who were interested in investing a little money
-in a purely agricultural city, to come early and “get in on the ground
-floor.”
-
-The advertisement represented Waterville as being in the midst of the
-great Thief River Valley, with the largest water power in the country,
-surrounded by an agricultural district of two million acres of the
-richest land the sun ever shone down upon. He termed the new town of
-[48] Waterville the “City of Destiny,” and said the price of town
-lots would quadruple in a few years’ time.
-
-Vance was at once interested. “Here,” said he to himself, “is a
-genuine town boomer, and as the fellow is stopping at this hotel, it
-will be an easy matter to learn just how this boom business is operated.
-It will make an excellent article for the Banner.”
-
-Accordingly, about eleven o’clock that forenoon he called to see the
-irrepressible town boomer and hear what sort of a marvelous story he had
-to tell about Waterville.
-
-8056
-
-He was quickly admitted into a reception room by a young gentleman who
-assured him that Mr. Winthrop would soon be at leisure, and begged him
-to be seated, calling his attention to the numerous maps on the walls,
-one of which covered nearly the entire side of the room.
-
-Winthrop’s young assistant seemed to know his business, and at once
-commenced the preliminary skirmish of interesting Vance in the great
-Thief River Valley, and especially town lots in Waterville; but as Vance
-did not evince any inclination to purchase, the young fellow endeavored
-to so impress him by calling his attention to the advertisements in the
-morning papers. Every once in a while he would tip-toe over to the
-door where the great town-boomer, Homer Winthrop, was holding a private
-conversation with a would-be purchaser. He would put his ear to the
-keyhole and listen for a moment, and then come tip-toeing back and
-assure Vance Mr. Winthrop would soon be at leisure.
-
-Presently the door opened and a gentleman in miner’s garb came out,
-and Vance was immediately shown in. As he entered the private room of
-Homer Winthrop, he involuntarily paused to study, if but for a moment,
-the face of the man who had arrived in Butte City late the night before,
-and now had everyone in the place agog over the prospects of a new town
-that had just been laid out on paper in the Thief River Valley.
-
-Homer Winthrop, with all the easy grace of a Chesterfield, motioned his
-visitor to a seat, pushing a box of very superior Havanas toward him,
-and invited him to join him in burning a weed. He was a man above the
-average height, inclined to be rather slender, and possessed a rather
-good looking face, beaming with good nature and apparent frankness;
-a pair of intelligent dark eyes that laughed and smiled with as much
-expression as the face, changeable, however, into intenseness and
-earnestness seldom met with; a broad, intellectual forehead; a rather
-square chin, indicating great determination of character. To this add
-a luxuriant head of dark hair, and moustache, otherwise a clean-shaven
-face, and the reader will have a fair idea of his appearance.
-
-He was [49] evidently an adept in reading human nature, and knew his man
-on sight; had seen much of western life—and yet it required no second
-interview to discover in him the polished manners and easy grace of one
-who has seen much of refinement and culture. He could have entered into
-the gaieties of a reception in a Fifth Avenue mansion with as little
-effort as he had [50] stirred up a city of 50,000 people in a few hours
-over the magnificent prospects of a new town that was just budding into
-existence.
-
-0058
-
-Vance accepted the proffered cigar, and they easily engaged in
-conversation. They discussed the great out put of ore from the mines of
-Butte City, and the wonderful development of the western country during
-recent years; the magnificent mining properties that had been opened up;
-and, in fact, nearly everything except Waterville and the great Thief
-River Valley. Homer Winthrop with the skill of a tactician, narrated
-incidents and legends of different miners who had devoted a lifetime
-in searching for the precious metal and finally “struck it rich” in
-some out-of-the-way, unexpected place.
-
-Vance finally inquired in regard to the new town of [51] Waterville, and
-was not a little surprised at the conservative reply he received, wholly
-devoid of any enthusiasm.
-
-“Oh,” said Winthrop, “we have a very excellent agricultural
-country in the valley. We are building our new town of Waterville on the
-rapids of the Thief River. It has, perhaps, the greatest water power
-of any inland city in the United States. Many believe a great citv will
-eventually be built at that point. We also have a great deal of capital
-invested in the construction of irrigating canals, reclaiming the
-valley lands from their present arid condition and converting them into
-productive farms.” He also went on, in a voice full of rhythm that was
-almost musical in its intonation, explaining in a modest way why many
-people believed in the future of the place, touching on the numerous
-natural resources that were apparent to everyone sufficiently interested
-to visit the valley and see for himself.
-
-Vance was deeply interested in Homer Winthrop’s appearance, and later
-found himself charmed with his new acquaintance more than he cared to
-admit, even to himself. On taking his leave, he promised to call again
-the next day. As Vance stepped into the reception room, he found
-it almost filled with miners and tradesmen who were waiting for an
-interview’ with Mr. Winthrop, and he rightly guessed that a profitable
-business was being done.
-
-In thinking over his interview with the town boomer of Waterville,
-Vance was compelled to admit that he was one of the most attractive
-individuals with whom he had ever come in contact. That afternoon
-he finished a letter to the Banner, but it contained no reference to
-Waterville.
-
-The result of his second interview was that he accepted an invitation
-to visit the new town, which was some two [52] hundred miles distant.
-Agreeable to this arrangement, they left Butte City early one morning,
-and that evening reached Waterville.
-
-Vance was not particularly attracted by the general appearance and
-“lay” of the new town site. It appeared crude and unfinished, and
-abounded with sage brush and sand. The waters of the rapids, however,
-in their mad rushing as they went foaming down the narrows like race
-horses, impressed him with a belief that nothing had been overdrawn in
-regard to this great natural power, which had been idling its time away
-for centuries.
-
-9060
-
-Homer stood by his side on the rocky bank, but said nothing.
-
-Presently Vance looked up and said: “What a wonderful power is going
-to waste in these rapids!”
-
-“It will soon be harnessed,” replied Winthrop, “and this vast
-power utilized in many manufacturing enterprises. I do not feel,” he
-continued, “that I am over-estimating facts, Mr. Gilder, when I say
-there is power enough here to turn every spindle in every woolen mill
-and factory in the United States.”
-
-“My only surprise,” replied Vance, “is that these waters have not
-been put to use long before this.”
-
-That night at the hotel Vance felt he was indeed “roughing it.” He
-rose in the morning feeling but little refreshed, and sat down to a very
-unpalatable breakfast, and immediately afterwards started with Homer
-Winthrop on a drive through the valley.
-
-The farmers were busy harvesting their grain, and on [53] inquiry they
-learned the yield of wheat was from forty to seventy bushels to the
-acre, and that oats yielded from sixty to one hundred bushels to the
-acre. Vance was greatly astonished, and became almost enthusiastic over
-the agricultural possibilities of the valley.
-
-“Why,” said he, “Mr. Winthrop, there is no question but this is
-destined to be one of the richest agricultural valleys in the world. In
-my work on the Banner I have had occasion to look up statistics on grain
-products, and if these farmers are telling the truth in regard to the
-yield of their crops, there is no other place like it in the United
-States.”
-
-A moment after, he was chagrined to think he had given way to such
-a burst of enthusiasm. It would have been better for him to remain
-a listener, and allow Winthrop to grow enthusiastic in praise of the
-country. Winthrop, however, took no advantage of Vance’s earnestness.
-
-The day was a perfect one; the sun was shining, and yet there was a
-cool, invigorating breeze sweeping gently down from the snow-capped
-Tetons. Driving rapidly and pleasantly along, they at last found
-themselves near the foot-hills on a slight elevation overlooking
-the valley to the west. Alighting from the carriage, Vance followed
-Winthrop’s lead, and soon they found themselves on a table rock, at a
-sufficient elevation to see for many miles to the north, south and west.
-For a few minutes Vance contemplated the sight in silence, and then
-said: “This is indeed a grand sight.” Turning to Winthrop, he
-continued:
-
-“I have seen many beautiful sights—the Green and White Mountains
-of New England, the Cumberland of [54] Virginia, and the mighty Rocky
-Mountains through Colorado but standing here on the foot hills, with the
-mountains rising behind us to the sky, with their hoary crests even
-on this July day capped with snow, and these mountain streams, foaming
-cataracts, all shimmering in the sunshine, making sweet and restful
-harmony in their ceaseless flow, surpasses anything I have ever seen.
-The valley itself looks like a vast green sward stretching before us
-like a map. The yellow shocks of golden grain in the farming districts
-are suggestive of what may be in years to come. No man can look
-upon such a promising picture and not be convinced of the commercial
-importance which will attend the development of this valley.”
-
-During Vance’s outburst of ecstacy, Homer Winthrop said nothing,
-merely acquiescing, in a modest way, to all Vance expressed.
-
-Returning to Waterville, they partook of a sumptuous repast, which
-Winthrop had ordered especially prepared, Consisting principally of
-mountain trout, caught that morning in the Thief River.
-
-After lunch Vance accepted an invitation to smoke and walk out over the
-town site.
-
-“This,” said Winthrop, “is block fourteen of Eagle’s addition.
-You see it is less than three blocks from the center of the town. It
-is one of the choicest blocks we have. If you want me to give you some
-advice, Mr. Gilder, I will do so, and say, buy a few of these lots. The
-price is only $100 each, and, in my judgment, they will be worth $500
-before five years from to-day.”
-
-Vance looked [55] away into the distance at the farm lands, and the
-music of the sickle was borne lazily to him by a gentle breeze; then he
-turned his gaze toward the river, where the roaring waters were crowding
-down the rapids, proclaiming in thundering tones that Waterville was an
-exception to the rule. After a little he turned to Homer Winthrop and
-said: “I have been advised to keep clear of these new towns. The
-person who gave me this advice told me there were a few honorable
-exceptions to the rule. I must believe, from what I have seen, that
-Waterville is an exception. I will take twenty-five of these lots, and
-you may fix up the deed for them as soon as possible.”
-
-The deed and abstract were delivered to Vance that afternoon, and his
-check for $2,500 was duly deposited in Homer Winthrop’s pocket.
-
-“I may have been foolish,” said Vance, “to act so hastily in this
-matter.”
-
-Winthrop turned to him, and placing a hand on either shoulder, looked
-squarely into his companion’s eyes, and said:
-
-“My belief, Mr. Gilder, is that you have acted wisely, and if you
-will keep these lots five years, you will thank me for suggesting
-the advisability of making the purchase. I have but one request to
-make—that you will wait five years before passing judgment on my
-advice.”
-
-“Your request is cheerfully granted,” replied Vance with great
-earnestness, and the two men clasped hands, and a bond of friendship was
-thereby woven.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VII.—A VISIT TO WATERVILLE
-
-9064
-
-NEW WESTERN TOWN is [56] usually provided with a public square, and the
-business houses and shops are arranged along the four sides of it in
-sentinel-like position, the corner lots going at a premium, and where
-the most substantial buildings are erected. Waterville, however could
-not boast of a public square, but it had two iron bridges spanning the
-Thief River.
-
-A large stone grist mill had been built on the side of the river
-opposite the town, and on the elevated ground beyond, it was said the
-State Agricultural College was to be built.
-
-It was a favorite pastime with the real estate agents to sit on the
-depot platform, and while waiting for the incoming trains, to whittle
-pine sticks into shavings, telling of the different manufactories, state
-institutions, colleges and asylums, etc., that would be located in the
-near future at Waterville.
-
-That evening after Vance had made his purchase of town lots he strolled
-away by himself across the great iron bridge, and gave himself up to
-meditation. Had he acted wisely? Would Waterville after all prove a
-“boom town” and his investment a losing one? Was Homer Winthrop,
-[57] with his suave manners and great earnestness, which at times seemed
-to carry conviction to the hearts of all who heard him express
-himself, the noble specimen of manhood he appeared to be, or were his
-fascinations merely the arts of the ordinary skilled western boomer?
-Would the managing editor approve his action in purchasing lots in such
-a new and undeveloped place as Waterville?
-
-It is a common experience with mankind, that after a doubtful
-transaction has been consummated, we can deliberate with far more
-intentness of thought than before the trade was made.
-
-A peculiarity of a western town is its plentifulness of real estate
-agents, who seem to travel in swarms, and find an abiding place in the
-town that promises the greatest activity.
-
-9065
-
-After a reaction sets in and hard times overtake them, this peculiar
-class usually pick up their “ink-horns” and fly, as from a
-pestilence.
-
-Another peculiarity is, that if a trade is made with a “tender-foot”
-everyone in the village usually knows of it in a very few hours.
-
-As Vance was returning from his walk he was met on the outskirts of the
-village by a number of this class of hangers-on, who make their living
-by selling town lots on commission. Each one was desirous of saying
-“just a word” to Vance in private.
-
-The story of one was practically the story of all. They advised him
-to stop and think what he was losing by not buying more property in
-Waterville. One particularly long, lank individual, who wore a sombrero
-and high- [58] topped boots, assured him that “the opportunity of a
-lifetime was at that very minute knocking at his door; it might never
-come again.”
-
-“You might go away from Waterville,” said he, “and come back here
-in a few mouths’ time, and you’ll find the town lots I can sell you
-to-day for a mere song, going at ten times the price that you can buy
-them for now. My name is Steve Gibbons, and I presume I am doing the
-biggest real estate business in Waterville. I sell more lots than any
-other half dozen agents in town. You’ve made a great mistake, Mr.
-Gilder,” said he, “in buying of the Town Company. Of course, this is
-confidential, but if you had come to me instead of buying of Winthrop, I
-could have saved you big money.”
-
-“What do you mean by ‘the company’.” asked Vance.
-
-“Why, you see, the Waterville Town Company own mighty near all the
-property in town.
-
-9066
-
-That man Winthrop is a member of the company. Now, while I have not
-as many lots for sale as the Town Company, my prices beat them all
-holler.”
-
-“Do you think,” asked Vance, “that Mr. Winthrop charged me too
-much for my lots?”
-
-“Think!” said Steve Gibbons, “think? why, pardner, all the agents
-in town are laughin’ about it; he took you in.”
-
-Vance bit his lips, and mentally concluded to investigate very
-thoroughly before he quit Waterville.
-
-“You see,” Gibbons [59] went on, “all us fellers are down on the
-Town Company. We don’t like corporations, nohow; they don’t give
-us honorable-intentioned fellers a fair chance. We are the men that’s
-buildin’ up this here town—givin’ it the bone, and the sinew, and
-the standin’, so to speak. Don’t you see?”
-
-“Yes,” said Vance, “I understand,” and begging to be excused,
-he turned and walked away from the “honorable-intentioned” Steve
-Gibbons, and soon after sought the privacy of his own room in the
-Ballard House.
-
-Dick Ballard was a Grand Army man, and kept the only hotel of any
-importance in Waterville. The only thing first-class about it was the
-price for lodging. Immediately after the average traveler settled his
-bill at the Ballard, there was generally a half-distinct impression
-in his mind that he had been stopping at a first-class hotel, but the
-remembrance of three kinds of meat cooked in the same kettle was not
-easily forgotten.
-
-As Vance sat in his room, in anything but a pleasant frame of mind,
-there came a gentle knock on his door. He quickly admitted his visitor,
-and found it was Dick Ballard, the proprietor.
-
-“I reckon,” said he, as soon as he stepped in, “you’ll be one
-of us by and by. Bought property already, and a mighty good buy you’ve
-made of it, too. Oh, you know a good thing when you see it; you bet yer
-life you do.”
-
-“Do you think,” said Vance, “the lots I purchased were reasonable
-at the price?”
-
-“I should say so; yes, sir, mighty cheap. This here town is comin
-out of the kinks in fine shape. We’ll have a drum corps in our State
-militia before another year; you bet we will. I presume you know we have
-the finest drilled company at Waterville, outside the regular army, in
-the state?”
-
-“I have been told,” said Vance, “that I paid too much [60] for the
-property. I am more interested in learning the truth or untruth of the
-statement than I am about your militia company.”
-
-0068
-
-“Who told you that:” asked Ballard, with indignation. As Vance did
-not answer, the hotel proprietor went on to say: “I’ll bet it was
-J. Arthur Boast. Now, look’ee here, Mr. Gilder, you can’t believe
-everything these fellers tell you.”
-
-The truth of this remark pressed itself on Vance so [61] forcibly, and
-his indignation getting the better of him, he turned upon Dick Ballard
-and said bitterly:
-
-“Who in thunderation can I believe?”
-
-“You can believe me, sir, and I’ll produce prima facie evidence of
-everything I say. This town is all right; your investment is a good one,
-and the man who says it is not is surely trying to stick his nose into
-other people’s business—but, say, hold on a minute,” said Ballard,
-as if he had forgotten something, “will you take a drink?” and he
-produced a bottle from his pocket.
-
-“No, thank you,” said Vance.
-
-“Well, if you don’t mind, I will,” said the landlord, as he
-proceeded to treat himself to a liberal portion of the contents of his
-bottle.
-
-“Now,” said he, as he sat down smacking his lips, “everything I
-tell you is prima facie. I know how it is; some of these fellows have
-been trying to make you dissatisfied with your purchase. I am not
-selling town lots. My business is to run this hotel and see that
-everybody has a fair deal.”
-
-“Who is the Town Company?” asked Vance.
-
-“The Town Company, sir, consists of some of the most remarkable men
-in this country. They are strong men, brainy men; they are hustlers; and
-I,” said Ballard, rising to his feet, “I am their friend. This man,
-Homer Winthrop,” he went on, “carries more gray matter about on his
-brain than all the shark real estate agents in Waterville put together.
-He is one of the company, but you’ll see them all before long; and
-when you do, I know you’ll agree with me in saying they are the
-cleanest cut lot of men on the continent. Winthrop is a great man, but
-there are others in the company that are a mighty [62] sight stronger
-than he is. They are all men of honor, and their integrity is prima
-facie.”
-
-“Prima facie” seemed to be a favorite expression of Dick
-Ballard’s. After he had delivered himself in the strongest language at
-his command, he treated himself to another drink and retired.
-
-Vance sat far into the night, looking out at his window into the mellow
-moonlight, listening to the ceaseless roar of the waters and the yelping
-coyotes in the distance, which were answered by half a dozen dogs in
-different parts of the town. At times he regretted his purchase, and
-again he felt it must, in the very nature of things, increase many times
-in value in a few years.
-
-The moon came up the eastern sky, and seemed to hang in space like
-a ball of fire, beckoning him to return to his eastern home before
-disaster overtook him. The three great Tetons of the mountain range
-bearing their name stood out in bold relief, throwing long, menacing
-shadows directly towards him. The shimmering of the soft moonbeams
-glistened on the restless waters of the musical river, whose alluring
-song of promise and power was wafted to him on the night wind.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VIII.—AT THE MINE
-
-9071
-
-HE [63] next morning Vance was rather late in rising. Soon after he had
-taken his seat at the breakfast table, he was joined by an individual
-small in stature but tastily dressed. His eyes were restless, and he
-seemed on the point of making an observation several times before he
-finally did so.
-
-“Very pleasant morning,” said he, looking up at
-
-Vance and then hastily glancing at the sunshine that streamed in at the
-window.
-
-“Yes, delightful,” was Vance’s reply.
-
-Presently the stranger observed: “Sunny days are the rule, cloudy days
-the exception, at Waterville. At least that’s my experience during a
-year’s sojourn among the good people of this village.” There was
-a quaking sound in the fellow’s voice that attracted Vance’s
-attention, because it was different from others more than because there
-was anything charming about it. Vance wondered if this individual was
-not also in the real estate business. It seemed as if every one with
-whom you come in contact was a real estate agent. He was on the point
-of asking him what line of business he [64] was engaged in, when the
-fellow, looking up from his plate, said, “Real estate is my line.
-My office is just across the street; you can see my sign from the
-window.” Looking out at the window, Vance saw a large real estate
-sign, with gold letters on a black back-ground, bearing the name of
-“J. Arthur Boast.”
-
-“You are Mr. Boast, I presume,” said Vance, turning from the window.
-
-“J. Arthur Boast, at your service.”
-
-Half an hour later Vance Gilder was seated in the real estate office of
-J. Arthur Boast, looking over his special bargain list; not with a view
-of buying, but rather to gain information.
-
-9072
-
-Boast talked a great deal, and in his fawning, insinuating manner,
-advised Vance, without saying so in so many words, to keep his eyes open
-when dealing with the Town Company. After Vance had carefully scanned
-his list of town lots, he was better satisfied than ever with his
-purchases.
-
-Taking a bottle from his desk, Boast held it up toward the sunlight, and
-asked Vance if he would have some “red liquor.” Vance declined with
-thanks. Boast walked back and forth with the bottle in his hand, and in
-a quaking voice, meant to be confidential, told Vance that he had got
-to quit drinking; that red liquor was getting an awful hold on him.
-He seemed to be desirous of giving the impression that he was a hard
-drinker. Finally he poured out some of the contents of the bottle into
-a glass, and drank it down at one swallow. Afterwards he seemed quite
-wretched and his eyes were filled [65] with tears. Vance concluded,
-notwithstanding all he had said against himself, that J. Arthur Boast
-was not a drinking man.
-
-“That liquor is all right,” said Boast; “a very superior article,
-but it is a little early in the day for me to commence. It always half
-strangles me in the morning.”
-
-As Vance was seeking information from which he could draw his own
-conclusions, he gave Boast all the opportunities possible to express
-himself in regard to Waterville and its people.
-
-8073
-
-The fellow said nothing positive, yet there was an evil vein of
-insinuation in all that he did say not only in regard to the Waterville
-Town Company and every other real estate agent, but also against
-everybody in the town generally. Vance very much disliked the fellow,
-and afterwards learned that he was universally disliked and shunned by
-everyone in Waterville.
-
-Instead of returning to Butte City with Winthrop that afternoon, Vance
-remained in Waterville, and arranged to take the early stage next
-morning for Gold Bluff, which was located some sixty miles northwest of
-Waterville, in the Fish River Mining District. He arrived in that Idaho
-mining town late the following night, registered at the Bluff House, and
-after a late supper retired to his room for a much needed rest.
-
-The next morning he found, on inquiry, that Ben Bonifield’s mine was
-located about half a mile from town upon the mountain side, and he at
-once started out in [66] that direction, to see how the work on the
-shaft, bound for the 300 foot level, was progressing.
-
-The town of Gold Bluff was cozily nestled in a little valley, with
-abrupt mountains lowering away to the sky on either side of it. The
-mountains were covered with spruce and pine and mountain poplars up to
-the snow line, above which the barren rocks rose majestically towards
-the heavens. A refreshing stream meandered its course through the town,
-on one side of which were stores and shops, and on the other residences.
-Vance noticed that some of them were of modern architecture and neatly
-painted, while others were primitive in the extreme—relics of early
-mining; days. The town was rather quaint and picturesque, and made more
-so by a profusion of shade trees.
-
-“Good morning,” [67] said Vance, as he came up to Ben Bonifield,
-who, in miner’s costume, was working vigorously away at the frame-work
-of the shaft over Gray Rocks. The old man looked up with an astonished
-air, and said:
-
-8074
-
-“Good mawnin’, suh.” Then, recognizing his visitor, he threw down
-his hammer and gave Vance’s hand such a squeeze in his powerful grasp
-that it almost made him cry out with pain.
-
-“Why, suh,” cried the old miner, “I am almost pa’alyzed to see
-yo’. I am indeed, suh. Mr. Gilder, I welcome yo’ suh, to Gold Bluff
-and to Gray Rocks. Here, suh, are our possessions,” waving his hand
-toward the shaft. “Immediately upon my return from the city, Mr.
-Gilder, we commenced work in earnest, suh, and befo’ many weeks, I
-am proud to say, suh, we will reach the 300 foot level and be ready to
-cross-cut into the vein, suh. Yo’ don’t know,” said the old miner,
-again taking Vance’s hand, “how proud I am—yes, proud, suh, proud
-to be honored with a visit from yo’, I very much desire that yo’
-pu’son’lly inspect the mine; and there is no better time than the
-present.”
-
-Vance entered heartily into the tour of inspection, and at the old
-miner’s invitation, went down in the bucket, where the miners were at
-work. The old gentleman kept him there until he had explained everything
-to the minutest detail, and when Vance at last reached the top of the
-shaft he felt he had a far better idea of sinking shafts on mines than
-ever before.
-
-“Come,” said the old miner, “my Louise will be most delighted
-to see yo’, suh; she will indeed.” Then turning, he gave some
-instruction to his foreman, telling him he would not return that
-afternoon, and together the old gentleman and Vance walked down the
-mountain side to the village of Gold bluff.
-
-The old miner’s residence was a modest one, situated well back from
-the street, near some huge boulders—a natural pyramid of rocks, while
-a beautiful little spring of water flowed from near its base. There was
-a very pretty yard in front, filled with growing evergreens and mountain
-ash.
-
-“I planted these trees myself, suh,” said the old miner, “years
-ago. They remind me of my old Virginia home. I was the fust one to set
-out shade trees in Gold Bluff; yes, still, the fust one.”
-
-As Vance entered the yard, he paused a moment to contemplate the beauty
-and home-like appearance of the [68] yard, and Ben Bonifield’s home,
-with its wide porches in front literally covered with honeysuckles, ivy,
-and vining roses.
-
-0076
-
-Vance found Louise dressed as a mountain maid, instead of the
-fashionable young lady who had called on him in his New York home. She
-was not such a woman as poets rave about, and yet, withal, there was a
-grace—a charm—about her, that commanded admiration. Her hair, in
-the sunlight, was like one beautiful sheen of gold, [69] with little
-ringlets here and there; her complexion was pink and white, and when
-under deep excitement a ruddy glow would mantle her cheeks. Her nose,
-while well formed, neither large nor small, was quite ordinary. Her
-mouth was a perfect Cupid’s bow, with lips like two red cherries. As
-Vance conversed with her that afternoon, he forgot the hair, forgot the
-delicately formed, rosy lips, forgot even the glow of pink which came
-and went over her fair cheeks, in looking into her talking eyes—so
-clear, so blue, and yet to trustful; even forgot the long brown lashes
-that fringed them with gentle protection. Her eyes were the crowning
-feature of her expressive face, which may not have been a beautiful
-one in the parlance of fashion, yet it was one that a student of
-human nature would term a face of intelligence; and after all, to the
-cultured, is there aught more beautiful?
-
-As Vance sat with the old miner and his daughter on the porch of their
-cozy dwelling that afternoon, he forgot time. The sun went down behind
-the western mountains, leaving the beauty of an afterglow reflected on
-the waters of the mountain brooklet. The moon that was climbing up over
-the eastern hills threw its rays aslant through the clinging roses that
-grew in profusion about the porch. A feeling of peace, and possibly
-a dangerous contentment, stole into his heart, and he murmured a
-thanksgiving to the fates. The unseen, potent force that binds us
-all, sooner or later, with a silken cord, was thonging him to a future
-destiny.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IX.—THE STAGE DRIVER.
-
-9078
-
-ROM [70] Gold Bluff Vance sent to the Banner one of his strongest
-descriptive letters. The inspiration of the new west, with its gorges,
-mountains, beautiful valleys and gurgling streams abounding with trout,
-tinged its every sentence.
-
-His vivacious style, which had won for him the place he occupied on
-the Banner, was reinforced with the new and intoxicating sights of
-the picturesque. For two weeks he did little else than tramp through
-valleys, following up mountain streams on fishing jaunts, and felt that
-he was “roughing it” in a most delightful fashion. One night, coming
-in from a long tramp far up in the mountains, he found a large bundle
-of mail awaiting him that had been forwarded from Butte Citv. Among his
-letters was one from the chief, which read as follows:
-
-Banner Office,
-
-New York City, July
-
-Dear Sir:
-
-Your letters to the Banner, in one sense of the word, are all and even
-more than I expected. They are giving excellent satisfaction. As yet
-you have expressed no decided opinion in regard to the desirability of
-Western investments.
-
-My ideas are to educate our readers against unstable investments. Nine
-out of every ten of the mining shafts in Montana, [71] in my judgment,
-have had more money put into them than ever has or ever will be taken
-out. You will also find many Western towns where they are selling lots
-at from one to two hundred dollars each, which, in reality, would be
-expensive property to own at the government price of $1.25 per acre. Of
-course, there are, perhaps, a few honorable exceptions.
-
-To Vance Gilder, Esq.
-
-Respectfully,
-
-J. R. S., Chief.
-
-When one is seeking an excuse for his convictions, especially if they
-are as strong as Vance’s had become in regard to Butte City and
-Waterville, the one little sentence, “Of course, there are, perhaps,
-a few honorable exceptions,” in the chief’s letter saves him a
-great deal of worry. Vance was too light hearted to be cast down by the
-half-criticism of the class of correspondence he was sending in.
-
-He had an engagement that evening with Louise Bonifield and her father;
-indeed, his was a standing invitation at the Bonifields’, and almost
-every afternoon since his arrival at Gold Bluff found him at their
-mountain home.
-
-9079
-
-As he started from the hotel he was accosted by a familiar voice:
-“Hello, pard; how d’ ye do?” and Steve Gibbons thrust out his
-long arm to shake Vance’s hand in western fashion. He still wore his
-sombrero and high-topped boots.
-
-Vance assured Gibbons that he was delighted to see him.
-
-“I knew you would be,” said Gibbons, “You see, I have given up
-the real estate t [72] business clown at Waterville, and am turned stage
-driver. Of course, every man in this ‘ere country is lookin’ for
-promotion. I don’t reckon I’m any smarter than other people, but
-I’ve had my eye on this job for several months; but you can bet your
-life them other real estate agents didn’t know nothin’ about it.
-I tell you, pardner, it’s a mighty elevatin’ position to drive a
-six-horse team through these deep mountain gorges in all kinds of wind
-and weather. Had to give a mighty stout bond, too, for we handle all the
-express matter, and there’s a good deal of gold dust hauled down from
-this ‘ere camp.”
-
-Vance was glad to meet anyone, however slight the acquaintance had been,
-and in the course of their conversation Steve Gibbons confessed to him
-that he was “givin’ it to him just a leetle” in regard to the town
-lots which Vance had purchased of the Town Company.
-
-“You see,” said he, “the facts are, the Town Company of Waterville
-has made that ‘ere town, and are still makin’ it. It’s a mighty
-pert place, and is growin’ perter all the time.”
-
-Vance mentally wondered if all the “honest intentioned” fellows of
-Waterville would talk in the same way about the Town Company if they
-were occupying positions where their interests were no longer adverse to
-the Company’s.
-
-“Then you don’t think I paid too much for my lots?” asked Vance,
-looking up with a quizzical expression.
-
-“No,” said Steve Gibbons, “them lots are all right, pardner, and
-will make you a barrel if you hold on to ‘em. They sold ‘em to you
-cheap enough. That was just a leetle competition talk I was givin’ you
-that night down at Waterville. Business is business, you know, [73] when
-you are sellin’ town lots, and a man has got to talk for hisself.
-I really did want to sell you some lots, that’s a fact, ‘cause I
-wanted to rake in the commission; but it’s all over with now. I have
-throwed up the whole darned business of sellin’ lots since I was
-promoted. Old Dick Ballard,” said he, “is jest as prima facie as
-ever, and says his company is the finest drilled militia in the state.
-By the way,” he continued, “the Town Company has had a meetin’,
-and the people are feelin’ mighty good jess now’.”
-
-“How’s that?” asked Vance.
-
-“Oh,” replied Gibbons, “about once a month the Town Company have a
-meetin’, and pass resolutions, declar’ dividends and get up a new’
-prospectus of different manufacturin’ enterprises that’s goin’
-to be built thar; also, of colleges and state institutions that will
-be located at Waterville this comin’ year, and that always makes the
-people feel high-spirited for the next week or ten days, anyhow. Most
-of the people go on a spree after one o’ them encouragin’
-meetin’s.”
-
-“I presume,” said Vance, “that Homer Winthrop is one of the
-leading spirits of the Company.”
-
-“He is one of the Company,” said Gibbons, as he filled his pipe
-and lit it, “but he lacks a good deal, I can tell you, of bein’ the
-biggest toad in the puddle. There’s old Colonel Alexander, he’s
-the fellow that lays out the plans on a gigantic scale. Then there’s
-General Ira House. I ‘spect he has the biggest reputation of any town
-boomer on the western half of the continent—I allow as what he has.
-And when you’re talkin’ about smart ones, you don’t want to forget
-B. Webster Legal; he’s the corporation attorney, and you can bet your
-last [74] half dollar the company will never run agin’ any shoals as
-long as he stands at the wheel and writes up contracts. Oh, he’s a
-hummer, and no mistake.”
-
-“It’s reported down thar’ that half a dozen different railroad
-companies are tryin’ mighty hard to get him for their attorney, but
-he saws, ‘Not much; I have cast my fortune with my friends and with
-Waterville, and I’ll stick by the enterprise as long as a town lot can
-be sold.’.rdquo;
-
-“The Town Company is mighty cute,” he went on, “they never have
-any law suits, ‘cause their contracts are drawn up with knots tied
-knee deep all over the fellow they’re dealin’ with.”
-
-It is probable that Steve Gibbons would have gone on indefinitely had
-not Vance begged to be excused, pleading a previous engagement. They
-bade each other good night, Gibbons starting for the stables to
-look after his horses, and Vance walked leisurely along toward the
-Bonifield’s home.
-
-That afternoon Louise had accepted his invitation to go on a fishing
-jaunt some day during the week to a place called Silver Point Lake, some
-two miles away.
-
-8082
-
-Her simplicity of manner and frankness, though possessing, withal, a
-demure humor, which was one of her charming characteristics, had greatly
-fascinated him.
-
-They were standing on the cottage porch in the soft summer twilight,
-while a mountain breeze was tossing the ringlets of Louise’s hair
-about, as if coquetting with them. Vance was studying her face while she
-was looking far away toward the western [75] mountains, where the sun
-had left a reddened glow on the sky, which, he said, was a promise of
-fair weather for the fishing excursion the next day. Presently, a creaky
-voice commenced calling:
-
-“Louise! Louise! where is your par?” and before Vance’s fair
-companion could explain, a woman well advanced in years came out on the
-porch, and seemed surprised at seeing Vance, and eyed him critically.
-
-“Aunt Sally,” said Louise, “this is Mr. Gilder, papa’s friend.
-Mr. Gilder, this is my Aunt Sally, father’s sister.”
-
-Aunt Sally acknowledged the introduction with a stately bow. Her apparel
-was of the fashion of a quarter of a century ago.
-
-“Am very glad to see you, suh,” she said, addressing Vance. “I
-understand you are interested with my brother in his mine. I can give
-you, Mr. Gilder, some very excellent advice; I can, indeed, suh, but
-I will defer it until some other time.” Then turning to Louise, she
-said, “Do you know where your par’s gone?”
-
-“I do not,” replied Louise, sweetly, “I think he will be here in a
-few moments.”
-
-“I just allow he’s grub-stakin’ some of them pesky prospectin’
-miners again,” cried Aunt Sally. “Mr. Gilder,” she continued, “I
-have to watch over my brother very closely, I do, indeed, suh. He’s
-been plantin’ money all over these mountains for many years, but
-there’s no crop ever been harvested. I allow I’ll give him a
-piece of my mind when he comes home.” Saying this, she turned and
-disappeared into the house. Louise was evidently confused, and regretted
-her aunt’s words, while Vance was at a loss to understand the import
-of the spinster s remarks.
-
-[76] “I am very sorry, Mr. Gilder,” said Louise—and he noticed she
-was trembling like a frightened bird—“sorry that Aunt Sally should
-so far forget herself as to speak so before a stranger.”
-
-0084
-
-Vance declared there was no reason for being disturbed, but Louise was
-not wholly reassured by his words. “I know papa will be very angry
-with Aunt Sally.”
-
-“There surely is no cause for that,” replied Vance.
-
-[77] “You see,” said Louise, “mamma died when Virginia and I were
-little girls, and Aunt Sally has been a mother to us. Ever since papa
-commenced work on Gray Rocks she has continually opposed him. She says
-he will never find a dollar s worth of gold if he sinks his shaft a
-thousand feet. I sometimes think she has influenced sister Virgie.
-Sister is away from home now, teaching school at Waterville. I do not
-know whether papa is wrong or not, but if he is, then I am also, for I
-believe with all my heart that some time papa will find the wealth he
-has so persistently labored for so many years. And I sincerely hope,”
-she continued, laying her hand on Vance’s arm and looking pleadingly
-up into his face, “that you will not be influenced by anything that
-Aunt Sally may have said, will you?”
-
-Vance was only human; he could not withstand such an appeal, If doubts
-had ever come to him, the trembling girl at his side, by her looks and
-words, had put them to flight. “No,” he replied, “my faith is as
-firm as the rocks in your father’s mine.”
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER X.—PROPERTY HAS GONE UP.
-
-9086
-
-MMEDIATELY [78] after breakfast the following morning, Vance was waited
-upon by Col. Bonifield. The old miner bore a troubled expression on his
-face. Vance invited him to his room.
-
-“Mr. Gilder,” said the old miner, as he raised himself to his full
-height, and with the dignity of a general addressed Vance: “I assure
-yo’, suh, I am greatly pained at the uncalled fo’ remarks which my
-sister made in yo’r presence last evening; I am indeed, suh.
-
-“I assure you,” replied Vance, “there is no occasion to refer to
-the matter at all. I assured your daughter, and I now assure you, that
-I have every confidence in the mine, and will continue to have until you
-yourself have sufficient reason to shake your faith. I certainly cannot
-say more, and under the circumstances could not say less.”
-
-“Mr. Gilder,” said the old miner, “yo’, suh, are a very
-honorable gentleman, and I am very proud of my partnership with yo’.
-I am indeed, suh. In regard to my sister—in her younger days, I assure
-yo’, she was one of the most rema’kable women of Virginia; yes, suh,
-a vehy rema’kable woman. She certainly has been a true sister to me,
-suh, and a faithful mother to my daughters, but in [79] some way she
-disbelieves in Gray Rocks, and would yo’ believe it, suh, she has gone
-so far at times as to intimate that I am crazy as a March hare in regard
-to ever ‘strikin’ it rich’ on our minin’ property; yes, suh, she
-certainly has said some vehy bitter things against Gray Rocks, but fo’
-all that, she is a vehy rema’kable woman, even to this day. Yes, suh,
-quite rema’kable.”
-
-“I now have a matter, Mr. Gilder,” he continued, “of vehy great
-importance to discuss with yo.” Vance offered the old miner a cigar,
-which he accepted, and soon they were discussing the “important
-matter,” which of course referred to Gray Rocks.
-
-8087
-
-“We are not far away, Mr. Gilder, from the 300 foot level. Our
-machinery and pumps, suh, have been workin’ rema’kably well. Two
-weeks mo’ and our shaft will be finished; yes, suh, finished. Then we
-will cross-cut, and my opinion is, it will be well fo’ yo’ to
-remain in Gold Bluff and be ready to send in yo’r resignation as
-cor’spondent of that New York paper; yes, suh that is my advice. It
-is only proper, suh, that yo’ should enjoy the riches that await
-yo’.”
-
-“But supposing, Col. Bonifield,” said Vance, “supposing that you
-do not find any pay ore when you crosscut into the vein, as you say; in
-that event, I suppose you agree with me that it would be a pretty good
-idea for me to hold my position on the Banner?”
-
-“Of cou’se, suh,” replied the old miner, “but there is but one
-chance in ten thousand that we won’t strike it. I admit of this one
-chance against us, suh, fo’ the sake of [80] argument alone. Mr. Grim
-is now takin’ out of the Peacock some of the richest ore I ever saw
-in my life, he is indeed, suh—and his mine joins ours, as yo’ know,
-directly on the nawth.”
-
-Vance was silent for a few moments, and then said: “In the event, Col.
-Bonifield, we do not strike it; what then? Will you be discouraged?”
-
-“No, suh; if we fail at the 300 foot level, suh, and yo’ can furnish
-the money, we will start the next mornin’ fo’ the 400 foot level;
-but I assure yo’, suh, I have no idea yo ‘ll have to furnish any
-mo’ money. Gray Rocks is a sure winner; it is indeed, suh. The oldest
-miners in the camp say that if we stick to Gray Rocks it will be worth
-mo’ in five years than Rufus Grim’s Peacock mine. When I was yo’r
-age, Mr. Gilder,” he continued, blowing a cloud of smoke away out of
-the window toward Gray Rocks, “I could not have stuck to that property
-year after year as I have been doin’. Why suh, it took a quarter of a
-century’s experience fo’ me to learn that a rollin’ stone gathers
-no moss’. it did indeed, suh. Now I have observed the fellows that
-strike it, in nine cases out of ten, are the ones who follow up and hold
-on after they once strike a trail. Why, suh, if yo’ had seen the float
-rock that I found befo’ stakin’ out Gray Rocks, yo’ would know why
-I believe there is an entire hill full of wealth over yonder.”
-
-While they were talking there came a gentle rap on the door. Vance
-called out for them to “come in. The door opened, and a boy sidled
-into the room with a letter in his hand and asked for Col. Bonifield.
-
-“At yo’r service, suh,” said the old miner’ rising with much
-dignity. “Thank yo’, suh,” said he, taking the [81] letter. The
-boy took himself off, closing the door behind him, while the colonel,
-adjusting his glasses, read aloud the address, “Miss Louise
-Bonifield.”
-
-Dropping his glasses from his eyes, he placed the letter in his pocket
-and said: “Mr. Boast has evidently returned to Gold Bluff.”
-
-“Mr. Boast, did you say?” asked Vance.
-
-“Yes, suh, Mr. Boast—a young man in whom I have only the slightest
-confidence. His full name is J. Arthur Boast. His father, Colonel Boast,
-lives on a ranch about three miles from here.”
-
-Vance could never explain why, but the unfavorable opinion he had formed
-of J. Arthur Boast while at Waterville was in the twinkling of an eye
-changed to hatred. Soon after, Colonel Bonifield took his departure, and
-Vance commenced preparing for his next day’s fishing-jaunt. His door
-had been left ajar, and presently he heard a squeaky, ill-omened voice
-that he well remembered.
-
-“How do you do, Mr. Gilder?”
-
-Vance turned and saw J. Arthur Boast standing at his door. “How do you
-do,” said Vance, rather abruptly.
-
-“I did not expect to find you at Gold Bluff,” said Boast in an
-insinuating tone of voice.
-
-“Why not?” said Vance; without deigning to look up.
-
-“Oh, you eastern fellows, and newspaper men in particular, never stay
-very long in one place. So you’ve met my old mining friend, Colonel
-Bonifield?”
-
-“Yes,” replied Vance.
-
-“I presume you’ve met his daughter, Miss Louise?” As he made this
-remark he looked out of the corners of his restless eyes in a manner
-that was intended to be cunning. [82] Vance was full of resentment, and
-dared not trust himself to make and immediate reply. Presently Boast
-continued: “They are old friends, of mine; a most respectable family.
-I used to live in Gold Bluff; may live here again. One can’t say what
-may happen, you know.”
-
-0090
-
-“I thought,” said Vance, “you were in love with Waterville.”
-
-“One’s in love where one’s possessions are, don’t you see?”
-
-Vance did not reply to the question, but busied himself with his fishing
-tackle. Presently Boast took a bottle from his pocket, and said:
-
-“Will you have a drink of red liquor Vance replied in the negative.
-
-“Well, I suppose,” said Boast, “I ought not to drink so much. The
-truth is, I am a pretty devilish hard citizen. I am drinking entirely
-too much of the stuff, but no one takes interest enough in me to tell me
-so; yet I know I’m going to the bad. The habit is formed and what is a
-fellow going to do about it?”
-
-He waited [83] some time for a reply, but as Vance made none, he
-proceeded to pour out a small portion of the contents of the bottle into
-a glass, and then added some water to it and stood looking out of the
-window.
-
-“Won’t you be seated?” asked Vance.
-
-“Thank you, I believe I will,” replied Boast, and sat down with the
-glass of liquor in his hand, and said nothing for several minutes. He
-acted as if he dreaded the ordeal of swallowing the portion, but felt it
-would not do to set it aside after all he had said in regard to being
-a hard drinker. Finally he gulped it down at a single swallow, and then
-drank a great quantity of water immediately afterward. He strangled
-considerably and his eyes became very red, and evidently was glad the
-trial was over. Presently he said:
-
-“Mr. Gilder, there are things going to happen down at Waterville
-in the next ninety days that will surprise everyone. Some very large
-manufacturing enterprises wall soon be located there.”
-
-“That certainly is very welcome news,” replied Vance, “as a
-property owner in the new city, I am naturally interested in its
-development.”
-
-[84] “Property has gone up ten per cent since you were there.”
-
-“Is that so?” said Vance, looking up in some surprise. “Of
-course,” Boast continued, “I am selling my special bargain list at
-the same old prices, but the Company and other real estate agents who
-have desk room here and there over the town, are trying very hard to
-inflate prices. I am holding them level, however, and intend to keep on
-doing so. I don’t propose having Waterville killed by a lot of town
-boomers, who are trying to get prices away above intrinsic values.”
-
-“It is very fortunate,” replied Vance, “that Waterville has such a
-conservative citizen as yourself.”
-
-“It’s very complimentary for you to say so, I am sure,” replied
-Boast. “Of course. Mr. Gilder, I would not say anything detrimental
-about anyone.”
-
-“Certainly not,” replied Vance. The tenor of his conversation was
-decidedly wicked in its insinuations; indeed, one to hear him talk would
-naturally think the destiny of Waterville rested entirely with J. Arthur
-Boast. Presently, in a high, creaking voice, he said:
-
-“How do you like Miss Louise?”
-
-“Miss Louise?” repeated Vance, with a perplexed look on his face.
-
-“Yes, Miss Louise Bonifield. How do you like her? Pretty fair specimen
-for the west, ain’t she?”
-
-“My likes and dislikes,” said Vance, “are hardly to be taken into
-consideration. One seldom forms an opinion until he is acquainted. Of
-course, there are exceptions to the rule. I have known people for a very
-short time, and yet instinctively taken a great dislike to them.
-Miss Bonifield,” continued Vance, without looking up, [85] “has the
-appearance of a lady of refinement and culture, but as my observations
-have been limited, I can hardly say more than that I am well pleased
-with both the young lady and her father.” At this Vance prepared to
-leave the room.
-
-“You’d better drink with me,” said Boast, taking up his bottle
-again.
-
-9093
-
-“I am liable to drink every drop of this liquor before I let up,
-and you’d only be doing me a kindness by dividing it up with me a
-little.”
-
-“No, thank you,” replied Vance. “Very well,” said Boast “I
-shall remain in Gold Bluff several days, and hope to see you often.”
-
-Vance closed the door after Boast had left his room, and the one word,
-“Scoundrel!” hissed through his teeth.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XI.—OWNER OF THE PEACOCK MINE.
-
-9094
-
-HE next [86] morning Vance was up at an early hour for a morning walk.
-He followed the winding road up the hill-side toward Gray Rocks. The
-air was fresh and invigorating; the sun was just rising over the eastern
-mountains. Robins and mountain thrushes were twittering gaily their
-morning songs. He mentally compared the stifled life so prevalent in the
-great cities to the healthful and exhilarating prospect about him.
-
-A shadow flitted across his mind. It was J. Arthur Boast’s inquiry in
-regard to Louise Bonifield. “But why should I be so ready to come
-to her rescue? What right have I to be her champion? They may be old
-acquaintances, but they certainly are not friends. She is too noble a
-character to form an alliance of friendship with such an individual
-as Boast. He is critical, cold, calculating, and, I believe,
-unprincipled.”
-
-Walking on in an aimless way, he followed a path that led by Gray Rocks
-on toward the Peacock. Presently he saw a well-dressed man in middle
-life walking toward him. There was an unmistakable look of good living
-and prosperity—a general air of superiority about him. His round, fat
-face was smooth shaven, except a [87] bristly dark moustache. His nose
-was large and obtrusive. In his shirt front glistened a diamond of great
-value, while its counterpart reflected the morning sun from a massive
-ring on one of his fat, short fingers.
-
-“Good morning,” said he.
-
-0095
-
-Vance returned the salutation, and presently the pompous stranger
-introduced himself as Rufus Grim, owner of the Peacock.
-
-“Yes, I have heard of you,” replied Vance.
-
-[88] “You’re the young man from New York, I reckon,” said Grim.
-
-“New York is my home.”
-
-“Yes, I have heard about you. I rather expected you over to see me.
-I assure you, Mr. Gilder,” he went on, “it would afford me great
-pleasure to show you through the Peacock. She is a fine piece of
-property, I can tell you; none better. If you’ll walk down this way a
-little we can see the old prospect shaft where the precious metal of the
-Peacock was first discovered.”
-
-Vance readily consented, and presently they came to an old, open shaft
-near the brow of the mountain overlooking the village of Gold Bluff and
-the valley below.
-
-“Here,” said Rufus Grim, with a wave of his fat hand, “is where
-I commenced prospecting fifteen years ago. I was one of the pioneers
-in this mining camp. Sometimes I did not know where the next meal was
-coming from, but I worked on, day after day; first for wages, and then
-for an interest in what, at the time, was looked upon as a labor and
-money losing investment. I stuck to it; the other fellows didn’t.
-Finally I bought out the other fellows, and if you have heard very much
-about the history of Gold Bluff and the prosperity of her mines,
-of course you have heard about me. In fact,” he said, with vulgar
-braggadocio, “the history of the Peacock and my own are so interwoven
-that you couldn’t very well hear of one and not know all about the
-other.”
-
-“Yes,” replied Vance, “I have heard a great deal of you. Mr. Grim,
-and am delighted to have the pleasure of knowing you personally.”
-
-“Yes, I presume,” [89] said Grim, as he looked away toward the
-valley that nestled beneath their feet, “I presume you’ve heard a
-great deal about Rufus Grim that is not true, and precious little to my
-credit. I have not a doubt but what the busy-bodies of Gold Bluff have
-told you that old, worn-out story about Steve Gibbons and Hank Casey,
-and how unjustly I treated them; but I can tell you,” he continued
-with warmth, “there’s not a word of truth in all that you may have
-heard. No, sir, I have climbed the ladder step by step and built up
-my own fortune, and whatever I am to-day, I have nobody to thank but
-myself.”
-
-“I assure you,” said Vance, “I have heard nothing particularly
-to your discredit. In fact, I have heard next to nothing at all,
-except that you were the owner of the Peacock, and that it is a paying
-property.”
-
-Rufus Grim looked at Vance at first as if he doubted him, and then
-expressed his surprise that no one had told him what a mean man he was.
-“If you get acquainted with that young scoundrel, Boast, he’ll tell
-you quick enough—a miserable story; how I cheated Casey and Gibbons
-out of their share of the mine; but I say it’s false,” he continued,
-as he brought his fat hands down together, “not a word of truth in any
-of their statements. No, sir. You see,” he went on, turning to the
-old prospect shaft, “I have put a wall around this so that it may be
-preserved. It gratifies me to come here occasionally and think over the
-hard times of my prospecting life and the change that has come. It came,
-sir, because I made it come. Yonder is my home,” said he, waving his
-hand toward an elegant residence located in the suburbs of the village,
-with beautiful grounds about it. “If there is any better in the Fish
-River mining district, I don’t know it.”
-
-[90] “You’re home,” said Vance, “is certainly a lovely looking
-place.”
-
-“You are at liberty,” said Grim “to come and see me whenever
-you desire. I can’t promise you more than this, that you will be
-welcome.” Grim made this last remark as if he was bestowing a great
-favor upon a stranger within the gates of Gold Bluff; indeed, one might
-have imagined him Lord Mayor of some municipality granting the freedom
-of the city to some favored guest.
-
-Vance thanked him for the invitation. With a stately bow to Vance, Grim
-turned and walked toward the works on the Peacock, and Vance returned
-to the hotel refreshed from his walk, and interested in the fragments of
-the story he had heard from the owner of the Peacock.
-
-At the appointed hour he called for Louise, and, together, they walked
-briskly toward Silver Point Lake.
-
-Louise was [91] all animation and life, and thought nothing of the two
-miles’ walk which lay before them.
-
-9098
-
-Indeed, she had followed these mountain paths from her early childhood,
-and felt less fatigue after a tramp of a half-dozen miles than many a
-city belle after walking a half-dozen blocks.
-
-It might be well to explain that Louise’s mother was a lady of great
-culture and refinement, and belonged to one of the oldest families of
-Baltimore. She died when Louise was only four years old. A spinster
-sister of Colonel Bonifield tried to persuade her brother to give up his
-daughters while he was leading a life in the mountains, and let than
-be reared to womanhood at the old Bonifield home in Virginia, but Ben
-Bonifield could not do this. The loss of his wife was a severe blow, and
-to part with his daughters, Virginia and Louise, could not be thought
-of. Therefore, Aunt Sully had accepted her brother’s invitation to
-make her home in the mountains, and take upon herself the care and
-training of her brother’s children.
-
-Aunt Sally was a lady in the olden time possessed of uncommon gifts
-and a finished education, not only in classical literature, but also in
-music and painting. Louise had proven a more apt scholar than her elder
-sister, Virginia. Aunt Sally had been a most painstaking instructress,
-and her wards had grown up with minds enriched and cultured, while
-their physical development was in keeping with the wild freedom of a
-health-sustaining mountain country.
-
-In her later years, however, Aunt Sally had become greatly dissatisfied
-with her brother and his attachment for Gray Rocks, and she had
-developed a querulous disposition, which, at times, was very annoying to
-Ben Bonifield. She lost no opportunity to express her opinion that “he
-was fooling his time away” while working on Gray Rocks.
-
-As Vance and Louise walked along that morning toward Silver Point Lake,
-he could not help glancing at the ruddy glow on the fair cheeks of his
-companion. He listened to her childish talk of the many excursions which
-she had made with her father far over some of the tallest mountains that
-lav before them, and of numerous “fish frys” they had enjoyed at
-Silver Point Lake.
-
-While he listened to the sweet music of her voice, he [92] mentally
-speculated as to what sort of a friendship, if any, could possibly exist
-between such a fair creature and J. Arthur Boast. Presently, looking up
-at Vance with her large blue eyes, she said:
-
-“We may have company at the lake.”
-
-“Why, how is that?” inquired Vance in some surprise.
-
-“I received a note,” replied Louise, “from Bertha Allen, inviting
-me to go horseback riding to-day. In my reply I explained my previous
-engagement with you. Just before starting this morning I received a note
-from her saying that she and her cousin, Arthur Boast, would try to join
-our fishing party. Of course,” she said, with a sweet little laugh,
-“you do not know who Bertha Allen is. Bertha Allen,” she went on,
-“is Mr. Rufus Grim’s step-daughter. Mr. Grim married Mrs. Allen when
-Bertha was a girl in her early teens. Mrs. Allen is Colonel Boast’s
-sister, and Bertha and Arthur are, therefore, cousins.”
-
-Vance did not fancy the prospect of meeting Boast, and felt that his
-happiness for the day would certainly be very incomplete if Boast was to
-be one of the fishing party.
-
-“I have met Mr. Boast,” said Vance, with just a tinge of resentment
-in his voice.
-
-“I hope you like him,” said Louise, as she turned her lovely face
-toward him with a pleading look in her eyes.
-
-“May I ask you why you hope so?” asked Vance, in almost a defiant
-tone.
-
-There was no maidenly blush on Louise’s cheeks as she replied with the
-simplicity of a child:
-
-“Why, Mr. Gilder, there is hardly anybody that likes Arthur, and I
-sometimes feel sorry for him. Mr. Grim [93] says very hard things about
-him, and no one seems to be his friend.”
-
-“Perhaps he is unworthy,” replied Vance.
-
-For a moment Louise was silent, and then said:
-
-“The judgment of the world, Mr. Gilder, is often at fault. We may
-judge with a degree of accuracy art, music, fame, or power, but it is
-hardly wise to apply the same rule to a human being.”
-
-0101
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XII—TROUT FISHING.
-
-9102
-
-RRIVING at [94] the lake by a circuitous path, they found themselves
-on the banks of a lovely sheet of water, several hundred feet wide and
-perhaps a mile in length. The distinct reflection of the foliage, trees
-and mountains, which rose several hundred feet on the opposite side,
-made a double picture of enchanting loveliness.
-
-“We have been waiting for you,” said Bertha Allen, in a flute-like
-voice. She was a cooing sort of a young lady, with a dainty lisp, which
-she evidently regarded as becoming. She embraced Louise and gave her
-one of her sweetest kisses, and in a half sotto voice lisped, “how
-beautiful you look to-day!”
-
-Vance was presented, and Bertha honored him with one of her stateliest
-bows. There was no alternative, as Boast extended his hand and observed
-that he had met Mr. Gilder before, but to accept the situation and make
-the best of it.
-
-Vance saw in Bertha Allen a young lady of about five and twenty, rather
-tall and slender, with a wasp-like waist. She had a small head and face,
-with heavy braids of dark brown hair, which corresponded with her long
-eyelashes of a dark hue. Her eyes never looked straight at anyone,
-but she continually practiced a bewitching habit of shy observation,
-evidently considering it fasci [95] nating. Her mouth was small, and a
-noticeable dimple was in her chin. There was a delicate pink upon her
-cheeks, which Vance noticed as the day wore on, did not come and go,
-but remained as one of her permanent features. There was a poetry in
-her movements, however, which admirably fitted her slow, soft tone of
-lisping-speech. Her slender form was robed in a pretty costume of pink,
-with black lace and ribbons. It was a costume of frills and laces,
-coquetishly arranged, making her graceful figure more symmetrical
-in arrangement. There were puffings here and there, which concealed
-defects, if any existed, and revealed her womanly charms to the best
-advantage. She talked a good deal, and called Louise her own “dear
-darling.” Here every sentence was a lisp, and she told Cousin Arthur
-he was “simply horrid to kill the poor worms in baiting the hooks.”
-
-Vance noticed that Roast was ready at any time to neglect his stylish
-cousin to engage in conversation with Louise. He found himself
-interpreting Bertha Allen’s attempts to entertain and interest him,
-as the act of an accomplice, to enable Boast to have a tete-a-tete with
-Louise. There was consolation, however, in the fact that he did not
-believe Louise favored Arthur Boast’s attentions.
-
-“How Arthur and Louise are enjoying themselves!” lisped Bertha
-Allen, in a sweet, confiding way, to Vance.
-
-“Do you think their enjoyment is superior to ours?” asked Vance.
-
-“No more than mine,” she replied demurely, “but possibly more than
-yours.” This was followed by a silvery little laugh.
-
-“I fear I am not very entertaining,” said Vance.
-
-[96] “On the contrary, Mr. Gilder,” replied Bertha, “I think you are
-a very charming companion. Are you from Virginia?” she asked.
-
-“No; my people were from Virginia. I was born and reared in New York
-City.”
-
-0104
-
-“The Bonifields are Virginians. They seem to think,” continued
-Bertha, “that all good people come from Virginia or Baltimore. I
-sometimes wish I had been born in Virginia.”
-
-[97] “I never noticed that peculiarity,” replied Vance, “in either
-Colonel Bonifield or his daughter.”
-
-“Oh, I don’t mean, Mr. Gilder, they are affected. Don’t you think
-I am horrid to go on talking this way to you? But really, is not Louise
-one of the sweetest little darlings in the world?”
-
-Vance was bored, but turning toward Bertha Allen and smiling at her
-pretty up-turned face, replied:
-
-“You ask me so many questions, Miss Allen, that I do not know which to
-answer first.”
-
-She looked archly at Vance, and said: “Do not answer either of them,
-for I know I would be dissatisfied with your reply. Is not that a
-beautiful botanical specimen? Really, Mr. Gilder,” she continued, “I
-sometimes do not know what I am saying. I know you will think me awfully
-stupid.”
-
-The well modulated and lisping voice of Bertha Allen possessed a
-charm of its own, and Vance found himself interested in studying
-the difference between the sweet, simple, unaffected Louise, and the
-affected, calculating Miss Allen.
-
-“Don’t you think, Mr. Gilder, that Louise has great
-individuality?”
-
-“I believe her to be a most exemplary young lady,” replied Vance,
-“and possessed of a good mind.”
-
-“Oh, you think that, do you?” said Bertha, lisping and laughing like
-the silvery tones of a flute. “You are not the only one, Mr.
-Gilder, that thinks that way. I mean Cousin Arthur. Oh, he’s awfully
-smitten.”
-
-“Indeed!” replied Vance.
-
-“What a beautiful picture,” said Bertha presently. “The waters
-mirror the trees and the mountains so [98] distinctly. Let us look over
-the bank at our own reflections.”
-
-“Permit me to hold your hand,” said Vance, “and I will prevent
-your falling. There—can you see yourself?”
-
-“Oh, just splendidly!” lisped Bertha, “it is clear as a French
-plate mirror. Shall I support you, Mr. Gilder, while you look?”
-
-“No, thank you,” replied Vance, “I am not fond of looking at
-homeliness. I would rather look at you.”
-
-“Oh, Mr. Gilder, you men are such flatterers! I thought better things
-of you.”
-
-“And why of me?” asked Vance, teasingly.
-
-“Louise has spoken of you so many’ times,” she replied, “and in
-such flattering terms, that I was very anxious to meet you. Indeed, I
-had quite made up my mind that you were different from other men. Let
-us turn down this way, Mr. Gilder. Let me see—what was I saying? I
-thought you must be different; but I guess men are all about alike.”
-
-“I feel highly honored,” replied Vance, “to think that Miss
-Bonifield should have spoken of me at all.”
-
-Bertha stopped and looked at Vance for a moment in silence, and then
-said:
-
-“Men are so conceited. There is no sentiment, I assure you, in
-Louise.”
-
-“Your frankness is quite charming, Miss Allen.”
-
-“Oh, do you think so?” said Bertha, with a sweet lisp.
-
-“Yes: and as to Miss Bonifield, I beg to differ from you. She
-certainly possesses in a high degree that sentiment peculiar to the
-children of nature. She loves all that is natural, and in the tenderness
-of her heart, pities the assumed.”
-
-[99] “How unfortunate, Mr. Gilder,” said Bertha, “that love is not
-reciprocal.”
-
-Before Vance could reply, Louise called to them and soon after she and
-Boast came up, declaring the day had been a great success. Arthur and
-Vance divided the catch equally, and soon with their baskets swinging
-from their shoulders, they started for home. Bertha was profuse in her
-invitations to Mr. Gilder to call, and he promised to do so. He was
-quite glad, however, when they finally separated and he had Louise all
-to himself.
-
-“I hope you have enjoyed the day as much as you anticipated, Mr.
-Gilder,” said Louise.
-
-“If I am anything,” replied Vance, “I am frank; and therefore
-confess I would have enjoyed it far more without Boast and his pretty
-cousin.”
-
-“I knew you would think her pretty,” said Louise; “everyone
-does.”
-
-“And do you think she is pretty?” asked Vance.
-
-“Yes, indeed,” replied Louise, “I have seen no one, even in your
-great city of New York, half so handsome as Bertha.”
-
-“You are certainly generous in your compliments,” said Vance.
-
-“Bertha has such a sweet way about her, and she always makes one feel
-so at his ease.”
-
-Before Vance had time to reply, Colonel Bonifield waved his pipe
-and blew out a cloud of smoke as an act of welcome to the returning
-fishermen. Vance displayed his long string of speckled beauties, and
-the Colonel assured him they had made a great success. “I have been
-thinkin’ of yo’ all day,” he continued, “and had half a mind,
-upon my honor I did, suh, to come oveh and help yo’ out.” [100] Soon
-after. Vance took leave of the Bonifields, and started for the hotel.
-His respect for generous-hearted Louise was increasing. “Yes,” said
-Vance to himself, “she is a child of nature. She does not know how to
-dissemble, and her heart is too pure to be resentful.” His pleasant
-reverie was broken by encountering Boast at the hotel, who had arrived a
-little before him.
-
-His shoes had been exchanged for polished ones, yet he complained about
-his negligee appearance, and stooped to brush the least speck of dust
-or cigar ashes that might have found lodgment on his trousers or coat
-sleeves, and kept assuring Vance that he knew he “looked rougher than
-a miner.”
-
-9108
-
-As a matter of fact, he was spotlessly at-attired, as was his custom.
-Even in his office at Waterville, he seemed backward about doing any
-business, for fear of soiling his hands in ink, or getting his desk out
-of order. Stepping into the bar-room of the hotel, they found seats near
-an open door, and Vance determined to gain as much information as he
-could from what Boast might have to say. As they seated themselves,
-Vance said:
-
-“I met Mr. Grim this morning.”
-
-“Oh. did you?” replied Boast. “There is a man,” he continued,
-“that ought to be hung. He’s a robber!”
-
-“A robber?” asked Vance.
-
-“Yes. Fifteen years ago,” continued Boast, “my father was the
-richest man in this part of Idaho. He was engaged then as now in the
-cattle and horse ranching business. He owns a very large ranch three
-miles from here down the valley. Grim came to the mining camp [101]
-without a dollar in his pocket and worked by the day. An opportunity
-presented itself for him to steal from his associates. He not only
-stole everything in sight, but by fraud and misrepresentation secured
-possession of the Peacock.
-
-8109
-
-“He is an ignorant old boor.
-
-“Ten years ago he married my aunt, the widow Allen, who is fully
-fifteen years his senior. He wanted a position in society and a home.
-My aunt is a stickler on all that’s polite, but notwithstanding her
-training and all of old Grim’s wealth, she has been unable to gild him
-over with even an appearance of culture, learning or decency. I never
-call at his house. They own perhaps the finest residence in the state
-of Idaho. If you will talk with Rufus Grim half an hour, it will be a
-wonder if he does not tell you that I am the biggest scoundrel outside
-the penitentiary; and it is all because my cousin Bertha is my friend.
-Sometimes I think he is afraid I will marry her. I believe he is in love
-with Bertha himself, and is only waiting for my aunt to die. It may be
-unwise for me to talk so plainly, Mr. Gilder, but when I think of that
-old reprobate, I become desperate.”
-
-There was certainly no half insinuation in this statement, but rather a
-fiendish denunciation of the rich miner.
-
-“I think,” said Boast, “we’d better have something to drink. I
-have a bottle in my pocket, but you are not very sociable, and I don’t
-presume you will drink with me.”
-
-“No,” said Vance, “I am just as much obliged, but I do not feel
-the need of any stimulant this evening.”
-
-[102] “I have abstained all day,” said Boast, “out of respect for
-the ladies.” His voice began to sound piping, and his restless eyes
-no longer looked squarely at Vance, but confined themselves to side-long
-glances, as if he were trying to discover what his feelings were toward
-his cousin and Miss Louise. “They are pretty fair specimens, eh, for
-the mountains? The ladies, I mean; the ladies.”
-
-Vance answered in the affirmative.
-
-“My cousin is terribly taken with you, Mr. Gilder; if she was not my
-cousin I would feel jealous of you.” As Vance made no reply, Boast
-continued: “I know I am going down hill at a pretty rapid rate, all on
-account of this red liquor.” Tipping up the bottle, he took a swallow,
-coughed immoderately afterward, and made wry faces, as if he were
-mentally damning all the “red liquor” to perdition.
-
-“There’s only one thing that will ever save Bertha Allen, and that
-is for old Grim to die. My aunt would inherit the wealth, and of course,
-in that event, Bertha would be an heiress. At present, she is entirely
-dependent upon his generosity. I understand,” continued Boast,
-“Colonel Bonifield has about reached the 300 foot level. If I have one
-hope greater than another, it is that he will strike it ten times
-richer than old Grim ever did. In that event,” he continued, while
-he furtively glanced at Vance, “there will be another heiress in Gold
-Bluff.”
-
-That night, after Vance found the seclusion of his room, he worked far
-into the early hours of morning, finishing a letter to the Banner, a
-letter full of decided opinions.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIII.—THE STAGE RIDE.
-
-9111
-
-HE [103] following morning Vance forwarded to the Banner office a
-two column article, which he considered the finest of all his western
-letters.
-
-The chief was at Buzzard’s Bay enjoying a much needed rest, when
-Vance’s letter was received. The assistant managing editor did little
-more than glance over the manuscript and observe to the dramatic critic,
-as he hung the copy on the hook, that “Young Gilder was sending in
-some excellent articles from the Northwest.” The article was headed
-“Two Honorable Exceptions.” It proceeded, in a most logical manner,
-to give the output of precious metals from the mining town of Butte
-City.
-
-His statistics were carefully revised, showing there was five times
-as much capital per capita in the mining camp of Butte City, with her
-50,000 people, as in the cities of New York, Philadelphia or Boston.
-
-Vance had spent a good deal of time in preparing the article, and every
-statement was supplemented with irrefragable proof. The latter half of
-the article was devoted to Waterville and the agricultural resources of
-the Thief River Valley. The exports of surplus crops had increased [104]
-from 100 carloads per annum to 3,000 carloads in four years’ time,
-and a clever comparison was drawn between the farmers of eastern and New
-England states and the farmers of the great Thief River Valley, showing
-that for a given amount of labor, the farmer in the Thief River Valley
-received at least three dollars where the eastern farmer received only
-one.
-
-The wonderful water power in the rapids of the Thief River, where the
-new town of Waterville was building, was also dwelt upon, as well as
-the centrality of location of the new city—not only from a local
-standpoint, but as to the entire northwestern section of the United
-States. The yield of wheat and other cereals was briefly referred to,
-all showing that Gilder had been most painstaking in preparing the
-article.
-
-The managing editor, at Buzzard’s Bay, was enjoying his morning smoke
-when the Banner was laid on his table. Glancing it over leisurely, his
-eye caught the head-lines, “Two Honorable Exceptions.” In a moment
-he was all animation. His cigar was permitted to go out in his general
-neglect of everything else, in devouring every sentence and word of the
-article. He then paced back and forth across his room and swore like
-a pirate, declaring he would not have had the article appear in the
-columns of the Banner for $10,000.
-
-“Just to think,” said he, “the very thing I sent that young fool
-of a Gilder into the west to accomplish, he has in this one article
-spoiled forever. Half a dozen of my friends have been asking me about
-mining invest [105] ments in Butte City. I have pleaded ignorance, but
-assured them we had sent a trusty man to inspect the merits of such
-investments, and they could expect reliable information in the columns
-of the Banner. Here it is, and a pretty mess he has made of it. He
-has,” continued the managing editor, angrily, “completely lost his
-head; only one thing will bring him to his senses, and that is a prompt
-dismissal from the Banner force.”
-
-Accordingly he wired the assistant managing editor, directing him to
-notify Mr. Gilder by letter that his services were no longer required.
-He also instructed his assistant to send the clearest headed man on the
-force immediately to Butte City, Montana, and Waterville, Idaho,
-and have an article for the coming Sunday issue that would entirely
-counteract the effect of Mr. Gilder’s communication.
-
-While these arrangements were being made at the Banner office, Vance was
-preparing to return to Butte City by way of Waterville, in order to
-make some investigations and secure additional information for his next
-letter to the Banner.
-
-The old miner, Ben Bonifield, had assured him they would reach the 300
-foot level by the following Saturday night, and Vance promised to return
-to Gold Bluff early the following week. Vance waited over one stage in
-order to travel in the one driven by Steve Gibbons.
-
-As a special mark of distinction to Vance, Gibbons invited him to a seat
-on the top of the stage. As they were whirled away from the beautiful
-little village of Gold Bluff, the sun was beginning to gild with gold
-the eastern hills. Vance felt it was a sight never to be forgotten. The
-evening before starting he was at the Bonifields. [106] When Louise said
-good-bye, with the sweet truthfulness of youth, and assured him that she
-would be lonely when he was gone, he felt like declaring then and there,
-he would stay forever if she would but make the request. She gave Vance
-a letter of introduction to her sister Virginia, whom Vance promised to
-call upon as soon as possible after reaching Waterville.
-
-Steve Gibbons was in his element on top of the stage coach.
-
-8114
-
-He chatted away in a vivacious manner, recounting various reminiscences
-of the different mountain gorges, here and there, where fine specimens
-of float rock had been discovered at different times. Again he would
-tell of some thrilling adventure with the Indians, and marvelous
-hair-breadth escapes. Gibbons invariably figured in these narratives as
-one of the principal characters. Presently he said:
-
-“I don’t reckon you met Grim, did you?”
-
-“Rufus Grim?” said Vance; “yes, I had the pleasure of meeting him
-only a few days ago.”
-
-“I ‘spect,” said Gibbons, “that Rufus Grim is the biggest
-scoundrel unhung in these diggins. He thinks he’s mighty pert, but
-Hank Casey and me ‘ll teach him afore long that other people can be a
-mighty sight perter than what he is. The only hearty, overgrown regret
-that I’ve never been able to get rid of is that I didn’t twist his
-neck ten years ago.”
-
-“What grievance have you,” asked Vance, “against Mr. Grim? One
-would naturally suppose the owner of the richest mine in the Fish River
-Mining District would be respected instead of disliked.” [107] Steve
-Gibbons pushed his sombrero back from his forehead, as if to relieve his
-pent up feelings, swung his long whip twice around his head, and made
-the welkin ring as he cracked it over the backs of his dappled leaders.
-
-He then expectorated a vigorous “pit-tew” of tobacco juice, and
-said: “I reckon one can’t always judge by appearances. When Steve
-Gibbons says that Rufus Grim is a scoundrel, he is a pretty good jedge
-of what he is sayin’, and he mighty near means what he says, pardner.
-Somebody’s goin’ to be jerked out of the kinks ‘fore long,
-and—’twixt ourselves—I think that somebody is Rufus Grim. Hank
-Casey an’ me are old pards, and we’ve employed B. Webster Legal.
-He’s the corporation attorney for the Waterville Town Company. You
-won’t be takin’ no chances, pardner, of bettin’ your last dollar
-that old Grim will think somebody’s after him with a sharp stick and
-a diamond drill in the end of it ‘afore B. Webster Legal gets through
-with him. I tell you, Jedge Legal is a cuss in the court room. He can
-whip his weight in wild-cats in a law suit. Of course, I don’t mean
-that he’s goin’ to leave the Town Company; he’ll never do that as
-long as a lot can be sold—he says so his-self. Hank and I hev made
-a bargain with him, and old Grim is goin’ to be ousted. The Peacock
-belongs to Hank Casey and me. What do you think of that?”
-
-“I assure you,” replied Vance, “you interest me very much. I
-supposed Mr. Grim was the owner of the Peacock.”
-
-Again Steve Gibbons’ long whip cracked like a pistol shot over the
-backs of his horses. Presently he said:
-
-“I don’t tell everybody, pardner, but I ‘spect it makes no
-difference with you. You see, when Rufus Grim came [108] to Gold Bluff
-some fifteen years ago, he was so darnation poor he couldn’t buy a
-meal of victuals. Hank and I had staked out the Peacock.
-
-0116
-
-We had found some mighty rich float rock in that part of the mountain,
-and knew the precious stuff was not very far away. We ‘grub-staked’
-Grim and put him to work on wages, and while he was workin’, he struck
-a ‘pocket’ and found free gold—a regular vault full of yellow
-stuff. He commenced his treachery by stealin’ every grain of it, and
-then cleverly walled up that part of the shaft and continued diggin’
-in the opposite direction, endeavorin’ to get as far away from the
-place where he had made the discovery as possible. Well, by and by
-Hank Casey and me got tired of payin’ out money, and we sold out the
-Peacock for a mere song to Grim. Soon after, the name of Rufus Grim was
-known all over the mountain district as a bonanza king. He organized an
-immense company, and owns most of the stock himself. Within six months
-after we were defrauded of our rights in the Peacock, he was a rich man,
-and has been gettin’ richer ever since. Hank Casey and me have a whole
-lot of evidence. B. Webster Legal says if we can prove what we claim,
-that we have got a lead pipe cinch on the Peacock. The papers are
-bein’ drawn up, and things are goin’ to be sizzlin’ hot for Rufus
-Grim before many moons go over his head.”
-
-Vance expressed [109] much surprise and sympathy at the injustice he had
-sustained.
-
-“Say, pardner,” said Steve, “I kind o’ reckon you’re shinin’
-up a little toward old Bonifield’s gal, ain’t you?” and he nudged
-Vance in the ribs with his elbow.
-
-The question was so unexpected that Vance hardly knew how to reply.
-“I hope,” replied Vance, “that I am not in disfavor with the young
-lady, or her father either. I own an interest in Gray Rocks.”
-
-“The dickens you do!” said Steve Gibbons. “Well, if there’s
-any man in these mountains, pardner, who ought to strike it, old Ben
-Bonifield is the one. He’s been stickin to Gray Rocks for a good
-many years, and is one of the squarest men in the Fish River Minin’
-District, while that gal of his—-why, she is the gem of all these
-diggins. I did think J. Arthur Boast had the inside [110] track on the
-Bonifield ranch, but here lately I ‘lowed as maybe Boast was playin’
-second fiddle; but then you can’t tell how a game is goin’ to end
-until the last card is played.”
-
-Vance made no reply, but ground his teeth in silent anger at the mention
-of Boast’s name.
-
-It was late that night when they arrived at Waterville.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIV.—THE TOWN COMPANY’. MEETING.
-
-9119
-
-ARLY [111] the next morning Dick Ballard rapped on Vance’s door, and
-being admitted, greeted him warmly, and assured him he was mighty glad
-to see him again.
-
-“There’s goin’ to be a meetin’ of the Town Company.”
-
-“Is that so?” said Vance.
-
-“Yes; the hul kit and bilin’ of ‘em are here,” replied Ballard.
-“There’s Colonel Alexander, Homer Winthrop, General Ira House and
-his brother, Jack House, B. Webster Legal and Marcus Donald. Donald is
-the resident director of the Town Company.” Vance said he would be
-glad to meet them.
-
-“Well, you’ll see the keenest lot of men,” said Ballard, “this
-here country has ever pulled together. Every one of ‘em is a strong
-man and a hustler from the word go. What I say about ‘em you’ll find
-is prima facie.” After a little, Dick Ballard winked one eye at Vance
-and said: “I feel a bottle in my pocket, and I wouldn’t wonder
-a mite there was suthin’ in it that wouldn’t taste bad. A little
-spirits is mighty good for a feller when he has had a hard day’s
-ride.”
-
-Vance assured him that he was much obliged, but was [112] thoroughly
-refreshed by his night’s rest, and a light breakfast was all he
-wanted.
-
-“We usually,” replied Ballard, “accommodate fellows that want
-that kind of a breakfast; in fact, some of our breakfasts are too darned
-light. I’ll go down and see what I can skirmish up for you.”
-
-At the door Dick Ballard turned and said, “Oh, yes, have you heard the
-news?”
-
-“No, I do not remember of having heard anything of a startling
-character,” replied Vance.
-
-“Well, by Ned, I supposed you had heard all about it,” said Ballard,
-as he leaned against the door and looked wise.
-
-“Well, what is it?” queried Vance.
-
-“Well, sir, our militia company has got a new snare drum, and, gosh
-all fish hooks! but she is a rat-tat-tat-to-or from away back!” The
-door closed and Old Dick Ballard retreated, merrily whistling “Away
-down in Dixie.”
-
-After breakfast, Vance was escorted to the Town Company’s office,
-where he met the different members of the company. Each vied with the
-other in showing him courtesies.
-
-“I presume,” said Homer Winthrop, as they drew a little aside from
-the others, “that you have never met as remarkable men as you see in
-my associates.” He looked radiant, inserted his thumbs in the armholes
-of his vest, and continued:
-
-“Colonel Alexander is possessed of one of the richest brains of
-any man I ever knew. Our attorney, Mr. Legal is a star of the first
-magnitude in his profession, and can whip a small army in a lawsuit,
-while Gen. Ira [113] House has a reputation superior to any man in the
-Rocky Mountains as a town builder. Now, if he,” continued Winthrop,
-“should go into the midst of a desert and say, ‘Here a great city
-shall be built,’ you would make no mistake in taking a ‘flyer’ on
-some dirt in that vicinity. Then there is Jack House, the General’s
-brother, who is, in his specialty, a most remarkable man. He is
-sometimes called ‘the Conspirator’ of our gang, because of his
-ability to set up jobs on the enemy and down ‘em.”
-
-“By Jove, look,” said Winthrop, pointing out of the window, while
-his face became animated, “do you see that young lady on the other
-side of the street? That’s Miss Virgie Bonifield, and I venture to say
-she’s one of the loveliest girls in the Rocky Mountains.”
-
-“I have a message for her, sent by her sister,” replied Vance. “I
-will be under many obligations if you’ll introduce me to the young
-lady.”
-
-“With pleasure,” replied Winthrop, “as soon as the town meeting
-adjourns we will call upon her.”
-
-The meeting was called to order, with Colonel Alexander in the chair.
-
-The chairman cleared his throat several times with marked vehemence, and
-said:
-
-“Gentlemen, we have again met to deliberate upon the destiny of
-Waterville and the great Thief River Valley. It is no small matter for
-gigantic intellects to thus assemble as a deliberative body, to arrange,
-by resolutions or otherwise, questions of great moment. The leading
-question to-day, gentlemen, is that of mind over matter. We have said
-to one another, ‘Waterville shall become a great city;’ our united
-efforts are concentrated [114] in this work. The story of the bundle of
-sticks is as true to-day as when the fable was first written.
-
-0122
-
-“The wealth, gentlemen, of our united intellects is bearing down in
-concentrated rays against every opposition, and with hammer and tongs we
-are reaching out in every direction, and are making one of the grandest
-campaigns the country has ever witnessed. Gentlemen, what is the
-pleasure of this meeting?”
-
-The Colonel’s earnestness could not be doubted. When [115] he sat down
-he fondled his gold-headed cane with apparent tenderness, as if he
-were ashamed of the way he had abused it in emphasizing his remarks by
-punching it into the floor in a most merciless fashion.
-
-B. Webster Legal, addressing the chairman, said: “I am proud again to
-meet my distinguished associates as a deliberative body. For the benefit
-of our beloved citizens of Waterville, who are crowding into this room
-of deliberation, and standing in front of the windows eagerly listening
-to the important proceedings of this meeting, I will say that only men
-in the broadest term—men with an abundance of gray matter clinging
-to their brains—could possibly have accomplished the feats which
-have characterized the acts of the Waterville Town Company from
-its organization up to the present time. I feel, Mr. President and
-gentlemen, that our untiring efforts are about to be crowned with a
-success little dreamed of by the most hopeful.
-
-“From a legal point of view, I am proud to assure you that the
-Waterville Town Company is in a most safe and healthy condition. I have
-frequently observed, and will again say, I am not a seller of lots,
-but I assure each and every one of you that I am here to stay by
-this company as long as a lot can be sold. So far as legal knots are
-concerned, I will untie them; or, failing to do so, will, with the sharp
-edge of the law, cleave them asunder.”
-
-The attorney’s remarks were greeted with applause as he sat down.
-
-The chairman jarred the frail building by again clearing his throat,
-and requested C. Webster Legal to make a report of the assets of the
-Waterville Town Company.
-
-[116] “Mr. Chairman,” said B. Webster Legal, “I have recently looked
-over the list of property owned by the Waterville Town Company, and find
-that we have assets amounting to some two millions of dollars.”
-
-As the attorney sat down there was a satisfied look upon his face
-suggestive of the millionaire.
-
-The chairman looked over his spectacles and said, “Gentlemen, you
-have heard, and no doubt with pardonable elation, the statement of our
-honored associate, Judge Legal. There are eight of us,” he continued,
-“and two millions means a quarter of a million each. Within two years,
-sirs, these assets will have doubled in value. There are men whose
-statements I would not rely implicitly upon without discounting
-them—say, fifty or seventy-five per cent—but, gentlemen, when it
-comes to downright conservatism, why, my level-headed friend the Judge
-takes the jackpot. Yes, sir, I undertake to say, gentlemen, he is the
-king bee of us all in cutting square into the heart of a proposition,
-and analyzing it with a precision that is truly remarkable; and when
-he says two millions, I have no hesitancy, gentlemen, in staking my
-reputation that it is three millions if it is a cent.”
-
-As the chairman sat down he looked carefully at his gold-headed cane
-again to make sure it had sustained no injury.
-
-Marcus Donald, the resident Town Company’s director, addressed the
-meeting, and said:
-
-“Mr. Chairman, I never felt so rich in my life as I do at the present
-moment. I regret that my ancestors are not alive to rejoice with me in
-the prosperity I am now enjoying. There is a reason in this contemplated
-prosperity. First, the great natural opportunities in this [117]
-wonderful valley, and, second, the unity of action on the part of the
-members of our Town Company.
-
-“I have here a small matter to which I wish to call the directors’
-attention.
-
-9125
-
-It is a livery bill of some eighty dollars that is past due, and,
-perhaps, we had better arrange for it.”
-
-Judge Legal rose to a point of order. He said that such small details
-as paying livery bills had no place in the deliberations of this body
-of men. “It is the duty of the auditing committee to first approve and
-then look after the payments of small items like expense bills.”
-
-Director Donald stated in reply that B. Webster Legal was a member of
-the auditing committee as well as himself, and, doubtless, knew the
-bill had been approved of long ago, but that there were no funds with
-which—
-
-“Order!” shouted the chairman, punching his goldheaded cane
-vigorously into the floor. “I sustain the point of order made by this
-corporation’s attorney. Let us now proceed with the deliberations of
-weighty and progressive questions.”
-
-Gen. Ira House sat propped back in his chair in a retired corner of
-the room, and until now had maintained silence, save the fetching and
-labored puffs of his cigar, which almost completely enveloped him in a
-cloud of smoke. As he straightened himself up, he pushed his chair in
-front of him, elevated one foot to the seat and rested his left elbow
-on his elevated knee. He wore an expression on his face becoming a
-philosopher. [118] “Mr. Chairman,” said he, “it seems to me we’re
-drifting.” He looked wise and waited a moment for his remark to take
-effect. “Drifting,” he continued, “is weakness. If we drift, we
-scatter; if we scatter, we fall. Now, gentlemen,” he continued,
-“we must not drift. There are important business matters awaiting our
-attention. I hold in my hand a letter from a party who wants to know if
-Waterville would not be a good place to start a foundry. Now, gentlemen,
-do we want a foundry at Waterville, or do we not? That is the question
-before this meeting.”
-
-As Gen. House sat down, the crowd cheered him lustily, stamped their
-feet, clapped their hands, and cries of “Good!”
-
-“That’s business!” “That’s the talk!” were heard on all
-sides among the citizens who were listening with bated breath to the
-proceedings of the Town Company’s meeting.
-
-“I move,” said Jack House, “that we want a foundry at Waterville,
-and resolutions to that effect be prepared, inviting the party, whoever
-he is, to locate his foundry here.”
-
-“Order, gentlemen!” shouted the chairman, again clearing his throat.
-“Mr. Secretary, please record in the minutes of this meeting, if
-there are no objections, the unanimous vote in favor of the foundry, and
-prepare a set of elaborate resolutions, which we will sign, inviting the
-party making the inquiry to come at once to Waterville and locate his
-foundry.”
-
-The throng of citizens broke into cheers at this announcement, and the
-word was soon passed through the throng to the outer circle, that a
-foundry was to be located at Waterville. Presently, three cheers and a
-[119] tiger were proposed for the new foundry, and the deliberations of
-the Town Company were necessarily delayed until the cheering had ceased.
-
-Marcus Donald, addressing the chairman, said: “I have received a
-communication from the owners of a sash, blind and door factory,
-who seem quite desirous of casting their lot with us. I suggest the
-importance of taking official notice of their communication.”
-
-The throng of citizens waited almost breathlessly, and with a fair
-degree of patience, to see what was to be done in regard to the sash,
-blind and door factory. Judge Legal moved that the suggestion offered by
-Director Donald be acted upon, and that a resolution favoring the
-sash, blind and door factory be voted upon. As he sat down, three other
-directors seconded the motion.
-
-“You have heard the question,” said the chairman. “Unless there is
-some opposition, we will regard it as carried unanimously.” He looked
-over his spectacles a moment, and as no one offered an objection, he
-brought his gold-headed cane down with a sharp rap upon the floor, and
-said “Carried!”
-
-Again the word was passed from citizen to citizen onto the waiting mob
-without, that Waterville was to have a sash, blind and door factory.
-Again huzzas and cheering rent the air, and impeded, to a certain
-degree, the deliberations of the Town Company’s meeting.
-
-At this juncture, a clerk of the local bank—the only one that
-Waterville could boast of—presented himself and asked permission to
-address the directors.
-
-“What is the nature of your business, young man?” asked Col.
-Alexander, clearing his throat threateningly and looking hard at the
-clerk over his spectacles.
-
-[120] “I have a sight draft for $50, drawn on the Waterville Town
-Company for printing stock certificates.”
-
-The chairman and his seven colleagues came to their they cried, almost
-in unison. Several of the directors shouted, “Mr. Chairman! Mr.
-Chairman!” at the top of their voice, but in his indignation the
-chairman failed to take notice of them.
-
-8128
-
-Presently a silence, caused by sheer consternation, succeeded the first
-burst of surprise. Judge Legal, mounting a chair, said:
-
-“Mr. Chairman! I move you that article 57 of our by-laws be copied
-and certified to under our corporate seal and delivered to this young
-gentleman, that he may return it with the sight draft. Here is the
-wording of article 57: ‘Further, that this corporation, the Waterville
-Town Company refuses to honor or pay sight drafts from any and all
-sources.’.rdquo;
-
-“You have heard the question,” said the excited chairman, bringing
-his cane down with great vehemence. “Do I hear a second?”
-
-“We all second it.”
-
-Silence having been restored, Judge Legal again addressed the chair:
-
-“Mr. Secretary,” said the chairman, “record the question as
-carried unanimously.”
-
-“Mr. Chairman,” said he, “ [121] in the future all printing by
-the Waterville Town Company will be sent to another printing
-establishment.”
-
-“Unless there is opposition, we will consider the question as carried
-unanimously,” said the chairman. At this juncture the chairman took
-the floor, and addressing the directors, said:
-
-“There are times when, notwithstanding the power of our united
-intellects, questions of a very exasperating nature confront us, and,
-momentarily, we are at a loss to know just what to do; but it is only
-momentarily—we meet every crisis. It takes us a very short time to
-decide; and, with us, decision is action.
-
-“In my experience I have observed that, occasionally, storms of
-opposition sweep down upon men like an irresistible avalanche. At such
-times it is well to retreat to some protected place and let the storm
-tire itself out—beat itself into exhaustion, so to speak—until its
-very protest becomes a dead silence. Refreshed with the rest we have
-had, we may then safely sally forth, and, with renewed vigor, arrange a
-flank movement on the enemy, and everlastingly choke opposition into a
-corpse.”
-
-When the chairman sat down he motioned Vance to his side, and said,
-sotto voce: “Was not that a master stroke, Mr. Gilder? Do not we meet
-and dispose of questions that would simply stump any ordinary body of
-men into inaction? Opposition does not faze us; no sir, we know our
-rights, and are here to fight for them.”
-
-The citizens were very much elated over the prospects of a foundry and a
-sash, blind and door factory at Waterville. Their gratitude to the Town
-Company was very marked, and was evidenced by three hearty cheers and
-many huzzas. [122] Presently the meeting of the Town Company adjourned,
-and then there was much clapping of hands and more cheering. Each member
-of the company crowded around Vance and shook him warmly by the hand,
-and assured him they had had one of the most profitable meetings that
-had ever taken place.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XV.—MISS VIRGINIA BONIFIELD.
-
-9131
-
-|ANCE [123] had become so thoroughly interested during his first visit
-to Waterville, that he was prepared, in a degree, to share in a general
-way the enthusiasm of the citizens and the members of the Waterville
-Town Company which prevailed after the meeting adjourned.
-
-Buoyant with hope of the future, without hardly understanding why,
-and with a blind belief that his investment would yield him a splendid
-return, he began to feel that it was indeed a lucky day when the chief
-of the Banner sent him to the northwest, and still luckier when he fell
-in with the members of the Waterville Town Company.
-
-That afternoon, accompanied by Homer Winthrop, he called on Miss
-Virginia Bonifield.
-
-That young lady received her callers with a cultured grace and dignity
-that would have done honor to even one who had seen much more of the
-world. She was rather tall and a pronounced brunette. Her well poised
-head was in keeping with her graceful figure. One could not say she was
-strikingly beautiful, but there was some [124] thing in her face as
-well as manner that made one forget to desire her different than
-the interesting person she was. Both vivacious and intelligent, she
-possessed the rare charm, in her conversation, of reflecting the mood of
-those about her. Addressing Vance, she said:
-
-“Louise has written me so much about you that I have been quite
-impatient to form your acquaintance. I presume that papa is still
-working away on Gray Rocks?”
-
-0132
-
-“Yes,” replied Vance, “he will soon reach the 300 foot level.”
-
-[125] “And the old story will be told again, I dare say,” said
-Virginia, laughing.
-
-“Miss Virginia is not an enthusiast,” said Winthrop, “in regard to
-untold millions that have not yet been discovered in mining shafts.”
-
-“My observations,” retorted Virginia, “have caused me to be less
-sentimental, if not more practical, than my good sister Louise.”
-
-“I fear,” said Vance, “you do not share in your father’s belief
-in regard to the future of Gray Rocks?”
-
-“I am a Bonifield,” replied Virginia, “and believe implicitly
-in my father; and, in my way, love him as tenderly, I dare say, as any
-daughter ever loved a parent, but sometimes I fear he is mistaken—but,
-to change the subject,” she continued, “how do you like the west?”
-
-“I am very favorably impressed with what I have seen. In the east we
-have many brilliants that are not diamonds; in the west we have many
-rough ashlars that are diamonds unpolished.”
-
-“Thank you,” replied Virginia, “I consider that a compliment.”
-
-“It is our intention,” said Winthrop, “to claim Mr. Gilder as a
-western man before another year; and if Waterville continues to grow, as
-we expect it will, we may persuade him to edit our first daily paper.”
-
-Soon after, they rose to go. “I shall hope,” said Miss Virginia,
-“that I will be honored by a call from you whenever you are in
-Waterville.”
-
-“Thank you,” replied Vance, “it will afford me great pleasure.”
-
-Winthrop remained behind a few moments, while Vance walked up and down
-the sidewalk. The sun was [126] well toward the western horizon. A
-bluish haze lay against the mountains in the distance. It was an Indian
-summer afternoon, full of quiet rest, with a gentle, invigorating
-mountain breeze as a constant tonic.
-
-Presently Winthrop joined him, and they hurried down to the depot, for
-it was nearing train time, and they had arranged to travel together to
-Butte City.
-
-“How are you impressed with Miss Bonifield?” asked Winthrop.
-
-“Quite favorably,” replied Vance. “She is, however, an entirely
-different type from her sister, Miss Louise; indeed, I can discover no
-family resemblance. Miss Louise is quite fair, while Miss Virginia is a
-decided brunette.”
-
-Soon after, the train came in, and they secured comfortable seats in
-a Pullman. As the train started, Vance looked out of the window at the
-turbulent waters in the river, and asked Winthrop where the foundry, and
-sash, blind and door factory would be located.
-
-“We have not decided as yet,” replied Winthrop. “That will be an
-easy matter to arrange when the party or parties are ready to commence
-building.”
-
-“I presume you are selling a good many lots?” said Vance.
-
-“Well, yes,” replied Winthrop, hesitatingly. “We are interesting
-a good many people; and it takes people to build a city. Where a man’s
-possessions are, his heart is generally not far away.”
-
-“I should judge from your complimentary remarks about Miss Virginia
-Bonifield, and the delightful expression of your face when we
-called this afternoon, that your heart abides quite permanently at
-Waterville.” [127] Winthrop seemed confused and looked out of the
-window. Presently lie said:
-
-“Miss Bonifield is one of the most practical young ladies it has ever
-been my good fortune to meet. She is a most exemplary young lady, and
-the good people of Waterville hold her in high esteem. This is her
-second year in the public school at that place.”
-
-“I judge from her remarks,” said Vance, “that her faith is very
-limited in her father’s mine.”
-
-“Yes,” replied ‘Winthrop, “I consider her the most practical
-member of the Bonifield family.”
-
-Vance blushed scarlet and turned resentfully in his seat toward
-Winthrop. “Ho! ho!” said Winthrop, laughing, “I was merely
-expressing my own private opinion. I see, without your saying it, that
-your opinion is quite different. How fortunate it is that all men,
-especially you and I, Mr. Gilder, are not of the same opinion. This very
-difference of opinion,” Winthrop went on, “may, as the months come
-and go, weld our friendship more and more firmly.”
-
-Vance saw that he had betrayed his feelings, and good-naturedly observed
-that he always was quite partial to blondes. “I presume,” he went
-on, “when I become editor of the first daily paper in Waterville, you
-will, doubtless, be president of some great banking house.”
-
-“I hope so,” replied Winthrop, thoughtfully. “If many people are
-interested in our new town it will help us in more ways than one. They
-will ultimately move to Waterville, erect homes, and engage in business;
-but we must not be impatient and expect too much for the first year, or
-the second, for that matter. ‘Rome was not [128] built in a day.’ I
-fully believe,” continued Winthrop, “that parties purchasing lots
-at the present prices will receive most excellent returns on their
-investments. You see,” continued Winthrop in a confidential way,
-“the Waterville Town Company was compelled to go into debt very
-heavily at the time it commenced its operations, but by persistent and
-continued efforts on the part of various members of the company, we have
-greatly reduced the indebtedness, and if the sale of lots continues for
-a week longer we will, probably, not owe a dollar.
-
-9136
-
-We will then divide our property, each member receiving a deed for his
-respective share.”
-
-Winthrop seemed so happy in anticipation of the joyful time when the
-company’ would be out of debt, and was so confidential and frank in
-regard to the matter, that Vance, hardly knowing why, found himself
-deeply interested in the work of selling lots, and suggested to Winthrop
-that he would write to some of the members of the Banner force who were
-particular friends of his, and advise them to send on their surplus
-earnings for investment.
-
-The town boomer was at once on the alert, and, in not an over-anxious
-way, heartily advised the step. Accordingly, that night at the hotel in
-Butte City, Vance wrote a letter to his friends advising an investment
-in Waterville.
-
-The dramatic critic, the religious editor, the police reporter, and
-the heads of the several departments of the Banner at once acted on
-Vance’s advice. They knew nothing of the chief’s action in regard
-to Vance’s dismissal. They wired Vance, authorizing him to sight
-[129] draft them for $2,500, and invest the proceeds in town lots in
-Waterville.
-
-He at once complied with the instructions, turned the money over to
-Winthrop, and instructed him to forward the deeds to his friends in New
-York city.
-
-He was not a little gratified to find his last letter to the Banner
-copied in full by the Intermountain Blade and the Butte City Miner, with
-editorials referring to the article as particularly able, and to the
-writer as having the “courage of his convictions.”
-
-The article had a most salutary effect on Homer Winthrop’s lot selling
-enterprise, and during the next few days he sold more Waterville town
-lots than his most sanguine expectations had caused him to hope for.
-
-Toward the last of the week Vance left Butte City for Gold Bluff, via
-Waterville. He had in his possession additional data and statistics to
-support and corroborate his recent letter to the Banner.
-
-At first the west was distasteful to him, but as he became better
-acquainted with its customs and habits he began to recognize the true
-manhood that is not unfrequently found under the miner’s garb.
-
-There is an uncouth, whole-soul generosity met with on the frontier of
-which the effete easterner knows nothing.
-
-Arriving at Waterville the following morning too late for the Gold Bluff
-stage, he was compelled to put in another day at Waterville. Remembering
-Miss Virginia Bonifield’s invitation, he called on her that evening,
-and was most hospitably received. In the course of their conversation
-she said:
-
-“I understand, Mr. Gilder, that you are interested with my father in
-Gray Rocks I hope you did not mis [130] understand me or my motive when
-I spoke discouragingly of my father’s mining prospects.”
-
-“May I ask,” said Vance, “what reason you have for your
-pessimistic views, if I may term them such?”
-
-“I presume,” she replied, a little nettled, “they are about as
-tangible and equally hard to explain as those of an optimist. I have a
-presentiment that father will never find what he is looking for in the
-Gray Rocks mine. My sister, Louise, encourages faith in what to me seems
-a mad belief.”
-
-“Your sister may be right,” replied Vance.
-
-“My greatest hope,” she replied, “is that I am wrong and that my
-sweet sister is right; but I really fear, Mr. Gilder, you will never see
-your money again that you have been investing with my father.”
-
-“I cannot doubt your sincerity,” replied Vance, “but I am glad to
-have more faith than you have.”
-
-“Why should I have any faith,” she replied. “Have I not seen
-my father clinging to that false hope year after year, and every day
-resulting in a fresh disappointment? Long ago I made up my mind that
-Aunt Sally is about right. She says that father has been planting money
-with different prospectors all over the mountains, and none of it has
-ever found its way back. She also predicts that father will work away on
-Gray Rocks until he dies, and never have his hopes realized. I love
-my father tenderly, and feel very sorry for him. A stranger cannot
-understand his personal charms and grandeur as one of his family. He is
-certainly one of the sweetest characters in the world. His persuasive
-powers, as you evidently have reason to know, are very great, and I feel
-it my duty to thus warn you for your own protection. Papa is [131] so
-sane on everything else excepting Gray Rocks, and is so foolish about
-that, notwithstanding his many years of lost labor.”
-
-“If your father has a ‘wheel in his head’ on the subject of Gray
-Rocks, I must admit that I, too, have one in mine,” replied Vance.
-
-The blush that overspread Virginia’s face suggested that she felt
-keenly the rebuke.
-
-“Pardon me, Mr. Gilder,” said she, “I had forgotten that I am not
-‘my brother’s keeper’. I promise never to refer to the subject
-again.”
-
-That evening, after Vance had taken leave of Miss Virginia Bonifield, he
-experienced a strange unrest and dissatisfaction, and while he did not
-admit it to himself, the glamour of his day-dreams had been broken.
-
-8139
-
-Presently, as he walked along, the face of Louise came before him,
-and, in a moment, he forgot his unsatisfactory evening; forgot hope’s
-broken glamour, and basked again in the alluring belief that the future
-held no clouds for him.
-
-It was late when he reached the hotel.
-
-Looking through the window, he saw old Dick Ballard, who was alone in
-the barroom entertaining himself with an evening drill.
-
-He carried a long, iron poker at “carry arms,” and was marching back
-and forth with military tread. Arriving at the end of the room, he would
-call out “Halt! About face! March!”
-
-Vance was very much amused at old Dick Ballard’s pantomime drill,
-but finally opened the door and walked in. The transformation scene was
-wonderful. Old Dick [132] Ballard was vigorously poking in the stove,
-notwithstanding it was a July night.
-
-“Hello, Mr. Gilder,” said he, looking up, “I saw a mighty big rat
-run in this stove a minute ago, and I am after it.”
-
-“Better charge your entire militia company on the enemy,” said
-Vance, laughing.
-
-“Oh, you saw me, did you,” said Ballard. “I was jes’ drillin’
-up a little for dress parade. Well, pardner, I’ll set ‘em up, and
-you say nothin’ about it.”
-
-Vance declined to be entertained, but Ballard drank copiously from his
-ever ready bottle.
-
-“I tell you, Waterville’s got it and no mistake,” said he, putting
-his bottle carefully away.
-
-“Got what,” asked Vance, as he turned to go to his room.
-
-“Got the crack military company of the state,” replied Ballard.
-“You ought to see ‘em drill once. There is nothin’ in New York
-city or anywhere else can tech one side of ‘em for big money.”
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVI.—THE OLD COLONEL’. DISAPPOINTMENT.
-
-9141
-
-HE FOLLOWING [133] morning Vance took the stage for Gold Bluff. As
-he neared that little mining town, he found himself experiencing an
-impatience once more to see Louise Bonifield that was strangely at
-variance with any former sensation of his life. It seemed to him
-the stage coach was traveling at a snail’s pace, and even the good
-natured, “honest intentioned” Steve Gibbons, with all his droll talk
-of frontier adventure, failed to interest him. Arriving at the hotel, he
-found the old miner, Ben Bonifield, waiting for him.
-
-“Am delighted to see yo’, Mr. Gilder; I am indeed, suh. I presume
-yo’r almost famished; pow’ful tiresome ridin’ in a stage coach all
-day, suh. After yo’ have refreshed yo’self, I shall be pleased to
-join yo’ in yo’r room. I have a matteh of vehy great impo’tance to
-discuss with yo’, suh.”
-
-“All right,” said Vance, in his cheeriest tones. “I trust Miss
-Louise is well?”
-
-“Quite well, suh; quite well, thank yo’.”
-
-As Vance ate his supper a satisfied feeling of contentment with the
-whole world intruded itself upon him. His advancement in his profession
-was certainly gratifying. He had received several valuable hints while
-in [134] Butte City in regard to a new silver mining company that was
-about to be organized, in which he was thinking seriously of investing
-a little money. The price was only ten cents a share, which he had been
-assured, on what seemed to him very excellent authority, would be
-worth a dollar a share before twelve months’ time. His investment
-at Waterville was certainly a good one, and he heartily believed Col.
-Bonifield had good news to tell him about Gray Rocks. In addition to
-this, he was once more near Louise, that fair vision of loveliness,
-whose tender blue eyes seemed ever near him. He dropped a coin into the
-hand of the waiter as he rose from the table, and stopped in the hallway
-to caress a lovely little child which he found playing hide-and-seek
-with an older companion, and then made each a present of money with
-which to buy bon-bons. He hummed softly to himself the air of an old
-love song as he went leisurely to his room.
-
-Soon after, he was enjoying a choice Havana with Col. Bonifield sitting
-in a chair opposite him, smoking his briar-root, blowing blue rings
-of smoke leisurely toward the ceiling. Vance was animated, and spoke
-glowingly of the prospects of Waterville. Presently Col. Bonifield said:
-
-“Mr. Gilder, we have reached the 300 foot level, suh,” and then
-lapsed into silence.
-
-“Have you cross-cut into the vein yet?” asked Vance.
-
-“Mr. Gilder,” said the old miner, as he rose from his chair and
-walked back and forth in a stately manner, “we have cross-cut, suh,
-into where the vein ought to have been, but it is not there, suh. I
-must confess to yo’, suh, that I am greatly disappointed, but the
-disappoint [135] ment, I am sure, suh, is only tempoary. Of course it is
-much richer, suh, than it was at the 200 foot level, but it is not rich
-enough, suh, to work, by a pow’ful sight.”
-
-0143
-
-This information was a great disappointment to Vance, for he had fully
-shared the old miner’s belief that they would strike the rich ore at
-the 300 foot level.
-
-“I will admit, Col. Bonifield, that I am somewhat disappointed, and of
-course you are. Under the circumstances, what do you advise?”
-
-[136] “Yo’ honor me, suh, indeed yo’ do, Mr. Gilder, to ask my
-advice, because, suh, I know my advice is good. Whether yo’, Mr.
-Gilder, will so regard it, remains to be seen. If yo’ can furnish
-about four thousand dollars mo’ money, I will start to-morrow
-mornin’ fo’ the 400 foot level, and we will then cross-cut, suh,
-into a vein of pow’ful rich ore. I assure yo’, suh, I never was
-mo’ sincere in my life than I am in makin’ this statement, suh.”
-
-Vance possessed the confidence of youth, and his belief in Gray Rocks
-was not to be shaken at the first disappointment, while before him rose
-up, as from a mist, the pleading face of Louise, and he fancied she was
-asking him to still believe in her father.
-
-9144
-
-He took his check book from his pocket and wrote a check for $4,000, and
-signing it, handed it to the old miner, saying: “How long, with the
-present force of men, will it take to reach the 400 foot level?”
-
-“My dear Mr. Gilder,” said the colonel, accepting his check, and
-clasping his hand, “yo’ quite ovehpow’r me, yo’ do indeed, suh.
-Yo’ may have been bawn in the nawth but yo’ are a Virginian still
-at heart, with the warm blood cou’sin’through yo’r veins I
-think, suh, that within three or fou’ mouths we can reach the fou’
-hund’ed foot level. I told yo’r father that Gray Rocks was a sure
-winner, and I am proud, suh, to repeat the statement to you.”
-
-“I don’t know,” [137] said Vance, “whether you will strike it at
-the four hundred foot level or not, but I assure you, Colonel Bonifield,
-that I have every faith in your sincerity, and I am anxious to develop
-the mine as rapidly as possible. If my investment should prove a total
-loss, I assure you I would never hold you responsible.”
-
-“I am gettin’ along in years, Mr. Gilder,” said the Colonel,
-“and while I have not struck it yet, I have every confidence, suh,
-that we will if we stay by Gray Rocks. My little Louise, of cou’se,
-was disappointed like myself. We both feared, suh, yo’ would be veihy
-much disappointed; and I assure yo’, suh, we cared a great deal mo’
-about yo’r disappointment than we did about our own. To tell yo’ the
-truth, suh, that little girl of mine had mo’ faith in yo’r looking
-at this matteh philosophically than I did; but,” continued the
-Colonel, pressing Vance’s hand, “I misjudged yo’, Mr. Gilder, I
-did indeed, suh, and I apologize fo’ it.”
-
-After Colonel Bonifield had taken his departure, Vance commenced looking
-over his accumulated mail. The first thing that claimed his attention
-was a copy of the Banner containing his article, “Two Honorable
-Exceptions.” He read it carefully through again with evident pride.
-Not a word or a single sentence had been cut out. This was gratifying
-to him, and seemed proof that the managing editor had confidence in his
-ability to select the wheat from the chaff. He laid down the paper and
-began opening his letters. Presently the song he was humming died on his
-lips. He sat upright and stared at a letter which he held in his hand.
-It read as follows:
-
-Banner Office, New York City.
-
-DEAR SIR:—
-
-I am directed by the managing editor to advise you that your services
-are no longer required. Enclosed find check in payment of your salary to
-date.
-
-J Respectfully,
-
-J. M. M.,
-
-Ass’t Managing Editor.
-
-To Vance Gilder, Esq.
-
-[138] He arose from his chair and rapidly paced the room, while great
-beads of perspiration stood on his forehead. What had he done to merit
-such humiliation? The idea that it might be a practical joke for a
-moment found lodgment in his thoughts, but he quickly dismissed the
-hallucination. Again he took up the paper and re-read the article,
-“Two Honorable Exceptions.” He endeavored logically to think out a
-solution of his dismissal.
-
-8146
-
-The more earnestly he thought over the situation, the more distinctly he
-remembered the prejudiced views the chief seemed to entertain in regard
-to western enterprises and investments. “He certainly wants the
-truth,” soliloquized Vance, “and I will stake my life there is not a
-sentence in this article,” and he struck the paper vigorously with his
-hand, “but what is true. The article might almost be regarded as an
-advertisement for the great mining camp of Butte City, yet it was news,
-and not nearly so strong as it might be and still keep within the bounds
-of truth. The same is equally true as to what I have said in regard to
-the agricultural and other resources of Waterville.”
-
-He sat far into the night, discussing with himself this unlooked for
-calamity. Once, and only once, did the idea occur to him that possibly
-the chief had sent him into the northwest to systematically destroy
-confidence concerning western investments. He was too honorable,
-however, to harbor the thought, and quickly dismissed it as too
-contemptible to be entertained. The only consolation he could find—and
-that was certainly a very [139] meager one—was that in all probability
-a letter of explanation would soon come, that would clear away the
-misunderstanding. In the meantime he would patiently wait, keeping his
-own counsel.
-
-He looked over his check book, and found he had, all told, some six
-thousand dollars to his credit, besides the four thousand dollars he
-had that evening given to Colonel Bonifield. He sat by his window
-and considered the advisability of returning at once to New York and
-demanding an explanation. Such a course would take him away from Gold
-Bluff, from Gray Rocks, and from Louise.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVII.—An AWAKENING.
-
-9148
-
-ANCE GILDER [140] was not of a morose nature. The following morning he
-ate as hearty a breakfast as ever, and while smoking his morning cigar,
-acknowledged to himself that he had fallen in love with the picturesque
-scenery of the mountains, rivers, valleys and everything about him
-was restful, while an alluring contentment stole into his heart. He
-congratulated himself that he was far away from the hot and crowded
-metropolis of the Atlantic seaboard. Here, far removed from “the busy
-marts of men,” and the restless commotion of commerce and traffic, he
-could rest and wait.
-
-The day passed quickly by; the afternoons and evenings usually in the
-society of Louise. They were bewildering days in their completeness. The
-night claimed the day all too soon when in her society.
-
-He was surprised, after the first shock of disappointment had passed
-away, to find how indifferent he was becoming in regard to the loss of
-his position on the Banner.
-
-One morning he awakened to a keen sense of incompleteness where
-completeness had dwelt. Also around Gold Bluff, he [141] covered a vein
-of discontent where contentment had reigned supreme. His love of the
-mountains, the rivers, and the picturesque scenery was but a prelude of
-promise, thumbing sweetly of the great, unselfish love awakened in him
-for Louise.
-
-This unrest dated from a certain evening when Louise first sang for him.
-He was quite entranced by the full, rich volume of her contralto voice.
-
-She began by striking the chords in a hesitating way; but presently the
-genius of her musical nature seized her with its wonderful power, and
-she sang with wild abandon:
-
-
-‘We seemed to those who saw us meet
-
-The casual friends of every day;
-
-His courtesy was frank and sweet,
-
-My smile was unrestrained and gay.
-
-
-But yet, if one the other’s name
-
-In some unguarded moment heard,
-
-The heart you thought so free and tame
-
-Would flutter like a frightened bird.”
-
-
-As she sang Vance gave himself up to the intoxication of the moment. His
-soul broke through the barriers and went out to hers, and as the song
-died on her lips, and the music ceased with a few reluctant farewell
-chords, he knew that a great and tender love had sprung up in his
-heart—a love that was not for a day, but for all time.
-
-“Miss Bonifield,” said Vance, with emotion, “you are, indeed, a
-constant surprise to me. Your playing is [142] certainly superb, while
-your voice; not only soft and musical, but has great range. To hear you
-sing fills me with a longing to be a better man.”
-
-“Thank you,” said Louise, “I seldom play or sing excepting for
-papa. Your compliment, however, is highly appreciated.”
-
-“As long as I remain in Gold Bluff I hope I will be privileged in
-hearing you sing occasionally.”
-
-“We will promise not to ostracize you altogether, Mr. Gilder,” said
-Louise, laughingly, “but may I ask how long you expect to remain
-with us?” There was just enough hesitation in the question to suggest
-interest.
-
-“I do not know,” replied Vance. “I presume you think it is strange
-that I have remained as long as I have. To be frank with you, Miss
-Bonifield, I have lost my position on the Banner.”
-
-“Lost your position!” said Louise, with unmistakable concern.
-
-“I am indeed sorry,” replied Vance, “whether it is a misfortune or
-not. I had an offer to-day to take charge of the Gold Bluff Prospector,
-and am thinking seriously of accepting.”
-
-“You quite [143] astonish me,” said Louise, “but I know papa will
-be delighted if you conclude to remain permanently in Gold Bluff.”
-
-“Of course,” said Vance thoughtfully, “there is quite a difference
-between the New York Banner and the Gold Bluff Prospector—one a
-cosmopolitan daily and the other a country newspaper without any special
-circulation. It would only be profitable to me as I increased its
-circulation and its importance to advertisers. I shall not decide for a
-few days. I may [144] receive some explanation from the Banner that will
-put a different light upon my dismissal.”
-
-0151
-
-“I have almost made up my mind that I should like to remain in
-Gold Bluff,” continued Vance, looking inquiringly at Louise. “My
-confidence in Gray Rocks is growing daily, and I believe it is only a
-question of a short time until your father’s efforts will be crowned
-with success.”
-
-“Mr. Gilder,” replied Louise, feelingly, “I thank you for your
-confidence and faith in my father. It seems that nearly every one
-disbelieves in his final success. I cannot tell why, yet my faith
-is unbounded. Even sister Virgie has lost hope, and at times papa is
-greatly discouraged because sister and Aunt Sally talk as they do; but I
-am sure in time he will be able to fully prove how mistaken they are in
-their judgment.”
-
-As Vance rose to go he took her hand and said “Miss Bonifield, you
-certainly are a noble daughter, and your father is pardonable for
-wishing to keep you with him in this western country. I am beginning to
-understand what a great strength and support you must be to him.”
-
-“Thank you,” replied Louise, “I am sure you overestimate the
-assistance I am to my father, but my greatest pride is in doing
-something that will add to his comfort, and I am sure papa cannot want
-me with him more than I wish to remain.”
-
-Vance had become accustomed to Louise’s frankness of speech, yet he
-received a shock that thrilled him with delight when she said, “I
-shall be very happy, Mr. Gilder, if you conclude to remain in Gold
-Bluff. You have no idea how lonesome I should be if you were to go
-away.”
-
-Vance’s heart beat wildly, and something seemed to rise up in
-his throat as he attempted to thank her. The expression of his face
-evidently betrayed his feelings, for she quickly drew away, and with
-a formality that was new to Vance she bowed stiffly and said “Good
-night.” After leaving the Bonifield’s home, he followed the road
-which led up the mountain side toward Gray Rocks. The moon, large and
-round, was just lifting itself above the eastern horizon. He walked on
-past the shaft, where the [145] night force of men were busy working
-away toward the 400 foot level, and soon found himself near the old
-prospect shaft on the Peacock. The valley where the little city of Gold
-Bluff nestled was far beneath him. He saw a light glimmering from one
-of the windows in the Bonifield home, and interpreted it as a beacon of
-hope.
-
-9153
-
-He repeated over and over again Louise’s words relative to his
-remaining in Gold Bluff.
-
-“Yes,” said he, “I will remain, no matter what the explanation may
-be from the Banner office,” and filled with this decision, he returned
-to his hotel.
-
-One evening, about a week after receiving the letter dismissing him from
-the Banner force, the mail brought a copy of that great New York paper.
-Vance eagerly perused it to see if it contained his last communication.
-No, it had been rejected, but in its stead he found an article entitled
-“Two Western Towns.” It was a three-column article devoted to Butte
-City and Waterville. It referred in the most vindictive manner to the
-members of the Waterville Town Company, and classed them as a lot of
-town site boomers. It warned eastern people not to be caught and misled
-by such wildcat speculations as were offered by them in the great Thief
-River Valley.
-
-It said the valley was one immense lava bed, interspersed with
-sage brush thickets, alkali swamps and basalt plains. The wonderful
-water-power, it claimed, was an absolute myth; and, in fact, the printed
-statements in the circulars of these “town boomers” were deliberate
-lies. [146] Another thing which eastern investors should bear in mind,
-the paper went on to say, was the fact that the property which had been
-platted into town lots was still government land. The town company
-had no title, and, perhaps, never would have. It branded the whole
-enterprise as the most gigantic confidence game that had ever been
-perpetrated on an unsuspecting public.
-
-It further said the swindling operations of these irresponsible and
-restless town boomers of Waterville were only exceeded in point of
-adroitness by the mining operations in and around Butte City, Montana.
-The article said the mountain sides at Butte City were perforated with
-prospect holes, where hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of dollars of
-eastern people’s money had been expended by local managers in riotous
-living and debauchery, and claimed that it was a safe estimate to say
-that for every thousand dollars put into prospect shafts in and about
-Butte City, not more than one dollar had been taken out.
-
-It spoke of the inhabitants of both Butte City and Waterville as
-plebians of the lowest sort and condition of life.
-
-The worst cut of all to Vance, however, was the closing paragraph, where
-it stated that it was the habit of promoters of these western towns to
-bribe indiscriminately correspondents of eastern papers, and that many
-were weak enough to fall, which was not only unfortunate for the journal
-publishing these flattering falsehoods, but a base injustice to the
-eastern investor, who was led captive with his savings into
-western “booms” through [147] the machinations of unprincipled
-correspondents.
-
-If Vance had been nonplussed on receipt of the assistant’s letter,
-he was now stunned. He thought very little about his own investment
-in Waterville, but rather, what would his old associates on the Banner
-think of him? He regarded the article as a direct thrust at himself and
-his integrity.
-
-After waiting a few days and receiving no further communication from
-the Banner office, and feeling too much humiliation to write to his city
-friends until time had dulled the blow, he concluded to go to Waterville
-and see if he could not make arrangements with the Town Company whereby
-he could return at once the money invested by his old associates in
-Waterville town lots.
-
-The more he thought over the refuting article in the Banner the more
-indignant he became. “There is not a manufacturer or other institution
-in the east rich enough,” said he to himself, “to stand such
-wholesale boycotting as this western country is constantly subjected to
-by the eastern press. It is not conservatism; it is downright injustice.
-I have not been long in the west, it is true, but my respect for it and
-its people is growing. Even Chicago, with all her greatness, energy and
-achievements, is belittled by the boycotting press of the east!
-
-“By birth I am a Gothamite, and by education I am an eastern man, but
-my patriotism for America and all that is American has never prevented
-me from turning up my trousers when there is a heavy fog in London?”
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVIII.—VANCE RETURNS TO WATERVILLE.
-
-9156
-
-T [148] was on an October morning that Vance started for Waterville. A
-light frost the night before had made the air sharp and crisp. The frost
-disappeared, however, before the genial warmth of the rising sun, while
-the russet leaves grew brownerer and as the wind stirred them, sang
-brokenly of old age.
-
-October is the scenic month in the mountains. You seem to stand in
-Nature’s picture gallery. The box-alder leaves are as changeable in
-color as a blushing maiden. From the low foothills on up the sides of
-the mountains to the timber line, the elms, the box-alders, and poplars
-grow in profusion. The leaves vary in color from the deepest green to
-the brightest scarlet, the most golden yellow, or the somberest brown.
-The colors are intermingled in this gorgeous panoramic scene with a
-charm and beauty that baffles the most skilled artist’s touch to
-reproduce on canvas.
-
-Vance was seated beside Steve Gibbons on the top of the stage coach, as
-they whirled along in meditative silence. The evening before Louise
-had sung for him. It was music fit for the gods—so rich, so deep, so
-plaintively low, so fascinating. He could see her even now, standing
-on the wide old porch as she bade him good-bye. [149] The mild October
-breeze that stirred the ringlets of her golden hair seemed laden with
-worshipers of hope for Vance, the lover, and he interpreted her every
-word and smile as a token reciprocal of his own deep love.
-
-Presently Vance was brought back from his day dreams to the present by
-Steve Gibbons remarking:
-
-“Things ain’t so powerful brisk down at Waterville jes’ now.”
-
-“Why, how is that?’ asked Vance.
-
-“Oh, I dunno,” replied Gibbons, as he waked up his leaders with a
-spirited crack of his whip, “can’t say jes’ what is the matter.
-But I can tell ye one thing, pardner,” he went on, “I’m mighty
-glad I’m not in the real estate business. In my opinion, them real
-estate agents down thar will be jumpin’ sideways for a sandwich before
-the winter’s over.”
-
-Vance was noticeably depressed by Gibbons’ remarks. He was going
-to Waterville for the express purpose of disposing of his New York
-friends’ property, in which they had invested on his recommendation.
-He cared very little about his own investment. He was willing to wait,
-or even to lose it all, if he could only prevent them from sustaining
-loss on their purchase.
-
-It was late that night when they reached Waterville. Vance was delighted
-to find that Homer Winthrop was registered at the hotel. They met the
-following morning at the breakfast table. The conduct of the usually
-polite and entertaining Winthrop was changed to a sternness for which
-Vance was at a loss to account. As they arose from the table, Vance
-went out with Winthrop and asked him how he was progressing in the lot
-selling business.
-
-“How am I progressing?” repeated Winthrop, as he [150] turned and
-looked coldly at Vance. “I am through. I have left Butte City for
-good.”
-
-“Why, how is that?” asked Vance in some surprise. Winthrop was
-silent for a moment, and then replied: “It is rather strange, Mr.
-Gilder, for you to ask such a question after writing the article you
-did for that New York paper. The Inter Mountain Blade and the Butte
-City Miner both copied the letter. It is hardly necessary for me to
-observe,” he went on, “that it rendered it impossible for me to sell
-another lot in Butte City. Those who had purchased became so infuriated
-that I deemed it best for personal safety to leave the town.”
-
-Saying this, Winthrop turned abruptly and left Vance, who was for a
-moment unable to make a reply. Homer Winthrop’s words both astonished
-and chilled him.
-
-A little later he visited the Town Company’s office, where he found
-Marcus Donald, the resident director, and Homer Winthrop in deep
-consultation. Donald was a man of commanding presence. His associates
-often remarked that Marcus Donald’s face was worth $10,000 in
-an important trade of any kind. He was dignified and commanding in
-appearance, and when one talked with him, the most skeptical fell
-into the habit of believing every word that fell from his lips. Vance
-discovered that he was not wanted, but he determined to vindicate
-himself, and said:
-
-“Gentlemen, pardon me for interrupting, but I must ask your indulgence
-for a few moments. I wish you would read this article. I am humiliated
-enough without any further complications or misunderstandings.”
-
-He handed [151] Marcus Donald a copy of the Banner. Donald adjusted his
-gold-rimmed spectacles and read aloud the entire article, “Two Western
-Towns.” When he had concluded, Vance turned toward Winthrop.
-
-“Is that the letter you referred to?”
-
-0159
-
-“Why, yes,” said Winthrop, “but how is this?” said he, picking
-up the paper. “The Butte City papers published only that part of the
-article referring to Waterville; but how came you to write such a letter
-at all, Mr. Gilder? You certainly know there is not a syllable of truth
-in it from beginning to finish.”
-
-Vance looked first at Winthrop and then at Donald, [152] and replied,
-“I did not write it.” He then proceeded to give them a history of
-his dismissal.
-
-“This was written,” tapping the paper with the back of his hand,
-“evidently to counteract the influence and effect of what I had
-written the week before.”
-
-“Of course that puts it in a different light,” said Donald, rising
-and extending his hand to Vance. “I could not believe it possible that
-you, Mr. Gilder, could be guilty of writing such a libelous article as
-this is.”
-
-Winthrop also accepted the explanation as eminently satisfactory, and
-sympathized with Vance in the loss of his position on the great New York
-daily.
-
-“It has completely killed the lot selling business for me in Butte
-City,” said he, “but fortunately for us, we have made some very
-excellent sales during the past few weeks, and the Town Company’ has
-sufficient money in the treasury to pay all its debts, and the last
-obligation will be paid off before twelve o’clock to-day.”
-
-“Yes,” said Marcus Donald, “they will all be paid off, but it will
-leave the treasury in a depleted condition; but the future, I
-believe, is all right. I hope you will not lose faith, Mr. Gilder, in
-Waterville’s prospects.”
-
-“No,” said Vance, “I have unbounded faith in Waterville, but I
-would like very much to have the Town Company, if possible, return the
-$2,500 which I invested for my New York friends. It would save me much
-embarrassment if I could return them their money’. They doubtless know
-I have been dismissed from the force, and have read this last article,
-which puts an entirely’ different coloring on this western country’
-from what I represented.”
-
-[153] “You must know,” said Winthrop, “that what you seek is next to
-impossible. The money has been paid into the treasury, and no difference
-how friendly I personally feel toward you, or how much the resident
-director, Mr. Donald, may wish to return the money, it cannot possibly
-be done without an action of the directors.”
-
-At this juncture, Marcus Donald invited Vance to take a scat by his
-desk, and he would explain to him carefully and fully the situation, and
-believed he could prove to him conclusively why he was acting for his
-New York friends’ best interests in leaving the investment as it was.
-
-8161
-
-Donald produced a great many maps and carefully spread them out on the
-table, adjusted his spectacles carefully, and with his $10,000 face
-looked squarely into Vance’s, and proceeded to go over the old, old
-story of the unlimited natural resources of the valley. He discussed at
-length, and in a very entertaining and convincing manner, the number
-of acres of land already in cultivation, the probable annual increase
-acreage of farm land; figured out results that amounted to millions of
-dollars. He then carried Vance from one side of the map to the other,
-up to the top, then down to the bottom and back again to the point where
-they had first started; indeed, he quite enthused Vance in regard to the
-future prospects and final outcome of Waterville.
-
-He also confirmed Winthrop’s statement in regard to their inability
-to take any money out of the treasury for [154] the purpose suggested
-without first having an action of the directors.
-
-“I advise you to write to your New York friends,” continued Donald,
-“and tell them their investment is all right, if—mark, I say
-if—they have the nerve to stay with it a year or such a matter. Of
-course this article in the Banner hurts us immensely. It is simply
-a highhanded piece of boycotting; but the west has received similar
-injustice at the hands of the great New York dailies times without
-number in years gone by.”
-
-Acting on Marcus Donald’s advice, Vance wrote a letter that day to
-his New York friends, and afterwards felt better for having done so. He
-determined to remain a week or two at Waterville, and see if there was
-any demand for real estate. Before many days, he began to understand the
-wonderful, far-reaching effects of the late article in the Banner. Rival
-surrounding towns copied it, and with double-leaded editorials called
-attention to a town that had over-reached itself. They denounced the
-various members of the Waterville Town Company as villainous sharks, and
-predicted that the boom had been pricked with a needle that would let
-all the wind out of it.
-
-The transient class of real estate agents and hangers-on, who had been
-doing a rather thriving business, said, “Boys, this ends it,” as
-they blew the foam from their glasses of beer, “we might as well go
-somewhere else as wait and see the dog-fennel grow in the streets of
-Waterville.”
-
-One day Vance called on J. Arthur Boast at his office. He found him
-as elegantly dressed as ever, and engaged in tying up bundles of legal
-papers, deeds, contracts, etc. [155] “Are you getting ready to move away
-from Waterville?” asked Vance.
-
-“No, I am not going away; that is, not permanently,” replied Boast,
-as he stooped to brush a speck of dust from his highly polished shoes,
-“but I do not presume we will have any use for deeds or contracts for
-some time to come, and I am therefore putting them away out of the dust
-until the boom opens up again.”
-
-“You talk a little discouragingly,” said Vance.
-
-“Discouragingly!” said Boast, as he seated himself on the table in
-front of Vance. “Discouragingly! Why, didn’t I tell you the Town
-Company would ruin Waterville? I was away only two weeks visiting, as
-you know, at Gold Bluff, but while I was gone they inflated prices of
-property; made promises right and left that were quite impossible for
-them to fulfill. The newspapers all over the country are denouncing
-them, and the result of it is that Waterville is dead! I say dead, and I
-mean dead, and all on account of the Town Company.”
-
-“Do you suppose,” asked Vance, “that you could possibly’ sell my
-twenty-five lots?”
-
-Boast looked absently’ out of the window and said, “I might sell
-them in time by putting them on my special bargain list.”
-
-“At what price?” Vance ventured to ask.
-
-“Let me see,” said Boast, “you paid $2,500 for them, did you
-not?”
-
-“Yes,” replied Vance.
-
-“Oh, well,” said Boast, “I might be able to get $500 for them, but
-it would be a pretty green sort of a tenderfoot that I could load them
-on at even that price. But what’s the use,” said he, facing around
-toward Vance [156] and still sitting on the table, “what’s the use
-of losing your nerve? Within one or two years Waterville will be all
-right. She can’t be kept down. She has natural resources; the richest
-farm lands in the world; the greatest water power of any inland city in
-the United States; marvelous veins of coal; inexhaustible quarries
-of rock; unsurpassed forests of timber; and abundance of water for
-irrigating purposes.
-
-8164
-
-Why, dang it, old fellow,” said he, slapping Vance on the shoulder,
-“Waterville s all right. All you’ve got to do is to hold on to your
-nerve and your lots, and you will come out on top.”
-
-“That’s all very well,” replied Vance, “but the ray of hope you
-hold out is too far away to be very satisfactory at the present time.”
-
-“Every tenderfoot,” replied Boast, “needs a certain amount of
-experience in order to acclimate him to this western country. Your
-experience is just now beginning. After a little Colonel Bonifield
-will strike it rich on Gray Rocks, Waterville will also come out of the
-kinks, and there you are, a rich man. By the way, the Colonel must be
-pretty well along toward the 400 foot level, Waterville will also come
-out of the kinks, and there you are, a rich man. By the way, the Colonel
-must be pretty well along toward the 400 foot level, is he not:”
-
-“I believe he is making very satisfactory progress,” replied Vance.
-
-“If the old man should strike it rich,” said Boast, “I would not
-mind connecting myself with his family. Of course, I am not so hard to
-please as you New York fellows.” He looked archly at Vance and smiled
-wickedly as he made this remark.
-
-Vance was indignant at the cold-blooded insinuation of Boast, and
-replied: [157] “While you may have no objections, I don’t doubt you
-will meet some pretty knotty ones before you succeed in winning Miss
-Bonifield.”
-
-“Possibly,” replied Boast, coolly. “Nevertheless, if the old
-Colonel strikes it in Gray Rocks, it’s worth a trial, anyway; but
-come, there’s no use in quarreling over something that hasn’t
-happened, or being down-hearted about a busted boom, so long as a fellow
-has a bottle of red liquor.”
-
-Vance did not wait for him to go through the ordeal of condemning
-himself as a drunken profligate, but let him to finish tying up his
-papers and drink the contents of his bottle alone.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIX.—THE INDIGNATION MEETING
-
-9166
-
-ANCE had [158] been in Waterville something over a week, and his
-enthusiasm was noticeably subdued. One evening he discovered that a
-great many citizens were assembling in the Town Hall. He joined the
-crowd, and found it was composed of representative of nearly every
-family in Waterville.
-
-The meeting was called to order with J. Arthur Boast in the chair. It
-was an indignation meeting. Instead of huzzaing for the Waterville
-Town Company, its members were being vigorously denounced. A speaker
-addressed the chair, and among other things said:
-
-“Where is our sash, blind and door factory? Where is our foundry?
-Where is our woolen mill? Where are our canning factories? Where is our
-great smelting plant, and other manufacturing enterprises which have
-been promised us by the Waterville Town Company? When we see anything
-in a newspaper we have a right to believe what it says. Outside of
-Waterville, the newspapers claim the members of the Waterville Town
-Company to be a lot of restless town site boomers. I believe what I see
-in the papers. The dog-fennel is already growing in our streets—our
-town is dead; not one stranger in a week alights from the train at
-Waterville. [159] We have been deceived, and it is now time for an
-indignant community to assert its rights, take the reins of government,
-so to speak, in our own hands, and give the Waterville Town Company to
-understand that no more bonds of any kind will be voted or subsidies
-given.”
-
-A number of other speakers expressed themselves in bitter terms against
-the Waterville Town Company. The chairman, J. Arthur Boast, finally
-addressed the meeting, and with his thin, piping voice advise
-moderation.
-
-He said it was true that, during his absence, prices had been
-unfortunately inflated, and a reaction had set in. He reminded his
-hearers that he was still in the real estate business, and by listing
-their property with him he would try to put it on his “special bargain
-list,” and thought possibly he could, in time, re-establish confidence
-and create a new era of activity in the real estate business.
-
-Boast was very careful not to openly charge the depression in Waterville
-to anyone in particular, but his insinuations left no room to doubt he
-meant the Waterville Town Company.
-
-It seemed to be the sense of the meeting that retrenchment was in order.
-One speaker advised the closing of the public school. The suggestion
-seemed to meet with favor. Old Dick Ballard pushed his way through
-the crowd, and addressing the chairman, begged the crowd to listen to
-reason. “You know,” he continued, “that I’m your school director
-in this township. The office sought me; I didn’t seek the office.
-Retrenchment in any other line exceptin’ the closin’ down of our
-public school is, perhaps, all right; but do not take a step backward.
-Our public school system is our pride, and should appeal to the
-patriotism of every one here.” [160] In conclusion, he offered to give
-an entertainment with his State Militia Company for the benefit of the
-public school of Waterville. Hi is remarks would probably have been
-effective had not a fiery speaker followed him and advanced the idea
-that by discontinuing the public school it would be a direct rebuke to
-the Waterville Town Company.
-
-“Let it be noised abroad,” said he, “that the residents of
-Waterville refuse to pay any school taxes, and then the Waterville town
-Company will begin to understand that we must be consulted, or we will
-thwart their schemes of booming this town. All they care for, anyway, is
-the money there is in selling town lots.”
-
-The speaker then asked Dick Ballard how much money was in the
-teacher’s fund of the school treasury. Ballard said he did not know,
-but he could find out in a day or two. The speaker then addressed the
-chair, and said:
-
-“I move you, sir, that it is the sense of this public demonstration
-that we quit paying taxes to support a public school in Waterville, and
-when the funds now on hand are exhausted that our school be closed.”
-The motion almost unanimously prevailed. There were a few feeble
-protests, but they were not recognized by the presiding officer.
-
-A little later Vance felt some one plucking at his sleeve, and old Dick
-Ballard motioned him to follow.
-
-“Now, sir,” said Ballard, in a deep whisper when they were alone,
-“there is some mighty important work to be done. Be in the parlor
-of my hotel in half an hour from now. Say nothin’.” At this Dick
-Ballard, with a mysterious look on his face, turned and hurried away.
-
-A little later Vance walked over to the hotel and found [161] Dick
-Ballard, Homer Winthrop, and Marcus Donald. They apparently were waiting
-for him. Ballard was very careful to lock the door securely.
-
-9169
-
-He then turned and said: “Now, gentlemen, we have business of
-importance on hand. Yes, sir, the time has come for us to act, and act
-promptly. Hold on—just wait a moment until I read you a letter. This
-is private,” said he, tapping a letter which he unfolded with a great
-flourish. “This is from General Ira House, the greatest town builder
-in the world. Now, here’s what he says:
-
-“‘I will settle my board bill, no, hold on; that isn’t the place.
-Here it is: ‘Tell the people to be patient. The darkest hour is just
-before the dawn. Waterville is all right.’.rdquo;
-
-“What do you think of that, gentlemen?” said he, folding the letter
-and putting it into his pocket. “I tell you, General House can come as
-near breakin’ the shell and gettin’ at the meat of the kernel as
-any man I ever knew’. He’s brainy, and no mistake. Our citizens
-are excited,” Ballard went on, “and in their excitement they are
-foolish. They’re attemptin’ to bite the hand that is feedin’ us
-all. ‘The Town Company has made this town. I address my remarks, Mr.
-Gilder, to you. Modesty forbids, sir, that I should say to my friends,
-Mr. Donald and Mr. Winthrop, that which I unhesitatingly proclaim to an
-outside party. Now let me ask, Mr. Gilder, if I didn’t tell you long
-ago that the members of the Waterville Town Company were the brainiest
-men this country had ever produced?”
-
-[162] “I believe you made that remark,” replied Vance.
-
-0170
-
-“Yes, sir, and I am proud to repeat the statement, and in the letter
-which I have just read to you I have the evidence, the prima facie
-evidence, that Watcrville is only restin’, as it were, preparatory to
-enterin’ the free-for-all hurdle race, and makin’ the fastest time
-on record. Yes, sir, her time will be a record breaker, and she will
-distance all would-be competitors, notwithstandin’ the slanderous
-[163] and libelous articles now goin’ the rounds in the press.’
-
-“We now,” continued Mallard, “are a ways-and-means committee. The
-closing of our public school would indeed be a calamity. They asked me
-over at the town meetin’ how much money was in the school treasury. I
-told them I didn’t know. I beg you gentlemen’s pardon for my reply,
-I do know. There is not a cent. I was forced into the awkward position
-of tellin’ a falsehood for the good of my adopted city, Waterville.
-Now, gentle men, what do you advise?”
-
-“I think,” said Donald, “that our taxpayers proper are not
-objecting to the expense of our public school. The Waterville Town
-Company owns fully three-fourths of all the property in Waterville,
-and we want the school to go on. The citizens who are the loudest in
-denouncing the expense, and calling most vigorously for retrenchment, as
-a matter of fact, do not pay a penny of tax.”
-
-“You’re right,” said Dick Ballard, glowingly, “that’s the
-talk! There’s argument in your remarks, Mr. Donald, and if I had them
-printed on dodgers I would regard it as a personal privilege to deliver
-copies to members of my State Militia Company, and issue a general order
-to have them distributed over the entire town.”
-
-“I wish to call your attention to one thing,” continued Ballard.
-“No member of my State Militia Company voted to discontinue our public
-school; no, sir, not one.”
-
-Winthrop was called on for remarks, and observed that the demonstration
-was a hasty action that would not be approved, probably, by the people
-themselves on mature reflection. [164] “A few weeks ago,” he went on,
-“these same people were hurrahing; for the Waterville Town Company.
-They expect us to perform wonders in a few weeks’ time, that in
-reality require months, and even years. I fully believe the present
-depression will be followed by a healthy activity that will satisfy the
-most pronounced pessimist in Waterville.”
-
-“Gentlemen.” said Dick Ballard, “there are four of us. Miss
-Virginia Bonifield is a most exemplary young lady, while, as a teacher,
-she is without a peer. I stand ready to pledge myself for one-fourth of
-her salary. Her salary for the entire year is $500.
-
-“Put me down for one fourth,” said Vance.
-
-“I will gladly pay one fourth,” said Marcus Donald, “and my check
-is ready at any time.”
-
-“Count me in on the deal,” said Homer Winthrop “Just one thing,
-gentlemen,” said Dick Ballard, “I am pretty well acquainted with
-Miss Virginia Bonifield.
-
-9172
-
-She posseses the spirit of independence to a very large degree. She is,
-indeed, the daughter of her father, Colonel Bonifield. If she knew that
-her salary was comin’ from a private source, why, you could not get
-her to touch a dollar of it, therefore I think it best to consider this
-compact and agreement strictly confidential.”
-
-Dick Ballard’s views met with the approval of his associates, and then
-the conversation became general. Vance inquired when the Town Company
-would probably hold another meeting.
-
-[165] “Not for some time, from present indications,” replied Winthrop.
-
-“No,” replied Marcus Donald, “I have to-day received a letter
-from Colonel Alexander, and he says it will be necessary, on account of
-pressing business in the Wharfage and Dockage Company down on the Gulf
-coast, to defer holding another Town Company meeting for some months.
-The only thing we can do,” continued Donald, “is to keep a good grip
-on our holdings here and wait. The dark days will roll by like so
-many clouds and the sun will shine again. Waterville will be in the
-ascendency. Strangers will be coming in, bringing money for internal
-improvements; this great valley will be settled up, and successful
-activity, in my judgment, will take the place of the present unfortunate
-depression.”
-
-Vance continued his stay in Waterville several days longer than he had
-at intended. His frequent consultations with Horner Winthrop and Marcus
-Donald led him to believe they were two of the most honorable men he had
-ever met. Possibly they were wrong in their judgment about Waterville,
-but they certainly were sincere. They seemed like men who had been
-fighting for a goal against bitter odds. The goal was finally reached
-when the last obligation of the Waterville Town Company had been paid.
-They were left practically penniless, or at best, with very little
-money; yet they were content to wait until time should lift then out of
-the trough of the sea upon the waves of commercial activity again, which
-they fully believed would come.
-
-When Vance started for Gold Bluff, he said he might see them again in
-a couple of weeks, and again, he might [166] not see them for a year or
-longer. He was wholly undecided what to do.
-
-Arriving at Gold Bluff in the evening, Vance made a hasty toilet and
-called upon the woman he secretly loved so devotedly. She welcomed him
-warmly. Soon after, they were seated in the little parlor where Vance
-had spent so many happy evenings.
-
-The Colonel greeted him enthusiastically.
-
-8174
-
-The open grate was crackling and burning cheerily with a bright wood
-fire, and seemed to add warmth to the welcome extended.
-
-“Am delighted to see yo’, Mr. Gilder, I am indeed, still. We have at
-last reached the 400 foot level. Tempo’ary embarrassments will soon be
-relegated into antiquity, yes, suh; a few days longer, a few days mo’
-of waitin’, suh, and the struggle for a livin’ will be oveh with. No
-matteh how much we may fight against it, we are bound to be wealthy. Of
-cou’se it’ll take a few days yet, but only a few.”
-
-It was evident that the Colonel was greatly in earnest. It was a welcome
-hope to Vance. He briefly related to the Colonel and Louise concerning
-the depression at Waterville, but that he still had hopes that
-eventually—he did not pretend to say exactly when, but some time in
-the future—his investment in Waterville town lots would turn out all
-right.
-
-“On gen’al principles,” said Colonel Bonifield, “I am not
-favo’able to real estate spec’lations. I presume, suh, the reason
-is I know so vehy little about them, but when [167] it comes to a mine,
-suh,’.pecially like Gray Rocks, I inva’ably know, suh, what I am
-talkin’ about. Louise,” said the Colonel, looking at his daughter,
-“let us have some music. I see Mr. Gilder is vehy tired, and we will
-talk no mo’ business this evenin’.”
-
-Louise opened the piano and sang for them. There was a plaintive
-sweetness in the girl’s voice that made Vance’s heart pulse with
-delicious contentment. Hope played back and forth among the chords as
-the music swelled and surged in sweet, symphonious strains. While she
-was singing, he felt how easy it would be to declare his love, but when
-she had ceased, and the last vibrations of music had died away, he knew
-he lacked the courage.
-
-Vance would be called a brave man in the daily walks of life, and yet,
-as Louise’s lover, he was the most arrant of cowards.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XX.—THE STAGE IS ROBBED.
-
-9176
-
-HE [168] next morning Vance met his old acquaintance, Hank Casey.
-
-“Good morning, Mr. Casey,” said Vance, cheerily.
-
-“Hello, pardner,” was the laconic and somewhat dejected reply.
-
-“I haven’t seen you for some time,” said Vance.
-
-“No, I’ve been prospectin’ round these ‘ere diggin’s, but I
-guess I won’t stay much longer. The court decided agin Steve Gibbons
-an’ me. I think I’ll go back to Butte City afore long. She’s the
-pertest minin’ camp in the ‘hull country.”
-
-“You say the court has decided against you?” repeated Vance.
-
-“Yes,” he replied, “Steve Gibbons an’ we had a law suit agin’
-Rufus Grim over the Peacock. B. Webster Legal is a pretty cute lawyer,
-an’ for a time he made it bilin’ hot for old Grim, but somehow on
-the show-down we got done up. It don’t make much difference how cute a
-feller’s lawyer is, when the court’s prejudiced all out o’ shape.
-I sometimes think old Grim has a ‘nuf sight better title to the court
-of this ‘ere district than he has to the Peacock mine.”
-
-“Your friend Gibbons,” said Vance, “told me sonnies [169] thing of
-this law suit, and I rather expected, with the assistance of an attorney
-like B. Webster Legal, you would succeed in establishing your claim. You
-have my sympathy if an injustice has been done you.”
-
-“Oh, it wa’n’. no fault of Lawyer Legal, I can tell you, he’s
-a hummer, and a mighty social chap in the bargain; but this ‘ere game
-isn’t played to a finish yet, pardner, not by several great, big moves
-on the chess board. You see, we’ve appealed it to the higher courts,
-but they’re so dangnation slow that a feller had better get a hustle
-on hisself while he’s waitin’ for a decision or he’ll starve.
-When old Grim has his neck broken, honest people may then get their just
-deserts.” He seemed dejected, and soon after took his leave, saying
-that he was going into the mountains to do a little prospecting.
-
-The Peacock mine was constantly increasing its output of the yellow
-metal. Nearly every stage carried shipments of gold bullion to the
-mints. Rufus Grim was growing richer and more pompous. His satellites
-and admirers noticeably increased after the courts had decided in his
-favor.
-
-In the meantime the pumps in Gray Rocks had broken down and delayed the
-work several weeks. Vance was in a state of feverish anxiety. He longed
-to be relieved from the mental strain and know whether he was a half
-owner in a gold mine that produced in paying quantities, or only a half
-owner in a worthless shaft in the mountain side.
-
-He retired one evening at an early hour, tired out and thoroughly
-disgusted with his achievements in the west. He was awakened about two
-o’clock in the morning by a great commotion going on below. Hastily
-dressing himself, he went down to the bar-room, where he found
-everything was wild with excitement. [170] The stage coach had
-been robbed, and it was reported that Steve Gibbons was dead. Hasty
-preparations were being made to form a posse and start in pursuit of the
-highwaymen.
-
-9178
-
-The express company had some heavy consignments of gold bullion sent
-from the Peacock mine, and it was reported missing. Vance signified his
-willingness to join in the pursuit, and was furnished with a horse, and
-soon after they started pell-mell down the mountain road from Gold Bluff
-in the direction of Waterville, to the point where the robbery had taken
-place.
-
-Rufus Grim offered $1,000 for the capture of the perpetrators, which,
-together with a large sum offered by the express company, stimulated a
-feverish interest in the chase.
-
-The sun was just coming up when they reached the place where the robbers
-had sallied forth from a neighboring mountain gorge the morning before
-and committed their lawless work. About two miles beyond, they found the
-only two passengers of the ill-fated stage coach. A gentleman and his
-wife from the east had been visiting Colonel Boast, the rich rancher
-who lived near Gold Bluff, and were returning to their eastern home. The
-gentleman had been relieved of his wallet, containing some $2,000, also
-his watch, diamond pin, and his wife of her jewelry. They were left in
-a destitute condition, and were waiting to take the next stage back to
-Gold Bluff to secure such aid from Colonel Boast as would enable them to
-continue their homeward journey.
-
-They said there were [171] five of the robbers. When they commanded
-Steve Gibbons to stop, he whipped up his horses, and received a bullet
-through his body for his attempted bravery. He fell from the stage coach
-and sustained serious injuries.
-
-0179
-
-The robbers quickly stopped the horses, relieved the two passengers
-of their possessions, secured the express matter and started for the
-mountain wilds, taking with them the four dapple-gray horses that Steve
-Gibbons had prided himself so much in driving.
-
-Gibbons had been carefully cared for by the mountain rancher and his
-wife, where the two passengers were [172] stopping. A physician had been
-sent for and dressed his wounds. He said Gibbons would get well; the
-bullet had struck a rib and glanced off.
-
-After learning these meager details, the posse pushed on into the
-mountains in hot pursuit. They were under command of the sheriff of the
-county. The trail of the desperadoes was easily followed. Along in the
-afternoon, the sheriff called a halt for refreshments. The horses were
-tethered with lariats to some trees that grew near a mountain stream,
-and permitted to graze while the men refreshed themselves with lunches
-which they had brought along.
-
-“We’re twenty-four hours behind the rascals,” said the sheriff,
-“and I don’t know whether we’ll overtake them or not.” Some of
-the men were eager to go on, and others were ready to give up the chase.
-After a rest of an hour or such a matter, the order was given to again
-mount, and the trail was followed until darkness set in. Sleeping on the
-ground with the starry canopy for a covering was a new experience for
-Vance, but he was determined not to show the white feather. What others
-endured he would endure.
-
-About ten o’clock the next morning, they came to a mountain gorge and
-followed the trail to a point where it seemed quite impossible for a
-horseman to ascend, it was so steep and rugged. The sheriff and a few of
-his men dismounted and went on ahead, looking for the trail. They found
-horses’ tracks, but where could they have gone? The grass was deep and
-heavy in the center of the gulch, and fringed with trees and boulders
-on either side. Finally the sheriff returned and reported the trail as
-lost. [173] “They have evidently come into this ‘pocket’ of a canon
-to throw us off their trail. We will have to return to the mouth of the
-gorge and see in what other direction the trail leads.”
-
-The afternoon was spent in searching for the lost trail. Night overtook
-the party again, and rations were very short. Their meal was a frugal
-one, and far from satisfying the hunger of men who had ridden hard all
-day. The horses were securely fastened and the party lay down to
-sleep. Vance made his bed on some bunch grass that grew under the
-wide-spreading branches of a mountain pine. He could plainly hear the
-rippling of a stream which ran near by, and when deep silence settled
-down over the landscape, save the occasional snort of one of the horses,
-the singing of the stream grew louder and louder. The smell of pine
-added to the deliciousness of his novel and strange surroundings.
-Weariness soon overcame the discomforts of his improvised bed, and he
-sank to sleep. Suddenly he awoke in the middle of the night, but found
-everyone else was deep in slumber, save the two guards that had been
-left on duty a few yards from the camp. The stars were winking at him
-from above; a wolf was howling a dismal cadence, and was answered by
-another far away in a different direction. An owl hooted its discordant
-strain from the dead branch of a tree a short distance away.
-
-He closed his eyes, and thought of the wonderful change that a few
-months had brought into his life; but these thoughts one after another
-vanished; and still other fancies went pell-mell through his imagination
-in the panorama of thought. Presently a face appeared on this mental
-canvas—so sweet, so tender, so trusting, and [174] wreathed in
-that smile he knew so well. He started, opened his eye and murmured,
-“Louise.”
-
-The wolf howled again in the distance, and he thought he detected a
-snappish twang in its concluding barks, and wondered if it foreboded
-danger. Occasionally one of the horses would snort and stamp on the
-ground, and then go on munching, munching, the grass on which they were
-feeding. Finally he dozed again and slept. He thought it was only a
-moment afterward, when someone shook his shoulder and told him to get
-up. He opened his eyes and found it was morning.
-
-He hastily sprang up and found there was considerable excitement among
-his associates. The sheriff was missing. About a half hour later he came
-into camp and said he had been out looking for the trail, but could find
-nothing of it. He said they might as well return home.
-
-Vance was not sorry of this decision, for he was hungry and tired and
-sore. There were mutterings, however, among some of the sheriff’s
-posse, and they whispered among themselves as if they suspected their
-chief of crooked work.
-
-It took them two days to return to Gold Bluff. They found Steve Gibbons
-at the hotel, and able to sit up. The robbers had all worn masks, and
-it was impossible for him to give a description of any of them. The
-representative of the express company was evidently disappointed that
-the sheriff had not been able to find the desperadoes; $10,000 of gold
-bullion had been stolen, as well as other valuable express matter.
-
-A few days later, Steve Gibbons declared that he was able to resume his
-place on the stage coach, but it transpired that two of his bondsmen
-had asked to be relieved [175] This was an insinuation that some one
-regarded him as an accomplice in the unfortunate stage robbery. He
-investigated and found it was Rufus Grim who had advised two of his
-bondsmen to be a little careful. During the day, through Vance’s
-assistance, Gibbons succeeded in giving a satisfactory bond.
-
-That evening, a little the worse for drink, he accosted Rufus Grim at
-the post office, where the Gold bluff villagers were wont to congregate
-on the arrival of the evening coach.
-
-9183
-
-Steve Gibbons was evidently the agressor. “Look’ee here, Mr.
-Grim,” said Steve Gibbons, approaching him, “you’ve been
-interferin’ with me for a good many years, and it’s time you was
-lettin’ up.”
-
-“I don’t know, Mr. Gibbons,” said Grim, “that I have ever
-interfered with you. I have plenty of business of my own to look after,
-without bothering with other people’s.”
-
-“That’s all right, pardner,” said Gibbons, “but there’s
-somebody likely to wish they’d never been born if they don’t quit
-foolin’ with me. You advised some of my bondsmen to take their names
-off from the bond, but I’ve got other friends, and jes’ as many of
-‘em as you have, and don’t you forget it!”
-
-“There must be some mistake, Mr. Gibbons,” said Grim, very coolly.
-
-“I know,” said Gibbons, “jes’ what I’m talkin’ about. You
-have tried to infer that I was mixed up in the robbery of the stage
-coach, and I say you are an unprincipled old scoundrel, and a liar in
-the bargain. If I was as strong as I was before I was shot, I’d maul
-the [176] earth with you. You stole the Peacock mine from Hank Casey
-an’ me, an’ I’ve my suspicions that you bought judge and jury to
-beat us in our law suit.”
-
-One would have thought that Grim would have become very angry, but
-instead, he tried to pacify the irate and angry Steve Gibbons. It seemed
-to anger Gibbons beyond description that he could not disturb the even
-temper of Rufus Grim, and finally, in a burst of anger at Grim,
-Gibbons said: “You’d better have your life insured, old man, for
-somebody’s goin’ to be revenged, and the day of judgment ain’t
-very far ‘way, nuther.”
-
-At this threat, Grim turned quickly and reached for his revolver.
-Gibbons was unarmed. A moment later, Grim seemed to master himself, and
-turning away, walked down the street.
-
-Hank Casey put his arm through Steve Gibbon’s and led him to the
-hotel. Gibbons was hilarious, but Casey felt that in his hilarity he had
-been very indiscreet. The next morning, however, he mounted the stage
-coach on his regular run between Gold Bluff and Waterville.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXI.—REACHING THE 400 FOOT LEVEL.
-
-9185
-
-N the [177] excitement incident to Col. Bonifield’s cross-cutting into
-the vein, the stage robbery, and the bewildering evenings spent in the
-society of Louise, Vance quite forgot about his hopes and fears relative
-to his investment in Waterville.
-
-One evening he was out for a walk near the Bonifields’. Louise was
-standing on the porch. He lifted his hat, and she waved a dainty little
-handkerchief, and came down the road to meet him. There was a troubled
-expression on her face which Vance had never seen before. It cut him to
-the heart, and he feared some great calamity had befallen her.
-
-“Mr. Gilder,” said she, after the morning salutation, “my father
-is very despondent this morning, and while he desires greatly to see
-you, yet he is so broken down that I do not know whether he will be able
-to see anyone until this afternoon.”
-
-“Why, what has happened?” asked Vance, in alarm. They were walking
-along toward the Bonifield residence as they talked.
-
-“So you have not heard?” said Louise, looking up with her big, blue
-eyes. Vance looked at her in astonishment. [178] “You have not heard,”
-she repeated, “that they have finished cross-cutting?”
-
-“No,” replied Vance.
-
-“Yes, they have finished the work,” repeated Louise, and then almost
-broke down in tears. He led her to a seat on the broad porch where the
-morning sun shone full and warm, and begged her to calm herself, and
-tell him what had happened to her father.
-
-“Is it not quite enough?” said she, looking up at Vance through her
-tears, “another disappointment is father’s only reward.”
-
-Vance was shocked, for this disappointment meant a great deal to him.
-
-“Is it possible,” he ejaculated, “and your father was so confident
-only the other night!”
-
-“You will not be angry with father?” said Louise, laving her hand on
-Vance’s arm.
-
-“Angry,” replied Vance, “no; why should I be? He and I are jointly
-interested in results. If they are unfavorable, why, he cannot be more
-disappointed than I am. Had he been successful, we would have been equal
-partners as well.”
-
-“Thank you,” said Louise, “I pity my poor father so much.” She
-dried her eyes a little and then went on: “Aunt Sally was so querulous
-with papa last evening when she heard the result, and it made papa very
-unhappy; indeed, he did not sleep any during the night, though I have
-comforted him as well as I could.”
-
-“And have not slept a wink?” said Vance, looking at her keenly.
-
-“How could I, when papa was so troubled?”
-
-Vance was silent. [179] Presently he spoke: “I will confess I never
-was more disappointed in my life. I was so hopeful your father would
-be successful. Mind,” he continued, hastily, glancing at Louise, “I
-attach no blame to him.”
-
-0187
-
-“Thank you,” she murmured, and Vance went on, “No, I do not blame
-him, neither do I blame myself. Hundreds, yes, thousands have pursued
-the same course. Some of them have been successful, and others,
-ourselves included, have not. I regret that your father should [180]
-have spent so many years of his life in that useless prospect shaft.”
-
-“There is hope yet, Mr. Gilder.”
-
-“Hope,” said Vance quickly, “where?”
-
-“The ore,” she continued, “is richer than at the 300 foot
-level.”
-
-“And do you believe—?” commenced Vance.
-
-“Do not ask me, please, Mr. Gilder, what I believe at this time. Mr.
-Grim was here early this morning and left a proposition with papa. He
-has not the heart, he says, to tell you of it, and requested me to do
-so. You know, Mr. Grim,” she continued, “is said to be a very good
-business man. He has examined the ore found at the 400 foot level, and
-says it is much richer than at the 300 foot level. He offers now, if you
-and papa will give him a half interest in the mine, to furnish the money
-to sink the shaft to the 500 foot level.”
-
-“So,” said Vance, reflectively. Presently he said: “If Rufus Grim
-has confidence to go to the 500 foot level, why not your father and
-I?”
-
-“But it will cost $6,000, Mr. Gilder, and neither papa nor I could
-think of asking you to put any more money into Gray Rocks.”
-
-“I do not think your father should take it to heart so; indeed, I do
-not.”
-
-“He does not care for himself, and neither do I care for myself, Mr.
-Gilder, but we do care for you.” Vance started and the blood mounted
-to his face “You have been so kind to my father and placed such
-unbounded confidence in his judgment, and now it seems as if it were
-impossible for him ever to [181] repay you, unless—,” she hesitated.
-
-“Unless what?” asked Vance, impatiently.
-
-“Unless you would be willing to join father in giving a half interest
-in Gray Rocks to Mr. Grim, and let him go on and develop the mine.”
-
-“What does your father advise? What does he say?”
-
-“He wants to go on to the 500 foot level, Mr. Gilder, and says he will
-give his own half interest in Gray Rocks to Mr. Grim rather than let the
-work stop at the 400 foot level. Father believes that at the 500 foot
-level they will strike ore as rich as any that has been discovered on
-the Peacock, and it looks as if Mr. Grim thought the same way, else he
-would not be so willing to advance the money.”
-
-“Have you confidence in Mr. Grim?” asked Vance.
-
-“We have always distrusted him,” replied Louise, “but perhaps he
-is not so bad and mean as we have thought.”
-
-“And do you think,” asked Vance, “that ore will be discovered at
-the 500 foot level?”
-
-“I don’t know,” she replied, “but I hope so.”
-
-“Would it not be better,” urged Vance, “to give it all up and
-leave these wild mountains and return to civilization, so to speak,
-where your father could enjoy the remaining years of his life in peace
-and contentment?” His words were full of earnestness, and he spoke
-with great deliberation.
-
-“If such an opportunity should present itself,” said Louise,
-“I know my father would refuse it, for he is so high-spirited, and
-moreover, he believes that a little more work, and a little more time
-and expense on Gray Rocks, and his prophecy will be fulfilled.”
-
-Vance rose to go, but still lingered near the beautiful [182] girl,
-as if she were a balm to his evident disappointment. Finally he said:
-“You say it will require $6,000. Now, if you had $6,000, Miss Louise,
-and it was every dollar you had in the world, what would you do with
-it?”
-
-“I would sink the shaft on Gray Rocks to the 500 foot level,” she
-replied quickly. “Shall I tell my father,” she asked, as Vance
-started to go, “that you are favorable to Mr. Grim’s proposition?”
-
-“No,” replied Vance, doggedly, “I have no confidence in Rufus
-Grim. You may tell your father that I say not to worry any more. With
-your permission, I will return in a couple of hours, and will then be
-glad to see him.”
-
-Louise seemed ignorant of any knowledge of Vance’s passionate love for
-her. Her mind and thoughts were so entirely in sympathy with her father,
-whom she loved so dearly and so devotedly. As Vance bade her good-bye,
-she took his outstretched hand as if he had been her benefactor, instead
-of only her father’s friend.
-
-“Your judgment,” said Vance, “has decided me; we will go on
-blasting—down, down, down—through solid rock toward an unknown doom.
-How it will end remains to be seen.” Before Louise could make a reply,
-he had turned and walked rapidly away toward his hotel.
-
-Looking carefully over his accounts, he found he still had to his
-credit, in the Chemical National Bank of New York city, barely $6,000.
-He paced the floor for a full half-hour in deep thought. Finally he
-paused and said aloud, “she would advance her last dollar to sink the
-shaft to the 500 foot level—a weak, little, lovely woman, yet stronger
-in her affections and devotion than a regiment of soldiers. Yes, I will
-do it; I will gamble my [183] last dollar—for it is nothing better
-than a gamble, and yet—well, who knows? We may strike it after all.”
-
-He drew a check for the amount, making it payable to Colonel Ben
-Bonifield. Before signing it, he looked at it long and thoughtfully.
-“Why do I do this? Is it my faith in Gray Rocks? No. Is it my faith in
-Colonel Bonifield? No. Is it my faith in Louise? Yes, a thousand times,
-yes.” His hand trembled a little as he signed his name to the check.
-It was the last throw of the dice. He felt that he had in a measure
-passed his word to Louise. There was a question of daily bread that must
-now be solved. The question was immediately ahead of him. He would call
-on Colonel Bonifield and then devote himself to the bread question. Yes,
-he would solve it.
-
-Strong with resolution, and with a judgment sadly warped because of his
-love for Louise, he returned to the Bonifield home. Louise met him at
-the door, and he went with her into the spacious parlor, where a wood
-fire was burning brightly in the open grate.
-
-“I delivered your message to my father,” she said, “and he has
-fallen into a restful sleep.”
-
-“Do not disturb him,” said Vance, “in this envelope is a check for
-$6,000. Tell him to start to-morrow morning for the 500 foot level.”
-
-The impulsive Louise took the proffered envelope from Vance with hands
-that trembled noticeably, while two great tears dimmed her lustrous blue
-eyes. “Why have you done this?” she asked.
-
-It is probable that Vance would then and there have told her why, had
-not Colonel Bonifield appeared in the door. “Mr. Gilder,” said he,
-“Yo’r presence in my house brings sunshine with it. Yo’ know the
-worst. [184] Louise tells me she has informed yo of the unfo’tunate
-geological fo’mation to be found at the 400 foot level in Gray
-Rocks?”
-
-Louise turned from Vance to her father while he was speaking, and buried
-her face on his breast, weeping in stilled sobs. When Colonel Bonifield
-asked her why she was weeping, she handed him the envelope, and pillowed
-her head deeper on his breast. He opened the envelope and carefully
-scanned the check. The old man’s eyes were dimmed with tears of
-gratitude.
-
-9192
-
-One arm was about his daughter, and the other he extended toward Vance,
-who accepted the proffered hand.
-
-“Suh,” said the Colonel, “Yo’ ovehpoweh me with yo’r
-confidence. I have been workin’ away so long on Gray Rocks, suh,
-that I can’t blame my friends if they should lose heart. But, suh,
-somethin’ keeps a tellin’ me that my effo’ts will yet be rewarded.
-Yo’ honor me by sharin’ my confidence in the outcome of Gray Rocks;
-yo’ do, indeed, suh. There’s good blood, Mr. Gilder, cou’sin’
-through yo’r veins, and there’s a crown awaitin’ yo’ when once
-we’ve reached the 500 foot level; yes, suh. I may neveh have mentioned
-it to yo’, but I once told yo’r father that if he would stay by Gray
-Rocks, it would make him a millionaire. I have forgotten whether I ever
-made the obse’vation to yo’ or not, but I wish to assure yo’
-at this time, Mr. Gilder, in the presence of Louise, suh, that yo’r
-confidence in Gray Rocks is well-founded, and she will make yo’ richer
-than all the possessions left yo’ by yo’r worthy father; yes, suh,
-much richer.” [185] Louise dried her tears and soon was cheerful as a
-mountain thrush that had never known a sorrow. The old Colonel declared
-he had never felt better in his life, and that work should be commenced
-early the following morning.
-
-On his way back to the hotel, Vance called at the office of the Gold
-Bluff Prospector.
-
-“Where is your typo?” asked Vance in the course of the conversation.
-
-“Haven’t got any,” replied the proprietor, “he left this morning
-on the stage. We’ll not be able to get out an issue of the paper this
-week unless we find someone that can set type. Say,” said he, “why
-can’t I sell my printing office to you?”
-
-“I’m not able to buy,” replied Vance.
-
-“Well, I’ll lease it to you.”
-
-“On what terms,” asked Vance.
-
-“I’d lease it to you for one year for half its earnings,” replied
-the good-natured proprietor, who never was known to have enough energy
-to walk across the street to solicit an advertisement.
-
-“What will it earn in a year?”
-
-“Oh, twelve or fifteen hundred dollars—subscriptions and
-advertisements. I own the building. I call this the reception and
-editorial room; the other is the composing room, while the one back of
-where we are sitting is where the printer usually sleeps.”
-
-In Vance’s college days, he had been one of the trio who had edited
-a college paper, set their own type, made up their own forms and
-circulated the issue after night, contenting themselves, for a
-compensation, with the general wonderment of their fellow-students as
-to who were the publishers. He felt that he was capable of acting
-as type-setter, as well as writing editorials, on the Gold Bluff
-Prospector. He examined the room designated as the sleeping apartment of
-the printer, and found it comfortable, yet very plain.
-
-He told the proprietor he thought very favorably of his proposition,
-and believed [186] he would accept it. The printing was done on an
-old-fashioned hand press, which would require the assistance of a boy
-for a couple of hours once a week.
-
-9194
-
-Aside from this, Vance believed he was competent to handle all the
-details and labor connected with the paper. Before he retired that
-night, arrangements had all been made, the lease drawn and signed, and
-Vance commenced operations the next morning as the proprietor of the
-Gold Bluff Prospector. He moved his trunk and personal effects into the
-shabby back room, to be used in the future as his sleeping apartment.
-He settled his hotel bill, and found that he had less than $3.00 in his
-pocket on which to begin the struggle for bread.
-
-It was a new experience, not without its novelty and excitement in
-anticipation, however. After he had arranged his room quite tidily,
-he commenced setting type, and smiled good humoredly to himself as he
-thought of the change from the great New York Banner to the Prospector.
-Yes, he had made sacrifices; and would he not willingly make any more
-to remain near the woman he loved with a love that surpasseth
-understanding.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXII.—STARTING THE BOOM.
-
-9195
-
-IXTEEN [187] hours a day for three days was Vance’s first experience
-on the Prospector. All day and far into the evening he set type and
-made up forms, until finally the paper was ready to be brought out. It
-contained the retiring proprietor’s bow to the public, and Vance’s
-announcement.
-
-The next evening he called at the Bonifields’. Louise greeted him
-more kindly than ever. The Colonel, after assuring him that excellent
-progress was being made on Gray Rocks, turned the conversation to
-Vance’s new venture.
-
-“Vehy creditable, suh; vehy creditable, indeed,” said he, glancing
-at a copy of the Prospector which he had been reading. “Louise and I
-think yo’ve made an excellent beginnin’, suh, vehy excellent.”
-
-“Indeed we do,” said Louise; “we have often heard, though, that
-editors were quite exclusive, and we didn’t know but that was the
-reason you have not called on us for so long a time.”
-
-“Well, that is the reason,” responded Vance, jestingly. “As
-managing editor of the Prospector, I have been exclusively engaged in
-setting type, making up forms, etc.”
-
-They laughed at Vance’s remark, and complimented [188] him on being
-able to impersonate all the functionaries of a printing establishment.
-In the midst of their conversation, Aunt Sally appeared at the door of
-the parlor, and courtesying low to Vance, said:
-
-“Good evenin’, Mr. Gilder; I ‘low I’ve been wantin’ to sec
-yo’ fo’ some time, suh.”
-
-Vance returned the salutation by rising and bowing politely. As he sat
-down he noticed the Colonel was greatly disturbed, as if he feared a
-storm was approaching.
-
-“Mr. Gilder,” commenced Aunt Sally’, “I consider it my duty to
-inform yo’ that yo’ are makin’ as big a fool of yo’self as my
-brother is of hisself.”
-
-“Come, sister,” said the Colonel, “come, come.”
-
-“Benjamin,” said Aunt Sally, looking hard at him over her
-spectacles, “I shall have my say. I consideh it a duty that I owe Mr.
-Gilder to inform him that he is squanderin’ his money. There is not a
-chance in ten thousand; no, suh, not one, fo’ yo’ to eveh get back
-a penny of the money yo’ve given my brother. Besides, yo’re only
-encouragin’ Benjamin to fool his time away. I have mighty neah worn
-my life out takin’ care of him, Virgie and Louise. Virginia has a good
-deal of sense—a heap mo’, I am proud to say, than Benjamin or Louise
-has.”
-
-“I hope, Mr. Gilder,” observed the Colonel, “that yo’ll remember
-an obse’vation I made some time ago in regard to my sister——”
-
-“What have yo’ been sayin’ about me?” asked Aunt Sally, and
-she looked threateningly at him. The Colonel paid no attention to his
-sister’s remark, and went on:
-
-“Yo’ will remember I obse’ved at one time, suh, that my sister
-was a most ext’ao’dina’y woman; yes, suh, [189] most
-ext’ao’dina’y; she is possessed of a most rema’kable intellect.
-
-0197
-
-There is, however, a slight disagreement in regard to our judgment
-relative to Gray Rocks. She is vehy set in her ways, vehy, indeed; and,
-I am sorry to say, doesn’t share in our belief relative to the final
-outcome of our minin’ property.”
-
-“Benjamin,” said Aunt Sally, still looking at him over her
-spectacles, “it is not a slight difference of opinion; it’s a vehy
-wide one, indeed. If yo’ had a hundred thousand [190] dollars to-day,
-suh, yo’d be grub-stakin’ all the pesky mines in the mountains
-around Gold Bluff; yo’ know yo’ would. There are times, suh, when
-it’s necessary fo’ me to put my foot down, and I ain’t goin’
-to neglect my duty any longer. Mr. Gilder has got to know the true
-situation, and if he has no mo’ sense than to go on givin’ yo’
-money to dig a worthless hole in the earth, why, I’ll wash my hands of
-him, and have the consolation of knowin’ that I told him befo’
-hand what he might expect.” Vance would have been amused, had he
-not observed the pained expression on Louise’s face and the evident
-discomfiture of Colonel Bonifield. In reality, it was an opportune
-time for him to make an observation that he had long wanted understood
-between the Colonel and himself, and therefore he said:
-
-“I am highly honored, Miss Bonifield, by your advice. Your brother,
-the Colonel, has been very enthusiastic in regard to Gray Rocks.”
-
-“Don’t I know it?” interrupted Aunt Sally. “Haven’t I told him
-he was makin a fool of hisself?”
-
-“Well,” continued Vance, “I will not go quite so far in my remarks
-as that, but I will say this—that it would please me very much to have
-the Colonel’s assurance that if he fails to find the wealth he has
-been looking for so many years when the 500 foot level is reached,
-that he will abandon work on Gray Rocks and accept certain offers of a
-pecuniary nature in the east, which I have in mind.”
-
-“Well, if I knew,” replied Aunt Sally, “that there was to be an
-end to this thing, I’d have mo’ patience in waitin’ but my land!
-he no sooner gets to one level than he wants to push on to the next
-hund’ed foot level, and [191] goodness gracious! there’s no end to
-it! Why, if Benjamin had his way, and his life was spared long enough, I
-‘low he’d have a hole clear through the earth!”
-
-The Colonel was noticeably disturbed. He had risen and was walking back
-and forth in a nervous, yet dignified way.
-
-“Yo’r request, Mr. Gilder,” he finally said, “shall be complied
-with, suh, and in complyin’ with it, I hope that I also pacify my
-sister. I give yo’ my word of honor, suh, that when the 500 foot level
-is reached, and we have cross-cut into the vein of wealth that I feel
-positive, yes, suh, positive, is waitin’ to be brought to the light
-of day—if, I say, we should again be disappointed, then I am ready to
-give up my labors on Gray Rocks; yes suh, give up my life’s work.
-Of course, suh, yo’ cannot undehstand and perhaps neveh will, the
-magnitude of this promise.” There were tears in the Colonel’s voice,
-as well as in his eyes, when he ceased speaking.
-
-“Thank the Lord!” exclaimed Aunt Sally, as she raised her hands in
-an attitude of supplication and thanksgiving. “I feel now there’s
-goin’ to be an end of this tomfoolery, and I’ll not say another
-word, nary a word, until the 500 foot level is reached.” She turned to
-Vance as she started to leave the room, and bade him good-evening, and
-assured him that in her opinion she had accomplished a “mighty sight
-of good.”
-
-As soon as the door closed behind her, Vance turned to the Colonel and
-begged him not to take the slightest notice of what his sister had
-said, for he knew her peculiarities and thought nothing of them. He
-also thanked him for his promise. Vance’s words seemed to relieve the
-Colonel greatly, and he became almost himself again [192] before the
-evening was over, and narrated to Vance with a fair degree of enthusiasm
-how nicely the pumps and other machinery in the mine were working.
-
-Afterwards Louise favored them with music, and Vance quite forgot
-himself, so pleasantly was he entertained, until, glancing at his
-watch, he found it was almost eleven o’clock. Soon after, he took his
-departure, and with a light heart wended his way to the printing office.
-
-His infatuation for Louise was of an ennobling character. He was a
-fatalist in this: that he believed when the time came for him to speak
-his heart to her he would have courage to do so, and contented himself
-in loving blindly on.
-
-When he awoke next morning he found a heavy snow had fallen. Nothing
-like it had happened in Gold Bluff before in many years. A great many of
-the mines were necessarily shut down on account of the scarcity of fuel
-to operate the engines. During the next four weeks snows kept falling
-heavier and heavier, and in a measure cut off communication with the
-outer world.
-
-Vance applied himself industriously to his paper, widening
-his acquaintanceship among the people of Gold Bluff, solicited
-advertisements, and succeeded far beyond his expectations.
-
-His friends complimented him on the neat appearance of the Prospector.
-It was filled with excellent reading matter, and its circulation was
-constantly increasing.
-
-Another heavy snow storm during the holidays rendered the roads quite
-impassable and finally work on Gray Rocks was necessarily suspended, nor
-was it resumed until late the following spring. [193] In the meantime
-matters were progressing slowly in the great Thief River Valley. There
-had been no meeting of the Waterville Town Company. Homer Winthrop and
-Marcus Donald regularly opened up the Town Company’s office every
-morning and closed it every evening. Time hung heavy on their hands.
-Thus passed the winter months away in weary waiting for a boom in real
-estate that seemed stubborn and would not come.
-
-Dick Ballard called one afternoon in early April, and suggested that his
-finances were running rather low, and if it would be convenient he would
-like a check for Homer Winthrop’s board.
-
-8201
-
-Winthrop was a proud fellow and disliked to admit that he was, in the
-ordinary parlance, “broke.”
-
-Homer suggested to Ballard the advisability of purchasing a few lots in
-Eagle’s Addition to Waterville. “Or,” said Winthrop, “We can
-let you have a couple of lots adjoining your hotel. You’ve been a good
-friend of ours and we would let you have them cheap, awfully cheap.”
-
-Dick Ballard sat back in his chair, inserted his thumbs in the arm-holes
-of his vest, and said: “Now, lookee here, Winthrop, I have been your
-friend, haven’t I?” Winthrop acknowledged that he had. “I’ve
-been your friend, Mr. Donald, haven’t I?” said Ballard, pointing his
-index finger straight at Donald.
-
-“I think you have,” replied Donald, laughingly.
-
-“Yes, I’ve been Colonel Alexander’s friend; I’ve been General
-Ira House’s friend; I’ve been B. Webster Legal’s friend; in fact,
-gentlemen, I’ve been a friend to the [194] Waterville Town Company
-from start to finish.” He brought his hand clown upon the table
-in front of him with threat vehemence as he made this remark. “Yes
-sir,” he went on, “I have been a friend to you and to your
-enterprise, but when it comes, Homer Winthrop, to selling your uncle
-any Waterville town lots, why, you don’t know me. Oh, no; Dick
-Ballard usually knows which side his bread’s buttered on, and, between
-ourselves, I wouldn’t give you a square meal of victuals for any lot
-you’ve got in Eagle’s addition. No, sir, Mr. Winthrop, money is
-what I want, and pardon me for observing, money is what I, politely,
-but nevertheless firmly, insist that you must produce—if not to-day,
-perhaps tomorrow, and liquidate that little matter of board which has
-now been running for some three months.”
-
-Presently he walked over toward the window and looked wistfully out over
-the sage brush landscape. “The grass is beginin’ to grow,” said
-he, “and I see it is startin’ in the streets as well as on the
-beautiful lots you have for sale. Remember, gentlemen,” said Ballard,
-as he turned and expectorated a vigorous “pit-tew” of tobacco juice
-toward the stove, “what I have said to you never has, nor never will,
-escape the lips of Dick Ballard; no, sir, I’m your friend, but don’t
-try to work me with any town lots in payin’ board bills.”
-
-Winthrop was noticeably’ non-plussed. Donald was laughing contentedly
-and quietly’ to himself at Winthrop’s discomfiture. Ballard looked
-on and chuckled, as much as to say, “I am a heap sight smarter than
-you fellows give me credit for.” Finally he broke the silence by
-suddenly asking:
-
-“Mr. Winthrop, what is your lot worth next to my hotel?”
-
-“Five hundred dollars,” replied Winthrop, looking up.
-
-“I hope you’ll get it,” said Ballard; “yes, I hope you’ll
-sell it for a thousand—but I’ll tell you somethin’,” said he,
-shutting one eye and looking hard at Winthrop with the other, “I
-wouldn’t trade you our militia company’s new snare drum for both
-those condemned lots; no, sir,” and he turned laughingly toward the
-door.
-
-Just here he came face to face with Miss Virginia Bonifield.
-
-Ballard lifted his hat and bowed low, for she was one of his boarders
-who paid promptly. After speaking pleasantly to Marcus Donald and Homer
-Winthrop, she said:
-
-“I am very [195] glad you are here, Mr. Ballard, I want to ask your
-advice.” Dick Ballard was all attention, for if there was any one
-thing he liked to do better than another—barring a drill exercise
-with his state militia company—it was to give advice. Homer Winthrop,
-noticeably confused, pushed the best chair forward and invited Miss
-Bonifield to be seated.
-
-“Thank you,” said she, looking kindly at Homer, who, in turn,
-hushed scarlet. “What I wish to ask is in regard to an investment in
-Waterville.’
-
-“Why, in what way?” asked Dick Ballard.
-
-“In regard to making a purchase of town lots as an investment.”
-
-Ballard coughed immoderately, cleared his throat several times,
-“a-hemmed,” got red in the face, looked helplessly toward Marcus
-Donald, and finally said:
-
-“Nothin’ like it in the world, Miss Bonifield; best investment on
-earth. There’s not another place in the [196] United States will come
-out of the kinks like Waterville. No, sir; if I had a million I’d
-plant every dollar of it in Waterville, every dollar. My land!” said
-he, glancing at his watch, “it is three o’clock! Well, I must be
-goin’.” With this he took up his hat and hastily left the room.
-
-“Is this a map of the town?” asked Miss Virgie Bonifield, rising
-and approaching a map that hung on the wall near where Marcus Donald was
-seated.
-
-“Yes, that is one of the best maps that has ever been gotten out,”
-said Marcus Donald, adjusting his gold-rimmed spectacles.
-
-“And where is Eagle’s Addition?” Marcus Donald pointed it out.
-
-“And what are you selling lots for in that part of town?”
-
-“Well, really, Miss Bonifield,” said Donald, stammering a little,
-“we haven’t been selling very many lots—that is, not recently. I
-will refer you to Mr. Winthrop; he has charge of all such matters, and
-perhaps he can give you better advice than I can.”
-
-“But what do you advise in regard to investments in Waterville?” she
-asked, abruptly.
-
-“Oh, you know we believe in Waterville, Miss Bonifield; we believe it
-is destined to be one of the greatest cities in the United States. Of
-course there has not been any marked activity during the past winter,
-but we are expecting business to open up well, most any time now.”
-
-She turned to Winthrop, and seating herself beside his desk, asked him
-to point out what he considered one of the most desirable corners in
-Eagle’s Addition. Usually Winthrop prided himself on his ability to
-make sales of lots, and he was quite willing to sell to anybody rather
-[197] than the woman by his side. He had been so hard pressed for
-ready-money during the winter and spring that he had shut himself out,
-so to speak, from all society, for the reason that he was destitute of
-even spending money of the most ordinary character. After studying some
-time, he put his pencil reluctantly down on the map and said:
-
-“I consider these lots as desirable as any in Eagle’s Addition.”
-
-“And what are you selling them for?”
-
-“We are asking $100 a lot,” said he, “but we are not selling any
-just now, Miss Bonifield, at all.”
-
-She looked at the map a few minutes, and then said, “You think these
-are about the best lots in the Addition, do you?”
-
-Winthrop almost inaudibly assented. “Well, no—hardly—Miss
-Bonifield; the fact is,” he faltered, “we do not care to make any
-sales at the present time. We are rather expecting some information a
-little later; we—we expect to hold a Town Company meeting, and may
-conclude to reduce the price of lots—and—”
-
-“Or you may raise the prices,” said she, looking archly at Homer.
-“Is it not so.”
-
-“P—possibly,” replied Winthrop.
-
-“Well, I wish to purchase four lots on the corner you have indicated.
-Here is the money,” said she, laying down a roll of bills on his desk,
-“please fix up the deed and leave it at the hotel for me as soon as it
-is convenient.”
-
-“But—hold on,” said Homer. She had risen and started toward the
-door. “You do not mean to make a purchase of lots? I really have not
-advised it; you’d better reconsider—think it over a few days.” All
-of this was stammered out by Winthrop in a hurried and confused manner.
-
-“But I have [198] considered,” said Miss Virginia Bonifield, smiling
-in her own imperious way. “I have fully considered, Mr. Winthrop, and
-desire to make the purchase. Good day.” She was gone.
-
-Donald sat looking over his spectacles, while an astonished and amused
-smile played over his “$10,000 face.” Winthrop looked at the roll
-of bills spread out before him, and then turning to Marcus Donald,
-ejaculated, “Thank God, the boom has started!”
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXIII.—RUFUS GRIM S AMBITION.
-
-9207
-
-UFUS GRIM [199] was not pleased with Vance’s management of the Gold
-Bluff Prospector. A number of items had appeared in the columns of that
-paper which tended to vindicate Steve Gibbons from all suspicion
-or connection with the stage coach robbery. Grim considered this an
-indirect thrust at himself. His money had made him a lion among the
-people of Gold Bluff, but for some unaccountable reason he was unable to
-secure Vance Gilder’s good opinion.
-
-He secretly had an ambition to represent the people of Idaho in the
-halls of congress, and felt it would never do to let matters go on with
-his own town paper prejudiced against him. On several occasions he had
-made overtures to Vance of a friendly nature, but had, invariably, been
-repulsed. On one occasion he had endeavored to compliment Vance, and
-told him patronizingly, in his uncouth, pompous way, that he was very
-glad such a scholarly gentleman had charge of the Prospector, and that
-he considered him the most refined and cultured gentleman in Gold Bluff.
-[200] Vance had coldly replied, “It is an admirable thing, Mr. Grim,
-to be a cultured and refined man, but it is far better to be a manly
-man.” Grim had agreed with him, while Vance went quietly on setting
-type. The rich miner was irritated at his own lack of words when in
-Vance’s society. With others he was boastful as ever—bragged of his
-gold, and in his own domineering way, attempted to subdue everything
-with which he came in contact.
-
-9208
-
-Those who knew his home life best said he was afraid of his wife. She
-was all formality, and Grim, in his way, honored her, and at the same
-time, feared her. It was whispered that he found more pleasure in his
-stepdaughter’s society than in his wife’s.
-
-Bertha, with her handsome face and lisping speech, humored her
-mother’s whims of formality, and tickled the uncouth vanity of her
-step-father, on whose bounty she was dependent. She was an artful,
-cooing, little woman, full of strategy and deceit, and hopelessly
-untruthful. Her clandestine meetings with her cousin, Arthur Boast, were
-numerous, while in her heart she felt an infatuation for Vance Gilder,
-and was secretly intensely jealous of Louise Bonifield. Outwardly, she
-courted Louise, and never missed an opportunity of calling her “her
-own dear darling,” and telling her how very pretty she was.
-
-In the early days of June Arthur Boast returned permanently to Gold
-Bluff, and at first paid a great deal of attention to Louise, not as a
-lover, but rather as a friend of the family, and by every artifice known
-to his cunning endeavored to enlist her sympathy. He frequently [201]
-observed that no one was his friend, and it pleased him to hear Louise
-say that “she was his friend, and always had been.” He said nothing
-derogatory of Vance’s character, but his insinuations were of a wicked
-nature.
-
-Vance was at a loss to understand why Boast had left Waterville,
-especially as it was rumored that a great boom was going on at that
-place.
-
-One day Vance received a note from Arthur Boast asking him to call at
-the hotel that evening. He said he was indisposed and could not leave
-his room, otherwise he would call at the printing office.
-
-It was after eight o’clock when Vance called at the hotel, and was at
-once ushered into J. Arthur Boast’s room. He found Boast dressed as
-elegantly as ever, in fact, he was scrupulously attired, and resting
-on a divan. He seemed weak, and was quite pale. He no longer spoke in a
-thin, piping voice, but in a quiet, manly way, that at once interested
-Vance.
-
-“I sent for you, Mr. Gilder, because I was lonely and wanted to
-talk with you. I suppose you think I am supremely selfish in this, as
-everything else, but I have been almost sick for the last week.”
-
-“We are admonished to visit the sick,” said Vance, good-naturedly,
-“and I am sure it is only natural that one indisposed should like
-company.”
-
-“It is very kind of you to come, I’m sure,” Boast went on, “I
-have been worried a good deal about a certain misunderstanding that
-seemingly exists between us.” Vance assured him that he knew of no
-misunderstanding.
-
-“No,” said Boast, “not an open misunderstanding; but then I feel
-that you have misunderstood me from the [202] first, Mr. Gilder, and
-perhaps, in a measure, I have done you the injustice of not always
-interpreting your acts as I should have done. I do not know whether
-there is any philosophy in the circumstances which seem to shape my life
-or not.”
-
-“We are told,” said Vance, “that in our strength and manhood we
-should shape circumstances rather than let circumstances shape us.”
-
-“That’s it,” said Boast, “the eternal trying to shape
-circumstances brings on an endless conflict, not only between men, but a
-conflict with one’s own self. I have almost made up my mind that it
-is quite impossible for a man to shape his destiny. Now, as a matter
-of fact, I respect you, Mr. Gilder, highly, and have confidence in your
-ability and judgment. I think you are making a great success of the
-Prospector. It is impossible,” he went on, “for me to tell you why
-I have this confidence or this respect. I also know that you cordially
-dislike me, but why, I do not know, and perhaps you could not tell
-yourself.”
-
-Vance was surprised at this philosophic turn of mind, and began to think
-he had misunderstood J. Arthur Boast all along.
-
-“I cannot help but feel complimented,” said Vance, “by your kind
-words. I will admit that I have never stopped to analyze my feelings
-very closely in regard to yourself, and will not deny that I have been
-unable to discover any affinity between us. Perhaps I have misjudged
-you. If so, I can do no less than make proper amends.”
-
-“You speak [203] as if you would be my friend.” said Boast,
-“friends with me are very scarce. My highest ambition has ever been
-to make friends, and yet it requires no words of mine to tell you what
-a miserable failure I have made of it all. I would like to be Rufus
-Grim’s friend, but he won’t let me. He does everything he can to
-influence my cousin, Bertha Allen, against me, but in that he is making
-a complete failure. She is my friend,” said he with animation. “I
-suppose you know that Mrs. Grim is very ill?”
-
-“No,” said Vance; “I had not heard of it.”
-
-“Yes, she has never been very rugged, and I understand her present
-illness is of a very serious nature. She is so many years older than her
-pompous lord and master, that it would not be surprising to hear of her
-death at any time. Personally, I should regret it, not only on account
-of my aunt, but also on account of Bertha. I dread to think what may
-happen if my aunt should die.”
-
-“You do not regard her sickness so seriously as that?” asked Vance.
-
-“She is certainly very ill,” was Boast’s reply. “I would like
-to go and see her, but I do not presume Rufus Grim would let me into the
-house. But what I desired most to say,” continued Boast, brightening
-up and changing the conversation, “is this: I would like to have you
-be my friend. I wish to be yours.”
-
-Vance was astonished, and for a moment could not reply. Finally he
-said, “I cannot do less, Mr. Boast, than meet you half way in such a
-laudable ambition, I am sure.”
-
-“Ambition,” repeated Boast, “what a detestable word! I sometimes
-think ambition has been the cause of all my misfortune. I have wanted
-wealth all my life, but have not succeeded to any great extent. I ought
-to be in Waterville now, selling town lots and lands. There’s [204]
-great activity down there. I have the ambition but not the strength. You
-may not know it, but my health is seriously impaired. I do not seem to
-have any vitality.”
-
-Vance expressed his sympathy, but Boast seemingly did not notice his
-remarks, and said, “if a man has a clearly defined principle of life
-to follow, why cannot he adhere to it?”
-
-“I think he can,” replied Vance. “No life, in my judgment, has
-ever been a success unless a well-defined principle of action is first
-laid out, and then lived up to.”
-
-“I wish I could believe your philosophy,” said Boast. “The dual
-nature in me continually divides me.
-
-9212
-
-I go to sleep at night filled with the most laudable ambitions; I wake
-up the next morning and pursue an entirely different course, and therein
-lies the conflict—but I know, Mr. Gilder, I am boring you.”
-
-Vance assured him that he was not, but soon afterward took his leave,
-and as he walked along toward his home, he mused thoughtfully over his
-interview with J. Arthur Boast. What a different light had been thrown
-on his character! “Yes,” said he, “I will be his friend. I have
-misunderstood him.”
-
-The next morning the town was startled by the announcement that Mrs.
-Grim was dead. The church bell tolled fifty-six times. Bertha Allen was
-prostrated with grief, while the rich mine owner had the entire sympathy
-of the people of Gold Bluff. Rufus Grim did nothing by halves, and there
-could not have [205] been a more splendid show of grief than that for
-which his arrangements provided.
-
-The works on the Peacock were stopped, and the men, on full pay, invited
-to the funeral. It was an imposing affair. The crape on Mr. Grim’s hat
-was of the widest pattern, and jet studs took the place of his diamond.
-His black suit fit his plump form well, and he seemed subdued with
-genuine grief. Bertha Allen looked very fair and interesting in her
-costume of black. She clung dependently to Mr. Grim’s arm during the
-burial service, and looked unusually pretty, notwithstanding the marks
-of grief and weeping upon her handsome face; indeed, she enlisted the
-sympathy of all who saw her.
-
-The following day work on the Peacock was started up again, and the
-deep, resounding blasts down below the earth’s surface told of more
-gold flowing towards the coffers of Rufus Grim.
-
-The machinery in Gray Rocks mine had been behaving badly. Several big
-breaks had occurred, and work had been delayed at one time for two
-weeks. The days glided by, and October had come again. The rocks high
-up the mountain, overlooking Gold Bluff, reflected the autumn sun,
-while the forests on the mountain side were ablaze with fiery autumn
-tints—nature’s superb clothing.
-
-Colonel Bonifield had ceased, in part, to be the enthusiast of former
-days. Perhaps he felt that he had passed his word to give up work
-on Gray Rocks if disappointment should again reward his efforts, and
-possibly it saddened him.
-
-One evening Vance and Louise had called on Bertha Allen. She was
-beautiful as ever, and lisped in sweet intonation. Her dress indicated
-the grief that still rested [206] upon her. That evening, after her
-callers had taken their leave, Rufus Grim joined Bertha in the parlor of
-his luxuriant home. The weeks that had intervened since the death of his
-wife had not made him entirely forget the proper melancholy tone which
-formality, at least, demanded he should exhibit.
-
-Bertha seemed frightened with some secret fear and anxiety. She knew too
-well that a crisis in her life was approaching. Yes, Rufus Grim came to
-declare himself.
-
-He was confident, as he always was, of the result, nevertheless, there
-was a timidity that prevented him from feeling the full assurance
-that he would have liked. He sat down beside her, and after a few
-common-place remarks, he said, in a voice low, yet audible: “Bertha, I
-have something to say to you.”
-
-“Yes,” she lisped innocently enough, and looked up into his face.
-
-“What I have to say,” Grim went on, in a husky voice, “cannot be a
-matter of news to you. You must know that I love you; yes, love you with
-my whole heart.” His hands trembled and his voice was unsteady.
-
-“You’ve always been so very kind to me,” lisped Bertha, and there
-was gratitude in her voice.
-
-“Heaven knows I have tried to be, and that I have guarded you with
-jealous care ever since you were a little girl and came under my
-protection.” He had taken her hands, but they were unresponsive. “No
-man,” continued Grim, “could love you more than I have for many
-years. Of course you knew what my feelings were—you must have known,
-for have I ever failed to satisfy your every wish and want?”
-
-[207] “Never,” murmured Bertha, as she leaned her head against his
-breast
-
-“Yes, I have protected you,” he went on, as he laid one arm about
-her slender form, “I have kept you from the young scape-grace, your
-cousin, Arthur Boast. I feared he was trying to make love to you, and
-for that reason forbade him the house.”
-
-0215
-
-“Oh, how could you think such a thing?” said she, in her soft,
-cooing way, yet with a half-indignant intonation in her voice.
-
-[208] “Oh, I am perfectly content now,” replied Grim, and his old,
-pompous air and manner of speech began to assert themselves. “Of
-course I could not show you my heart in all its tenderness—I was
-a husband and had to control myself—but now, it seems as if all
-obstacles have been removed. Do you love me, Bertha? I have thought many
-times that I could read my answer in your eyes, but I long to hear you
-say so.”
-
-“Yes,” whispered Bertha, “I love you so much.”
-
-In his daily walks, Rufus Grim was an over-bearing, selfish man, but now
-he was softened, and his emotion was very great. He looked tenderly and
-longingly on the drooping head beside him, and was for a time completely
-absorbed in the intensity of his love for the artful girl at his side.
-
-Yes, she was fooling him. She was the affianced wife of J. Arthur Boast,
-and yet she must play her part.
-
-“And may I one day call you wife?” said Rufus Grim, pressing her
-closely to him and kissing her reverently on the forehead. “Say in a
-year from now,” he pleaded.
-
-“Yes,” she lisped, gently pressing his hand, “it shall be as you
-say.” As a matter of truth, she was mentally speculating how she could
-get out of this horrible scrape. He had said in a year—that was a
-long time. She would have ample opportunity to free herself in some way.
-Arthur must help her.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXIV.—THE GOLDEN MAUSOLEUM.
-
-9217
-
-GRIM [209] was a happy man. He would conceal his joy for one short year,
-and then—and then—. He had at last reached the top-most craig of all
-his worldly hopes. Wealth was his, and now he had secured the promise of
-Bertha Allen to be his wife. He called at his lawyer’s office the next
-day and told him he wished to add a codicil to his will. He spoke in his
-usual loud and confident way, and seemed to constantly remember that he
-was not only the richest man in Gold Bluff, but, by big odds, the most
-fortunate.
-
-The lawyer knew his client. He knew his whims and wisely humored his
-eccentricities. It needed but little encouragement and flattery to set
-Rufus Grim going, recounting the steps he had carved out for himself on
-life’s journey, and the pinnacle to which he had climbed.
-
-Arthur Boast came in and took a seat in the outer room, Grim requested
-the lawyer to close the door, and asked him what he let that young
-scoundrel come about the premises for. Then he seemed to remember that
-he was the victor, and why should he still hold malice? After a little,
-he again referred to the matter of changing his will, and when the
-lawyer was ready, he [210] dictated a codicil bequeathing all his
-possessions unconditionally to Bertha Allen, to which he attached his
-signature. The lawyer showed no signs of astonishment at Rufus Grim’s
-action, though he guessed the relationship that existed between his
-client and Bertha Allen.
-
-That evening a clandestine meeting between Bertha and her cousin, Arthur
-Boast, had been arranged.
-
-9218
-
-Her first words, after the greeting and a kiss of welcome, were in
-regard to the ordeal she had passed through with Mr. Grim.
-
-“To think, Arthur,” lisped Bertha, “of that old fool asking me to
-be his wife! Why, I really thought I would die, I did indeed!”
-
-“And what did you say?” asked Boast.
-
-“Why, you sweet old darling, what could I say but give him to
-understand that perhaps I was willing? I told him to wait a year, and
-then—.”
-
-“Yes, and then?” hissed Arthur, through his teeth.
-
-“Oh, don’t be foolish, my own darling,” said she, slipping her
-arms about his neck, “you know I was only pretending; you know that I
-loathe him, but I have been dependent on his bounty for so many years.
-I am only too ready, Arthur, to go with you; yes, to the ends of the
-earth.” She caressed him tenderly, and Arthur’s ill-feeling gave way
-before her tender entreaties.
-
-He had heard Rufus Grim dictating the codicil to his will, and had been
-fired with a mad jealousy, but she had confessed all at their first
-meeting, and he felt relieved. He would not tell her of the codicil to
-the will; no, not now.
-
-[211] “We must not delay our marriage much longer,” said Bertha,
-sweetly, “we really must not, Arthur; you must save me from that old
-bear. Oh, how I hate him!”
-
-“Did he attempt to caress you?” asked Arthur.
-
-“Yes,” replied Bertha, slowly, “but he only kissed me once.”
-
-“Only kissed you once!” cried Arthur, and with a savage oath he
-pushed her from him.
-
-“Arthur, you’ll break my heart,” she cried in stifled pain, and
-creeping closer to him she clasped his arm with both her hands. “He
-kissed me on the forehead. How could I help it? He is so overbearing and
-so determined—I did not know but he would turn me away from his home
-unless I humored and fooled him. Won’t you forgive me? How could I
-help it?”
-
-“Yes,” said Arthur, clasping her passionately to his breast, “yes,
-I’ll forgive you; but you must go away from Rufus Grim’s house, and
-I will arrange matters and soon we will be married.”
-
-“You make me so happy, Arthur; I could starve, yes, starve willingly
-with you, rather than live with any other man on earth.”
-
-“I think we had better be married soon,” said Arthur, “say in two
-weeks?”
-
-“Impossible!” lisped Bertha.
-
-“No, not impossible,” replied Boast, almost savagely,
-
-“I say we must be married in two weeks. I will take you to
-my father’s for a little while, after which we will commence
-housekeeping.”
-
-“Why, Arthur,” protested Bertha, “you are the most unreasonable
-man living; you are, indeed. How can I [212] be married in two weeks?
-It’s such a short time since mamma died.”
-
-“It must be as I say,” replied Arthur, determinedly, “it is for
-your good. You are left alone in the world, and, Bertha, I love you with
-the only love that I have ever given to any human being. There, don’t
-cry; dry your eyes, my darling, and make up your mind that I know what
-is for your good.” She finally gave in, and the compact was sealed
-with a lover’s kiss and a tender embrace.
-
-The next day was one to be long remembered. Colonel Bonifield called at
-the Prospector office and told Vance that, at last, they had reached the
-500 foot level.
-
-9220
-
-“Yes,” said the Colonel, with more enthusiasm than he had exhibited
-for some months, “we have cert’nly had mo’ trouble, suh, in
-goin’ these last hund’ed feet than all the other distance put
-together, but we have kep’ right along, and finally, suh, we are 500
-feet below the groun’. Of cou’se, there’s a lot of work yet to do;
-in fact, a pow’ful lot, in cross-cutting into the vein, but a week’s
-work, with my present fo’ce of men, will finish the drift-shaft.
-It’s a vehy proud moment of my life, suh, to tell yo’ that afteh all
-the trials and delays we have had, that finally we are down to the 500
-foot level. There’s a little matteh, Mr. Gilder, that I want to speak
-to yo’ about. I’m goin’ to be a little short of money. I think,
-possibly, suh, I have enough fo’ about three or fou’ days’ work
-yet. We have about fo’ty men workin’, and I am anxious to keep them
-until we finish cross-cuttin’.”
-
-Vance was aghast. He knew not what to do, and he frankly confessed to
-the Colonel that the $6,000 which he had given him was, practically,
-every cent he had in the world of ready money; that he had written to
-Judge Patton, who had charge of his estate in New York city, and the
-judge interpreted his father’s will to require his residence in New
-York city in order to enjoy the annuity.
-
-The Colonel thought a moment, and then said: “Don’t bother
-yo’self, Mr. Gilder, it’s a matteh of vehy little importance,
-anyway, I assure yo’, suh; I know my men. Most of them have been
-workin’ fo’ me oveh a year, and I feel perfectly confident they
-will stand by me until we finish the work, even if I haven’t the ready
-money with which to pay them. They’re a grand lot of fellows, I assure
-yo’ they are, and between yo’ and me, every one of them has great
-confidence in Gray Rocks; wonde’ful confidence, yes, suh.”
-
-The Colonel [213] bade Vance good-day and started for his mine, and
-Vance turned to his case with a heavy heart.
-
-The winter was late in coming; though it was the first of November, yet
-the air was comparatively mild, and the breezes soft, yet invigorating.
-
-That evening, Rufus Grim walked back and forth on his wide porch
-contemplating his own importance. After a little, he walked down through
-the village and followed a by-path along the mountain side, up
-toward the old prospect shaft on the Peacock. The night was still and
-beautiful. The moon was in the last quarter; but her rays were obscured
-by lazy, drifting clouds, that hung idly in the heavens.
-
-Arriving at the old prospect shaft, he took off his hat, and pushed his
-fat fingers through his heavy hair. He [214] even unbuttoned his coat
-and leaned against the low wall about the old shaft. Far below him were
-the lights of Gold Bluff shining from many windows. He looked toward his
-home and thought of Bertha.
-
-“Yes, she loves me,” he mused aloud, “she is a darling little
-angel. I always thought she returned my love, and now I know it. What
-a coy way she has about her! What slender hands! Gad; but it was an
-ordeal, the declaring of my love for her, but I fancy no one could have
-done better. No, sir, Rufus Grim is always equal to any occasion.
-
-“I have made myself what I am. After we are married, we will go to New
-York city and Washington. They will say I have the loveliest little wife
-in America—they cannot say otherwise. The men will envy me for owning
-such a jewel. How different she is from other women!
-
-“Bertha!” he mused, “the loveliest name in the world! The little
-minx! Yes, she suspected that I loved her. She refused ‘em all for
-me; that scoundrel J. Arthur Boast, among the rest. He is a clever dog,
-though, and I rather feared him, but now it is all over.
-
-“I wish my law-suit was settled; that is the only speck on my horizon,
-but the decision in the courts above, I feel sure, will be the same
-as in the lower courts. Yes, I am lucky; there’s none luckier on the
-whole face of the earth. I came into this camp with nothing—now look
-at my possessions.” He chuckled to himself, and in an absent way
-kicked his foot against the old wall.
-
-“Here is the place I made the discovery. I presume I ought not to
-blame the dogs of war for being on my track, of course, they want a
-share of this rich mine, but d——— ‘em, they can’t have it. No,
-sir, it belongs to Rufus [215] Grim! The gold I have will protect the
-unmined millions in the Peacock.
-
-“Neither court nor jury shall stand before my ambition. My first, yes,
-my abiding ambition, is for gold, but with it has come a love that
-knows no brooking for Bertha. God bless her! She is so tender and so
-refined—-my cup is full to overflowing.
-
-“They say I am successful. Whom shall I thank but [216] myself? No
-one. I have climbed the rugged and uneven path alone, unaided. I have
-bent men to my way of thinking; I am greater than all of them; yes,
-greater than all. I’ll make my marriage a success too, and with my
-gold and my beautiful wife, I will commence living. No, I have never
-lived; I have merely slaved and existed, but now I am getting ready to
-commence.”
-
-Thus Rufus Grim fed himself on his own egotism, and recounted life’s
-victories, resulting from his own exertions.
-
-0223
-
-A dark form crouched near him, dimly outlined in the uncertain light.
-Presently it crept stealthily up behind him. There was a hurried rush,
-a whistling noise cut sharply through the air; a stifled cry, a heavy
-fall, and Rufus Grinds body plunged forward into the yawning mouth of
-the old prospect shaft, and his life’s work was over.
-
-His anticipated happiness, his pompous joy, his earthly prosperity, his
-vanity and vain-glory, all were over. Had he died by any other method,
-it might have been said that it was well that his death occurred before
-he discovered that Bertha Allen, to whom he had given all that was
-tender in his coarse and pompous life, had cruelly deceived him.
-
-It mattered not now, the decision of the higher courts of earth, but
-rather the decision of that higher court in heaven. A sounding splash
-from murky waters far below resounded back to the outer world like a
-farewell echo, and Rufus Grim’s mangled remains rested near the gold
-he loved so well. Yes, in the vault where his manhood had been bartered
-for gold, he slept. There was gold on [217] every side—gold above him
-and gold beneath him—a priceless mausoleum.
-
-Yes, at last, all that was mortal of the man of inordinate worldly
-ambition and restless energy, reposed in the monotonous sleep of
-unbroken stillness.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXV.—CROSS-CUTTING IN THE MINE.
-
-9226
-
-HE next [218] day Rufus Grim was missed from the Peacock. His manager
-could not understand it. Never before had he absented himself from his
-office without giving the most detailed instructions in regard to work
-in the mine. When the following morning came and he was still absent,
-the manager’s fears ripened into genuine alarm and soon all the
-people of Gold Bluff were discussing the mystery of Rufus Grim’s
-disappearance.
-
-A vigorous search was instituted, which resulted a few days later in
-finding his lifeless body at the bottom of the old prospect shaft. At
-the coroner’s inquest it was decided that he had been murdered, as was
-evidenced by peculiar wounds on the back of his head.
-
-He was laid to rest by the side of his deceased wife, with a
-demonstration that far excelled any funeral that had ever taken place in
-Gold Bluff. Such a cowardly murder excited the sympathy of all who knew
-him. They forgot the pompous, over-bearing owner of the Peacock, in
-listening to the minister’s pious words of commendation over the
-mangled remains of Rufus Grim, the citizen.
-
-The mystery surrounding his demise appealed to all law-abiding citizens
-to help hunt down the assassin. In [219] the feverish excitement it was
-remembered that Hank Casey and Steve Gibbons were sworn enemies of the
-rich mine owner; indeed, the latter had even threatened his life in the
-presence of numerous witnesses.
-
-The sheriff who had so ignominiously failed in running down the stage
-robbers, took the lead in trying to ferret out the murderer and bring
-him to justice. A few days after this, warrants were sworn out for the
-arrest of Steve Gibbons and Hank Casey, charging them with the crime.
-Gibbons was arrested, but Hank Casey could not be found. He had
-disappeared a few days after the murder, and no one knew where he had
-gone. Gibbons maintained a dogged silence and seemed much subdued and
-humiliated that not one of his many supposed friends came forward to
-sign his bond. Handcuffed and accompanied by the sheriff, heavily armed,
-he appealed in vain to many, but without success. Vance made himself
-quite unpopular by offering to sign Steve Gibbons’ bond. The people
-were indignant and said it was carrying his ill-feeling toward Rufus
-Grim entirely too far. As he had no property excepting an interest in
-Gray Rocks mine, which was undeveloped, he was considered incompetent as
-a bondsman and promptly rejected.
-
-One evening Vance worked very late setting type on the Prospector. It
-was past midnight when he went to his sleeping room. He was about to
-retire when he heard some one knocking at the printing office door. He
-admitted the visitor and found it to be J. Arthur Boast.
-
-“Good evening, Mr. Gilder,” said he, “I have come to see you on a
-little matter of great importance to myself.”
-
-“Come in,” said Vance, “I have no light in this room; come on into
-my bedroom.”
-
-[220] “You will remember a conversation we had,” said Boast, “some
-time ago at the hotel.” Vance assented that he did. “Well, I have
-come tonight to claim a little of the reciprocal friendship which you
-promised me.”
-
-“Circumstances,” said Boast, “indeed, shape the destiny of man. Of
-this I am more and more convinced. To think of us sitting down together
-as friends a month ago would have been preposterous, and yet I am happy
-to know we meet as such to-night. What impelled me to send for you the
-night you visited me at the hotel, I am unable to explain; an impulse
-that I was not strong enough to overcome, compelled me to do it. I feel,
-Mr. Gilder, that I have much to be thankful for in your friendship, and
-yet it has all been brought about by a circumstance over which I had
-no control. It was not the result of a premeditated judgment, but the
-outcome of an impulse.”
-
-“I hope,” said Vance, as he reached Boast a cigar and lit one
-himself, “that you have no regrets in regard to our late friendly
-understanding.”
-
-“No, indeed,” replied Boast, “on the contrary I feel that I am one
-of the most fortunate men living. By the way,” he continued, “this
-is an excellent cigar.”
-
-“Yes,” replied Vance, “I received a box from one of my New York
-friends. It is a luxury that I am not able to indulge in very freely,
-unless some old chum happens to remember my isolation in these Western
-mountains and takes pity on me.”
-
-“Have I told you,” asked Boast, “that I have quit drinking?”
-
-“No!” replied Vance, in some surprise.
-
-“Yes, I have given up red liquor altogether. The habit got a pretty
-strong hold on me and I was going down hill at a very rapid pace;
-indeed, I had quite given up any hope of ever being anything but a hard
-drinker. Scarcely had I reconciled myself to that belief, than a whim,
-a caprice, an impulse, or whatever you may call it, took hold of me and
-said, ‘No more [221] liquor, J. Arthur Boast; not another drop,’ and
-from that day to this I have not tasted the abominable stuff.”
-
-9229
-
-Vance assured him he was glad to hear of the reformation.
-
-“I am in love; desperately so,’.rdquo; said Boast.
-
-“In love?” repeated Vance.
-
-“Yes, I am in love with my cousin, Bertha Allen, and she reciprocates
-my own tender affection. On her account, if not for my own, I am indeed
-glad the red liquor craze has been overcome, and that reminds me of the
-object of my visit.
-
-“Bertha is such [222] a stickler on formalities and so sensitive that
-I have had hard work to convince her our marriage should take place
-so soon after her mother’s death. Our arrangements were made to be
-married the day after to-morrow. Her step-father’s death, of course,
-complicated matters a little, and she thought we ought to postpone the
-affair. As usual, however,” continued Boast, “I have convinced her
-that she is wrong and I am right, and have finally gained her consent,
-on one condition, that you and Miss Louise will favor us with your
-presence and act as groomsman and bridesmaid.”
-
-Vance was non-plussed at Boast’s remarks, and for a moment did not
-know what to say.
-
-“It will be a very quiet affair,” continued Boast, “immediate
-relatives and all that—she has none, and neither have I, save my
-father and mother. We are to be married at my father’s. There’s no
-one Bertha thinks so much of as Louise. They have been chums for many
-years, and since you profess friendship for me, I feel sure you’ll not
-refuse my request.”
-
-Vance promised to consider the matter and let him know the next day,
-after consulting Louise.
-
-“Very well,” said Boast, “I will call to-morrow. It’s really too
-bad,” he went on, “that a weak little woman like Bertha should have
-had so much suffering during the last few months. Actuated by sympathy
-as well as love, I feel it my duty to set formalities aside, marry her,
-and thus insure to myself the privilege of protecting and caring for her
-as she deserves.”
-
-“Yes,” said [223] Vance, “she has had a great deal to endure. By
-the way, Mr. Boast, do you believe Steve Gibbons guilty of Mr. Grim’s
-murder?”
-
-Boast relit his cigar before answering. “Mr. Gilder,” said he, after
-deliberating, “I hope Mr. Gibbons is innocent. I have tried to look
-calmly at his case, shrouded in mystery as it is. I have tried to blunt
-my ears to whisperings and prejudices and not jump with the multitude
-toward a hasty conclusion Of course, the circumstantial evidence
-against Mr. Gibbous is rather damaging. Mr. Casey’s disappearance and
-Gibbon’s continued silence as to his whereabouts, makes it look still
-worse. The probabilities are that nine out of ten of the people of
-Gold Bluff believe him to be guilty. They have built up a wall of
-circumstantial evidence that seems to be impregnable, and unless the
-public pulse is permitted to cool before his trial comes off, they very
-likely will convict him, To me, mercy seems much more preferable than
-a hasty judgment, Well, good-night, Mr. Gilder. I am sorry to have been
-compelled to call on you at such a late hour, but you know,” said he,
-with a jocular laugh, “it is an urgent case, and when you are as near
-to your nuptials as I am, I’ll forgive you if you should rout me out
-of bed at all hours of the night.”
-
-“A strange man!” said Vance to himself when Boast was gone, “he
-talks like a philosopher. His judgment is seasoned with mercy. How could
-I have misunderstood him as I did? It’s rather odd that he and Bertha
-Allen are to be married. I know Louise will be surprised. After all,
-it’s best that he should marry Miss Allen, and the very fact that
-he makes her his wife at this time when she is left completely alone,
-really ennobles the fellow to me.”
-
-The following day a favorable answer was given to Boast, and the
-marriage took place the next evening. It was indeed a quiet affair.
-Whether Colonel Boast and his wife approved of their only son marrying
-his cousin or not, Vance was unable to satisfactorily decide in his own
-mind; but he and Louise both acknowledged that they felt freed from an
-indescribable restraint after taking their departure.
-
-Almost simultaneously with the announcement of J. Arthur Boast’s
-marriage was the discovery that Bertha Allen was the heiress of all the
-vast possessions of the murdered mine owner. Rufus Grims attorney
-became Arthur Boast’s trusted adviser. Work in the great Peacock mine
-continued, and within a week J. Arthur Boast was in control of affairs;
-indeed, he seemed a changed [224] man. His responsibilities seemed to
-subdue without irritating him. The people were quick to discover new
-elements of strength in the controller of the Peacock, and vied with
-each other in giving him encouragement.
-
-Work on Gray Rocks had not been progressing so smoothly. Old Colonel
-Bonifield, fired with the enthusiasm of a Ponce de Leon, believed the
-forty odd men employed in cross-cutting the drift shaft from the 500
-foot level would remain with him, although his finances were exhausted.
-
-It was on Saturday night that he called his men about him and explained
-his temporary embarrassments.
-
-8232
-
-He paid them off in full, and assured them that three or four more
-days’ work with their united assistance, was all that was necessary
-to reach the gold he had been looking for so many weary years, and
-expressed confidence, in his chivalrous way, that all his employes would
-report the next Monday morning for work, and stay with him until the
-drift was finished. The following Monday morning, however, found but
-a half dozen men reporting for work, much to Colonel Bonifield’s
-surprise and disappointment.
-
-The old Colonel went into the mine with his faithful adherents,
-and encouraged them by his undaunted energy. What could have been
-accomplished by forty men in the space of three days, would require
-fifteen or twenty days with his half dozen assistants. They lessened the
-size of the drift shaft, however, and this would make quite a saving of
-time. Throughout the week, the Colonel, with his handful of assistants,
-labored incessantly. When the next Monday morning came around, he found
-that only three reported for duty. This was indeed discouraging, but
-with a determination that knew no brooking, he went on.
-
-Two days later, [225] his three assistants advised him that their
-families were in want of the necessities of life, and while they
-still had unbounded faith in Gray Rocks, yet they owed a duty to their
-families first and before all else, and could not remain with him any
-longer.
-
-After this, the engineer and fireman took turns in helping the Colonel.
-One man remaining in the engine room performed the work of both. After
-a couple of days of monotonous drilling and blasting, the Colonel one
-evening told Louise of his great discouragement.
-
-“My deah daughter,” said the Colonel, “they have all dese’ted
-me; I am left alone to finish the work in the mine as best I can. It’s
-pow’ful humiliatin’ to be dese’ted just when I am reachin’ fo’
-the last round in the laddeh.” Louise had slipped her arms around his
-neck while he was speaking.
-
-“My dear father,” she said, “why not go to Mr. Gilder; he has been
-so true to you, and I am sure, now that you are so near finishing your
-work, he will give you what assistance is needed.”
-
-The old man stroked his daughter’s hair affectionately. “Yes,
-suh, yo’ are right; he would help me if he could. No one seems to
-undehstand me, Louise, my deah child, except’n’ yo’self and Mr.
-Gilder. I may as well tell yo’ that I called on Mr. Gilder sev’al
-days ago fo’ a little mo’ money, and he told me the $6,000 which he
-had given us was practically every dollar he had in the world. It made
-my old heart bleed to see the pained expression on the [226] noble
-young fellow’s face—pained because he couldn’t help me mo’. I
-explained to him that it made no diff’ence; that my men—the rascals
-who have so shamefully dese’ted me—had confidence in Gray Rocks, and
-that they would stand by me fo’ a few days longeh.”
-
-The Colonel walked back and forth in an agitated way, and held his head
-between his hands. “My God, it will drive me crazy,” he exclaimed,
-“if the work is not finished.” Louise was startled at his manner.
-She noticed that he appeared older than ever before, and condemned
-herself for not giving him more encouragement and help.
-
-“Father, how can I help you?” she asked, imploringly.
-
-“There is no way, my precious little child; come here to me.” He
-seated himself and she nestled on his lap.
-
-“To-morrow morning, father,” said she, “now listen, for I am going
-to have my way—to-morrow morning I am going with you down to the 500
-foot level and help you with the work. I’m not afraid, and I’m very
-strong, too.”
-
-“Why, what [227] would Mr. Gilder say if he knew my little girl
-was down in a mine workin’.” said the Colonel, half amused at her
-earnestness, while he pressed her close and closer to him.
-
-“Mr. Gilder?” repeated Louise, looking dreamily into the bed of red
-coals in the open grate, “we won’t tell him. How heroic it was of
-him to give you every dollar he had in the world! Tell me, father, do
-you think any one else would have done so much?”
-
-“No, suh,” replied the Colonel, “there’s betteh blood
-cou’sin’ through his veins than any man I eveh saw. To be sure,
-he’s a nawth’n man—that is, he was bawn in the nawth; but even the
-old state of Virginia neveh produced a manlier man.”
-
-True to her promise, the next morning found Louise with her father in
-the drift shaft, 500 feet underground. They had carried with them
-a well-filled lunch basket, and worked with a determination born of
-despair. Holes were drilled deep in the solid rock and filled with giant
-powder, then after lighting the fuse, they would retreat until the blast
-resounded in hollow mockery through the caverns of the earth. No sooner
-would the smoke clear away than they would drill again.
-
-While Louise was drilling and putting forth all her strength in work
-that would have tried the courage of the hardiest miner, her father
-would take turns with her, and again he would measure the distance from
-the shaft to see how much farther they had to drift.
-
-It was late in the evening, and they had been working on some time in
-silence, when the Colonel, after making a last measurement, shouted out
-in the stillness, “Well finish it to-night! Bring the powdeh, while
-I drill!” and presently another blast resounded like a death knell to
-hope, tearing away great sections of the adamantine rock. On, on they
-worked—drilling and blasting.
-
-Louise had become well-nigh exhausted, and rested for a moment, when the
-Colonel shouted: “Drill on! Drill on! There’s no time to lose!”
-
-“But, father,” cried Louise, “the powder is all gone. Shall we
-not send the engineer for more? There’s hardly enough for more than
-another blast.”
-
-“No!” yelled the Colonel, almost like a maniac in vehemence, “I
-have no money fo’ mo’ powdeh. [228] Let us use what we have. Scrape
-the cans and put it all in one great blast. I will drill.”
-
-0236
-
-Louise was frightened. She feared her father was losing his mind. It
-might be, after all, that instead of benefitting him by her constant
-encouragement and belief in Gray Rocks, she had but added to his vain
-hallucination, and the shock of another failure might dethrone his
-reason. While she was thinking, she industriously applied herself to
-gathering from the different cans that had contained the giant powder
-all that was left into one. Yes, there was enough for one more blast,
-but not enough for two.
-
-“Where is the powdeh?” cried the Colonel. She looked at her father,
-whose face was almost as white as the disheveled hair of his uncovered
-head. He had thrown aside his hat and coat, and was wrought up to the
-highest pitch of excitement.
-
-“A moment, father,” said Louise, laying her hand on his arm.
-
-“Let me alone, I have no time to wait,” he said.
-
-“But listen, father, won’t you? Listen to me just a moment.”
-
-“Well, what is it?” said he, impatiently, wiping the perspiration
-from his brow.
-
-“For thirteen years, father, you’ve been striving and striving to
-find gold in Gray Rocks; what if you are no nearer now than you were
-thirteen years ago? Will you be so terribly disappointed, father? Come,
-tell me you will not.” She had her arms about his neck and was looking
-pleadingly up into his face. He pushed her from him.
-
-“Yo’ talk as if yo’ [229] doubted,” said he. “I’m thirteen
-years nearer success to-night than the day I commenced. It’s vehy
-humiliatin’ to me to think that yo’, Louise, should doubt yo’r
-old father’s judgment. Have yo’ forgotten that my blood cou’ses in
-yo’r veins? Are yo’, too, turnin’ against me at the vehy last?”
-
-“Oh, father,” cried Louise, as she clung to him and buried her head
-on his breast, sobbing wildly, “don’t speak to me so harshly! It
-will kill me! Have I not,” said she, between her sobs, “stood by
-you and believed [230] with you, though all others, unless it was Mr.
-Gilder, turned against you? I believe now that you are right,
-father, but it may be deeper down, and I was only trying to make the
-disappointment less hard in case disappointment should again be the
-result of our efforts.”
-
-“There, there, little girl,” said the Colonel, stroking her head
-affectionately, “I do forgive yo’, and yo’ must forgive yo’r
-old, excitable father. Let us put in the powdeh; let us make the last
-blast, and let its resoundin’ peals tell the whole world that we’ve
-done our best!”
-
-“Yes, father; that we have indeed done our utmost; and after this
-blast we will go home and still have faith in Gray Rocks, though the
-whole world disbelieves.”
-
-“We have plenty of powdeh here,” said the old Colonel, picking up
-the can, “to tear ten tons of rock into shreds.”
-
-The fuse was lighted and they retired for protection until the powder
-should ignite. Presently there was a deafening roar, as if the mountains
-were being split asunder. The Colonel grasped his daughter’s hand with
-such a vise-like grip that it almost made her cry out with pain.
-
-“The last blast!” shouted the old Colonel, when the reverberations
-had ceased, “the smoke will soon clear away, and then we shall see,
-yes, suh, we shall see!”
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXVI.—A STARTLING EDITORIAL.
-
-9239
-
-ANCE knew [231] nothing of Colonel Bonifield’s discouraging labors in
-the mine. Indeed, he had been so busy with other matters that he had not
-found time to call on the Bonifield’s for over a week—a very unusual
-occurrence.
-
-A few days prior to Louise’s experience in her father’s mine, Vance
-had been routed up by some one knocking on his window in the middle
-of the night. It proved to be none other than the missing Hank Casey,
-accompanied by Marcus Donald of Waterville. A consultation that lasted
-several hours followed. An understanding was finally reached, and it
-was agreed that Hank Casey should remain concealed during the daytime in
-Vance’s room, and await developments.
-
-“I may be laying myself liable to the law,” said Vance, laughingly,
-“in concealing a man for whom a warrant has been issued, but,
-nevertheless, I believe what you tell me, and on our mutual friend,
-Marcus Donald’s advice, I shall act my part unflinchingly.”
-
-“Of course,” said Marcus Donald, “it’s none of my affairs in one
-sense of the word, but when Mr. Casey came to Waterville, having walked
-all the way from Gold Bluff by a circuitous route, in order to avoid
-meeting any [232] one, and told me that Mr. Gibbons was about to be
-unjustly arrested for murder, I at once became interested, especially
-with Mr. Casey’s knowledge of the affair.”
-
-“Ye see, pardner,” said Hank Casey, addressing Vance, “I ‘lowed
-things was goin’ to be pipin’ hot in these ‘ere diggin’s, fer I
-heered a rumour that Steve an’ I was both to be arrested. I knowed’
-t’wan’t no use fer both of us to lay ‘round here till our hands
-an’ feet were tied, so, sez I to Steve Gibbons, sez I, ‘Steve, you
-make your perch here in Gold Bluff, an’ don’t you run nary an inch,
-and I’ll scoot out an’ try an’ scare up some help an’ turn the
-tables on these ‘ere chaps. Of course, nuther of us liked Rufus Grim
-any too well; that is, we had no hankerin’ love for him; but I ‘low
-were not quite low enough down to commence murderin’ people, even if
-they did cheat us out of a rich mine like the Peacock. This game ain’t
-out yet,” he went on, “the higher courts may reverse the decision of
-the court below, and in that event Steve an’ I will yet have justice,
-though it s been dangnation slow ‘bout comin’.”
-
-“I am greatly astonished,” said Vance, “at your revelation. It
-is entirely contrary to my theory of the case. I am beginning to feel,
-however, that my judgment amounts to but very little in this western
-country, though I must say I have received great encouragement from your
-words, Mr. Donald, in regard to Waterville property. I will throw a bomb
-into the enemy’s camp by writing an editorial for the Prospector that
-will touch a tender place, if Mr. Casey is correct in his statement.”
-
-It so happened that on the very day that Louise and her father were
-working in the mine, the Prospector was issued, and contained the
-following editorial: [233] THE RUFUS GRIM MURDER.
-
-The history of Rufus Grim’s demise, though still shrouded in mystery,
-will doubtless, when the facts are known, startle the people of Gold
-Bluff even more than the murder itself. It is true that Steve Gibbons is
-accused and languishes in the county jail, and that a warrant is out for
-the arrest of his old associate, Hank Casey. In the excitement of the
-hour, our people may have interpreted circumstantial evidence as
-proof of guilt. As a matter of fact, not one jot or tittle of damaging
-evidence, in the Prospector’s judgment, can be produced against these
-men.
-
-The idea of suicide has been effectually set aside by the findings
-at the coroner’s inquest. No one doubts that it was a cold-blooded,
-cowardly murder. We believe the murderer is in Gold Bluff to-day, and
-like the wolf of old, is clad in sheep’s raiment.
-
-Our people should understand the difference between circumstantial and
-real evidence. It is probably true that both Steve Gibbons and Hank
-Casey were on anything but friendly terms with Rufus Grim, but they
-were not his only enemies; indeed, there is one in Gold Bluff who was
-secretly, if not openly, a much greater enemy to the rich mine owner
-than either of the suspected parties.
-
-It is time that prejudice gave way to reason, and that others, who
-profited much more by Rufus Grim’s removal, should not only
-be suspected, but subjected to the crucial test of a thorough
-investigation.
-
-This article set the people of Gold Bluff agog. The entire camp, from
-center to circumference, seemed startled by the boldness of Vance
-Gilder’s double-leaded editorial. When J. Arthur Boast read the
-article, he was dazed by its audacity. He sent for his attorney, and
-throughout the afternoon a consultation that lasted far into the night
-was held.
-
-Work on the Peacock was shut down the following [234] morning at
-Boast’s request, and the men assembled at the company’s office.
-Boast, addressing the miners, said:
-
-“You, doubtless, have read the editorial in yesterday’s Prospector,
-written by a stranger and interloper in our midst, Mr. Vance Gilder, who
-foully accuses me of murdering Rufus Grim.
-
-9242
-
-I am now going down to the office of the Prospector, and shall demand an
-amende honorable. So many of you as see fit may accompany me.”
-
-“Ay, ay!” the crowd shouted, “we are ready!” Indeed, the
-citizens of Gold Bluff almost to a man, sided with Boast, and said Vance
-was showing a cowardly venom at J. Arthur Boast’s unexpected success
-and good fortune, that was neither dignified nor just. Boast led the
-way to the Prospector office, and was followed by a throng of determined
-miners and angry citizens, who were in a frame of mind that boded no
-good for Vance Gilder.
-
-Louise Bonifield had just come over to the Prospector office with a
-message from her father, and met Arthur Boast at the office door. Louise
-tripped lightly into the office and saluted Vance with a cheery smile
-and good morning, while Boast paused in the doorway.
-
-“Good morning, Mr. Gilder,” said he, savagely.
-
-“Good morning,” replied Vance.
-
-“Who wrote this editorial?” asked Boast, striking vigorously a copy
-of the Prospector which he held in his hand. “I tell you,” continued
-Boast, “I never murdered Rufus Grim, and any man that says I did is a
-liar, abase scoundrel, and a contemptible whelp!”
-
-[235] “That’s right! Ay, ay!” exclaimed the mob that was standing
-behind Boast, ready at a moment’s notice to loot the printing office.
-
-Vance was cool and collected. He noticed that Boast spoke in his
-old-time thin, piping voice, and his eyes were restless and glittered
-like a fiend’s. The element of manhood and of the philosopher had
-wholly disappeared.
-
-Louise stepped quickly forward before Vance could make a reply, and
-laying her hand on Boast’s arm, said: “Arthur, you know I have
-always been your friend. I am sure Mr. Gilder has never accused you of
-murdering Mr. Grim. What do you mean?”
-
-“But he has accused me,” retorted Boast. “Read this!”
-
-Vance stepped hurriedly from behind the case, and drawing Louise gently
-back, stood face to face with Arthur Boast. He was calm and determined.
-“Where,” said he, “where have I accused you of murdering Rufus
-Grim? Point out the sentence in the article where your name even
-appears?”
-
-“Well, you haven’t used my name, but you might as well have done
-so.”
-
-“No,” said Vance, as his eyes gleamed with fiercest indignation and
-anger, “I have not accused you, Arthur Boast, but you, by this act,
-with your mob of hirelings behind you, have accused yourself. Now
-you must, and by the eternals, shall answer to the law. A guilty
-conscience,” he continued, “needs no accuser, and it is your
-accusing conscience that has prompted you to come here and publicly
-charge yourself with the crime. Neither you, nor your host of admirers
-on full pay, can intimidate me. If you can pass through the test of a
-thorough investigation, and can be proved innocent, then I will have
-[236] no more to say, but until you do this, I shall publicly accuse you
-and denounce you as the murderer of Rufus Grim!”
-
-Vance towered up like a giant before the writhing and shriveling form of
-J. Arthur Boast.
-
-0244
-
-“Well, I don’t know that you have accused me in this editorial,”
-whined Boast, “and I don’t know as I need to take any steps of
-revenge until you dare to use my name in your paper. I guess I’ll wait
-and see what my [237] lawyer advises. Fall back, boys, I have nothing
-farther to say at this interview.”
-
-“But I have,” said Vance, in thundering tones, “and before long I
-shall have much to say.”
-
-“Well, you won’t say it through the columns of the Gold Bluff
-Prospector. It is my property; I have the bill of sale in my pocket.”
-
-“Yes,” said Vance, “yours is the weapon of a coward; the unholy
-use of the power of money, but your plan of securing possession of the
-Prospector has no terrors for me. The copy of the Prospector that you
-hold in your hand contains the last editorial I ever expect to write for
-the paper. It may please you to know that my last dollar is gone; I am
-penniless, and without interference from you the Prospector has been
-issued for the last time under my management. I have been typo, managing
-editor, devil, form setter, city editor, publisher and everything else,
-trying hard to make an honest living. I am now through. You and
-your host of satellites will oblige me by leaving the premises. Come
-to-morrow morning and take possession. You’ll not find me in the
-way.”
-
-Boast turned, and facing his mob of backers said, with the forced laugh
-of a whipped man:
-
-“I thought I would squelch him, boys; he had to cave in, you bet.”
-His voice was shrill and squeaky, and his braggadocio air, as he led his
-admirers away, hid but poorly his nervousness and agitation.
-
-Vance and Louise were alone. Louise had stood by during the interview,
-startled and alarmed. She marvelled at Vance’s strength; at his
-grandeur; at his nobleness; and when she heard him say that now he was
-penniless, she remembered the sacrifices he had made to help her
-father. He turned toward her and their eyes met. It came to her like an
-inspiration, that her respect and admiration for him in times past had
-been but a prelude to the pulsing love she now felt for him. She reached
-out both her hands toward him; he took them, and a moment later she was
-sobbing on his breast. No word had been spoken, but volumes had been
-interchanged in that one look.
-
-The doorway was darkened. They quickly looked up, Louise through her
-tears, and Vance with a beaming countenance. Colonel Bonifield was
-surveying the situation with a look of genuine surprise on his face.
-
-“Yo’ almost pa’lyze me, suh,” said the Colonel, “indeed yo’
-do. Why, Mr. Gilder, I sent my little girl oveh here to tell yo’ that
-I had a matteh of vehy great impo’tance to talk oveh with yo’, but
-she was gone so long, suh, [238] that I became impatient and came oveh
-myself.”
-
-“Oh, papa,” said Louise, “Mr. Gilder and Arthur have had a
-terrible quarrel!”
-
-“A quarrel, suh; why, how is that?”
-
-“I am always ready to talk with you, Colonel,” said Vance, in a
-confused way, and unconsciously retaining one of Louise’s hands.
-
-“Well, now, if my little girl,” said the Colonel “God bless her!
-will go oveh home and see about preparin’ dinneh and lay an extra
-plate fo’ yo’, we’ll have our talk and come oveh a little
-lateh.”
-
-While no word had been spoken between Vance and Louise, yet he believed
-that his great love had been understood and rewarded. He lifted her
-hand to his lips as she started to go, with that chivalrous respect
-so becoming in the knights of old. When she was gone, Vance turned and
-thought he saw a smile chasing rapidly over the Colonel’s face.
-
-“Wait a moment, Colonel,” said Vance, “I have some choice cigars
-that were sent me from New York. Here, try this one.”
-
-“Thank yo’,” [239] said the Colonel, “I neveh felt mo’ like
-smokin’ in my life than I do this mawnin’ As they lit their cigars,
-they walked out in front of the printing office. The morning sun
-mellowed the crisp and invigorating mountain air. Vance narrated his
-interview with Boast. The Colonel’s face clouded with a troubled
-expression. Presently he said:
-
-“Mr. Gilder, we have at last finished our work on Gray Rocks.”
-
-“I am very glad,” was Vance’s reply.
-
-“Yo’ fo’ced me, suh, at one time,” said the Colonel, “to make
-a promise. When I pledge my word of honor, suh, as I did to yo’, it is
-sacred. Heretofore yo’ most naturally, Mr. Gilder, have asked me what
-I advised. I now come to yo’ and ask, what do yo’ advise?”
-
-“Colonel Bonifield,” said Vance, “I am glad you ask me what I
-advise. You know, Colonel, when you first came to New York city, you
-thought that if you could only get to the 300 foot level you would
-cross-cut into a mine of untold wealth.”
-
-“Yes, suh,” replied the Colonel, “that is so, and yo’ freely
-gave me the money to push the work.”
-
-“Yes,” said Vance, and unconsciously with the toe of his boot he dug
-in the sand as if he was seeking the 300 foot level, “at the 300 foot
-level your efforts were not rewarded. Then you started for the 400 foot
-level.”
-
-[240] “Yes, suh,” said the Colonel, “and again you gave me the
-money.”
-
-“Yes, yes,” said Vance, as the toe of his boot dug still deeper in
-the sand, “but again you failed. Then I gave you the last dollar of
-ready money I had in the world to sink the shaft on down to the 500 foot
-level.”
-
-“Vehy true,” said the Colonel, “and would have given me mo’ if
-yo’ had had it.”
-
-“Most assuredly,” said Vance, as his boot struck the rock that lay
-beneath the sand. “Yes,” said he, planting his heel firmly on the
-rock, “you have at last reached the 500 foot level. Heretofore, I have
-listened to your advice, and now I hope you will be guided by mine. I
-have been away from New York over two years. I have not left Gold Bluff
-for more than a year. I have remained close to Gray Rocks, alternately
-hoping and doubting that you would be successful. Colonel Bonifield,
-I have no regrets. You have been earnest and sincere, though sadly
-mistaken, in regard to this mining venture.”
-
-“Well, well, suh,” said the Colonel, as he waited for Vance to go
-on.
-
-“I have something [241] to say to you, Colonel—I love your daughter
-with my whole heart, and more devotedly, it seems to me, than ever man
-loved woman before. I have a beautiful home in New York city, with ample
-means to care for her and you. My advice is that you and your lovely
-daughter, with those dependent upon you, come with me and we will leave
-these western wilds, so associated with disappointment, and go to
-my city home. This morning, for the first time, I have had reason to
-believe that your daughter reciprocated the great love I bear her. You
-are now an old man, Colonel, and while I have not a doubt in the world
-that if you would sink your shaft to the 600 foot level, say, or,
-perhaps to the 700 foot level, you would strike the vein of gold you
-have been looking for so many years; yet, what is the use, Colonel
-Bonifield, what is the use? My love for your daughter is very great,
-and I believe it is unselfish. A home of plenty awaits us. Hardships and
-disappointment alone have been the reward of our earnest efforts.
-Why not go away from it all? Yes, let us go and forget the trials,
-hardships, and hopes deferred of a frontiersman’s life, and let me
-help you spend the remaining years of your life in quiet, peace, and
-contentment.”
-
-“Yo’ do me honor, suh,” replied the Colonel, as he brushed a mist
-from his eyes, “bawn in the nawth, yet yo’ possess the true chivalry
-of a southern gentleman. Yes, suh, yo’ do, indeed. It is true we sunk
-the shaft to the 300 foot level, and finally, to the 500 foot level, and
-you, suh, have fu’nished the money fo’ this great work. I thought
-my men would stay with me and help cross-cut into the vein, but I found,
-when I spoke to them about the matteh, that they only had confidence
-in Gray Rocks so long as there was money in my purse to pay their wages
-every Saturday night. When they dese’ted me, suh, I worked away alone,
-and finally that little girl, Louise, went down with me yeste’day
-early in the mawnin’, and we didn’t get home until after nine
-o’clock last night.”
-
-[242] “What!” said Vance, “Louise been working down in the mine?”
-
-“Yes, suh, the hardest day’s work I eveh put in on Gray Rocks was
-yeste’day.”
-
-“Why did you not let me know?” asked Vance, “I would have come and
-helped you most cheerfully, rather than have let her do the work of a
-man, and 500 feet under ground at that.”
-
-“Well, hold on, Mr. Gilder, let me tell yo’. We had a goodly portion
-of giant powder yeste’day mawnin’, and yo’ve no idea how much
-assistance Louise gave me. I took the measu’ments a dozen times, suh,
-durin’ the day, and it seemed to me that by workin’ a little late,
-we might finally blast through into the vein.”
-
-“Yes, Colonel, ‘where the vein might have been,’.rdquo; said
-Vance, with a merry twinkle in his eye, while he struck his heel in
-an absent way against the rock. The Colonel paid no attention to the
-interruption.
-
-“Finally, suh, we made our last, drill, and filled it up with every
-grain of powdeh we had left. My little Louise had to dust every powdeh
-can in ordeh to have enough to make the last blast. We retired, suh, as
-usual, afteh I had lit the fuse, and yo’ ought to have heard that
-last blast go off! My daughter, suh, God bless her, tried to dull
-the disappointment that she felt sure was awaitin’ our effo’ts
-by gettin’ me to promise not to be too much disappointed; but I had
-confidence; yes, suh, right up to the last. Well, suh, the smoke finally
-cleared away, and my God! suh, my old eyes wept for joy!”
-
-“What!” exclaimed Vance.
-
-“Look at this piece of ore, Mr. Gilder; richer, yes, suh, richer than
-anything ever discovered in the Peacock. [243] Yes, suh, my deah
-Gilder, we have made our last blast, and Gray Rocks is worth two million
-dollars. The agent of a rich minin’ corporation of Butte City made me
-an offer of that sum this mawnin’.”
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXVII.—AT LAST!
-
-9252
-
-EFFECT [244] on the people of a mining camp of one of those fabulously
-rich “strikes” like Gray Recks mine proved to be, may be imagined
-but cannot be described in words. Shopkeeper, citizen and miner alike,
-go wild with enthusiasm over so important a discovery. Congratulations
-were showered upon Colonel Bonifield and Vance from every quarter. Every
-one in Gold Bluff felt it his privilege to call at Colonel Bonifield’s
-home and pay his respects to one who had lived so long in their midst,
-and who had so persistently and so patiently maintained unbounded
-confidence in a proposition that was looked upon by others as a
-money-losing venture.
-
-Independent of the fortune left him by his father, Vance was now a
-millionaire. In his prosperity he did not forget his old friends. He
-called on the sheriff and again offered himself as bondsman for Steve
-Gibbons. The bond was accepted, and a half hour later, Gibbons was
-released. Hank Casey surrendered himself, and was also immediately
-bailed out of custody.
-
-One evening the stage coach brought to Gold Bluff Homer Winthrop and
-his young bride, nee Virgie Bonifield. It was a great surprise to the
-Bonifield household.
-
-[245] “And this accounts,” said Vance to Homer, after he had
-congratulated him, “this accounts for Marcus Donald hastening away
-from Gold Bluff.”
-
-“Yes,” said Homer, “I could not think of having the ceremony take
-place without my old friend and associate, Marcus Donald, being
-present. We have traveled together so long, in adversity as well as in
-prosperity, that we are quite inseparable.”
-
-“He is a great character,” replied Vance, “his disinterested
-assistance and help I have recently seen demonstrated in a marked
-degree.”
-
-“He is one of the ‘salt of the earth,’.rdquo; replied Winthrop,
-enthusiastically, “he is not only a sunny day friend, but one in
-the hour of need—indeed, he is a man among men. By the way,” he
-continued, “I want to congratulate you with all my heart on the great
-Gray Rocks strike.”
-
-“Thank you,” replied Vance, “the prosperity could never have come
-at a more opportune time. My finances was reduced to the last dollar
-when Colonel Bonifield broke the news to me.”
-
-“I received your letter, written some ten days ago,” said
-Winthrop, “and have sold those twenty-five lots your New York friends
-purchased.”
-
-“Thank God for that!” ejaculated Vance.
-
-“Yes, I sold them for $800 apiece, or $20,000. As they only paid
-$2,500 for them, I hardly think they can complain at the profits. Oh,
-you have no idea what a city Waterville has become. The great waterpower
-has been effectually harnessed, the streets are paved; electric car
-lines, planing mills, and scores of other manufacturing concerns are
-in full operation. Our population is now [246] numbered by thousands,
-instead of hundreds, while busy activity and prosperity are apparent on
-every hand.”
-
-“You quite astonish me, old fellow,” replied Vance, “indeed you
-do; but I needed no greater proof of Waterville’s prosperity than your
-report of the sale of lots belonging to my New York friends. Once, old
-fellow, I gave you my promise to wait five years before passing judgment
-on your enterprise. Hardly half that time has elapsed, yet it gives
-me pleasure to assure you that I am already better satisfied with
-Waterville than I ever dared hope for.”
-
-“Thank you,” said Homer, “your ‘Two Honorable Exceptions’
-article in the New York Banner was indeed prophetic.”
-
-“Yes,” said Vance, “while the prophecies of Col. Alexander, B.
-Webster Legal, Gen. Ira House, and other members of your Waterville Town
-Company, have been more than realized.”
-
-“My associates,” said Homer, “in the great work of building up
-Waterville, have at last met with a compensation which I cannot but feel
-is a just one. Taking it all and all, they are a grand lot of fellows,
-each one a study within himself; nevertheless, collectively a phalanx of
-strength.”
-
-“By the way,” he continued, “it was my noble little wife, Virgie,
-that started the boom last spring. She learned in some mysterious way
-that a private school fund had been created for her special benefit, and
-in order to return the money, purchased the first lots that we had
-sold for months and months, and from that day the boom started, until
-now—well, you’ll have to see the place to realize the wonderful
-changes and improvements.”
-
-[247] “Hers,” said Vance, “is certainty a sweet and noble
-character.”
-
-“Yes, indeed,” replied Winthrop, laughingly, “I still think she is
-the most practical member of the Bonifield family.”
-
-“Indeed,” said Vance, “I remember the allusion, and I beg to
-assure you that my opinion remains unchanged in regard to Louise.”
-
-“I notice,” said Winthrop, “that our old acquaintance, J. Arthur
-Boast, has had quite a rise in the world—at the head of the Peacock
-mine, I understand.”
-
-“Yes,” replied Vance, while a sorrowful expression swept over his
-face, “I fear his rise preceeds a mighty fall. Gibbons and Casey have
-been arrested for the Grim murder, but have given bonds, and are waiting
-for their attorney, B. Webster Legal, and to use one of Steve Gibbons’
-expressions, ‘Things are liable to be sizzlin’ hot for Boast before
-long. ‘”
-
-“Why,” interrupted Winthrop, “you cannot mean—”
-
-“Yes,” continued Vance, “I do mean that J. Arthur Boast murdered
-Rufus Grim. I have the evidence. Hank Casey saw the act.”
-
-“Why, you astonish me!”
-
-“Casey,” continued Vance, “was at first afraid to report the
-matter, nor did he until he went to Waterville. You were away at the
-time, and he confided to Mr. Donald. His own and Steve Gibbons’ long
-years of warfare with Grim over the Peacock, he was afraid, would cause
-people to suspect them of the crime. He divined rightly. There is a
-great prejudice against both of them.”
-
-“I never was more surprised in my life!” said Winthrop, [248]
-“and while I never liked the fellow, yet I had no idea he would commit
-murder.”
-
-The next day a warrant was issued for the arrest of J. Arthur Boast,
-charging him with the murder of Rufus Grim. A most diligent search was
-made, but the officer was unable to find him. His wife was in tears and
-prostrated with grief, declaring she had no idea of his whereabouts.
-
-It was the morning before Thanksgiving that Vance received a certain
-letter. It was from Arthur Boast, and read as follows:
-
-At Home.
-
-Dear Sir:
-
-Why I write to you above all others, is more than I can tell. An
-impulse, actuated by some wandering spirit from the regions of darkness
-and the damned, forces me to it. The things I want to do, I am unable to
-accomplish. The acts I loathe and abhor, I am made a cat’s-paw of to
-perform by some unknown impelling force.
-
-It may be that some men can shape their own destiny—mine has been
-shaped for me.
-
-I have never seen the time I did not fear you, and cannot remember
-the time I did not hate and despise you. I sought your friendship for
-protection. When I needed your support, you turned against me.
-
-Rufus Grim was my evil genius in this life, and he is more unbearable
-dead than living. Every night since I murdered him—yes, it was I who
-did the deed—he has visited me in my dreams All night long he walks up
-and down my bed-room—back and forth—and curses me. Sometimes I pull
-the covers well over my head, and try to sleep, but he pulls them off
-and rubs his cold, clammy hands threateningly over my face. He has found
-out also that I robbed the stage coach and bribed the sheriff.
-
-I am tired of it all. I have not slept for ten nights. My brain [249]
-is on fire. You want vengeance, but I intend to cheat you—yes? I will
-cheat you—and in this way I find my only consolation.
-
-An hour ago my attorney came to my hiding-place, and told me the higher
-courts had reversed the decision. When this is known all Gold Bluff will
-turn against me. Even now I can hear them hissing the words. Scoundrel!
-scoundrel! murderer! murderer! in tantalizing scorn.
-
-My ambition has always been to be wealthy. Now I am so poor that if I
-continued to live and was not hunted down and sent to prison, I would
-not even have a crust of bread to eat.
-
-Yes, Gibbons and Casey are now the owners of the Peacock mine—the
-higher courts have so decided. With their money, they’ll join you in
-persecuting me—but I’ll cheat them as well as you. Your longing for
-revenge shall not be satisfied.
-
-At the old prospect shaft on the Peacock, where I struck the fatal blow
-that hurled Rufus Grim into eternity, you will find all that remains of
-the persecuted, despised and hated.
-
-J. Arthur Boast.
-
-To Vance Gilder.
-
-A search was at once made, and his lifeless body found near the old
-prospect shaft.
-
-9257
-
-A bullet wound in his temple, and the weapon still clutched in his hand,
-told of the maniac’s suicide.
-
-The people of Gold Bluff were astonished at the rapidity with which
-history was being made. The sheriff was missing, and his absence gave
-color to Boast’s statement about the sheriff being an accomplice in
-the stage robbery.
-
-The undisputed owners of the Peacock mine, Casey and Gibbons, the
-multi-millionaires, were entirely vindicated by Boast’s letter,
-and not [250] a shadow of suspicion rested against them; indeed, the
-citizens of Gold Bluff suddenly remembered that Mr. Henry Casey and
-Stephen Gibbons, Esq., were most excellent gentlemen. It was astonishing
-to find how many “friends” flocked around them to tender their
-congratulations.
-
-It was Thanksgiving night, and Vance, with the members of the Bonifield
-household, was seated before the open grate, where a cheerful fire
-burned brightly. [251] They had been talking it all over, and the
-Colonel, in a subdued but satisfied way, thanked God that he had been
-permitted to live long enough to see a fulfillment of his life’s
-dream.
-
-8258
-
-Both Louise and Virgie were animated and happy, and Homer Winthrop had
-been dilating upon Waterville’s wonderful prosperity.
-
-Presently the door opened, and Aunt Sally came in. “Good evenin’,
-Mr. Gilder,” said she, in her rich Southern accent, “I ‘low this
-is the happiest day of our lives.”
-
-“Yes, indeed,” replied Vance, “we owe many apologies to your
-brother for our seeming lack of confidence in Gray Rocks.”
-
-She looked at him quickly over her spectacles, and replied, “Lack of
-confidence, Mr. Gilder? I’d like to know who lacked confidence in my
-brother Benjamin’s mine! Fo’ myself, I have believed from the first
-that Benjamin would strike it if I could only keep him workin’ away
-long enough.”
-
-Vance was non-plussed, and was about to reply, when the Colonel
-interposed. “Yo’ see, suh,” said he, with a knowing twinkle in
-his eye, “I have often obse’ved to yo’ that my sisteh is a most
-ext’ao’dina’y person; yes, suh, most ext’ao’dina’y indeed.
-She has been a powehful support to me, suh, in my effo’ts.”
-
-This seemed to partially pacify Aunt Sally. Presently she said, “I
-‘spect, Mr. Gilder, yo’ are thinkin’ ‘bout a convehsation we
-had a few months ago in regard to sinkin’ the shaft. Of cou’se yo’
-didn’t know how much strategy I had to resort to that I might keep
-Benjamin from getting disheartened. Of cou’se I won’t allow nobody
-to say anythin’ against my brother, but I ‘low he is the contrariest
-man livin’, I do indeed, suh. Time and again I have been fo’ced to
-pretend that I was opposin’ him, just to make him go on work in’ and
-sinkin’ that shaft, but at last it is all over with, and I’ve much
-to be thankful fo’ that I was spared so that I could keep on naggin’
-at Benjamin and spurrin’ him up, until finally his effo’ts were
-rewa’ded.” Soon after, she embraced Louise and Virgie tenderly, and
-retired.
-
-When she was gone, the Colonel looked up from the crackling fire, into
-which he had been gazing long and earnestly, and said, “I presume,
-Mr. Gilder, my sisteh is without question one of the greatest characters
-that ever lived, I do indeed, suh. I’m discoverin’, even to this
-day, new traits of superio’ity and strength in her. Indeed, suh, she
-is no o’dina’y woman. Though bawn in the South, and possessin’ in
-a high degree the very great refinement peculiar to our Southern ladies,
-yet at the same time her diplomacy in accomplishin’ great results
-equals the shrewdest Nawthe’n Yankee. Indeed, suh, she is a most
-rema’kable character; yes, suh, most rema’kable.” [252] A little
-later Homer and Virgie retired, pleading weariness. “Do you know,”
-said Colonel Bonifield, looking up from the fire again, “since our
-great discovery was made, I seem to want to do all my sleeping in the
-mawnin’.”
-
-“Papa,” said Louise, “is too busy thinking over and over again his
-great good fortune to get sleepy; but my! how late he does sleep in the
-morning!”
-
-“He has justly earned,” said Vance, “the rest he claims.’
-
-“Indeed he has,” replied Louise, approaching her father and pushing
-gently back his long white locks, “you are my darling old papa,” she
-continued in a caressing way, “and may sit up as late as you like, and
-sleep until noon every day if it is your wish.”
-
-“I’ll tell yo’, Mr. Gilder,” said the Colonel, rising and
-standing before the fire, “this little girl of mine is bound to spoil
-me; yes, suh; she always did humor me eveh since I can remembeh, and she
-is worse now than eveh befo’ Well, well, you’ll have to excuse me
-until I have another pipe of tobacco.” His elegant suit of black of
-the latest pattern added to his dignified appearance, and made a strange
-contrast, Vance thought, with the miner’s garb he had worn for so many
-years. He pushed through the portieres that opened into the library,
-and Louise and Vance were left alone, for the first time since the rich
-discovery had been announced.
-
-A doubt came into Vance’s mind whether he was glad of it or not.
-Heretofore this noble girl whom he had loved so long and patiently
-had been in a measure dependent upon him—now she was an heiress.
-He fancied he detected a restraint in her conversation that was
-embarrassing. His own unworthiness rose up before him, and he was
-engulfed in the cowardice of a lover! What if she should refuse him?
-Cross-cutting into a pinched-out vein would be nothing in comparison
-with such a disappointment. Presently, at his request, she went to the
-piano, and sang for him.
-
-She sang [253] with far more feeling than ever before. Her heart
-was filled with a maiden’s dearest happiness—a deep, reciprocal,
-unspoken love of limitless depth. Yes, with the unerring divination of
-a woman, she knew that Vance’s love was wholly hers. There was a love
-song before her, and under its cover, she would declare her own without
-restraint. She sang with the rapture of a mountain thrush, in notes so
-rich, so innocent, so plaintively low, so delightfully thrilling.
-
-Vance listened with bated breath. There are pleasures so keen as to
-be painful. “I am so inferior to her,” he thought, with unselfish
-humility, “but to live without her is impossible.” Finally she
-ceased playing and turned toward him with the music of her soul radiant
-upon her face. A momentary silence followed.
-
-“Louise,” [254] said Vance, and there was a tremulous rhythm in his
-voice, notwithstanding he tried to crush it into naturalness, “it
-may be news to you, but I can no more help loving you than I can help
-breathing.” He walked back and forth before the open grate. “Please
-do not look away from me,” he went on, “as if I were so unworthy—I
-know that well enough. I would rather love you without hope than
-have the unselfish devotion of all the other women of the earth at my
-feet.”
-
-She had lifted her hands and covered her face. Her happiness was very
-great. She fears he would see it, vet he must know it, else she would be
-miserable.
-
-“What I have said,” Vance went on, “may be nothing to you, but it
-is either life or death to me. To-morrow I shall leave Gold Bluff for
-ever unless you wish me to remain.” Vance stood before the open grate
-still and motionless, and when she looked up, she saw his face was white
-as marble. She rose from the piano with tear-stained cheeks, flushing
-pink as La France roses with morning dew-drops upon them. She came
-forward a few steps, and then paused. Her golden wealth of hair [255]
-reflected the forelight, and made a halo about her girlish face and
-form. Her full red lips were parted with the tender smile of youth,
-purity and love. She was thinking, “I am certain of his love; I am
-sure of mine for him, and I will give myself entirely, yes, wholly into
-his keeping.” With one hand over her beating heart, she held the other
-toward Vance. In a moment he was by her side, and raising her hand,
-pressed it passionately to his lips. In the deliciousness of love’s
-dream, he led her to a divan and seated himself beside her. His arms
-stole about her, her head rested on her breast, and there a devout
-lover’s affection was sealed with love’s first kiss.
-
-A moment [256] later the portieres parted, and in the doorway stood the
-Colonel. His long white hair fell back from his temples, and there was
-a look of gladness upon his countenance. He lifted up his face toward
-Heaven, and in tones that were scarcely audible, said: “Such tender
-and sacred things of earth are sanctified in Heaven.”
-
-Yes, again the Shuttle of Fate wove into the web of Destiny the better
-attributes of a manly man and the ennobling love of a gentle woman.
-
-0261
-
-0263
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-End of Project Gutenberg’s My “Pardner” and I, by Willis George
-Emerson
-
-*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MY “PARDNER” AND I ***
-
-***** This file should be named 52458-0.txt or 52458-0.zip *****
-This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
-http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/4/5/52458/
-
-Produced by David Widger from page images generously provided by the
-Internet Archive
-
-
-Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will be
-renamed.
-
-Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
-law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
-so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
-States without permission and without paying copyright royalties.
-Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this
-license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and
-trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not
-be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific
-permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook,
-complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly
-any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances
-and research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may
-do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected
-by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
-license, especially commercial redistribution.
-
-START: FULL LICENSE
-
-THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU
-DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
-
-To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
-distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
-(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project
-Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
-Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at
-www.gutenberg.org/license.
-
-Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic works
-
-1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree
-to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
-(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the
-terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all
-copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
-If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
-terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
-entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
-
-1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be
-used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
-agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things
-that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works even
-without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
-paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
-and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
-works. See paragraph 1.E below.
-
-1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the
-Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
-of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual
-works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States.
-If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United
-States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right
-to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or
-creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to
-Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support
-the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic
-works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with
-the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name
-associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this
-agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached
-full Project Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with
-others.
-
-1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
-what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in
-a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check
-the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
-before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing
-or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
-Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning
-the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
-States.
-
-1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
-
-1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
-access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
-whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which
-the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase
-“Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed,
-performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
-most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
-whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
-of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
-www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you’ll
-have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using
-this ebook.
-
-1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
-from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a
-notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright
-holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United
-States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing
-or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”
-associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with
-the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission
-for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set
-forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
-
-1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
-with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
-must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
-terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked
-to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
-permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
-
-1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
-License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
-work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
-
-1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute
-this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
-prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
-active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
-Gutenberg-tm License.
-
-1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
-compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
-word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or
-distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
-“Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official
-version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site
-(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
-to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
-of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain
-Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the
-full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
-
-1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
-performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
-unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
-
-1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access
-to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided that
-
-* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
-the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method you
-already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the
-owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has agreed to donate
-royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
-Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each
-date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your
-periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such
-and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
-address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the
-Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”
-
-* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you
-in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not
-agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm License. You
-must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works
-possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access
-to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
-
-* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
-any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
-electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
-receipt of the work.
-
-* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
-distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
-
-1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth
-in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from both the
-Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The Project Gutenberg
-Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact
-the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
-
-1.F.
-
-1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
-effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
-works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
-Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
-contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete,
-inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
-intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other
-medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be
-read by your equipment.
-
-1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right
-of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
-Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
-Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
-liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees.
-YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY,
-BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN
-PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER,
-AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR
-ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES
-EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
-
-1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect
-in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive
-a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written
-explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received
-the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your
-written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the
-defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
-refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
-providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
-receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy
-is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
-opportunities to fix the problem.
-
-1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
-in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO
-OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
-LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
-
-1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
-warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
-If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
-law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
-interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
-the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any
-provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
-
-1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation,
-the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
-providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
-with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
-promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
-harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
-that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
-or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
-work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
-Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
-
-Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
-
-Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
-electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
-including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists
-because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
-people in all walks of life.
-
-Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
-assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm’s
-goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will remain
-freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg
-Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and
-permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. To
-learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and
-how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the
-Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information
-about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
-
-The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
-501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state
-of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue
-Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number
-is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
-Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S.
-federal laws and your state’s laws.
-
-The Foundation’s principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the
-mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its volunteers
-and employees are scattered throughout numerous locations. Its business
-office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116,
-(801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information
-can be found at the Foundation’s web site and official page at
-www.gutenberg.org/contact
-
-For additional contact information:
-
-Dr. Gregory B. Newby Chief Executive and Director gbnewby@pglaf.org
-
-Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
-Archive Foundation
-
-Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide spread
-public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing
-the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely
-distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest array
-of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to
-$5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with
-the IRS.
-
-The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
-charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
-States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
-considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
-with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
-where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
-DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state
-visit www.gutenberg.org/donate
-
-While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
-have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
-against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
-approach us with offers to donate.
-
-International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any
-statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside
-the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
-
-Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
-methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways
-including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate,
-please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate
-
-Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
-works.
-
-Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
-concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
-with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project
-Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
-
-Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
-editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright
-in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
-necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
-
-Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
-www.gutenberg.org
-
-This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, including
-how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
-Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to
-our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
-
-
-
-
diff --git a/old/52458-0.zip b/old/52458-0.zip
deleted file mode 100644
index cffbe10..0000000
--- a/old/52458-0.zip
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h.zip b/old/52458-h.zip
deleted file mode 100644
index ecad0cf..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h.zip
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/52458-h.htm b/old/52458-h/52458-h.htm
deleted file mode 100644
index 53ee396..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/52458-h.htm
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9943 +0,0 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
-
-<!DOCTYPE html
-   PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
-   "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd" >
-
-<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en">
-  <head>
-    <title>
-      My 'Pardner' and I, by Willis George Emerson
-    </title>
-    <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" />
-    <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve">
-
-    body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify}
-    P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; }
-    H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; }
-    hr  { width: 50%; text-align: center;}
-    .foot { margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%; text-align: justify; font-size: 80%; font-style: italic;}
-    blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;}
-    .mynote    {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;}
-    .toc       { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;}
-    .toc2      { margin-left: 20%;}
-    .xx-small {font-size: 60%;}
-    .x-small {font-size: 75%;}
-    .small {font-size: 85%;}
-    .large {font-size: 115%;}
-    .x-large {font-size: 130%;}
-    .indent5   { margin-left: 5%;}
-    .indent10  { margin-left: 10%;}
-    .indent15  { margin-left: 15%;}
-    .indent20  { margin-left: 20%;}
-    .indent30  { margin-left: 30%;}
-    .indent40  { margin-left: 40%;}
-    div.fig    { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; }
-    div.middle { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; }
-    .figleft   {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;}
-    .figright  {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;}
-    .pagenum   {position: absolute; right: 1%; font-size: 0.6em;
-                font-variant: normal; font-style: normal;
-                text-align: right; background-color: #FFFACD;
-                border: 1px solid; padding: 0.3em;text-indent: 0em;}
-    .side      { float: left; font-size: 75%; width: 15%; padding-left: 0.8em;
-               border-left: dashed thin; text-align: left;
-               text-indent: 0; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;
-               font-weight: bold; color: black; background: #eeeeee; border:        solid 1px;}
-    .head      { float: left; font-size: 90%; width: 98%; padding-left: 0.8em;
-               border-left: dashed thin; text-align: center;
-               text-indent: 0; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;
-               font-weight: bold; color: black; background: #eeeeee; border:        solid 1px;}
-    p.pfirst, p.noindent {text-indent: 0}
-    span.dropcap         { float: left; margin: 0 0.1em 0 0; line-height: 0.8 }
-    pre        { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;}
-
-</style>
-  </head>
-  <body>
-<pre xml:space="preserve">
-
-The Project Gutenberg EBook of My "Pardner" and I, by Willis George Emerson
-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
-other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
-whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of
-the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
-www.gutenberg.org.  If you are not located in the United States, you'll have
-to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.
-
-
-
-Title: My "Pardner" and I
-       Gray Rocks, A Story Of The Middle-West, Illustrated
-
-Author: Willis George Emerson
-
-Release Date: June 30, 2016 [EBook #52458]
-Last Updated: August 2, 2016
-
-Language: English
-
-Character set encoding: UTF-8
-
-*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MY "PARDNER" AND I ***
-
-
-
-
-Produced by David Widger from page images generously
-provided by the Internet Archive
-
-
-
-
-
-
-</pre>
-    <div style="height: 8em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h1>
-      MY &ldquo;PARDNER&rdquo; AND I
-    </h1>
-    <h2>
-      (<i>Gray Rocks</i>)
-    </h2>
-    <h3>
-      A Story Of The Middle-West
-    </h3>
-    <h4>
-      Illustrated
-    </h4>
-    <h2>
-      By Willis George Emerson
-    </h2>
-    <h4>
-      Chicago: Laird &amp; Lee, Publishers
-    </h4>
-    <h3>
-      1894
-    </h3>
-    <p class="indent15">
-      &ldquo;Beneath yon rocky peak that hides
-    </p>
-    <p class="indent15">
-      In fleecy clouds its snow-flecked crest;
-    </p>
-    <p class="indent15">
-      Beneath those crimson crags abides
-    </p>
-    <p class="indent15">
-      The fairest queen of all the West.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br /><a name="linkimage-0001" id="linkimage-0001"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0009.jpg" alt="0009 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0009.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br /><a name="linkimage-0002" id="linkimage-0002"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0010.jpg" alt="0010 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0010.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br /><a name="linkimage-0003" id="linkimage-0003"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0011.jpg" alt="0011 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0011.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <b>CONTENTS</b>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2H_PREF"> PREFACE. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2H_4_0002"> PARTIAL LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0001"> CHAPTER I.&mdash;VANCE GILDER. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0002"> CHAPTER II.&mdash;THE OLD MINER. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0003"> CHAPTER III.&mdash;THE BANNER FORCE. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0004"> CHAPTER IV&mdash;A SUPPER PARTY. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0005"> CHAPTER V.&mdash;AN ODD CHARACTER. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0006"> CHAPTER VI&mdash;THE TOWN BOOMER. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0007"> CHAPTER VII.&mdash;A VISIT TO WATERVILLE </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0008"> CHAPTER VIII.&mdash;AT THE MINE </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0009"> CHAPTER IX.&mdash;THE STAGE DRIVER. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0010"> CHAPTER X.&mdash;PROPERTY HAS GONE UP. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0011"> CHAPTER XI.&mdash;OWNER OF THE PEACOCK MINE. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0012"> CHAPTER XII&mdash;TROUT FISHING. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0013"> CHAPTER XIII.&mdash;THE STAGE RIDE. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0014"> CHAPTER XIV.&mdash;THE TOWN COMPANY&rsquo;S
-      MEETING. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0015"> CHAPTER XV.&mdash;MISS VIRGINIA BONIFIELD. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0016"> CHAPTER XVI.&mdash;THE OLD COLONEL&rsquo;S
-      DISAPPOINTMENT. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0017"> CHAPTER XVII.&mdash;An AWAKENING. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0018"> CHAPTER XVIII.&mdash;VANCE RETURNS TO WATERVILLE.
-      </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0019"> CHAPTER XIX.&mdash;THE INDIGNATION MEETING </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0020"> CHAPTER XX.&mdash;THE STAGE IS ROBBED. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0021"> CHAPTER XXI.&mdash;REACHING THE 400 FOOT LEVEL.
-      </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0022"> CHAPTER XXII.&mdash;STARTING THE BOOM. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0023"> CHAPTER XXIII.&mdash;RUFUS GRIM S AMBITION. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0024"> CHAPTER XXIV.&mdash;THE GOLDEN MAUSOLEUM. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0025"> CHAPTER XXV.&mdash;CROSS-CUTTING IN THE MINE.
-      </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0026"> CHAPTER XXVI.&mdash;A STARTLING EDITORIAL. </a>
-    </p>
-    <p class="toc">
-      <a href="#link2HCH0027"> CHAPTER XXVII.&mdash;AT LAST! </a>
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <br /><br /> <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2H_PREF" id="link2H_PREF"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      PREFACE.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      The breaking of a twig in some vast forest, or the dull echo of a miner&rsquo;s
-      pick in a rugged mountain canyon, alike suggest the solitude of Nature.
-      The unwritten history of mining prospectors who search for yellow gold, or
-      the advance guards of our civilization in the rich valleys of the West,
-      are replete-with interest and dramatic incident. The &ldquo;boom&rdquo;
-      town builder also plays a most conspicuous part in this unwritten drama.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      There are no frayed-out remnants of a former greatness to be found on the
-      frontier. A man sells for his intrinsic worth&mdash;no more, no less.
-      Conditions that made men great in former generations are here active. and
-      develop manhood in its highest form.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      There is hardly a cross-road hamlet without its hotel, and usually a
-      &ldquo;Dick Ballard&rdquo; presides. &ldquo;Brainy men.&rdquo; such as
-      composed the Waterville Town Company, may be found wherever a new town is
-      building, while a &ldquo;Rufus Grim&rdquo; is usually the autocrat of the
-      mining camp.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The old &ldquo;Colonel&rdquo; represents a class of sturdy miners whose
-      untiring labor occasionally gives to the world the golden keys of some
-      fabulously rich discovery; while the greater number dedicate their lives
-      to a fruitless search for hidden treasures, and finally die of
-      disappointment and a broken heart.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Louise,&rdquo; in her unswerving devotion to her father, is a
-      specimen of superior womanhood whose duplicate may be found in many a
-      ranchman&rsquo;s home throughout the nestling valleys of our y re at West.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Sometimes I imagine I was with &ldquo;J. Arthur Boast&rdquo; in his hiding
-      place when he wrote that last letter and saw the spectral ghost that ever
-      kept him company. The retribution perhaps was just, yet my sympathy
-      lingers around the old prospect shaft.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Many of my readers will doubtless desire to express their criticism of
-      GRAY ROCKS. Nothing will afford me more pleasure than to receive just
-      criticisms, for it will at least enable me to escape similar errors in
-      other stories that I am now engaged in writing.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Sincerely,
-    </p>
-    <h3>
-      WILLIS GEORGE EMERSON.
-    </h3>
-    <p>
-      ELM REST, August 20, 1894.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      No. 1363 Central Park Boulevard, Chicago.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2H_4_0002" id="link2H_4_0002"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      PARTIAL LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
-    </h2>
-<pre xml:space="preserve">
-
-
- I. The Mr. Gilder for Whom I am Looking is a Much Older Gentleman..<a
-      href="#link14">14</a>
-
- II. He Clasped Vance&rsquo;s Hand Warmly.................................<a
-      href="#link21">21</a>
-
- III. A Letter Was Handed to Him....................................<a
-      href="#link30">30</a>
-
- IV. My Salary Has Been Raised,.....................................<a
-      href="#link37">37</a>
-
- V. Hello, Pardner! How D&rsquo;.e Do.....................................<a
-      href="#link41">41</a>
-
- VI. He Offered Vance Some Havanas,.................................<a
-      href="#link50">50</a>
-
- VII. This &lsquo;ere Town is Comin&rsquo; Out of the Kinks in Fine Shape.......<a
-      href="#link60">60</a>
-
- VIII. He Forgot Time,..............................................<a
-      href="#link68">68</a>
-
- IX. I Am Going to Give Him a Piece of My Mind......................<a
-      href="#link76">76</a>
-
- X. Vance Turned and Saw J. Arthur Boast............................<a
-      href="#link82">82</a>
-
- XI. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re the Young Man, I Reckon,&rdquo; Said Grim, &ldquo;From New York,"..<a
-      href="#link87">87</a>
-
- XII. Don&rsquo;t You Think I Am Horrid to Go on Talking this Way to You?.<a
-      href="#link96">96</a>
-
- XIII. The Stage Ride..............................................<a
-      href="#link108">108</a>
-
- XIV. Gentlemen, We Deliberate Upon the Destiny of Waterville......<a
-      href="#link114">114</a>
-
- XV. Vance Was Presented to Miss Virginia Bonifield,...............<a
-      href="#link124">124</a>
-
- XVI. We Have Cross-cut Into Whar&rsquo; the Vein Ought to Be............<a
-      href="#link135">135</a>
-
- XVII. &ldquo;Lost Your Position?&rdquo; Said Louise, with Unmistakable Concern<a
-      href="#link143">143</a>
-
- XVIII. Vance Handed Marcus Donald a Copy..........................<a
-      href="#link151">151</a>
-
- XIX. They Are the Brainiest Lot of Men This Country Has Produced..<a
-      href="#link162">162</a>
-
- XX. They Started Pell-mell Down the Mountain Load.................<a
-      href="#link171">171</a>
-
- XXI. You Will Not Be Angry With Father, Will You?.................<a
-      href="#link179">179</a>
-
- XXII. There Are Times, When It&rsquo;s Necessary to Put My Foot Down....<a
-      href="#link189">189</a>
-
- XXIII. &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; Whispered Bertha, &ldquo;I Love You So Much,&rdquo;.............<a
-      href="#link207">207</a>
-
- XXIV. A Dark Form Crouched Near,..................................<a
-      href="#link215">215</a>
-
- XXV. Where Is the Powder?.........................................<a
-      href="#link228">228</a>
-
- XXVI. A Guilty Conscience Needs No Accuser........................<a
-      href="#link236">236</a>
-
- XXVII. Such Tender Things of Earth Are Sanctified in Heaven.......<a
-      href="#link256">256</a>
-
-</pre>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0001" id="link2HCH0001"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER I.&mdash;VANCE GILDER.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0004" id="linkimage-0004"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9019.jpg" alt="9019 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9019.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      ANCE GILDER <span class="pagenum">11</span><a name="link11" id="link11"></a>had
-      an ambition. It was to be a great journalist.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The sunshine that gleamed in at his western windows disclosed most
-      luxurious apartments&mdash;indicating refinement and culture. The
-      bric-a-brac; the leathern walls stamped with gilt; the frieze of
-      palm-leaves; the chandelier; the richly carved book-case, filled with
-      tawny-covered volumes; the upright piano, and a guitar which stood
-      sentinel-like in a retired corner; together with India rugs and tiger
-      skins on the floor before an open grate, half hidden by a large Japanese
-      fan&mdash;bespoke wealth as well as refined taste.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Seated at an open escritoire with writing materials before him, on the
-      evening of a June day, was Vance Gilder.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He was not more than twenty-five, of medium height, dark brown hair, soft
-      and wavy as the silk of Indian corn, large brown eyes, a clear complexion,
-      an aquiline nose, <span class="pagenum">12</span><a
-      name="link12_rdquo_________id_" id="link12_rdquo_________id_"></a>and a
-      rather heavy, dark moustache, which in part hid a well-formed mouth.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Before him lay numerous packages of papers, but they were not claiming his
-      attention. He was perusing a billet-doux written in a lady&rsquo;s hand.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      There was a refinement and gentleness in his face, while his dress and
-      surroundings indicated a serious elegance, rich but unaffected.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Who can she be?&rdquo; was the exclamation that escaped him as he
-      again read the letter which he held in his hand.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Tossing it down, he walked back and forth across the room with measured
-      strides.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Stopping before the mantel, he lighted a cigar. &ldquo;Louise Bonifield,&rdquo;
-      he ejaculated, between puffs of smoke, which he blew away in rings toward
-      the ceiling, &ldquo;where have I met her?
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0005" id="linkimage-0005"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9020.jpg" alt="9020 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9020.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Where have I seen that name?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Walking back to the escritoire, he took up the letter and read aloud:
-    </p>
-    <blockquote>
-      <p>
-        Murray Hill Hotel, June 18.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        Kind Sir:
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        Father and I arrived in the city last night. He wishes me to call on you
-        at three o&rsquo;clock this afternoon; business of special importance to
-        himself.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        Respectfully,
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        LOUISE BONIFIELD.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        To Vance Gilder, Esq.
-      </p>
-    </blockquote>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; he said aloud, &ldquo;I do not remember Miss Louise
-      Bonifield. It is doubtless very stupid of me, and all that, but if ever I
-      even heard the name before, it certainly has <span class="pagenum">13</span><a
-      name="link13" id="link13"></a>passed from my memory. She says three o&rsquo;clock,&rdquo;
-      and glancing at the French time-piece which helped to make up the
-      furniture of his room, he saw it was preparing to strike the hour of
-      three.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Scarcely had the sound of the mellow cathedral bell died away, when the
-      door-bell clanged out like a harsh echo of the clock&rsquo;s last stroke.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0006" id="linkimage-0006"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9021.jpg" alt="9021 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9021.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      The servant brought in a card bearing the name of &ldquo;Louise Bonifield,&rdquo;
-      and received instructions to admit the visitor at once.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The rustling of skirts was soon heard in the hallway.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      With the deportment of a queen, she accepted the proffered chair and
-      raised to Vance&rsquo;s face a pair of laughing blue eyes that might be
-      dangerous. The parting of her rosy lips displayed her ivory teeth to
-      advantage, while her evident embarrassment tinged with pink her beautiful
-      cheeks.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I called,&rdquo; she stammered, &ldquo;to see Mr. Vance Gilder.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;At your service,&rdquo; he replied, bowing low.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;But really, sir, are you Mr. Gilder?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I believe,&rdquo; he replied, &ldquo;that I enjoy the doubtful
-      honor of that appellation.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The half-hesitation of the visitor as she stood in the open door might
-      have suggested momentary confusion, but reassurance seemed to assert
-      itself as she complied with the melodious invitation of Vance Gilder to
-      enter and be seated.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      This vision of loveliness that entered the bachelor apartments of Vance
-      Gilder might have been eighteen years old, but certainly no more. In
-      stature she was of medium height, rather slender, and sustained herself
-      <span class="pagenum">14</span><a name="link14" id="link14"></a>"It must
-      be,&rdquo; she faltered, with increasing embarrassment, &ldquo;all a
-      mistake.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0007" id="linkimage-0007"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0022.jpg" alt="0022 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0022.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      Vance Gilder, with all his boasted matter-of-fact principles, was
-      wonderfully interested in his fair visitor. She evidently was a stranger
-      in the city, or a skilled actress. In referring to her afterwards, he
-      spoke of her as a &ldquo;dream of loveliness.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He was too chivalrous to permit his visitor&rsquo;s embarrassment to
-      increase if he could help it and quickly <span class="pagenum">15</span><a
-      name="link15" id="link15"></a>assured her that it was not a very serious
-      mistake, and asked in what way he could serve her, at the same time saying
-      he regretted exceedingly that he did not answer the description of the
-      Vance Gilder for whom she was seeking.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;The Mr. Gilder for whom I am looking,&rdquo; said his fair visitor,
-      &ldquo;is a much older gentleman than you. He visited father some three
-      years ago, at Gold Bluff, Idaho, and owns an interest in Gray Rocks, my
-      father&rsquo;s mine. My father is very anxious to meet Mr. Gilder; in
-      fact, we have come all the way from Idaho expressly for that purpose. He
-      would have called in person, but was taken ill last evening&mdash;so ill,
-      indeed, that we found it necessary to summon a physician. We are stopping
-      at the Murray Hill Hotel. I fear my father will be greatly disappointed.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      A shade of sadness stole over the usually buoyant face of Vance Gilder.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I think I understand,&rdquo; said he. &ldquo;I bear the name of my
-      father, who, after spending several months in the mining districts of
-      Idaho, went to California, where he remained over a year, endeavoring to
-      regain his health. He returned home a little less than two years ago and
-      died within two months after his arrival.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;As his living representative, and in honor of his memory,&rdquo;
-      said he, with feeling, &ldquo;if there is any way in which he could have
-      served you or your father, had he lived, I will volunteer, to the extent
-      of my ability, to act in his stead.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;It certainly is very kind of you,&rdquo; she replied, &ldquo;but I
-      am distressed at this intelligence, and know my father will be also. We
-      learned to think a great deal of Mr. Gilder <span class="pagenum">16</span><a
-      name="link16_rdquo_________id_" id="link16_rdquo_________id_"></a>during
-      his few months&rsquo; stay at Gold Bluff. You can certainly do my father a
-      great service by calling on him.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I shall take great pleasure,&rdquo; said Vance, in his earnest way,
-      &ldquo;in doing so. I am employed on the <i>Banner</i>, and my duties will
-      prevent me calling before tomorrow at ten o&rsquo;clock, but at that hour,
-      tell your father he may expect me.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      She had risen while he was speaking, and with a face full of sympathy and
-      kindness, thanked him for his promise; and before he realized what was
-      transpiring, the hall door closed and she was gone.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The house from which she had taken her leave was one of the best
-      overlooking Central Park, in New York City. Vance Gilder, the elder, was a
-      man of great determination of character, and had accumulated a fortune
-      while yet in the prime of life. He built for himself this house. It was
-      surrounded by elegantly kept gardens and velvet lawns.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He retired from business late in the &lsquo;60&rsquo;., intending to
-      devote himself to his wife and only son, then a mere child, and his
-      library. Scarcely a year of such enjoyment was allowed him before his wife
-      sickened and died, leaving him his son and his fortune. It was hardly more
-      than natural that he should lavish a great deal of attention and wealth
-      upon his child.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As his son grew to manhood, his father discovered a recklessness and
-      extravagance which was sadly at variance with those economic principles
-      which he himself had so studiously practiced. Vance stood fairly well in
-      his classes, and after graduating at Princeton, went abroad, visiting the
-      principal cities of Europe, and spending money in such a lavish way that
-      at the expiration of a <span class="pagenum">17</span><a
-      name="link17_rdquo_________id_" id="link17_rdquo_________id_"></a>year his
-      father summoned him home and remonstrated with him severely on his manner
-      of living and his expensive habits.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Piqued at the rebuke, he quarreled with his father, and started out to
-      make his way in the world alone. The estrangement was of short duration,
-      however, and soon after the reconciliation he secured a position on the
-      __Banner_ _, and assiduously devoted himself to the study of journalism.
-      He gave up his follies and fast living, and found more enjoyment in his
-      work on the <i>Banner</i> than he had ever found in swell dinners and
-      midnight carousals at his club.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0002" id="link2HCH0002"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER II.&mdash;THE OLD MINER.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0008" id="linkimage-0008"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9026.jpg" alt="9026 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9026.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      ROOM <span class="pagenum">18</span><a name="link18" id="link18"></a>in
-      which we have introduced Vance Gilder to the reader, in the home
-      overlooking Central Park, had been his from childhood, and furnished by
-      his father in its present luxurious style, as a reward for his devotion to
-      the profession of journalism.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      His father had invested his income in real estate, and in the lapse of
-      years found himself possessed of a fortune many times greater than he had
-      ever anticipated. He traveled a great deal over the west, and at Gold
-      Bluff, Idaho, he found in Ben Bonifield, the owner of Gray Rocks, a
-      playmate of his youth.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Ben Bonifield had staked out a claim which he called &ldquo;Gray Rocks,&rdquo;
-      and had worked away for several years with pick and shovel, believing that
-      some day he would &ldquo;strike it rich&rdquo;&mdash;and from the output
-      of other mining properties in that vicinity, it seemed as if his
-      expectations might be realized some day.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He deeded a half interest in his mine to the elder Gilder, in
-      consideration of certain moneys advanced him to develop the property. This
-      one investment was the only one that Mr. Gilder ever made outside of New
-      York <span class="pagenum">19</span><a name="link19" id="link19"></a>City,
-      and it is quite probable that in making this one it was not so much an
-      investment as a desire to assist his boyhood&rsquo;s friend. The deed
-      which Ben Bonifield gave had been duly recorded, but in his travels on the
-      Pacific coast he had in some way mislaid it, and on his return to New York
-      City he had died without ever having mentioned the matter to his son. When
-      his father died, Vance was bowed down with grief, while the old Scotch
-      house-keeper and her husband could not have mourned more sincerely had the
-      elder Gilder been related by the nearest ties of blood.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance found his father had not only left a fortune, but also a will. The
-      date of this instrument showed that it was executed during the months of
-      their estrangement, and had never been changed. The important part of the
-      will, for this narrative, was a clause limiting Vance to an annuity of
-      $5,000, provided he remained at the old homestead and gave employment and
-      a home to the Scotch house-keeper and her husband; but the title to the
-      vast property which he owned was not to pass into his custody until he was
-      forty years of age.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      To the credit of the son, it can be said that he entertained no enmity
-      towards his father because of this provision, but regarded it as simple
-      justice. In the meantime, he devoted himself with more energy than ever to
-      his profession, was economical in his habits, and had the consolation of
-      knowing that he was being advanced from time to time on the <i>Banner</i>,
-      until he was now regarded as one of the most trusted men on that great
-      journal.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      To be a member of the <i>Banner</i> staff of newsgatherers was a position
-      to be envied by those similarly employed on less imposing journals. His
-      associates&mdash;the city <span class="pagenum">20</span><a
-      name="link20_rdquo_________id_" id="link20_rdquo_________id_"></a>editor,
-      the religious editor, the dramatic critic, the police reporter, and the
-      heads of several other departments&mdash;were in the habit of discussing
-      the topics of the times from a strictly democratic standpoint, with the
-      regularity with which day follows night.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The &ldquo;old man,&rdquo; or managing editor, could not take a deeper
-      interest in the columns of the <i>Banner</i> than did his faithful coterie
-      of assistants. The managing editor prided himself on his ability to
-      recognize and command intellectual forces.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      With the breaking of the dawn anew paper, filled with news deftly gathered
-      from the four corners of the earth, was ushered into life, teeming with
-      the world&rsquo;s history of a day, to be discussed by the banker, the
-      politician, and the professional and non-professional classes over the
-      breakfast-table. Each issue was a daily history possessing a soul and
-      character distinctly its own, which collectively made up the policy of one
-      of the greatest journals of New York City. Before high noon of each day a
-      newspaper has generally served its purpose&mdash;dies; is a thing of the
-      past, and the record of events found in its columns becomes ancient
-      history.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The following morning at ten o&rsquo;clock, agreeable to his promise,
-      Vance Gilder was at the Murray Hill Hotel, and sent up his card to Ben
-      Bonifield. Instead of receiving in his room, the old gentleman joined
-      Vance in the lobby. He was a typical character&mdash;once seen, never
-      forgotten. An old Virginian by birth and education, he still retained the
-      courtly polish of one of the southern aristocracy, which many years of
-      mining life had not been able to wholly destroy. In stature he was fully
-      six feet, and rather portly; his oval face was smooth-shaven, save an
-      <span class="pagenum">21</span><a name="link21" id="link21"></a>iron-gray
-      moustache. He wore his hair rather long, and the rim of his black felt hat
-      was broad as a sombrero. His Prince Albert coat of broad-cloth was of
-      old-time date, and suggested a revival of ancient gentility.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Glad to see yo&rsquo;, suh; am delighted to meet a son of my old
-      friend, Colonel Gilder.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0009" id="linkimage-0009"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0029.jpg" alt="0029 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0029.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      He clasped Vance&rsquo;s hand warmly, and his face was full of sympathy as
-      he referred to the recent information he had received concerning Mr.
-      Gilder&rsquo;s death. They <span class="pagenum">22</span><a name="link22"
-      id="link22"></a>soon found seats in a retired corner of the lobby, and
-      after assuring Vance that he had entirely recovered from his recent
-      illness, the old gentleman plunged into business.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yo&rsquo; know, of cou&rsquo;se, that yo&rsquo;r father owned a
-      one-half interest in Gray Rocks?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No, I was not aware of the fact until your daughter named it to me
-      yesterday,&rdquo; replied Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yo&rsquo; su&rsquo;prise me, suh, yo&rsquo; really do,&rdquo; said
-      the old miner, &ldquo;but it is true, nevertheless, and the deed is on
-      record; and what is mo&rsquo;, suh, Gray Rocks is destined to be the
-      richest gold mine in Idaho. Yo&rsquo; see, I have been workin&rsquo; away
-      on Gray Rocks for seven years&mdash;kep&rsquo; right at it, winter an&rsquo;
-      summer, and while I have not &lsquo;struck it&rsquo; yet, I am positive,
-      suh, that if I had a little mo&rsquo; money to push the work, my most
-      sanguine expectations would be mo&rsquo; than re&rsquo;lized. We are now
-      on the 200 foot level, but it seems, suh, it is not deep enough. A most
-      wonderful showin&rsquo;, in my opinion, suh, will be made when the 300
-      foot level is reached, and we have cross-cut into the vein.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I am not very well versed in regard to mining, in fact know next to
-      nothing about it, but of course, as I am a half owner in a gold mine, I am
-      naturally interested in having it developed.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, suh,&rdquo; said the old gentleman, &ldquo;yo&rsquo; see I
-      am. I know all about mines. Yes, suh, I assure yo, on my honor, that I can
-      tell &lsquo;pay dirt&rsquo; as far as I can see it, suh, if I am
-      sixty-five years old, Yo&rsquo; see, suh,&rdquo; continued the old miner,
-      &ldquo;let us suppose this table is the top of the mountain. Now, where I
-      place this ink-stand, is Gray Rocks; just beyond, here where I lay this
-      pen-stalk, is the Peacock mine. It joins us directly on the nawth. The
-      <span class="pagenum">23</span><a name="link23_rdquo_________id_"
-      id="link23_rdquo_________id_"></a>Excelsior is at this point, where I lay
-      my eye-glasses, directly south of Gray Rocks. Both of them, suh, are payin&rsquo;
-      immense dividends, and befo&rsquo; a year, with proper management, Gray
-      Rocks will be doin&rsquo; the same. When he learned, suh, that I only had
-      a half interest, he refused to talk with me any mo&rsquo; about it. He
-      said he wanted all or none. Confidentially, Mr. Gilder, I consider old
-      Grim the most ill-mannered man in the Fish River minin&rsquo; district,
-      and us miners, suh, usually form a pretty correct idea of mankind in gene&rsquo;l.
-      I have been minin&rsquo; it now fo&rsquo; over thirty years, and while I
-      have never &lsquo;struck it&rsquo; yet, I assure yo&rsquo; on my word,
-      suh, that I have mo&rsquo; confidence in Gray Rocks to-day than ever befo&rsquo;.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Of course, Col. Bonifield,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;I know nothing
-      about your technical expressions of &lsquo;sinking-shafts,&rsquo; &lsquo;cross-cutting,&rsquo;
-      and all that sort of thing, but I remember now of my father speaking of
-      you on several occasions, and I doubt not, if he were living, he would
-      gladly assist you in any way in his power. Personally, my means are
-      limited, but if your wants are not too great, I will gladly give you my
-      assistance.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Give me yo&rsquo;re hand, suh! Why, Mr. Gilder, yo&rsquo;re a
-      gentleman that I&rsquo;m proud to meet, suh.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;What we must do, suh, is to sink the shaft on Gray Rocks to a 300
-      foot level, and we will cross-cut into a vein of wealth, suh, that will
-      make yo&rsquo; rich as a Vanterbilt. Yes, suh; take my word fo&rsquo; it.
-      Now,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;there is old Grim; he owns a majority of
-      the stock in the Peacock, and he wanted to buy out Gray Rocks, but <span
-      class="pagenum">24</span><a name="link24" id="link24"></a>of the old
-      school, belonging to one of the oldest and proudest families of Virginia&mdash;yes,
-      suh. Now, you have a half interest in Gray Rocks, and if yo&rsquo; can
-      furnish the money, Mr. Gilder, to sink the shaft to the 300 foot level, I
-      will go back to Gold Bluff and immediately commence the work&mdash;and
-      mind, Mr. Gilder, I give yo&rsquo; my word that yo&rsquo; will never lose
-      a dollar; no, suh, Gray Rocks is a sure winner. The claim is patented and
-      our title is perfect; but we must do mo&rsquo;, suh; we must sink our
-      shaft, and it costs money to sink shafts, and a pow&rsquo;ful sight of
-      hard work into the bargain, suh. I came to New York especially to see yo&rsquo;re
-      father and have him help me by advancin&rsquo; a little mo&rsquo; money.
-      He paid me $1,000, suh, fo&rsquo; a half interest in Gray Rocks. I told
-      him, and I tell yo&rsquo; now, it will bring yo&rsquo; a million. Yes,
-      suh, I pledge yo&rsquo; my word it will.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The old gentleman&rsquo;s words, his enthusiasm, his southern courtliness,
-      and his unmistakable belief in Gray Rocks, carried Vance quite away, in
-      anticipation of his half-ownership in a gold mine. He mentally computed
-      the amount of money he had in the bank, and felt that he would willingly
-      check out his last half-dollar to sink the shaft on Gray Rocks to a 300
-      foot level.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He had to his credit in the Chemical National Bank some fifteen thousand
-      dollars, and finally ventured to ask about how much it would take to do
-      the work.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why, yo&rsquo; see, suh,&rdquo; replied the old miner, &ldquo;the
-      mo&rsquo; a fellow has, the quicker he can sink a shaft. Now, I could get
-      along at present with, say $1,500, but $2,000 would be betteh, and $2,500
-      would be a great plenty.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll advance you
-      $2,500, and can bring it to you within a couple of hours.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">25</span><a name="link25" id="link25"></a>The old
-      gentleman was highly delighted with Vance&rsquo;s ready acquiescence in
-      the matter, and shook his hand warmly, assuring him that he was a very
-      true Virginian. Taking his leave, he quitted the hotel, and in less than
-      two hours paid to Col. Bonifield $2,500.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The old gentleman was very urgent for Vance to remain and lunch with him.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;My Louise, suh,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;will be delighted to see yo&rsquo;.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0010" id="linkimage-0010"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8033.jpg" alt="8033 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8033.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Now, suh, there&rsquo;s one girl in a thousand. I call her a diamond in
-      the rough, suh. She stays by the old man, and has just as much faith in
-      the ultimate outcome of Gray Rocks as I have, I sometimes think, suh, that
-      I ought not to keep her away so far from civil&rsquo;zation, so to speak,
-      among the mountains; but she says, &lsquo;We will wait until we strike it.&rsquo;
-      I assure yo&rsquo;, suh, she is a wonderful comfort to me.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance endeavored to persuade the old gentleman to bring his daughter and
-      stop at his house for a few days, but the old miner explained that his
-      stay could not be prolonged; that he was impatient to begin work on the
-      mine, sinking the shaft to the 300 foot level, and then commence
-      cross-cutting. He insisted that he must start for Gold Bluff by the
-      evening train.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Ascending to the ladies&rsquo; parlor, Vance waited until the old miner
-      brought his daughter to bid him good-bye. As she came into the room on the
-      arm of her stately father, Vance had hard work to convince himself that
-      such a queenly girl as stood before him could have grown to such
-      loveliness among the mountains of the northwest.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0003" id="link2HCH0003"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER III.&mdash;THE BANNER FORCE.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0011" id="linkimage-0011"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9034.jpg" alt="9034 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9034.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      GREAT <span class="pagenum">26</span><a name="link26" id="link26"></a>metropolitan
-      journal like the <i>Banner</i>, has a tendency to swallow up individual
-      characteristics in its own self-importance. A man may be ever so clever
-      with his pen, and contribute the most readable articles day after day and
-      year after year, and yet not one reader in ten thousand has any idea whose
-      composition he is perusing.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance Gilder was only one of the force, and yet he was a favorite with his
-      associates. He sometimes dreamed of promotion, and the time when he would
-      be a correspondent of note, or possibly at the head of some important
-      department on that great paper. Visions of special work which would call
-      him not only to different parts of his own country, but to foreign parts
-      as well, charmed him into contentment and renewed energy.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Only once during his connection with the <i>Banner</i> had he made
-      anything like a &ldquo;hit.&rdquo; He had on one solitary occasion
-      succeeded in &ldquo;scooping&rdquo; the other New York journals in a most
-      masterly manner. Indeed, to Vance belonged the credit of having completely
-      humiliated the other dailies with an article under flaming headlines and
-      double-leaded. As a compensation, he was sent for by <span class="pagenum">27</span><a
-      name="link27" id="link27"></a>the chief, and received that august person&rsquo;s
-      special thanks. This was a mark of distinction, for it was seldom that he
-      paid compliments. On the other hand, if the work was not up to the
-      standard, the staff generally heard from him in a volley of profanity that
-      caused them to doubt the permanency of their positions.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      On the night after Ben Bonfield started for Gold Bluff, Vance found
-      himself thinking a great deal about Gray Rocks. To a young man of
-      twenty-five, fifteen years seems a long time to wait for the possession of
-      one&rsquo;s property. There is a certain fascination about the idea of
-      owning a gold mine, and this charm had taken possession of Vance to a
-      degree far beyond that which he was willing to admit, and between the
-      lines of copy, he speculated on the future and built many castles in the
-      air.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The half interest which his father owned in Gray Rocks had not been named
-      in the will, and as Vance was his only heir, it naturally occurred to him
-      that in case the old miner should &ldquo;strike it rich,&rdquo; he would
-      find himself with a handsome competency long before his fortieth birthday.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      For the first time during the years of his connection with the <i>Banner</i>,
-      a feeling of dissatisfaction stole over him, and he was glad Colonel
-      Bonfield had been so prompt in returning to Gold Bluff, for he felt the
-      work of sinking the shaft on Gray Rocks should be commenced at the
-      earliest possible moment. There was also a feeling of regret deep down in
-      his heart that he had not had an opportunity to know more of the fair
-      Louise, the remembrance of whose laughing blue eyes and perfect freedom
-      from affectation hovered near him with a distinctness that he had never
-      before experienced with any of his young lady friends. <span
-      class="pagenum">28</span><a name="link28" id="link28"></a>He was in this
-      state of mind when the police reporter came in and declared that he was
-      disgusted with the scarcity of crime.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I say, Vance,&rdquo; saidhe, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s getting to be a
-      pretty pass when a fellow has to rummage all over the city for a few
-      crumbs of accidental deaths, street brawls and shooting affairs.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0012" id="linkimage-0012"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9036.jpg" alt="9036 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9036.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Before Vance had time to reply, the religious editor commenced swearing
-      about the uninteresting sermons he was compelled to write of late.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The dramatic critic observed that lie presumed writing sermons was a
-      rather stupid business, but if the reading public could endure them, the
-      religious editor ought to be able to, at $60 a week.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The religious editor said, &ldquo;by Gad! old boy, you&rsquo;re about
-      right,&rdquo; and begged a cigarette of the dramatic critic, declaring
-      that he did not know with whom he would rather smoke than a representative
-      of the footlights. He then slapped Vance on the shoulder in a jocular way,
-      and asked him what made him so quiet.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Scoops are scarce,&rdquo; replied Vance, without lifting his eyes
-      from the copy he was revising.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Scarce!&rdquo; chimed in the city editor, &ldquo;I should say so.
-      We have not had such a thing as a &lsquo;scoop&rsquo; about the office for
-      six months.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Journalism,&rdquo; observed the dramatic critic, &ldquo;is, without
-      question, the king of professions. Here we see life in its every phase.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I am <span class="pagenum">29</span><a name="link29" id="link29"></a>
-      beginning to think,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;that journalism is a
-      drudgery without hope or reward.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You astonish me,&rdquo; replied the religious editor. &ldquo;Why,
-      Vance,&rdquo; he continued, knocking the ashes from his cigarette, &ldquo;a
-      fellow with as bright a future in the profession as you have, making such
-      a remark as that, causes me to think you are growing cynical. Think of the
-      opportunities which journalism affords.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;What opportunities,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;have I, or you, or
-      any other members of the staff, excepting those we have no right to take
-      advantage of? I freely admit that there is a fascination about the
-      profession of journalism; an influence, if you please, that holds us in
-      the rut, much the same as the current of a mighty river&mdash;always
-      drawing everything into the center where the current is swiftest&mdash;but
-      the individuality of the most talented among us is completely lost in the
-      great octopus that we are <i>daily</i> and nightly striving with our best
-      efforts of brawn and brain to keep supplied with news.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Bravo!&rdquo; shouted the police reporter. &ldquo;There is not an
-      ordinary prize-fighter in the land but has more individual reputation than
-      any of us. Vance is about right in his position.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      At this juncture of their conversation, a note was handed to Vance. It was
-      a polite request to report at the chief&rsquo;s private room at ten o&rsquo;clock
-      the next morning. After hastily glancing over it, Vance read it aloud.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I say, Vance, <span class="pagenum">30</span><a name="link30"
-      id="link30"></a>old boy, that&rsquo;s a little rough; and still,&rdquo;
-      continued the religious editor, between vigorous puffs of his cigarette,
-      &ldquo;it may be a step up.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It was an open question with members of the force whether a formal summons
-      into the presence of the chief, without any intimation of the nature of
-      the interview, was a good omen or otherwise.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Possibly,&rdquo; responded Vance, &ldquo;but I rather surmise it is
-      a step out.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0013" id="linkimage-0013"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0038.jpg" alt="0038 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0038.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;The evil is sufficient unto the day thereof,&rdquo; observed the
-      dramatic critic. &ldquo;It is twelve o&rsquo;clock, boys; let us adjourn
-      to the &lsquo;realm of pie,&rsquo; and there we will discuss the
-      unlooked-for summons.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      A half dozen as jolly young fellows as could be found anywhere, were soon
-      seated in a private room at Thompson&rsquo;s cafe, partaking of the
-      reporter&rsquo;s stereotyped lunch. <span class="pagenum">31</span><a
-      name="link31_rdquo_________id_" id="link31_rdquo_________id_"></a>As a
-      result of their deliberations, there were many hopeful expressions made
-      for the benefit of Vance. There was an under-current, however, of
-      unmistakable belief, which Vance was not slow to perceive and share, that
-      his interview with the chief would not result satisfactorily.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The dramatic critic soon drifted to the leeward of the question, and with
-      almost forced vivaciousness recounted the latest hit of a jolly little
-      soubrette dancer at Madison Square Gardens. His description was not only
-      interesting, but a welcome diversion from the somber subject that might
-      mean a separation of Vance from the staff. The religious editor took up
-      the cue where the dramatic critic let go, and commenced swearing in
-      newspaper parlance about the unsatisfactory work he was doing in his
-      department.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0014" id="linkimage-0014"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8039.jpg" alt="8039 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8039.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      The police reporter came in for a description of a &ldquo;knock-out&rdquo;
-      he had witnessed in the Bowery, and for the edification of his associates,
-      explained the difference between a &ldquo;shoulder-strike&rdquo; and an
-      &ldquo;undercut.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      On returning to their respective posts of duty, there was but little said,
-      but it was noticeable that Vance was bid good night with more
-      consideration than usual.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As Vance hurried along toward the elevated road, his thoughts were again
-      filled with that demure little Louise, a product of the great mountains of
-      the west. With her had come a hope&mdash;perhaps only a visionary one&mdash;stimulated
-      by the enthusiasm of the old miner. He did not pause to analyze <span
-      class="pagenum">32</span><a name="link32" id="link32"></a>the sustaining
-      hope which he experienced; he only knew that it took off the keen edge of
-      anxiety which otherwise he would have felt concerning his coming interview
-      with the chief.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0004" id="link2HCH0004"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER IV&mdash;A SUPPER PARTY.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0015" id="linkimage-0015"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9041.jpg" alt="9041 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9041.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      T TEN <span class="pagenum">33</span><a name="link33" id="link33"></a>O&rsquo;.LOCK
-      the following morning, Vance sent in his card to the chief, and was
-      immediately admitted to his presence. &ldquo;Good morning, Mr. Gilder.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Good morning, sir,&rdquo; was Vance&rsquo;s prompt reply.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I sent for you,&rdquo; said the chief, as he industriously looked
-      over a bundle of papers on his desk, &ldquo;To discuss a matter I have had
-      in mind for some time.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, sir,&rdquo; was Vance&rsquo;s laconic reply.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The chief having found the paper he evidently had been searching for,
-      motioned Vance to be seated, and turning to him, asked:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Have you ever traveled much in the west?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Have never been west of Buffalo.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Your work,&rdquo; observed the chief, &ldquo;has been very
-      satisfactory&mdash;I may say, especially so&mdash;and it is the policy of
-      the <i>Banner</i> not only to reward those who have talent, but also to
-      keep pace with the times, and give its readers reliable information upon
-      all questions of moment and importance. The great Northwest has been
-      opening up for the last half century. There have been booms and
-      counter-booms out in that country, spasmodically, for <span class="pagenum">34</span><a
-      name="link34_rdquo_________id_" id="link34_rdquo_________id_"></a>many
-      years, and a great many fortunes have been lost by ill advised investors,
-      but I am not personally familiar with anyone who has bettered his
-      condition in western speculations. Just at the present time the northwest
-      is attracting, as you are doubtless aware, considerable attention, and the
-      effort to popularize it by the western press, seems unabating. Our eastern
-      people, even some of the oldest families of New York, are becoming
-      poisoned with the virus of western investments. My private opinion is that
-      instead of receiving dividends on these holdings, they will lose principal
-      and all.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;We want,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;a level-headed correspondent in
-      that western country. Mark, I say level-headed, for the reason that not
-      infrequently an eastern man, especially if he is unacquainted with the
-      wonderland of the west, loses his head, figuratively speaking, and becomes
-      won over by the fairy tales of prospective wealth, as told by the average
-      real estate boomer.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You, Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; said the chief, eying Vance with great
-      directness, &ldquo;have been selected for this important position of
-      trust. I might,&rdquo; he continued, as if it were an afterthought,
-      &ldquo;modify my remarks by saying there are some places in the west
-      worthy of credence, possessing real merit; but in nine cases out of ten,
-      the new towns that are ringing up throughout the north western portion of
-      the United States are, in my judgment, intangible as moonshine. In short,
-      there is entirely too much capital flowing from the east into those
-      wildcat western speculations, and we desire to give a series of letters
-      descriptive of that country to the readers of the <i>Banner</i>,
-      containing the facts stripped of all allurement, and dissuade them from
-      such unstable investments as are daily being made.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">35</span><a name="link35" id="link35"></a>"I deem,&rdquo;
-      continued the chief, &ldquo;these few suggestions necessary for your good
-      in governing the character of your correspondence from that western
-      country to the columns of the <i>Banner</i>. I shall expect you to be
-      ready tomorrow evening, and start on the six o&rsquo;clock train. As you
-      will probably be away for some time, it would be well for you to arrange
-      your private affairs accordingly.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0016" id="linkimage-0016"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8043.jpg" alt="8043 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8043.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Call tomorrow at eleven o&rsquo;clock, and I will have ready the necessary
-      credentials, transports and instructions.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance bowed his acquiescence and turned to go, when the chief said,
-      &ldquo;By the way, instead of $40 a week, your present salary, you will
-      receive $60 and expenses, which doubtless will be satisfactory.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance attempted to express his appreciation of the confidence that had
-      been reposed in him, of so important an undertaking; but the chief waved
-      him to silence and muttered something about &ldquo;time being money,&rdquo;
-      and at once turned to other affairs that were awaiting his attention.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      That afternoon Vance was not found among the staff, and a new man occupied
-      his chair. He called on Thomas Patten, Esq., the attorney who had
-      represented the Gilder family for many years, and named in his father&rsquo;s
-      will as trustee, and explained to him his promotion, telling him he would
-      start for the west the next evening.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      His old associates at the <i>Banner</i> were asking questions of one
-      another as to what had transpired between Vance and the chief, but no one
-      seemed to know anything about it, except that a new man was on duty and
-      Vance absent.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">36</span><a name="link36" id="link36"></a>At half
-      past eleven o&rsquo;clock that night the dramatic critic hurried in from
-      the street and passed word around among the coterie that a surprise was
-      waiting for them over at Thompson&rsquo;s cafe. Thompson&rsquo;s is, and
-      has been for many years, a favorite resort for newspaper men. Vance Gilder
-      was well known to the manager as a member of the <i>Banner</i> staff, and
-      when that afternoon he requested that a lunch something better than the
-      ordinary be prepared, he was assured that everything would be in
-      readiness.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The dramatic critic ushered his associates into a private room precisely
-      at twelve o&rsquo;clock. Vance was in waiting, and a warm greeting was
-      exchanged. The religious editor declared that he believed a conspiracy of
-      gigantic proportions had been laid to entrap the meek and lowly, but,
-      nevertheless, he took his place with alacrity at the table to enjoy the
-      modest but excellent feast prepared for the occasion.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      A few bottles of rare old wine added interest to the surprise which Vance
-      had so cleverly arranged. After the glasses had been tilled and drained,
-      the political editor moved that an explanation was in order.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;My friends,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;the most important disclosure
-      I have to make is that my salary has been raised to $60 a week.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The religious editor said, &ldquo;By Gad,&rdquo; and fell from his chair,
-      declaring that his nerves were so unstrung that it would require another
-      glass of wine to restore them. After Vance had carefully narrated his
-      interview with the chief, he received the hearty congratulations of his
-      associates. Each vied with the others in wishing him unbounded success as
-      a western correspondent for the <i>Banner</i>. <span class="pagenum">37</span><a
-      name="link37" id="link37"></a>"I understand,&rdquo; said the political
-      editor, after clearing his throat with a glass of wine, &ldquo;that the
-      west is teeming with opportunities in a political way; and I would not be
-      surprised,&rdquo; he added, &ldquo;if the Honorable Vance Gilder would be
-      the next thing we hear of, as mayor of some municipality in the Rocky
-      Mountain region, or possibly as a member of Congress from the Third
-      District.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0017" id="linkimage-0017"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0045.jpg" alt="0045 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0045.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Or still better,&rdquo; observed the religious editor, &ldquo;president
-      of one of those bonanza gold mines that advertise <span class="pagenum">38</span><a
-      name="link38" id="link38"></a>themselves as being the greatest dividend
-      paying properties in the world.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;What&rsquo;s the matter,&rdquo; said the police reporter, &ldquo;of
-      being moderate in your expectations? Suppose Vance secures the position of
-      judge of the police court in one of those western towns, where from a
-      dozen to twenty drunks and brawls occur every twenty-four hours&mdash;ye
-      gods! what a country for rich morsels of crime!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It was conceded by all that Vance would have abundant opportunity for
-      making investments here and there in the growing west that would
-      materially increase his financial prospects.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0018" id="linkimage-0018"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8046.jpg" alt="8046 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8046.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Sixty dollars,&rdquo; said the dramatic critic, as he finished his
-      third glass of wine, &ldquo;is quite a step up, but evidently a mere
-      bagatelle to the &lsquo;pick-ups&rsquo; on the side, in a new country that
-      is just developing like the west is at the present time.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      That Vance was one of the luckiest fellows living was the verdict of all
-      his associates. After the lunch had been disposed of and a good-night
-      glass of wine drunk to Vance&rsquo;s success, he bade his companions
-      good-night, and was soon being driven rapidly up Eighth Avenue to Central
-      Park, west.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      On reaching his room he began to feel more than ever that he had awakened
-      to find himself famous, and that a great honor had been thrust upon him.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      His gratitude to his chief was unbounded, but like the young and ambitious
-      everywhere, his own personal advancement in a financial sense was a
-      consideration not to be overlooked. <span class="pagenum">39</span><a
-      name="link39" id="link39"></a>While he knew personally very little about
-      the Western country, the many allusions of his companions to the rare
-      opportunities which awaited him in the new world he was about to visit
-      filled him with a vague, indescribable sense of importance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As he retired for the night, he assured himself that Gold Bluff, Idaho,
-      would be one of his objective points, and hoped he would be there when the
-      shaft reached the 300 foot level. He was beginning to share the old miner&rsquo;s
-      enthusiasm and confidence in Gray Rocks.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He drifted away into a restful sleep, while visions of a lovely girl in
-      early womanhood, with beautiful blue eyes, &ldquo;gentle grace and
-      sovereign sweetness,&rdquo; rose in a mist before him, and he dreamed he
-      was at Gold Bluff.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0005" id="link2HCH0005"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER V.&mdash;AN ODD CHARACTER.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0019" id="linkimage-0019"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9048.jpg" alt="9048 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9048.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      TRIP <span class="pagenum">40</span><a name="link40" id="link40"></a>from
-      New York to the inter-mountain country of the west, with the present
-      railroad facilities of palatial Pullmans and dining cars, is now an
-      every-day affair. The traveler is surrounded by every comfort. Vance
-      Gilder was more than ever in love with the change, as the cars rumbled on
-      through dell and forest, across broad stretches of beautiful valley
-      country, and ever and anon rushing over an iron bridge that spanned some
-      beautiful stream of water, some of them calm and peaceful, and others
-      rushing madly along, breaking into white spray over rocky ripples, and
-      then hurrying on again as if they were running a race with time.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As he approached the Rocky Mountain country, and for the first time in his
-      life gazed upon that mighty range of Nature&rsquo;s towering masonry, he
-      was almost intoxicated with the new sights to be seen on the &ldquo;crown
-      of the continent.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Notwithstanding his enjoyment of the new and varied scenery, he was glad
-      enough to abandon the cars at Butte City, after four days and nights of
-      continuous riding.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Butte City is said to be, not only the greatest mining <span
-      class="pagenum">41</span><a name="link41" id="link41"></a>camp in Montana,
-      but the greatest in the world. They boast of the many millions that are
-      brought to the light of day by the magic wand of the miner&rsquo;s pick.
-      Vance found lodging at the Mercury Hotel, and early the next morning,
-      after breakfasting heartily, started for a walk.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0020" id="linkimage-0020"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0049.jpg" alt="0049 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0049.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      The town is built on a side-hill, gently rising from the depot grounds
-      westward to a very considerable elevation. He paused now and then to
-      inspect the architecture of some of the buildings, and then looked away
-      toward the smelter districts, at the black clouds of smoke which the <span
-      class="pagenum">42</span><a name="link42" id="link42"></a>chimneys were
-      belching forth, and falling over the city like a veil of mourning.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Presently he was accosted by an individual of grizzly beard and
-      good-matured countenance, who said: &ldquo;Hello, pard; how d&rsquo;ye do?
-      Sizin&rsquo; up these diggins&rsquo; be ye?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As Vance eyed his questioner rather critically and acknowledged the
-      salutation, the fellow reached him a card which bore the name &ldquo;Hank
-      Casey.&rdquo; While Vance was glancing at the card, his new acquaintance
-      said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I reckon you be from down east? I come from thar a long time ago.
-      You&rsquo;ll notice from my card that I&rsquo;m in the real estate
-      business; also have some fine minin&rsquo; propositions.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;I am from the east, but do not
-      know as I care to make any investments.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, now, look&rsquo;ee? here, stranger. I &lsquo;spect I might
-      give you a pinter or two that may not come amiss. This &lsquo;ere town is
-      chuck up full of dead beats and black legs, who make it their business to
-      run every new feller in that comes from down east. Now Hank Casey do a
-      straight-for&rsquo;ard, legitimate business&mdash;that&rsquo;s me,&rdquo;
-      said he, as he tucked his thumbs into the armholes of his vest and
-      straightened himself to his fullest height.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was amused by this odd character, and determined to learn from him
-      what he could concerning Butte City and the claims made for it. He
-      therefore asked, &ldquo;What population have you and what are your
-      resources?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Over fifty thousand people, above an&rsquo; below. You see, thar&rsquo;s
-      several thousand of us in this town below ground, workin&rsquo; away with
-      shovel an&rsquo; pick. I reckon as how you&rsquo;ll see a fair sample of
-      our miners if you&rsquo;re on the <span class="pagenum">43</span><a
-      name="link43" id="link43"></a>streets tonight. As for resources&mdash;why,
-      pardner, thar&rsquo;s no end to &lsquo;em. We took out mighty near forty
-      million dollars from our mines last year, an&rsquo; thar&rsquo;s ore
-      enough in sight to keep on minin&rsquo; at the same rate for a hundred
-      years to come. What d&rsquo;ye think o&rsquo; that?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance replied that it certainly was a most extraordinary statement.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0021" id="linkimage-0021"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8051.jpg" alt="8051 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8051.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;What other towns have you in this state,&rdquo; asked Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;None to speak of,&rdquo; was the prompt reply. &ldquo;Butte City is
-      the pertest town in any o&rsquo; these western diggings. Thar&rsquo;s not
-      another town in Montana as can tech one side of us, for money, marbles, or
-      chalk. To be sure,&rdquo; he went on, in a condescending tone, &ldquo;we
-      have lots o&rsquo; towns in this &lsquo;ere state, sech as they be; lots o&rsquo;
-      minin&rsquo; camps, but they are merely
-      blacksmith-shops-on-the-crossroads,&rsquo; compared with Butte City. D&rsquo;ye
-      see that Corner lot over thar&rsquo;. Five years ago I owned the ground
-      whar&rsquo; that buildin&rsquo; stands. I bought it for $300, held it just
-      thirteen months, and sold it for $4,000 spot cash.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why that was an immense profit,&rdquo; said Vance, with more
-      interest than he had yet manifested in Hank Casey&rsquo;s description of
-      Butte City. Hank Casey smiled contentedly and expectorated an accumulation
-      of tobacco juice with a resounding &ldquo;pit-tew&rdquo; on the side walk,
-      and said: &ldquo;You call that a good profit? Why, pardner, I bought stock
-      in the Blackbird mine at twelve cents a share when the company was fust
-      organized, and now its worth $300 a share and payin&rsquo; an immense
-      dividend monthly. That&rsquo;s what I call a good investment; but as fer
-      that speck,&rdquo; <span class="pagenum">44</span><a name="link44"
-      id="link44"></a>said he, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the corner
-      lot, &ldquo;that don&rsquo;t amount to nothin&rsquo;.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Do you know where Gold Bluff, Idaho, is?&rdquo; asked Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I reckon I ought to know,&rdquo; replied the boomer; &ldquo;me an&rsquo;
-      Steve Gibbons were the fust prospectors in that &lsquo;neck o&rsquo; the
-      woods.&rsquo; Steve an&rsquo; I claim to own the Peacock, but old Rufus
-      Grim, the biggest scoundrel in Idaho yes, the biggest in this whole minin&rsquo;
-      country claims to own it, and has got possession, and I&rsquo;ve learned,
-      in this western country &lsquo;specially, that possession is not only nine
-      points of the law, but mighty near ten. Of course, a gold mine like the
-      Peacock is a mighty handy thing to have in the family, but as a general
-      rule, they&rsquo;re mighty unsartin. Give me a silver or copper mine every
-      time.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance assured his new-found acquaintance that he was under many
-      obligations for the information received, and said he hoped to meet him
-      again. Hank Casey, however, was not to be disposed of in this way, and
-      walked along with Vance. Presently he called his attention to some vacant
-      lots across the street.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;D&rsquo;ye see them lots over thar? I can sell you one o&rsquo;
-      them fifty-foot lots at $3,500. an I&rsquo;ll bet diamonds against peanuts
-      it&rsquo;ll be a rich buy at $10,000 before two years. By the way,
-      stranger, what&rsquo;s the matter with you takin a leetle &lsquo;flyer&rsquo;
-      in Butte City dirt? Buy a few lots, stop here with us for six months, sell
-      &lsquo;em out agin for 100 per cent, profit, an&rsquo; that&rsquo;ll pay
-      all the expenses of your western trip. See? said he, touching Vance gently
-      in the ribs with his elbow.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes; I see,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;I see very clearly, or would,
-      <span class="pagenum">45</span><a name="link45" id="link45"></a>were it
-      not for the smoke. It smells like sulphur. Does it come from some of your
-      mills or smelters?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Now, look&rsquo;ee here, pard, you&rsquo;re just like every other
-      down-easter. They&rsquo;re always kickin&rsquo; &lsquo;bout this smoke.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0022" id="linkimage-0022"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9053.jpg" alt="9053 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9053.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Now, let me tell you; if we didn&rsquo;t have that &lsquo;ar smoke we
-      wouldn&rsquo;t have any Butte City, and besides, it kills the bacteria,
-      molecules, an&rsquo; all that sort o thing. It&rsquo;s mighty healthy
-      here, I can tell you, an&rsquo; a mighty pert town into the bargain.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance coughed immoderately, but Hank Casey who was acclimated, assured him
-      that he was at that moment breathing the healthiest air that ever his
-      lungs were filled with.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      In the course of their walk, the boomer kept up a constant conversation,
-      explaining different points of interest, pointing out the different mining
-      properties in sight and telling their names, until Vance felt that he had
-      been very fortunate in falling in with one so conversant with Butte City.
-      At parting, Vance bade his new-found friend good day, and promised to call
-      at his office before leaving the city.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      When he returned to the hotel, he commenced his first letter to the <i>Banner</i>,
-      but it was not finished until late that night. When it appeared in the
-      great New York journal it surprised, in point of brilliancy and interest,
-      even his warmest friends. His descriptions were so vivid and lifelike, and
-      his characters so droll, and withal teeming with information, that a score
-      of letters came to the managing editor, assuring him of the great pleasure
-      and profit they had experienced in its perusal. Of course, Vance knew
-      <span class="pagenum">46</span><a name="link46" id="link46"></a>nothing of
-      this at the time, but devoted himself with unceasing diligence in
-      searching out reliable information, and then training it into weekly
-      letters.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Butte City began to impress him as a place of more importance than he had
-      at first thought. He learned that almost one million of dollars was paid
-      out monthly to the miners alone, and they, as a class, are &ldquo;hail
-      fellows well met,&rdquo; who believe in the doctrine of keeping money in
-      constant circulation.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He noticed in many of the mercantile houses that when the day clerks went
-      off duty at six o&rsquo;clock in the evening, another set of clerks came
-      on, and the shops and stores, by the aid of brilliant electric lights,
-      continued business twenty-four hours out of the day the year around.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance frequently thought of his conversation with the managing editor, and
-      what he had said about western towns and the over-enthusiastic town
-      boomer. In Hank Casey he felt he had found a typical character that fully
-      came up to all the managing editor had inferred, and had frequently used
-      him as an inspiration, but was becoming more and more convinced that Butte
-      City was one of those solid, substantial places which the managing editor
-      had classed as exceptions to the rule.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0006" id="link2HCH0006"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER VI&mdash;THE TOWN BOOMER.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0023" id="linkimage-0023"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9055.jpg" alt="9055 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9055.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      BOUT TWO WEEKS <span class="pagenum">47</span><a name="link47" id="link47"></a>after
-      Vance Gilder arrived in Butte City, he noticed one morning that everybody
-      was talking about a new town, and each was asking the others what they
-      thought about it. Glancing at the hotel register, he saw the name, Homer
-      Winthrop, of Waterville, Idaho.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      In looking over the <i>Butte City Miner</i> and the <i>Inter-Mountain
-      Blade</i>, both healthy dailies and well edited, he was somewhat
-      astonished to find a full-page advertisement in each of the papers,
-      setting forth in blazing splendor the great Thief River Valley, and signed
-      by Homer Winthrop as agent, announcing that he would be at the Mercury
-      Hotel for a short time, and inviting those who were interested in
-      investing a little money in a purely agricultural city, to come early and
-      &ldquo;get in on the ground floor.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The advertisement represented Waterville as being in the midst of the
-      great Thief River Valley, with the largest water power in the country,
-      surrounded by an agricultural district of two million acres of the richest
-      land the sun ever shone down upon. He termed the new town of <span
-      class="pagenum">48</span><a name="link48" id="link48"></a>Waterville the
-      &ldquo;City of Destiny,&rdquo; and said the price of town lots would
-      quadruple in a few years&rsquo; time.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was at once interested. &ldquo;Here,&rdquo; said he to himself,
-      &ldquo;is a genuine town boomer, and as the fellow is stopping at this
-      hotel, it will be an easy matter to learn just how this boom business is
-      operated. It will make an excellent article for the <i>Banner</i>.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Accordingly, about eleven o&rsquo;clock that forenoon he called to see the
-      irrepressible town boomer and hear what sort of a marvelous story he had
-      to tell about Waterville.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0024" id="linkimage-0024"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8056.jpg" alt="8056 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8056.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      He was quickly admitted into a reception room by a young gentleman who
-      assured him that Mr. Winthrop would soon be at leisure, and begged him to
-      be seated, calling his attention to the numerous maps on the walls, one of
-      which covered nearly the entire side of the room.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Winthrop&rsquo;s young assistant seemed to know his business, and at once
-      commenced the preliminary skirmish of interesting Vance in the great Thief
-      River Valley, and especially town lots in Waterville; but as Vance did not
-      evince any inclination to purchase, the young fellow endeavored to so
-      impress him by calling his attention to the advertisements in the morning
-      papers. Every once in a while he would tip-toe over to the door where the
-      great town-boomer, Homer Winthrop, was holding a private conversation with
-      a would-be purchaser. He would put his ear to the keyhole and listen for a
-      moment, and then come tip-toeing back and assure Vance Mr. Winthrop would
-      soon be at leisure.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Presently the door opened and a gentleman in miner&rsquo;s garb came out,
-      and Vance was immediately shown in. As he entered the private room of
-      Homer Winthrop, he involuntarily paused to study, if but for a moment, the
-      face of the man who had arrived in Butte City late the night before, and
-      now had everyone in the place agog over the prospects of a new town that
-      had just been laid out on paper in the Thief River Valley.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Homer Winthrop, with all the easy grace of a Chesterfield, motioned his
-      visitor to a seat, pushing a box of very superior Havanas toward him, and
-      invited him to join him in burning a weed. He was a man above the average
-      height, inclined to be rather slender, and possessed a rather good looking
-      face, beaming with good nature and apparent frankness; a pair of
-      intelligent dark eyes that laughed and smiled with as much expression as
-      the face, changeable, however, into intenseness and earnestness seldom met
-      with; a broad, intellectual forehead; a rather square chin, indicating
-      great determination of character. To this add a luxuriant head of dark
-      hair, and moustache, otherwise a clean-shaven face, and the reader will
-      have a fair idea of his appearance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He was <span class="pagenum">49</span><a name="link49" id="link49"></a>evidently
-      an adept in reading human nature, and knew his man on sight; had seen much
-      of western life&mdash;and yet it required no second interview to discover
-      in him the polished manners and easy grace of one who has seen much of
-      refinement and culture. He could have entered into the gaieties of a
-      reception in a Fifth Avenue mansion with as little effort as he had <span
-      class="pagenum">50</span><a name="link50" id="link50"></a>stirred up a
-      city of 50,000 people in a few hours over the magnificent prospects of a
-      new town that was just budding into existence.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0025" id="linkimage-0025"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0058.jpg" alt="0058 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0058.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      Vance accepted the proffered cigar, and they easily engaged in
-      conversation. They discussed the great out put of ore from the mines of
-      Butte City, and the wonderful development of the western country during
-      recent years; the magnificent mining properties that had been opened up;
-      and, in fact, nearly everything except Waterville and the great Thief
-      River Valley. Homer Winthrop with the skill of a tactician, narrated
-      incidents and legends of different miners who had devoted a lifetime in
-      searching for the precious metal and finally &ldquo;struck it rich&rdquo;
-      in some out-of-the-way, unexpected place.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance finally inquired in regard to the new town of <span class="pagenum">51</span><a
-      name="link51" id="link51"></a>Waterville, and was not a little surprised
-      at the conservative reply he received, wholly devoid of any enthusiasm.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said Winthrop, &ldquo;we have a very excellent
-      agricultural country in the valley. We are building our new town of
-      Waterville on the rapids of the Thief River. It has, perhaps, the greatest
-      water power of any inland city in the United States. Many believe a great
-      citv will eventually be built at that point. We also have a great deal of
-      capital invested in the construction of irrigating canals, reclaiming the
-      valley lands from their present arid condition and converting them into
-      productive farms.&rdquo; He also went on, in a voice full of rhythm that
-      was almost musical in its intonation, explaining in a modest way why many
-      people believed in the future of the place, touching on the numerous
-      natural resources that were apparent to everyone sufficiently interested
-      to visit the valley and see for himself.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was deeply interested in Homer Winthrop&rsquo;s appearance, and
-      later found himself charmed with his new acquaintance more than he cared
-      to admit, even to himself. On taking his leave, he promised to call again
-      the next day. As Vance stepped into the reception room, he found it almost
-      filled with miners and tradesmen who were waiting for an interview&rsquo;
-      with Mr. Winthrop, and he rightly guessed that a profitable business was
-      being done.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      In thinking over his interview with the town boomer of Waterville, Vance
-      was compelled to admit that he was one of the most attractive individuals
-      with whom he had ever come in contact. That afternoon he finished a letter
-      to the <i>Banner</i>, but it contained no reference to Waterville.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The result of his second interview was that he accepted an invitation to
-      visit the new town, which was some two <span class="pagenum">52</span><a
-      name="link52" id="link52"></a>hundred miles distant. Agreeable to this
-      arrangement, they left Butte City early one morning, and that evening
-      reached Waterville.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was not particularly attracted by the general appearance and &ldquo;lay&rdquo;
-      of the new town site. It appeared crude and unfinished, and abounded with
-      sage brush and sand. The waters of the rapids, however, in their mad
-      rushing as they went foaming down the narrows like race horses, impressed
-      him with a belief that nothing had been overdrawn in regard to this great
-      natural power, which had been idling its time away for centuries.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0026" id="linkimage-0026"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9060.jpg" alt="9060 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9060.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Homer stood by his side on the rocky bank, but said nothing.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Presently Vance looked up and said: &ldquo;What a wonderful power is going
-      to waste in these rapids!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;It will soon be harnessed,&rdquo; replied Winthrop, &ldquo;and this
-      vast power utilized in many manufacturing enterprises. I do not feel,&rdquo;
-      he continued, &ldquo;that I am over-estimating facts, Mr. Gilder, when I
-      say there is power enough here to turn every spindle in every woolen mill
-      and factory in the United States.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;My only surprise,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;is that these waters
-      have not been put to use long before this.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      That night at the hotel Vance felt he was indeed &ldquo;roughing it.&rdquo;
-      He rose in the morning feeling but little refreshed, and sat down to a
-      very unpalatable breakfast, and immediately afterwards started with Homer
-      Winthrop on a drive through the valley.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The farmers were busy harvesting their grain, and on <span class="pagenum">53</span><a
-      name="link53" id="link53"></a>inquiry they learned the yield of wheat was
-      from forty to seventy bushels to the acre, and that oats yielded from
-      sixty to one hundred bushels to the acre. Vance was greatly astonished,
-      and became almost enthusiastic over the agricultural possibilities of the
-      valley.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;Mr. Winthrop, there is no question but
-      this is destined to be one of the richest agricultural valleys in the
-      world. In my work on the <i>Banner</i> I have had occasion to look up
-      statistics on grain products, and if these farmers are telling the truth
-      in regard to the yield of their crops, there is no other place like it in
-      the United States.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      A moment after, he was chagrined to think he had given way to such a burst
-      of enthusiasm. It would have been better for him to remain a listener, and
-      allow Winthrop to grow enthusiastic in praise of the country. Winthrop,
-      however, took no advantage of Vance&rsquo;s earnestness.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The day was a perfect one; the sun was shining, and yet there was a cool,
-      invigorating breeze sweeping gently down from the snow-capped Tetons.
-      Driving rapidly and pleasantly along, they at last found themselves near
-      the foot-hills on a slight elevation overlooking the valley to the west.
-      Alighting from the carriage, Vance followed Winthrop&rsquo;s lead, and
-      soon they found themselves on a table rock, at a sufficient elevation to
-      see for many miles to the north, south and west. For a few minutes Vance
-      contemplated the sight in silence, and then said: &ldquo;This is indeed a
-      grand sight.&rdquo; Turning to Winthrop, he continued:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I have seen many beautiful sights&mdash;the Green and White
-      Mountains of New England, the Cumberland of <span class="pagenum">54</span><a
-      name="link54" id="link54"></a>Virginia, and the mighty Rocky Mountains
-      through Colorado but standing here on the foot hills, with the mountains
-      rising behind us to the sky, with their hoary crests even on this July day
-      capped with snow, and these mountain streams, foaming cataracts, all
-      shimmering in the sunshine, making sweet and restful harmony in their
-      ceaseless flow, surpasses anything I have ever seen. The valley itself
-      looks like a vast green sward stretching before us like a map. The yellow
-      shocks of golden grain in the farming districts are suggestive of what may
-      be in years to come. No man can look upon such a promising picture and not
-      be convinced of the commercial importance which will attend the
-      development of this valley.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      During Vance&rsquo;s outburst of ecstacy, Homer Winthrop said nothing,
-      merely acquiescing, in a modest way, to all Vance expressed.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Returning to Waterville, they partook of a sumptuous repast, which
-      Winthrop had ordered especially prepared, Consisting principally of
-      mountain trout, caught that morning in the Thief River.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      After lunch Vance accepted an invitation to smoke and walk out over the
-      town site.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;This,&rdquo; said Winthrop, &ldquo;is block fourteen of Eagle&rsquo;s
-      addition. You see it is less than three blocks from the center of the
-      town. It is one of the choicest blocks we have. If you want me to give you
-      some advice, Mr. Gilder, I will do so, and say, buy a few of these lots.
-      The price is only $100 each, and, in my judgment, they will be worth $500
-      before five years from to-day.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance looked<span class="pagenum">55</span><a name="link55" id="link55"></a>
-      away into the distance at the farm lands, and the music of the sickle was
-      borne lazily to him by a gentle breeze; then he turned his gaze toward the
-      river, where the roaring waters were crowding down the rapids, proclaiming
-      in thundering tones that Waterville was an exception to the rule. After a
-      little he turned to Homer Winthrop and said: &ldquo;I have been advised to
-      keep clear of these new towns. The person who gave me this advice told me
-      there were a few honorable exceptions to the rule. I must believe, from
-      what I have seen, that Waterville is an exception. I will take twenty-five
-      of these lots, and you may fix up the deed for them as soon as possible.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The deed and abstract were delivered to Vance that afternoon, and his
-      check for $2,500 was duly deposited in Homer Winthrop&rsquo;s pocket.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I may have been foolish,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;to act so
-      hastily in this matter.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Winthrop turned to him, and placing a hand on either shoulder, looked
-      squarely into his companion&rsquo;s eyes, and said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;My belief, Mr. Gilder, is that you have acted wisely, and if you
-      will keep these lots five years, you will thank me for suggesting the
-      advisability of making the purchase. I have but one request to make&mdash;that
-      you will wait five years before passing judgment on my advice.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Your request is cheerfully granted,&rdquo; replied Vance with great
-      earnestness, and the two men clasped hands, and a bond of friendship was
-      thereby woven.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0007" id="link2HCH0007"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER VII.&mdash;A VISIT TO WATERVILLE
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0027" id="linkimage-0027"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9064.jpg" alt="9064 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9064.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      NEW WESTERN TOWN is <span class="pagenum">56</span><a
-      name="link56_rdquo_________id_" id="link56_rdquo_________id_"></a>usually
-      provided with a public square, and the business houses and shops are
-      arranged along the four sides of it in sentinel-like position, the corner
-      lots going at a premium, and where the most substantial buildings are
-      erected. Waterville, however could not boast of a public square, but it
-      had two iron bridges spanning the Thief River.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      A large stone grist mill had been built on the side of the river opposite
-      the town, and on the elevated ground beyond, it was said the State
-      Agricultural College was to be built.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It was a favorite pastime with the real estate agents to sit on the depot
-      platform, and while waiting for the incoming trains, to whittle pine
-      sticks into shavings, telling of the different manufactories, state
-      institutions, colleges and asylums, etc., that would be located in the
-      near future at Waterville.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      That evening after Vance had made his purchase of town lots he strolled
-      away by himself across the great iron bridge, and gave himself up to
-      meditation. Had he acted wisely? Would Waterville after all prove a
-      &ldquo;boom town&rdquo; and his investment a losing one? Was Homer
-      Winthrop, <span class="pagenum">57</span><a name="link57" id="link57"></a>with
-      his suave manners and great earnestness, which at times seemed to carry
-      conviction to the hearts of all who heard him express himself, the noble
-      specimen of manhood he appeared to be, or were his fascinations merely the
-      arts of the ordinary skilled western boomer? Would the managing editor
-      approve his action in purchasing lots in such a new and undeveloped place
-      as Waterville?
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It is a common experience with mankind, that after a doubtful transaction
-      has been consummated, we can deliberate with far more intentness of
-      thought than before the trade was made.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      A peculiarity of a western town is its plentifulness of real estate
-      agents, who seem to travel in swarms, and find an abiding place in the
-      town that promises the greatest activity.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0028" id="linkimage-0028"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9065.jpg" alt="9065 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9065.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      After a reaction sets in and hard times overtake them, this peculiar class
-      usually pick up their &ldquo;ink-horns&rdquo; and fly, as from a
-      pestilence.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Another peculiarity is, that if a trade is made with a &ldquo;tender-foot&rdquo;
-      everyone in the village usually knows of it in a very few hours.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As Vance was returning from his walk he was met on the outskirts of the
-      village by a number of this class of hangers-on, who make their living by
-      selling town lots on commission. Each one was desirous of saying &ldquo;just
-      a word&rdquo; to Vance in private.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The story of one was practically the story of all. They advised him to
-      stop and think what he was losing by not buying more property in
-      Waterville. One particularly long, lank individual, who wore a sombrero
-      and high-<span class="pagenum">58</span><a name="link58" id="link58"></a>topped
-      boots, assured him that &ldquo;the opportunity of a lifetime was at that
-      very minute knocking at his door; it might never come again.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You might go away from Waterville,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;and come
-      back here in a few mouths&rsquo; time, and you&rsquo;ll find the town lots
-      I can sell you to-day for a mere song, going at ten times the price that
-      you can buy them for now. My name is Steve Gibbons, and I presume I am
-      doing the biggest real estate business in Waterville. I sell more lots
-      than any other half dozen agents in town. You&rsquo;ve made a great
-      mistake, Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;in buying of the Town Company.
-      Of course, this is confidential, but if you had come to me instead of
-      buying of Winthrop, I could have saved you big money.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;What do you mean by &lsquo;the company&rsquo;.&rdquo; asked Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why, you see, the Waterville Town Company own mighty near all the
-      property in town.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0029" id="linkimage-0029"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9066.jpg" alt="9066 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9066.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      That man Winthrop is a member of the company. Now, while I have not as
-      many lots for sale as the Town Company, my prices beat them all holler.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Do you think,&rdquo; asked Vance, &ldquo;that Mr. Winthrop charged
-      me too much for my lots?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Think!&rdquo; said Steve Gibbons, &ldquo;think? why, pardner, all
-      the agents in town are laughin&rsquo; about it; he took you in.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance bit his lips, and mentally concluded to investigate very thoroughly
-      before he quit Waterville.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You see,&rdquo; Gibbons <span class="pagenum">59</span><a
-      name="link59_rdquo_________id_" id="link59_rdquo_________id_"></a>went on,
-      &ldquo;all us fellers are down on the Town Company. We don&rsquo;t like
-      corporations, nohow; they don&rsquo;t give us honorable-intentioned
-      fellers a fair chance. We are the men that&rsquo;s buildin&rsquo; up this
-      here town&mdash;givin&rsquo; it the bone, and the sinew, and the standin&rsquo;,
-      so to speak. Don&rsquo;t you see?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;I understand,&rdquo; and begging to
-      be excused, he turned and walked away from the &ldquo;honorable-intentioned&rdquo;
-      Steve Gibbons, and soon after sought the privacy of his own room in the
-      Ballard House.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Dick Ballard was a Grand Army man, and kept the only hotel of any
-      importance in Waterville. The only thing first-class about it was the
-      price for lodging. Immediately after the average traveler settled his bill
-      at the Ballard, there was generally a half-distinct impression in his mind
-      that he had been stopping at a first-class hotel, but the remembrance of
-      three kinds of meat cooked in the same kettle was not easily forgotten.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As Vance sat in his room, in anything but a pleasant frame of mind, there
-      came a gentle knock on his door. He quickly admitted his visitor, and
-      found it was Dick Ballard, the proprietor.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I reckon,&rdquo; said he, as soon as he stepped in, &ldquo;you&rsquo;ll
-      be one of us by and by. Bought property already, and a mighty good buy you&rsquo;ve
-      made of it, too. Oh, you know a good thing when you see it; you bet yer
-      life you do.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Do you think,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;the lots I purchased were
-      reasonable at the price?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I should say so; yes, sir, mighty cheap. This here town is comin
-      out of the kinks in fine shape. We&rsquo;ll have a drum corps in our State
-      militia before another year; you bet we will. I presume you know we have
-      the finest drilled company at Waterville, outside the regular army, in the
-      state?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I have been told,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;that I paid too much
-      <span class="pagenum">60</span><a name="link60" id="link60"></a>for the
-      property. I am more interested in learning the truth or untruth of the
-      statement than I am about your militia company.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0030" id="linkimage-0030"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0068.jpg" alt="0068 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0068.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Who told you that:&rdquo; asked Ballard, with indignation. As Vance
-      did not answer, the hotel proprietor went on to say: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll bet
-      it was J. Arthur Boast. Now, look&rsquo;ee here, Mr. Gilder, you can&rsquo;t
-      believe everything these fellers tell you.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The truth of this remark pressed itself on Vance so <span class="pagenum">61</span><a
-      name="link61" id="link61"></a>forcibly, and his indignation getting the
-      better of him, he turned upon Dick Ballard and said bitterly:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Who in thunderation can I believe?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You can believe me, sir, and I&rsquo;ll produce prima facie
-      evidence of everything I say. This town is all right; your investment is a
-      good one, and the man who says it is not is surely trying to stick his
-      nose into other people&rsquo;s business&mdash;but, say, hold on a minute,&rdquo;
-      said Ballard, as if he had forgotten something, &ldquo;will you take a
-      drink?&rdquo; and he produced a bottle from his pocket.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No, thank you,&rdquo; said Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, if you don&rsquo;t mind, I will,&rdquo; said the landlord, as
-      he proceeded to treat himself to a liberal portion of the contents of his
-      bottle.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Now,&rdquo; said he, as he sat down smacking his lips, &ldquo;everything
-      I tell you is prima facie. I know how it is; some of these fellows have
-      been trying to make you dissatisfied with your purchase. I am not selling
-      town lots. My business is to run this hotel and see that everybody has a
-      fair deal.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Who is the Town Company?&rdquo; asked Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;The Town Company, sir, consists of some of the most remarkable men
-      in this country. They are strong men, brainy men; they are hustlers; and
-      I,&rdquo; said Ballard, rising to his feet, &ldquo;I am their friend. This
-      man, Homer Winthrop,&rdquo; he went on, &ldquo;carries more gray matter
-      about on his brain than all the shark real estate agents in Waterville put
-      together. He is one of the company, but you&rsquo;ll see them all before
-      long; and when you do, I know you&rsquo;ll agree with me in saying they
-      are the cleanest cut lot of men on the continent. Winthrop is a great man,
-      but there are others in the company that are a mighty <span class="pagenum">62</span><a
-      name="link62_rdquo_________id_" id="link62_rdquo_________id_"></a>sight
-      stronger than he is. They are all men of honor, and their integrity is
-      prima facie.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Prima facie&rdquo; seemed to be a favorite expression of Dick
-      Ballard&rsquo;s. After he had delivered himself in the strongest language
-      at his command, he treated himself to another drink and retired.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance sat far into the night, looking out at his window into the mellow
-      moonlight, listening to the ceaseless roar of the waters and the yelping
-      coyotes in the distance, which were answered by half a dozen dogs in
-      different parts of the town. At times he regretted his purchase, and again
-      he felt it must, in the very nature of things, increase many times in
-      value in a few years.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The moon came up the eastern sky, and seemed to hang in space like a ball
-      of fire, beckoning him to return to his eastern home before disaster
-      overtook him. The three great Tetons of the mountain range bearing their
-      name stood out in bold relief, throwing long, menacing shadows directly
-      towards him. The shimmering of the soft moonbeams glistened on the
-      restless waters of the musical river, whose alluring song of promise and
-      power was wafted to him on the night wind.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0008" id="link2HCH0008"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER VIII.&mdash;AT THE MINE
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0031" id="linkimage-0031"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9071.jpg" alt="9071 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9071.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      HE <span class="pagenum">63</span><a name="link63" id="link63"></a>next
-      morning Vance was rather late in rising. Soon after he had taken his seat
-      at the breakfast table, he was joined by an individual small in stature
-      but tastily dressed. His eyes were restless, and he seemed on the point of
-      making an observation several times before he finally did so.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Very pleasant morning,&rdquo; said he, looking up at
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance and then hastily glancing at the sunshine that streamed in at the
-      window.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, delightful,&rdquo; was Vance&rsquo;s reply.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Presently the stranger observed: &ldquo;Sunny days are the rule, cloudy
-      days the exception, at Waterville. At least that&rsquo;s my experience
-      during a year&rsquo;s sojourn among the good people of this village.&rdquo;
-      There was a quaking sound in the fellow&rsquo;s voice that attracted Vance&rsquo;s
-      attention, because it was different from others more than because there
-      was anything charming about it. Vance wondered if this individual was not
-      also in the real estate business. It seemed as if every one with whom you
-      come in contact was a real estate agent. He was on the point of asking him
-      what line of business he <span class="pagenum">64</span><a name="link64"
-      id="link64"></a>was engaged in, when the fellow, looking up from his
-      plate, said, &ldquo;Real estate is my line. My office is just across the
-      street; you can see my sign from the window.&rdquo; Looking out at the
-      window, Vance saw a large real estate sign, with gold letters on a black
-      back-ground, bearing the name of &ldquo;J. Arthur Boast.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You are Mr. Boast, I presume,&rdquo; said Vance, turning from the
-      window.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;J. Arthur Boast, at your service.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Half an hour later Vance Gilder was seated in the real estate office of J.
-      Arthur Boast, looking over his special bargain list; not with a view of
-      buying, but rather to gain information.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0032" id="linkimage-0032"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9072.jpg" alt="9072 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9072.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Boast talked a great deal, and in his fawning, insinuating manner, advised
-      Vance, without saying so in so many words, to keep his eyes open when
-      dealing with the Town Company. After Vance had carefully scanned his list
-      of town lots, he was better satisfied than ever with his purchases.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Taking a bottle from his desk, Boast held it up toward the sunlight, and
-      asked Vance if he would have some &ldquo;red liquor.&rdquo; Vance declined
-      with thanks. Boast walked back and forth with the bottle in his hand, and
-      in a quaking voice, meant to be confidential, told Vance that he had got
-      to quit drinking; that red liquor was getting an awful hold on him. He
-      seemed to be desirous of giving the impression that he was a hard drinker.
-      Finally he poured out some of the contents of the bottle into a glass, and
-      drank it down at one swallow. Afterwards he seemed quite wretched and his
-      eyes were filled <span class="pagenum">65</span><a
-      name="link65_rdquo_________id_" id="link65_rdquo_________id_"></a>with
-      tears. Vance concluded, notwithstanding all he had said against himself,
-      that J. Arthur Boast was not a drinking man.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;That liquor is all right,&rdquo; said Boast; &ldquo;a very superior
-      article, but it is a little early in the day for me to commence. It always
-      half strangles me in the morning.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As Vance was seeking information from which he could draw his own
-      conclusions, he gave Boast all the opportunities possible to express
-      himself in regard to Waterville and its people.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0033" id="linkimage-0033"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8073.jpg" alt="8073 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8073.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      The fellow said nothing positive, yet there was an evil vein of
-      insinuation in all that he did say not only in regard to the Waterville
-      Town Company and every other real estate agent, but also against everybody
-      in the town generally. Vance very much disliked the fellow, and afterwards
-      learned that he was universally disliked and shunned by everyone in
-      Waterville.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Instead of returning to Butte City with Winthrop that afternoon, Vance
-      remained in Waterville, and arranged to take the early stage next morning
-      for Gold Bluff, which was located some sixty miles northwest of
-      Waterville, in the Fish River Mining District. He arrived in that Idaho
-      mining town late the following night, registered at the Bluff House, and
-      after a late supper retired to his room for a much needed rest.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The next morning he found, on inquiry, that Ben Bonifield&rsquo;s mine was
-      located about half a mile from town upon the mountain side, and he at once
-      started out in <span class="pagenum">66</span><a name="link66" id="link66"></a>that
-      direction, to see how the work on the shaft, bound for the 300 foot level,
-      was progressing.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The town of Gold Bluff was cozily nestled in a little valley, with abrupt
-      mountains lowering away to the sky on either side of it. The mountains
-      were covered with spruce and pine and mountain poplars up to the snow
-      line, above which the barren rocks rose majestically towards the heavens.
-      A refreshing stream meandered its course through the town, on one side of
-      which were stores and shops, and on the other residences. Vance noticed
-      that some of them were of modern architecture and neatly painted, while
-      others were primitive in the extreme&mdash;relics of early mining; days.
-      The town was rather quaint and picturesque, and made more so by a
-      profusion of shade trees.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Good morning,&rdquo; <span class="pagenum">67</span><a name="link67"
-      id="link67"></a>said Vance, as he came up to Ben Bonifield, who, in miner&rsquo;s
-      costume, was working vigorously away at the frame-work of the shaft over
-      Gray Rocks. The old man looked up with an astonished air, and said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0034" id="linkimage-0034"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8074.jpg" alt="8074 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8074.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Good mawnin&rsquo;, suh.&rdquo; Then, recognizing his visitor, he
-      threw down his hammer and gave Vance&rsquo;s hand such a squeeze in his
-      powerful grasp that it almost made him cry out with pain.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why, suh,&rdquo; cried the old miner, &ldquo;I am almost pa&rsquo;alyzed
-      to see yo&rsquo;. I am indeed, suh. Mr. Gilder, I welcome yo&rsquo; suh,
-      to Gold Bluff and to Gray Rocks. Here, suh, are our possessions,&rdquo;
-      waving his hand toward the shaft. &ldquo;Immediately upon my return from
-      the city, Mr. Gilder, we commenced work in earnest, suh, and befo&rsquo;
-      many weeks, I am proud to say, suh, we will reach the 300 foot level and
-      be ready to cross-cut into the vein, suh. Yo&rsquo; don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo;
-      said the old miner, again taking Vance&rsquo;s hand, &ldquo;how proud I am&mdash;yes,
-      proud, suh, proud to be honored with a visit from yo&rsquo;, I very much
-      desire that yo&rsquo; pu&rsquo;son&rsquo;lly inspect the mine; and there
-      is no better time than the present.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance entered heartily into the tour of inspection, and at the old miner&rsquo;s
-      invitation, went down in the bucket, where the miners were at work. The
-      old gentleman kept him there until he had explained everything to the
-      minutest detail, and when Vance at last reached the top of the shaft he
-      felt he had a far better idea of sinking shafts on mines than ever before.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Come,&rdquo; said the old miner, &ldquo;my Louise will be most
-      delighted to see yo&rsquo;, suh; she will indeed.&rdquo; Then turning, he
-      gave some instruction to his foreman, telling him he would not return that
-      afternoon, and together the old gentleman and Vance walked down the
-      mountain side to the village of Gold bluff.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The old miner&rsquo;s residence was a modest one, situated well back from
-      the street, near some huge boulders&mdash;a natural pyramid of rocks,
-      while a beautiful little spring of water flowed from near its base. There
-      was a very pretty yard in front, filled with growing evergreens and
-      mountain ash.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I planted these trees myself, suh,&rdquo; said the old miner,
-      &ldquo;years ago. They remind me of my old Virginia home. I was the fust
-      one to set out shade trees in Gold Bluff; yes, still, the fust one.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As Vance entered the yard, he paused a moment to contemplate the beauty
-      and home-like appearance of the <span class="pagenum">68</span><a
-      name="link68" id="link68"></a>yard, and Ben Bonifield&rsquo;s home, with
-      its wide porches in front literally covered with honeysuckles, ivy, and
-      vining roses.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0035" id="linkimage-0035"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0076.jpg" alt="0076 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0076.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      Vance found Louise dressed as a mountain maid, instead of the fashionable
-      young lady who had called on him in his New York home. She was not such a
-      woman as poets rave about, and yet, withal, there was a grace&mdash;a
-      charm&mdash;about her, that commanded admiration. Her hair, in the
-      sunlight, was like one beautiful sheen of gold, <span class="pagenum">69</span><a
-      name="link69" id="link69"></a>with little ringlets here and there; her
-      complexion was pink and white, and when under deep excitement a ruddy glow
-      would mantle her cheeks. Her nose, while well formed, neither large nor
-      small, was quite ordinary. Her mouth was a perfect Cupid&rsquo;s bow, with
-      lips like two red cherries. As Vance conversed with her that afternoon, he
-      forgot the hair, forgot the delicately formed, rosy lips, forgot even the
-      glow of pink which came and went over her fair cheeks, in looking into her
-      talking eyes&mdash;so clear, so blue, and yet to trustful; even forgot the
-      long brown lashes that fringed them with gentle protection. Her eyes were
-      the crowning feature of her expressive face, which may not have been a
-      beautiful one in the parlance of fashion, yet it was one that a student of
-      human nature would term a face of intelligence; and after all, to the
-      cultured, is there aught more beautiful?
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As Vance sat with the old miner and his daughter on the porch of their
-      cozy dwelling that afternoon, he forgot time. The sun went down behind the
-      western mountains, leaving the beauty of an afterglow reflected on the
-      waters of the mountain brooklet. The moon that was climbing up over the
-      eastern hills threw its rays aslant through the clinging roses that grew
-      in profusion about the porch. A feeling of peace, and possibly a dangerous
-      contentment, stole into his heart, and he murmured a thanksgiving to the
-      fates. The unseen, potent force that binds us all, sooner or later, with a
-      silken cord, was thonging him to a future destiny.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0009" id="link2HCH0009"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER IX.&mdash;THE STAGE DRIVER.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0036" id="linkimage-0036"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9078.jpg" alt="9078 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9078.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      ROM <span class="pagenum">70</span><a name="link70" id="link70"></a>Gold
-      Bluff Vance sent to the <i>Banner</i> one of his strongest descriptive
-      letters. The inspiration of the new west, with its gorges, mountains,
-      beautiful valleys and gurgling streams abounding with trout, tinged its
-      every sentence.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      His vivacious style, which had won for him the place he occupied on the <i>Banner</i>,
-      was reinforced with the new and intoxicating sights of the picturesque.
-      For two weeks he did little else than tramp through valleys, following up
-      mountain streams on fishing jaunts, and felt that he was &ldquo;roughing
-      it&rdquo; in a most delightful fashion. One night, coming in from a long
-      tramp far up in the mountains, he found a large bundle of mail awaiting
-      him that had been forwarded from Butte Citv. Among his letters was one
-      from the chief, which read as follows:
-    </p>
-    <blockquote>
-      <p>
-        <i>Banner</i> Office,
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        New York City, July
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        Dear Sir:
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        Your letters to the <i>Banner</i>, in one sense of the word, are all and
-        even more than I expected. They are giving excellent satisfaction. As
-        yet you have expressed no decided opinion in regard to the desirability
-        of Western investments.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        My ideas are to educate our readers against unstable investments. Nine
-        out of every ten of the mining shafts in Montana, <span class="pagenum">71</span><a
-        name="link71" id="link71"></a>in my judgment, have had more money put
-        into them than ever has or ever will be taken out. You will also find
-        many Western towns where they are selling lots at from one to two
-        hundred dollars each, which, in reality, would be expensive property to
-        own at the government price of $1.25 per acre. Of course, there are,
-        perhaps, a few honorable exceptions.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        To Vance Gilder, Esq.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        Respectfully,
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        J. R. S., Chief.
-      </p>
-    </blockquote>
-    <p>
-      When one is seeking an excuse for his convictions, especially if they are
-      as strong as Vance&rsquo;s had become in regard to Butte City and
-      Waterville, the one little sentence, &ldquo;Of course, there are, perhaps,
-      a few honorable exceptions,&rdquo; in the chief&rsquo;s letter saves him a
-      great deal of worry. Vance was too light hearted to be cast down by the
-      half-criticism of the class of correspondence he was sending in.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He had an engagement that evening with Louise Bonifield and her father;
-      indeed, his was a standing invitation at the Bonifields&rsquo;, and almost
-      every afternoon since his arrival at Gold Bluff found him at their
-      mountain home.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0037" id="linkimage-0037"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9079.jpg" alt="9079 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9079.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      As he started from the hotel he was accosted by a familiar voice: &ldquo;Hello,
-      pard; how d&rsquo; ye do?&rdquo; and Steve Gibbons thrust out his long arm
-      to shake Vance&rsquo;s hand in western fashion. He still wore his sombrero
-      and high-topped boots.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance assured Gibbons that he was delighted to see him.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I knew you would be,&rdquo; said Gibbons, &ldquo;You see, I have
-      given up the real estate t <span class="pagenum">72</span><a name="link72"
-      id="link72"></a>business clown at Waterville, and am turned stage driver.
-      Of course, every man in this &lsquo;ere country is lookin&rsquo; for
-      promotion. I don&rsquo;t reckon I&rsquo;m any smarter than other people,
-      but I&rsquo;ve had my eye on this job for several months; but you can bet
-      your life them other real estate agents didn&rsquo;t know nothin&rsquo;
-      about it. I tell you, pardner, it&rsquo;s a mighty elevatin&rsquo;
-      position to drive a six-horse team through these deep mountain gorges in
-      all kinds of wind and weather. Had to give a mighty stout bond, too, for
-      we handle all the express matter, and there&rsquo;s a good deal of gold
-      dust hauled down from this &lsquo;ere camp.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was glad to meet anyone, however slight the acquaintance had been,
-      and in the course of their conversation Steve Gibbons confessed to him
-      that he was &ldquo;givin&rsquo; it to him just a leetle&rdquo; in regard
-      to the town lots which Vance had purchased of the Town Company.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You see,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;the facts are, the Town Company of
-      Waterville has made that &lsquo;ere town, and are still makin&rsquo; it.
-      It&rsquo;s a mighty pert place, and is growin&rsquo; perter all the time.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance mentally wondered if all the &ldquo;honest intentioned&rdquo;
-      fellows of Waterville would talk in the same way about the Town Company if
-      they were occupying positions where their interests were no longer adverse
-      to the Company&rsquo;s.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Then you don&rsquo;t think I paid too much for my lots?&rdquo;
-      asked Vance, looking up with a quizzical expression.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Steve Gibbons, &ldquo;them lots are all right,
-      pardner, and will make you a barrel if you hold on to &lsquo;em. They sold
-      &lsquo;em to you cheap enough. That was just a leetle competition talk I
-      was givin&rsquo; you that night down at Waterville. Business is business,
-      you know, <span class="pagenum">73</span><a name="link73" id="link73"></a>when
-      you are sellin&rsquo; town lots, and a man has got to talk for hisself. I
-      really did want to sell you some lots, that&rsquo;s a fact, &lsquo;cause I
-      wanted to rake in the commission; but it&rsquo;s all over with now. I have
-      throwed up the whole darned business of sellin&rsquo; lots since I was
-      promoted. Old Dick Ballard,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;is jest as <i>prima
-      facie</i> as ever, and says his company is the finest drilled militia in
-      the state. By the way,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;the Town Company has
-      had a meetin&rsquo;, and the people are feelin&rsquo; mighty good jess now&rsquo;.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;How&rsquo;s that?&rdquo; asked Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; replied Gibbons, &ldquo;about once a month the Town
-      Company have a meetin&rsquo;, and pass resolutions, declar&rsquo;
-      dividends and get up a new&rsquo; prospectus of different manufacturin&rsquo;
-      enterprises that&rsquo;s goin&rsquo; to be built thar; also, of colleges
-      and state institutions that will be located at Waterville this comin&rsquo;
-      year, and that always makes the people feel high-spirited for the next
-      week or ten days, anyhow. Most of the people go on a spree after one o&rsquo;
-      them encouragin&rsquo; meetin&rsquo;s.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I presume,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;that Homer Winthrop is one of
-      the leading spirits of the Company.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;He is one of the Company,&rdquo; said Gibbons, as he filled his
-      pipe and lit it, &ldquo;but he lacks a good deal, I can tell you, of bein&rsquo;
-      the biggest toad in the puddle. There&rsquo;s old Colonel Alexander, he&rsquo;s
-      the fellow that lays out the plans on a gigantic scale. Then there&rsquo;s
-      General Ira House. I &lsquo;spect he has the biggest reputation of any
-      town boomer on the western half of the continent&mdash;I allow as what he
-      has. And when you&rsquo;re talkin&rsquo; about smart ones, you don&rsquo;t
-      want to forget B. Webster Legal; he&rsquo;s the corporation attorney, and
-      you can bet your last <span class="pagenum">74</span><a name="link74"
-      id="link74"></a>half dollar the company will never run agin&rsquo; any
-      shoals as long as he stands at the wheel and writes up contracts. Oh, he&rsquo;s
-      a hummer, and no mistake.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s reported down thar&rsquo; that half a dozen different
-      railroad companies are tryin&rsquo; mighty hard to get him for their
-      attorney, but he saws, &lsquo;Not much; I have cast my fortune with my
-      friends and with Waterville, and I&rsquo;ll stick by the enterprise as
-      long as a town lot can be sold.&rsquo;.rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;The Town Company is mighty cute,&rdquo; he went on, &ldquo;they
-      never have any law suits, &lsquo;cause their contracts are drawn up with
-      knots tied knee deep all over the fellow they&rsquo;re dealin&rsquo; with.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It is probable that Steve Gibbons would have gone on indefinitely had not
-      Vance begged to be excused, pleading a previous engagement. They bade each
-      other good night, Gibbons starting for the stables to look after his
-      horses, and Vance walked leisurely along toward the Bonifield&rsquo;s
-      home.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      That afternoon Louise had accepted his invitation to go on a fishing jaunt
-      some day during the week to a place called Silver Point Lake, some two
-      miles away.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0038" id="linkimage-0038"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8082.jpg" alt="8082 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8082.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Her simplicity of manner and frankness, though possessing, withal, a
-      demure humor, which was one of her charming characteristics, had greatly
-      fascinated him.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      They were standing on the cottage porch in the soft summer twilight, while
-      a mountain breeze was tossing the ringlets of Louise&rsquo;s hair about,
-      as if coquetting with them. Vance was studying her face while she was
-      looking far away toward the western <span class="pagenum">75</span><a
-      name="link75_rdquo_________id_" id="link75_rdquo_________id_"></a>mountains,
-      where the sun had left a reddened glow on the sky, which, he said, was a
-      promise of fair weather for the fishing excursion the next day. Presently,
-      a creaky voice commenced calling:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Louise! Louise! where is your par?&rdquo; and before Vance&rsquo;s
-      fair companion could explain, a woman well advanced in years came out on
-      the porch, and seemed surprised at seeing Vance, and eyed him critically.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Aunt Sally,&rdquo; said Louise, &ldquo;this is Mr. Gilder, papa&rsquo;s
-      friend. Mr. Gilder, this is my Aunt Sally, father&rsquo;s sister.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Aunt Sally acknowledged the introduction with a stately bow. Her apparel
-      was of the fashion of a quarter of a century ago.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Am very glad to see you, suh,&rdquo; she said, addressing Vance.
-      &ldquo;I understand you are interested with my brother in his mine. I can
-      give you, Mr. Gilder, some very excellent advice; I can, indeed, suh, but
-      I will defer it until some other time.&rdquo; Then turning to Louise, she
-      said, &ldquo;Do you know where your par&rsquo;s gone?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I do not,&rdquo; replied Louise, sweetly, &ldquo;I think he will be
-      here in a few moments.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I just allow he&rsquo;s grub-stakin&rsquo; some of them pesky
-      prospectin&rsquo; miners again,&rdquo; cried Aunt Sally. &ldquo;Mr.
-      Gilder,&rdquo; she continued, &ldquo;I have to watch over my brother very
-      closely, I do, indeed, suh. He&rsquo;s been plantin&rsquo; money all over
-      these mountains for many years, but there&rsquo;s no crop ever been
-      harvested. I allow I&rsquo;ll give him a piece of my mind when he comes
-      home.&rdquo; Saying this, she turned and disappeared into the house.
-      Louise was evidently confused, and regretted her aunt&rsquo;s words, while
-      Vance was at a loss to understand the import of the spinster s remarks.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">76</span><a name="link76" id="link76"></a>"I am very
-      sorry, Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; said Louise&mdash;and he noticed she was
-      trembling like a frightened bird&mdash;&ldquo;sorry that Aunt Sally should
-      so far forget herself as to speak so before a stranger.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0039" id="linkimage-0039"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0084.jpg" alt="0084 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0084.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      Vance declared there was no reason for being disturbed, but Louise was not
-      wholly reassured by his words. &ldquo;I know papa will be very angry with
-      Aunt Sally.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;There surely is no cause for that,&rdquo; replied Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">77</span><a name="link77" id="link77"></a>"You see,&rdquo;
-      said Louise, &ldquo;mamma died when Virginia and I were little girls, and
-      Aunt Sally has been a mother to us. Ever since papa commenced work on Gray
-      Rocks she has continually opposed him. She says he will never find a
-      dollar s worth of gold if he sinks his shaft a thousand feet. I sometimes
-      think she has influenced sister Virgie. Sister is away from home now,
-      teaching school at Waterville. I do not know whether papa is wrong or not,
-      but if he is, then I am also, for I believe with all my heart that some
-      time papa will find the wealth he has so persistently labored for so many
-      years. And I sincerely hope,&rdquo; she continued, laying her hand on
-      Vance&rsquo;s arm and looking pleadingly up into his face, &ldquo;that you
-      will not be influenced by anything that Aunt Sally may have said, will
-      you?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was only human; he could not withstand such an appeal, If doubts had
-      ever come to him, the trembling girl at his side, by her looks and words,
-      had put them to flight. &ldquo;No,&rdquo; he replied, &ldquo;my faith is
-      as firm as the rocks in your father&rsquo;s mine.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0010" id="link2HCH0010"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER X.&mdash;PROPERTY HAS GONE UP.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0040" id="linkimage-0040"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9086.jpg" alt="9086 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9086.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      MMEDIATELY <span class="pagenum">78</span><a name="link78" id="link78"></a>after
-      breakfast the following morning, Vance was waited upon by Col. Bonifield.
-      The old miner bore a troubled expression on his face. Vance invited him to
-      his room.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; said the old miner, as he raised himself to his
-      full height, and with the dignity of a general addressed Vance: &ldquo;I
-      assure yo&rsquo;, suh, I am greatly pained at the uncalled fo&rsquo;
-      remarks which my sister made in yo&rsquo;r presence last evening; I am
-      indeed, suh.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I assure you,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;there is no occasion to
-      refer to the matter at all. I assured your daughter, and I now assure you,
-      that I have every confidence in the mine, and will continue to have until
-      you yourself have sufficient reason to shake your faith. I certainly
-      cannot say more, and under the circumstances could not say less.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; said the old miner, &ldquo;yo&rsquo;, suh, are a
-      very honorable gentleman, and I am very proud of my partnership with yo&rsquo;.
-      I am indeed, suh. In regard to my sister&mdash;in her younger days, I
-      assure yo&rsquo;, she was one of the most rema&rsquo;kable women of
-      Virginia; yes, suh, a vehy rema&rsquo;kable woman. She certainly has been
-      a true sister to me, suh, and a faithful mother to my daughters, but in
-      <span class="pagenum">79</span><a name="link79" id="link79"></a>some way
-      she disbelieves in Gray Rocks, and would yo&rsquo; believe it, suh, she
-      has gone so far at times as to intimate that I am crazy as a March hare in
-      regard to ever &lsquo;strikin&rsquo; it rich&rsquo; on our minin&rsquo;
-      property; yes, suh, she certainly has said some vehy bitter things against
-      Gray Rocks, but fo&rsquo; all that, she is a vehy rema&rsquo;kable woman,
-      even to this day. Yes, suh, quite rema&rsquo;kable.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I now have a matter, Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;of
-      vehy great importance to discuss with yo.&rdquo; Vance offered the old
-      miner a cigar, which he accepted, and soon they were discussing the
-      &ldquo;important matter,&rdquo; which of course referred to Gray Rocks.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0041" id="linkimage-0041"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8087.jpg" alt="8087 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8087.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;We are not far away, Mr. Gilder, from the 300 foot level. Our
-      machinery and pumps, suh, have been workin&rsquo; rema&rsquo;kably well.
-      Two weeks mo&rsquo; and our shaft will be finished; yes, suh, finished.
-      Then we will cross-cut, and my opinion is, it will be well fo&rsquo; yo&rsquo;
-      to remain in Gold Bluff and be ready to send in yo&rsquo;r resignation as
-      cor&rsquo;spondent of that New York paper; yes, suh that is my advice. It
-      is only proper, suh, that yo&rsquo; should enjoy the riches that await yo&rsquo;.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;But supposing, Col. Bonifield,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;supposing
-      that you do not find any pay ore when you crosscut into the vein, as you
-      say; in that event, I suppose you agree with me that it would be a pretty
-      good idea for me to hold my position on the <i>Banner?</i>&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Of cou&rsquo;se, suh,&rdquo; replied the old miner, &ldquo;but
-      there is but one chance in ten thousand that we won&rsquo;t strike it. I
-      admit of this one chance against us, suh, fo&rsquo; the sake of <span
-      class="pagenum">80</span><a name="link80_rdquo_________id_"
-      id="link80_rdquo_________id_"></a>argument alone. Mr. Grim is now takin&rsquo;
-      out of the Peacock some of the richest ore I ever saw in my life, he is
-      indeed, suh&mdash;and his mine joins ours, as yo&rsquo; know, directly on
-      the nawth.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was silent for a few moments, and then said: &ldquo;In the event,
-      Col. Bonifield, we do not strike it; what then? Will you be discouraged?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No, suh; if we fail at the 300 foot level, suh, and yo&rsquo; can
-      furnish the money, we will start the next mornin&rsquo; fo&rsquo; the 400
-      foot level; but I assure yo&rsquo;, suh, I have no idea yo &lsquo;ll have
-      to furnish any mo&rsquo; money. Gray Rocks is a sure winner; it is indeed,
-      suh. The oldest miners in the camp say that if we stick to Gray Rocks it
-      will be worth mo&rsquo; in five years than Rufus Grim&rsquo;s Peacock
-      mine. When I was yo&rsquo;r age, Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; he continued, blowing
-      a cloud of smoke away out of the window toward Gray Rocks, &ldquo;I could
-      not have stuck to that property year after year as I have been doin&rsquo;.
-      Why suh, it took a quarter of a century&rsquo;s experience fo&rsquo; me to
-      learn that a rollin&rsquo; stone gathers no moss&rsquo;. it did indeed,
-      suh. Now I have observed the fellows that strike it, in nine cases out of
-      ten, are the ones who follow up and hold on after they once strike a
-      trail. Why, suh, if yo&rsquo; had seen the float rock that I found befo&rsquo;
-      stakin&rsquo; out Gray Rocks, yo&rsquo; would know why I believe there is
-      an entire hill full of wealth over yonder.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      While they were talking there came a gentle rap on the door. Vance called
-      out for them to &ldquo;come in. The door opened, and a boy sidled into the
-      room with a letter in his hand and asked for Col. Bonifield.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;At yo&rsquo;r service, suh,&rdquo; said the old miner&rsquo; rising
-      with much dignity. &ldquo;Thank yo&rsquo;, suh,&rdquo; said he, taking the
-      <span class="pagenum">81</span><a name="link81" id="link81"></a>letter.
-      The boy took himself off, closing the door behind him, while the colonel,
-      adjusting his glasses, read aloud the address, &ldquo;Miss Louise
-      Bonifield.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Dropping his glasses from his eyes, he placed the letter in his pocket and
-      said: &ldquo;Mr. Boast has evidently returned to Gold Bluff.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Mr. Boast, did you say?&rdquo; asked Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, suh, Mr. Boast&mdash;a young man in whom I have only the
-      slightest confidence. His full name is J. Arthur Boast. His father,
-      Colonel Boast, lives on a ranch about three miles from here.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance could never explain why, but the unfavorable opinion he had formed
-      of J. Arthur Boast while at Waterville was in the twinkling of an eye
-      changed to hatred. Soon after, Colonel Bonifield took his departure, and
-      Vance commenced preparing for his next day&rsquo;s fishing-jaunt. His door
-      had been left ajar, and presently he heard a squeaky, ill-omened voice
-      that he well remembered.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;How do you do, Mr. Gilder?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance turned and saw J. Arthur Boast standing at his door. &ldquo;How do
-      you do,&rdquo; said Vance, rather abruptly.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I did not expect to find you at Gold Bluff,&rdquo; said Boast in an
-      insinuating tone of voice.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why not?&rdquo; said Vance; without deigning to look up.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh, you eastern fellows, and newspaper men in particular, never
-      stay very long in one place. So you&rsquo;ve met my old mining friend,
-      Colonel Bonifield?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I presume you&rsquo;ve met his daughter, Miss Louise?&rdquo; As he
-      made this remark he looked out of the corners of his restless eyes in a
-      manner that was intended to be cunning
-<span class="pagenum">82</span><a name="link82" id="link82"></a>
-Vance
-      was full of resentment, and dared not trust himself to make and immediate
-      reply. Presently Boast continued: &ldquo;They are old friends, of mine; a
-      most respectable family. I used to live in Gold Bluff; may live here
-      again. One can&rsquo;t say what may happen, you know.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0042" id="linkimage-0042"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0090.jpg" alt="0090 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0090.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I thought,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;you were in love with
-      Waterville.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;One&rsquo;s in love where one&rsquo;s possessions are, don&rsquo;t
-      you see?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance did not reply to the question, but busied himself with his fishing
-      tackle. Presently Boast took a bottle from his pocket, and said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Will you have a drink of red liquor Vance replied in the negative.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, I suppose,&rdquo; said Boast, &ldquo;I ought not to drink so
-      much. The truth is, I am a pretty devilish hard citizen. I am drinking
-      entirely too much of the stuff, but no one takes interest enough in me to
-      tell me so; yet I know I&rsquo;m going to the bad. The habit is formed and
-      what is a fellow going to do about it?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He waited <span class="pagenum">83</span><a name="link83" id="link83"></a>some
-      time for a reply, but as Vance made none, he proceeded to pour out a small
-      portion of the contents of the bottle into a glass, and then added some
-      water to it and stood looking out of the window.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Won&rsquo;t you be seated?&rdquo; asked Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Thank you, I believe I will,&rdquo; replied Boast, and sat down
-      with the glass of liquor in his hand, and said nothing for several
-      minutes. He acted as if he dreaded the ordeal of swallowing the portion,
-      but felt it would not do to set it aside after all he had said in regard
-      to being a hard drinker. Finally he gulped it down at a single swallow,
-      and then drank a great quantity of water immediately afterward. He
-      strangled considerably and his eyes became very red, and evidently was
-      glad the trial was over. Presently he said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Mr. Gilder, there are things going to happen down at Waterville in
-      the next ninety days that will surprise everyone. Some very large
-      manufacturing enterprises wall soon be located there.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;That certainly is very welcome news,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;as
-      a property owner in the new city, I am naturally interested in its
-      development.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">84</span><a name="link84" id="link84"></a>"Property
-      has gone up ten per cent since you were there.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Is that so?&rdquo; said Vance, looking up in some surprise. &ldquo;Of
-      course,&rdquo; Boast continued, &ldquo;I am selling my special bargain
-      list at the same old prices, but the Company and other real estate agents
-      who have desk room here and there over the town, are trying very hard to
-      inflate prices. I am holding them level, however, and intend to keep on
-      doing so. I don&rsquo;t propose having Waterville killed by a lot of town
-      boomers, who are trying to get prices away above intrinsic values.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;It is very fortunate,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;that Waterville
-      has such a conservative citizen as yourself.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s very complimentary for you to say so, I am sure,&rdquo;
-      replied Boast. &ldquo;Of course. Mr. Gilder, I would not say anything
-      detrimental about anyone.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Certainly not,&rdquo; replied Vance. The tenor of his conversation
-      was decidedly wicked in its insinuations; indeed, one to hear him talk
-      would naturally think the destiny of Waterville rested entirely with J.
-      Arthur Boast. Presently, in a high, creaking voice, he said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;How do you like Miss Louise?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Miss Louise?&rdquo; repeated Vance, with a perplexed look on his
-      face.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, Miss Louise Bonifield. How do you like her? Pretty fair
-      specimen for the west, ain&rsquo;t she?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;My likes and dislikes,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;are hardly to be
-      taken into consideration. One seldom forms an opinion until he is
-      acquainted. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. I have known
-      people for a very short time, and yet instinctively taken a great dislike
-      to them. Miss Bonifield,&rdquo; continued Vance, without looking up, <span
-      class="pagenum">85</span><a name="link85" id="link85"></a>"has the
-      appearance of a lady of refinement and culture, but as my observations
-      have been limited, I can hardly say more than that I am well pleased with
-      both the young lady and her father.&rdquo; At this Vance prepared to leave
-      the room.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You&rsquo;d better drink with me,&rdquo; said Boast, taking up his
-      bottle again.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0043" id="linkimage-0043"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9093.jpg" alt="9093 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9093.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I am liable to drink every drop of this liquor before I let up, and
-      you&rsquo;d only be doing me a kindness by dividing it up with me a
-      little.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No, thank you,&rdquo; replied Vance. &ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; said
-      Boast &ldquo;I shall remain in Gold Bluff several days, and hope to see
-      you often.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance closed the door after Boast had left his room, and the one word,
-      &ldquo;Scoundrel!&rdquo; hissed through his teeth.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0011" id="link2HCH0011"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER XI.&mdash;OWNER OF THE PEACOCK MINE.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0044" id="linkimage-0044"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9094.jpg" alt="9094 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9094.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      HE next <span class="pagenum">86</span><a name="link86" id="link86"></a>morning
-      Vance was up at an early hour for a morning walk. He followed the winding
-      road up the hill-side toward Gray Rocks. The air was fresh and
-      invigorating; the sun was just rising over the eastern mountains. Robins
-      and mountain thrushes were twittering gaily their morning songs. He
-      mentally compared the stifled life so prevalent in the great cities to the
-      healthful and exhilarating prospect about him.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      A shadow flitted across his mind. It was J. Arthur Boast&rsquo;s inquiry
-      in regard to Louise Bonifield. &ldquo;But why should I be so ready to come
-      to her rescue? What right have I to be her champion? They may be old
-      acquaintances, but they certainly are not friends. She is too noble a
-      character to form an alliance of friendship with such an individual as
-      Boast. He is critical, cold, calculating, and, I believe, unprincipled.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Walking on in an aimless way, he followed a path that led by Gray Rocks on
-      toward the Peacock. Presently he saw a well-dressed man in middle life
-      walking toward him. There was an unmistakable look of good living and
-      prosperity&mdash;a general air of superiority about him. His round, fat
-      face was smooth shaven, except a <span class="pagenum">87</span><a
-      name="link87" id="link87"></a>bristly dark moustache. His nose was large
-      and obtrusive. In his shirt front glistened a diamond of great value,
-      while its counterpart reflected the morning sun from a massive ring on one
-      of his fat, short fingers.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Good morning,&rdquo; said he.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0045" id="linkimage-0045"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0095.jpg" alt="0095 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0095.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      Vance returned the salutation, and presently the pompous stranger
-      introduced himself as Rufus Grim, owner of the Peacock.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, I have heard of you,&rdquo; replied Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">88</span><a name="link88" id="link88"></a>"You&rsquo;re
-      the young man from New York, I reckon,&rdquo; said Grim.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;New York is my home.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, I have heard about you. I rather expected you over to see me.
-      I assure you, Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; he went on, &ldquo;it would afford me
-      great pleasure to show you through the Peacock. She is a fine piece of
-      property, I can tell you; none better. If you&rsquo;ll walk down this way
-      a little we can see the old prospect shaft where the precious metal of the
-      Peacock was first discovered.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance readily consented, and presently they came to an old, open shaft
-      near the brow of the mountain overlooking the village of Gold Bluff and
-      the valley below.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Here,&rdquo; said Rufus Grim, with a wave of his fat hand, &ldquo;is
-      where I commenced prospecting fifteen years ago. I was one of the pioneers
-      in this mining camp. Sometimes I did not know where the next meal was
-      coming from, but I worked on, day after day; first for wages, and then for
-      an interest in what, at the time, was looked upon as a labor and money
-      losing investment. I stuck to it; the other fellows didn&rsquo;t. Finally
-      I bought out the other fellows, and if you have heard very much about the
-      history of Gold Bluff and the prosperity of her mines, of course you have
-      heard about me. In fact,&rdquo; he said, with vulgar braggadocio, &ldquo;the
-      history of the Peacock and my own are so interwoven that you couldn&rsquo;t
-      very well hear of one and not know all about the other.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;I have heard a great deal of you.
-      Mr. Grim, and am delighted to have the pleasure of knowing you personally.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, I presume,&rdquo; <span class="pagenum">89</span><a
-      name="link89_rdquo_________id_" id="link89_rdquo_________id_"></a>said
-      Grim, as he looked away toward the valley that nestled beneath their feet,
-      &ldquo;I presume you&rsquo;ve heard a great deal about Rufus Grim that is
-      not true, and precious little to my credit. I have not a doubt but what
-      the busy-bodies of Gold Bluff have told you that old, worn-out story about
-      Steve Gibbons and Hank Casey, and how unjustly I treated them; but I can
-      tell you,&rdquo; he continued with warmth, &ldquo;there&rsquo;s not a word
-      of truth in all that you may have heard. No, sir, I have climbed the
-      ladder step by step and built up my own fortune, and whatever I am to-day,
-      I have nobody to thank but myself.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I assure you,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;I have heard nothing
-      particularly to your discredit. In fact, I have heard next to nothing at
-      all, except that you were the owner of the Peacock, and that it is a
-      paying property.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Rufus Grim looked at Vance at first as if he doubted him, and then
-      expressed his surprise that no one had told him what a mean man he was.
-      &ldquo;If you get acquainted with that young scoundrel, Boast, he&rsquo;ll
-      tell you quick enough&mdash;a miserable story; how I cheated Casey and
-      Gibbons out of their share of the mine; but I say it&rsquo;s false,&rdquo;
-      he continued, as he brought his fat hands down together, &ldquo;not a word
-      of truth in any of their statements. No, sir. You see,&rdquo; he went on,
-      turning to the old prospect shaft, &ldquo;I have put a wall around this so
-      that it may be preserved. It gratifies me to come here occasionally and
-      think over the hard times of my prospecting life and the change that has
-      come. It came, sir, because I made it come. Yonder is my home,&rdquo; said
-      he, waving his hand toward an elegant residence located in the suburbs of
-      the village, with beautiful grounds about it. &ldquo;If there is any
-      better in the Fish River mining district, I don&rsquo;t know it.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">90</span><a name="link90" id="link90"></a>"You&rsquo;re
-      home,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;is certainly a lovely looking place.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You are at liberty,&rdquo; said Grim &ldquo;to come and see me
-      whenever you desire. I can&rsquo;t promise you more than this, that you
-      will be welcome.&rdquo; Grim made this last remark as if he was bestowing
-      a great favor upon a stranger within the gates of Gold Bluff; indeed, one
-      might have imagined him Lord Mayor of some municipality granting the
-      freedom of the city to some favored guest.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance thanked him for the invitation. With a stately bow to Vance, Grim
-      turned and walked toward the works on the Peacock, and Vance returned to
-      the hotel refreshed from his walk, and interested in the fragments of the
-      story he had heard from the owner of the Peacock.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      At the appointed hour he called for Louise, and, together, they walked
-      briskly toward Silver Point Lake.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Louise was <span class="pagenum">91</span><a name="link91" id="link91"></a>all
-      animation and life, and thought nothing of the two miles&rsquo; walk which
-      lay before them.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0046" id="linkimage-0046"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9098.jpg" alt="9098 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9098.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Indeed, she had followed these mountain paths from her early childhood,
-      and felt less fatigue after a tramp of a half-dozen miles than many a city
-      belle after walking a half-dozen blocks.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It might be well to explain that Louise&rsquo;s mother was a lady of great
-      culture and refinement, and belonged to one of the oldest families of
-      Baltimore. She died when Louise was only four years old. A spinster sister
-      of Colonel Bonifield tried to persuade her brother to give up his
-      daughters while he was leading a life in the mountains, and let than be
-      reared to womanhood at the old Bonifield home in Virginia, but Ben
-      Bonifield could not do this. The loss of his wife was a severe blow, and
-      to part with his daughters, Virginia and Louise, could not be thought of.
-      Therefore, Aunt Sully had accepted her brother&rsquo;s invitation to make
-      her home in the mountains, and take upon herself the care and training of
-      her brother&rsquo;s children.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Aunt Sally was a lady in the olden time possessed of uncommon gifts and a
-      finished education, not only in classical literature, but also in music
-      and painting. Louise had proven a more apt scholar than her elder sister,
-      Virginia. Aunt Sally had been a most painstaking instructress, and her
-      wards had grown up with minds enriched and cultured, while their physical
-      development was in keeping with the wild freedom of a health-sustaining
-      mountain country.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      In her later years, however, Aunt Sally had become greatly dissatisfied
-      with her brother and his attachment for Gray Rocks, and she had developed
-      a querulous disposition, which, at times, was very annoying to Ben
-      Bonifield. She lost no opportunity to express her opinion that &ldquo;he
-      was fooling his time away&rdquo; while working on Gray Rocks.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As Vance and Louise walked along that morning toward Silver Point Lake, he
-      could not help glancing at the ruddy glow on the fair cheeks of his
-      companion. He listened to her childish talk of the many excursions which
-      she had made with her father far over some of the tallest mountains that
-      lav before them, and of numerous &ldquo;fish frys&rdquo; they had enjoyed
-      at Silver Point Lake.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      While he listened to the sweet music of her voice, he <span class="pagenum">92</span><a
-      name="link92" id="link92"></a>mentally speculated as to what sort of a
-      friendship, if any, could possibly exist between such a fair creature and
-      J. Arthur Boast. Presently, looking up at Vance with her large blue eyes,
-      she said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;We may have company at the lake.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why, how is that?&rdquo; inquired Vance in some surprise.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I received a note,&rdquo; replied Louise, &ldquo;from Bertha Allen,
-      inviting me to go horseback riding to-day. In my reply I explained my
-      previous engagement with you. Just before starting this morning I received
-      a note from her saying that she and her cousin, Arthur Boast, would try to
-      join our fishing party. Of course,&rdquo; she said, with a sweet little
-      laugh, &ldquo;you do not know who Bertha Allen is. Bertha Allen,&rdquo;
-      she went on, &ldquo;is Mr. Rufus Grim&rsquo;s step-daughter. Mr. Grim
-      married Mrs. Allen when Bertha was a girl in her early teens. Mrs. Allen
-      is Colonel Boast&rsquo;s sister, and Bertha and Arthur are, therefore,
-      cousins.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance did not fancy the prospect of meeting Boast, and felt that his
-      happiness for the day would certainly be very incomplete if Boast was to
-      be one of the fishing party.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I have met Mr. Boast,&rdquo; said Vance, with just a tinge of
-      resentment in his voice.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I hope you like him,&rdquo; said Louise, as she turned her lovely
-      face toward him with a pleading look in her eyes.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;May I ask you why you hope so?&rdquo; asked Vance, in almost a
-      defiant tone.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      There was no maidenly blush on Louise&rsquo;s cheeks as she replied with
-      the simplicity of a child:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why, Mr. Gilder, there is hardly anybody that likes Arthur, and I
-      sometimes feel sorry for him. Mr. Grim <span class="pagenum">93</span><a
-      name="link93" id="link93"></a>says very hard things about him, and no one
-      seems to be his friend.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Perhaps he is unworthy,&rdquo; replied Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      For a moment Louise was silent, and then said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;The judgment of the world, Mr. Gilder, is often at fault. We may
-      judge with a degree of accuracy art, music, fame, or power, but it is
-      hardly wise to apply the same rule to a human being.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0047" id="linkimage-0047"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0101.jpg" alt="0101 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0101.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0012" id="link2HCH0012"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER XII&mdash;TROUT FISHING.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0048" id="linkimage-0048"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9102.jpg" alt="9102 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9102.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      RRIVING at <span class="pagenum">94</span><a name="link94" id="link94"></a>the
-      lake by a circuitous path, they found themselves on the banks of a lovely
-      sheet of water, several hundred feet wide and perhaps a mile in length.
-      The distinct reflection of the foliage, trees and mountains, which rose
-      several hundred feet on the opposite side, made a double picture of
-      enchanting loveliness.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;We have been waiting for you,&rdquo; said Bertha Allen, in a
-      flute-like voice. She was a cooing sort of a young lady, with a dainty
-      lisp, which she evidently regarded as becoming. She embraced Louise and
-      gave her one of her sweetest kisses, and in a half sotto voice lisped,
-      &ldquo;how beautiful you look to-day!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was presented, and Bertha honored him with one of her stateliest
-      bows. There was no alternative, as Boast extended his hand and observed
-      that he had met Mr. Gilder before, but to accept the situation and make
-      the best of it.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance saw in Bertha Allen a young lady of about five and twenty, rather
-      tall and slender, with a wasp-like waist. She had a small head and face,
-      with heavy braids of dark brown hair, which corresponded with her long
-      eyelashes of a dark hue. Her eyes never looked straight at anyone, but she
-      continually practiced a bewitching habit of shy observation, evidently
-      considering it fasci<span class="pagenum">95</span><a
-      name="link95_rdquo_________id_" id="link95_rdquo_________id_"></a>nating.
-      Her mouth was small, and a noticeable dimple was in her chin. There was a
-      delicate pink upon her cheeks, which Vance noticed as the day wore on, did
-      not come and go, but remained as one of her permanent features. There was
-      a poetry in her movements, however, which admirably fitted her slow, soft
-      tone of lisping-speech. Her slender form was robed in a pretty costume of
-      pink, with black lace and ribbons. It was a costume of frills and laces,
-      coquetishly arranged, making her graceful figure more symmetrical in
-      arrangement. There were puffings here and there, which concealed defects,
-      if any existed, and revealed her womanly charms to the best advantage. She
-      talked a good deal, and called Louise her own &ldquo;dear darling.&rdquo;
-      Here every sentence was a lisp, and she told Cousin Arthur he was &ldquo;simply
-      horrid to kill the poor worms in baiting the hooks.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance noticed that Roast was ready at any time to neglect his stylish
-      cousin to engage in conversation with Louise. He found himself
-      interpreting Bertha Allen&rsquo;s attempts to entertain and interest him,
-      as the act of an accomplice, to enable Boast to have a tete-a-tete with
-      Louise. There was consolation, however, in the fact that he did not
-      believe Louise favored Arthur Boast&rsquo;s attentions.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;How Arthur and Louise are enjoying themselves!&rdquo; lisped Bertha
-      Allen, in a sweet, confiding way, to Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Do you think their enjoyment is superior to ours?&rdquo; asked
-      Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No more than mine,&rdquo; she replied demurely, &ldquo;but possibly
-      more than yours.&rdquo; This was followed by a silvery little laugh.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I fear I am not very entertaining,&rdquo; said Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">96</span><a name="link96" id="link96"></a>"On the
-      contrary, Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; replied Bertha, &ldquo;I think you are a very
-      charming companion. Are you from Virginia?&rdquo; she asked.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No; my people were from Virginia. I was born and reared in New York
-      City.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0049" id="linkimage-0049"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0104.jpg" alt="0104 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0104.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;The Bonifields are Virginians. They seem to think,&rdquo; continued
-      Bertha, &ldquo;that all good people come from Virginia or Baltimore. I
-      sometimes wish I had been born in Virginia.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">97</span><a name="link97" id="link97"></a>"I never
-      noticed that peculiarity,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;in either Colonel
-      Bonifield or his daughter.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh, I don&rsquo;t mean, Mr. Gilder, they are affected. Don&rsquo;t
-      you think I am horrid to go on talking this way to you? But really, is not
-      Louise one of the sweetest little darlings in the world?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was bored, but turning toward Bertha Allen and smiling at her pretty
-      up-turned face, replied:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You ask me so many questions, Miss Allen, that I do not know which
-      to answer first.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      She looked archly at Vance, and said: &ldquo;Do not answer either of them,
-      for I know I would be dissatisfied with your reply. Is not that a
-      beautiful botanical specimen? Really, Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; she continued,
-      &ldquo;I sometimes do not know what I am saying. I know you will think me
-      awfully stupid.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The well modulated and lisping voice of Bertha Allen possessed a charm of
-      its own, and Vance found himself interested in studying the difference
-      between the sweet, simple, unaffected Louise, and the affected,
-      calculating Miss Allen.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you think, Mr. Gilder, that Louise has great
-      individuality?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I believe her to be a most exemplary young lady,&rdquo; replied
-      Vance, &ldquo;and possessed of a good mind.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh, you think that, do you?&rdquo; said Bertha, lisping and
-      laughing like the silvery tones of a flute. &ldquo;You are not the only
-      one, Mr. Gilder, that thinks that way. I mean Cousin Arthur. Oh, he&rsquo;s
-      awfully smitten.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Indeed!&rdquo; replied Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;What a beautiful picture,&rdquo; said Bertha presently. &ldquo;The
-      waters mirror the trees and the mountains so <span class="pagenum">98</span><a
-      name="link98_rdquo_________id_" id="link98_rdquo_________id_"></a>distinctly.
-      Let us look over the bank at our own reflections.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Permit me to hold your hand,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;and I will
-      prevent your falling. There&mdash;can you see yourself?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh, just splendidly!&rdquo; lisped Bertha, &ldquo;it is clear as a
-      French plate mirror. Shall I support you, Mr. Gilder, while you look?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No, thank you,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;I am not fond of
-      looking at homeliness. I would rather look at you.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh, Mr. Gilder, you men are such flatterers! I thought better
-      things of you.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;And why of me?&rdquo; asked Vance, teasingly.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Louise has spoken of you so many&rsquo; times,&rdquo; she replied,
-      &ldquo;and in such flattering terms, that I was very anxious to meet you.
-      Indeed, I had quite made up my mind that you were different from other
-      men. Let us turn down this way, Mr. Gilder. Let me see&mdash;what was I
-      saying? I thought you must be different; but I guess men are all about
-      alike.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I feel highly honored,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;to think that
-      Miss Bonifield should have spoken of me at all.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Bertha stopped and looked at Vance for a moment in silence, and then said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Men are so conceited. There is no sentiment, I assure you, in
-      Louise.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Your frankness is quite charming, Miss Allen.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh, do you think so?&rdquo; said Bertha, with a sweet lisp.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes: and as to Miss Bonifield, I beg to differ from you. She
-      certainly possesses in a high degree that sentiment peculiar to the
-      children of nature. She loves all that is natural, and in the tenderness
-      of her heart, pities the assumed.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">99</span><a name="link99" id="link99"></a>"How
-      unfortunate, Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; said Bertha, &ldquo;that love is not
-      reciprocal.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Before Vance could reply, Louise called to them and soon after she and
-      Boast came up, declaring the day had been a great success. Arthur and
-      Vance divided the catch equally, and soon with their baskets swinging from
-      their shoulders, they started for home. Bertha was profuse in her
-      invitations to Mr. Gilder to call, and he promised to do so. He was quite
-      glad, however, when they finally separated and he had Louise all to
-      himself.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I hope you have enjoyed the day as much as you anticipated, Mr.
-      Gilder,&rdquo; said Louise.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;If I am anything,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;I am frank; and
-      therefore confess I would have enjoyed it far more without Boast and his
-      pretty cousin.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I knew you would think her pretty,&rdquo; said Louise; &ldquo;everyone
-      does.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;And do you think she is pretty?&rdquo; asked Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, indeed,&rdquo; replied Louise, &ldquo;I have seen no one, even
-      in your great city of New York, half so handsome as Bertha.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You are certainly generous in your compliments,&rdquo; said Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Bertha has such a sweet way about her, and she always makes one
-      feel so at his ease.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Before Vance had time to reply, Colonel Bonifield waved his pipe and blew
-      out a cloud of smoke as an act of welcome to the returning fishermen.
-      Vance displayed his long string of speckled beauties, and the Colonel
-      assured him they had made a great success. &ldquo;I have been thinkin&rsquo;
-      of yo&rsquo; all day,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;and had half a mind,
-      upon my honor I did, suh, to come oveh and help yo&rsquo; out.&rdquo;
-      <span class="pagenum">100</span><a name="link100" id="link100"></a>Soon
-      after. Vance took leave of the Bonifields, and started for the hotel. His
-      respect for generous-hearted Louise was increasing. &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo;
-      said Vance to himself, &ldquo;she is a child of nature. She does not know
-      how to dissemble, and her heart is too pure to be resentful.&rdquo; His
-      pleasant reverie was broken by encountering Boast at the hotel, who had
-      arrived a little before him.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      His shoes had been exchanged for polished ones, yet he complained about
-      his negligee appearance, and stooped to brush the least speck of dust or
-      cigar ashes that might have found lodgment on his trousers or coat
-      sleeves, and kept assuring Vance that he knew he &ldquo;looked rougher
-      than a miner.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0050" id="linkimage-0050"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9108.jpg" alt="9108 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9108.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      As a matter of fact, he was spotlessly at-attired, as was his custom. Even
-      in his office at Waterville, he seemed backward about doing any business,
-      for fear of soiling his hands in ink, or getting his desk out of order.
-      Stepping into the bar-room of the hotel, they found seats near an open
-      door, and Vance determined to gain as much information as he could from
-      what Boast might have to say. As they seated themselves, Vance said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I met Mr. Grim this morning.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh. did you?&rdquo; replied Boast. &ldquo;There is a man,&rdquo; he
-      continued, &ldquo;that ought to be hung. He&rsquo;s a robber!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;A robber?&rdquo; asked Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes. Fifteen years ago,&rdquo; continued Boast, &ldquo;my father
-      was the richest man in this part of Idaho. He was engaged then as now in
-      the cattle and horse ranching business. He owns a very large ranch three
-      miles from here down the valley. Grim came to the mining camp <span
-      class="pagenum">101</span><a name="link101" id="link101"></a>without a
-      dollar in his pocket and worked by the day. An opportunity presented
-      itself for him to steal from his associates. He not only stole everything
-      in sight, but by fraud and misrepresentation secured possession of the
-      Peacock.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0051" id="linkimage-0051"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8109.jpg" alt="8109 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8109.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;He is an ignorant old boor.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Ten years ago he married my aunt, the widow Allen, who is fully
-      fifteen years his senior. He wanted a position in society and a home. My
-      aunt is a stickler on all that&rsquo;s polite, but notwithstanding her
-      training and all of old Grim&rsquo;s wealth, she has been unable to gild
-      him over with even an appearance of culture, learning or decency. I never
-      call at his house. They own perhaps the finest residence in the state of
-      Idaho. If you will talk with Rufus Grim half an hour, it will be a wonder
-      if he does not tell you that I am the biggest scoundrel outside the
-      penitentiary; and it is all because my cousin Bertha is my friend.
-      Sometimes I think he is afraid I will marry her. I believe he is in love
-      with Bertha himself, and is only waiting for my aunt to die. It may be
-      unwise for me to talk so plainly, Mr. Gilder, but when I think of that old
-      reprobate, I become desperate.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      There was certainly no half insinuation in this statement, but rather a
-      fiendish denunciation of the rich miner.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I think,&rdquo; said Boast, &ldquo;we&rsquo;d better have something
-      to drink. I have a bottle in my pocket, but you are not very sociable, and
-      I don&rsquo;t presume you will drink with me.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;I am just as much obliged, but I do
-      not feel the need of any stimulant this evening.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">102</span><a name="link102" id="link102"></a>"I have
-      abstained all day,&rdquo; said Boast, &ldquo;out of respect for the
-      ladies.&rdquo; His voice began to sound piping, and his restless eyes no
-      longer looked squarely at Vance, but confined themselves to side-long
-      glances, as if he were trying to discover what his feelings were toward
-      his cousin and Miss Louise. &ldquo;They are pretty fair specimens, eh, for
-      the mountains? The ladies, I mean; the ladies.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance answered in the affirmative.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;My cousin is terribly taken with you, Mr. Gilder; if she was not my
-      cousin I would feel jealous of you.&rdquo; As Vance made no reply, Boast
-      continued: &ldquo;I know I am going down hill at a pretty rapid rate, all
-      on account of this red liquor.&rdquo; Tipping up the bottle, he took a
-      swallow, coughed immoderately afterward, and made wry faces, as if he were
-      mentally damning all the &ldquo;red liquor&rdquo; to perdition.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s only one thing that will ever save Bertha Allen, and
-      that is for old Grim to <i>die</i>. My aunt would inherit the wealth, and
-      of course, in that event, Bertha would be an heiress. At present, she is
-      entirely dependent upon his generosity. I understand,&rdquo; continued
-      Boast, &ldquo;Colonel Bonifield has about reached the 300 foot level. If I
-      have one hope greater than another, it is that he will strike it ten times
-      richer than old Grim ever did. In that event,&rdquo; he continued, while
-      he furtively glanced at Vance, &ldquo;there will be another heiress in
-      Gold Bluff.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      That night, after Vance found the seclusion of his room, he worked far
-      into the early hours of morning, finishing a letter to the <i>Banner, a
-      letter full of decided opinions</i>.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0013" id="link2HCH0013"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER XIII.&mdash;THE STAGE RIDE.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0052" id="linkimage-0052"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9111.jpg" alt="9111 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9111.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      HE <span class="pagenum">103</span><a name="link103" id="link103"></a>following
-      morning Vance forwarded to the <i>Banner</i> office a two column article,
-      which he considered the finest of all his western letters.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The chief was at Buzzard&rsquo;s Bay enjoying a much needed rest, when
-      Vance&rsquo;s letter was received. The assistant managing editor did
-      little more than glance over the manuscript and observe to the dramatic
-      critic, as he hung the copy on the hook, that &ldquo;Young Gilder was
-      sending in some excellent articles from the Northwest.&rdquo; The article
-      was headed &ldquo;Two Honorable Exceptions.&rdquo; It proceeded, in a most
-      logical manner, to give the output of precious metals from the mining town
-      of Butte City.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      His statistics were carefully revised, showing there was five times as
-      much capital per capita in the mining camp of Butte City, with her 50,000
-      people, as in the cities of New York, Philadelphia or Boston.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance had spent a good deal of time in preparing the article, and every
-      statement was supplemented with irrefragable proof. The latter half of the
-      article was devoted to Waterville and the agricultural resources of the
-      Thief River Valley. The exports of surplus crops had increased <span
-      class="pagenum">104</span><a name="link104" id="link104"></a>from 100
-      carloads per annum to 3,000 carloads in four years&rsquo; time, and a
-      clever comparison was drawn between the farmers of eastern and New England
-      states and the farmers of the great Thief River Valley, showing that for a
-      given amount of labor, the farmer in the Thief River Valley received at
-      least three dollars where the eastern farmer received only one.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The wonderful water power in the rapids of the Thief River, where the new
-      town of Waterville was building, was also dwelt upon, as well as the
-      centrality of location of the new city&mdash;not only from a local
-      standpoint, but as to the entire northwestern section of the United
-      States. The yield of wheat and other cereals was briefly referred to, all
-      showing that Gilder had been most painstaking in preparing the article.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The managing editor, at Buzzard&rsquo;s Bay, was enjoying his morning
-      smoke when the <i>Banner</i> was laid on his table. Glancing it over
-      leisurely, his eye caught the head-lines, &ldquo;Two Honorable Exceptions.&rdquo;
-      In a moment he was all animation. His cigar was permitted to go out in his
-      general neglect of everything else, in devouring every sentence and word
-      of the article. He then paced back and forth across his room and swore
-      like a pirate, declaring he would not have had the article appear in the
-      columns of the <i>Banner</i> for $10,000.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Just to think,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;the very thing I sent that
-      young fool of a Gilder into the west to accomplish, he has in this one
-      article spoiled forever. Half a dozen of my friends have been asking me
-      about mining invest<span class="pagenum">105</span><a name="link105"
-      id="link105"></a>ments in Butte City. I have pleaded ignorance, but
-      assured them we had sent a trusty man to inspect the merits of such
-      investments, and they could expect reliable information in the columns of
-      the <i>Banner</i>. Here it is, and a pretty mess he has made of it. He
-      has,&rdquo; continued the managing editor, angrily, &ldquo;completely lost
-      his head; only one thing will bring him to his senses, and that is a
-      prompt dismissal from the <i>Banner</i> force.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Accordingly he wired the assistant managing editor, directing him to
-      notify Mr. Gilder by letter that his services were no longer required. He
-      also instructed his assistant to send the clearest headed man on the force
-      immediately to Butte City, Montana, and Waterville, Idaho, and have an
-      article for the coming Sunday issue that would entirely counteract the
-      effect of Mr. Gilder&rsquo;s communication.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      While these arrangements were being made at the <i>Banner</i> office,
-      Vance was preparing to return to Butte City by way of Waterville, in order
-      to make some investigations and secure additional information for his next
-      letter to the <i>Banner</i>.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The old miner, Ben Bonifield, had assured him they would reach the 300
-      foot level by the following Saturday night, and Vance promised to return
-      to Gold Bluff early the following week. Vance waited over one stage in
-      order to travel in the one driven by Steve Gibbons.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As a special mark of distinction to Vance, Gibbons invited him to a seat
-      on the top of the stage. As they were whirled away from the beautiful
-      little village of Gold Bluff, the sun was beginning to gild with gold the
-      eastern hills. Vance felt it was a sight never to be forgotten. The
-      evening before starting he was at the Bonifields. <span class="pagenum">106</span><a
-      name="link106" id="link106"></a>When Louise said good-bye, with the sweet
-      truthfulness of youth, and assured him that she would be lonely when he
-      was gone, he felt like declaring then and there, he would stay forever if
-      she would but make the request. She gave Vance a letter of introduction to
-      her sister Virginia, whom Vance promised to call upon as soon as possible
-      after reaching Waterville.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Steve Gibbons was in his element on top of the stage coach.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0053" id="linkimage-0053"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8114.jpg" alt="8114 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8114.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      He chatted away in a vivacious manner, recounting various reminiscences of
-      the different mountain gorges, here and there, where fine specimens of
-      float rock had been discovered at different times. Again he would tell of
-      some thrilling adventure with the Indians, and marvelous hair-breadth
-      escapes. Gibbons invariably figured in these narratives as one of the
-      principal characters. Presently he said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t reckon you met Grim, did you?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Rufus Grim?&rdquo; said Vance; &ldquo;yes, I had the pleasure of
-      meeting him only a few days ago.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I &lsquo;spect,&rdquo; said Gibbons, &ldquo;that Rufus Grim is the
-      biggest scoundrel unhung in these diggins. He thinks he&rsquo;s mighty
-      pert, but Hank Casey and me &lsquo;ll teach him afore long that other
-      people can be a mighty sight perter than what he is. The only hearty,
-      overgrown regret that I&rsquo;ve never been able to get rid of is that I
-      didn&rsquo;t twist his neck ten years ago.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;What grievance have you,&rdquo; asked Vance, &ldquo;against Mr.
-      Grim? One would naturally suppose the owner of the richest mine in the
-      Fish River Mining District would be respected instead of disliked.&rdquo;
-      <span class="pagenum">107</span><a name="link107" id="link107"></a>Steve
-      Gibbons pushed his sombrero back from his forehead, as if to relieve his
-      pent up feelings, swung his long whip twice around his head, and made the
-      welkin ring as he cracked it over the backs of his dappled leaders.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He then expectorated a vigorous &ldquo;pit-tew&rdquo; of tobacco juice,
-      and said: &ldquo;I reckon one can&rsquo;t always judge by appearances.
-      When Steve Gibbons says that Rufus Grim is a scoundrel, he is a pretty
-      good jedge of what he is sayin&rsquo;, and he mighty near means what he
-      says, pardner. Somebody&rsquo;s goin&rsquo; to be jerked out of the kinks
-      &lsquo;fore long, and&mdash;&rsquo;twixt ourselves&mdash;I think that
-      somebody is Rufus Grim. Hank Casey an&rsquo; me are old pards, and we&rsquo;ve
-      employed B. Webster Legal. He&rsquo;s the corporation attorney for the
-      Waterville Town Company. You won&rsquo;t be takin&rsquo; no chances,
-      pardner, of bettin&rsquo; your last dollar that old Grim will think
-      somebody&rsquo;s after him with a sharp stick and a diamond drill in the
-      end of it &lsquo;afore B. Webster Legal gets through with him. I tell you,
-      Jedge Legal is a cuss in the court room. He can whip his weight in
-      wild-cats in a law suit. Of course, I don&rsquo;t mean that he&rsquo;s
-      goin&rsquo; to leave the Town Company; he&rsquo;ll never do that as long
-      as a lot can be sold&mdash;he says so his-self. Hank and I hev made a
-      bargain with him, and old Grim is goin&rsquo; to be ousted. The Peacock
-      belongs to Hank Casey and me. What do you think of that?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I assure you,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;you interest me very
-      much. I supposed Mr. Grim was the owner of the Peacock.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Again Steve Gibbons&rsquo; long whip cracked like a pistol shot over the
-      backs of his horses. Presently he said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t tell everybody, pardner, but I &lsquo;spect it makes
-      no difference with you. You see, when Rufus Grim came <span class="pagenum">108</span><a
-      name="link108" id="link108"></a>to Gold Bluff some fifteen years ago, he
-      was so darnation poor he couldn&rsquo;t buy a meal of victuals. Hank and I
-      had staked out the Peacock.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0054" id="linkimage-0054"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0116.jpg" alt="0116 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0116.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      We had found some mighty rich float rock in that part of the mountain, and
-      knew the precious stuff was not very far away. We &lsquo;grub-staked&rsquo;
-      Grim and put him to work on wages, and while he was workin&rsquo;, he
-      struck a &lsquo;pocket&rsquo; and found free gold&mdash;a regular vault
-      full of yellow stuff. He commenced his treachery by stealin&rsquo; every
-      grain of it, and then cleverly walled up that part of the shaft and
-      continued diggin&rsquo; in the opposite direction, endeavorin&rsquo; to
-      get as far away from the place where he had made the discovery as
-      possible. Well, by and by Hank Casey and me got tired of payin&rsquo; out
-      money, and we sold out the Peacock for a mere song to Grim. Soon after,
-      the name of Rufus Grim was known all over the mountain district as a
-      bonanza king. He organized an immense company, and owns most of the stock
-      himself. Within six months after we were defrauded of our rights in the
-      Peacock, he was a rich man, and has been gettin&rsquo; richer ever since.
-      Hank Casey and me have a whole lot of evidence. B. Webster Legal says if
-      we can prove what we claim, that we have got a lead pipe cinch on the
-      Peacock. The papers are bein&rsquo; drawn up, and things are goin&rsquo;
-      to be sizzlin&rsquo; hot for Rufus Grim before many moons go over his
-      head.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance expressed <span class="pagenum">109</span><a
-      name="link109_rdquo_________id_" id="link109_rdquo_________id_"></a>much
-      surprise and sympathy at the injustice he had sustained.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Say, pardner,&rdquo; said Steve, &ldquo;I kind o&rsquo; reckon you&rsquo;re
-      shinin&rsquo; up a little toward old Bonifield&rsquo;s gal, ain&rsquo;t
-      you?&rdquo; and he nudged Vance in the ribs with his elbow.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The question was so unexpected that Vance hardly knew how to reply.
-      &ldquo;I hope,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;that I am not in disfavor with
-      the young lady, or her father either. I own an interest in Gray Rocks.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;The dickens you do!&rdquo; said Steve Gibbons. &ldquo;Well, if
-      there&rsquo;s any man in these mountains, pardner, who ought to strike it,
-      old Ben Bonifield is the one. He&rsquo;s been stickin to Gray Rocks for a
-      good many years, and is one of the squarest men in the Fish River Minin&rsquo;
-      District, while that gal of his&mdash;-why, she is the gem of all these
-      diggins. I did think J. Arthur Boast had the inside <span class="pagenum">110</span><a
-      name="link110" id="link110"></a>track on the Bonifield ranch, but here
-      lately I &lsquo;lowed as maybe Boast was playin&rsquo; second fiddle; but
-      then you can&rsquo;t tell how a game is goin&rsquo; to end until the last
-      card is played.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance made no reply, but ground his teeth in silent anger at the mention
-      of Boast&rsquo;s name.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It was late that night when they arrived at Waterville.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0014" id="link2HCH0014"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER XIV.&mdash;THE TOWN COMPANY&rsquo;. MEETING.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0055" id="linkimage-0055"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9119.jpg" alt="9119 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9119.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      ARLY <span class="pagenum">111</span><a name="link111" id="link111"></a>the
-      next morning Dick Ballard rapped on Vance&rsquo;s door, and being
-      admitted, greeted him warmly, and assured him he was mighty glad to see
-      him again.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s goin&rsquo; to be a meetin&rsquo; of the Town
-      Company.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Is that so?&rdquo; said Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes; the hul kit and bilin&rsquo; of &lsquo;em are here,&rdquo;
-      replied Ballard. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s Colonel Alexander, Homer Winthrop,
-      General Ira House and his brother, Jack House, B. Webster Legal and Marcus
-      Donald. Donald is the resident director of the Town Company.&rdquo; Vance
-      said he would be glad to meet them.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, you&rsquo;ll see the keenest lot of men,&rdquo; said Ballard,
-      &ldquo;this here country has ever pulled together. Every one of &lsquo;em
-      is a strong man and a hustler from the word go. What I say about &lsquo;em
-      you&rsquo;ll find is <i>prima facie</i>.&rdquo; After a little, Dick
-      Ballard winked one eye at Vance and said: &ldquo;I feel a bottle in my
-      pocket, and I wouldn&rsquo;t wonder a mite there was suthin&rsquo; in it
-      that wouldn&rsquo;t taste bad. A little spirits is mighty good for a
-      feller when he has had a hard day&rsquo;s ride.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance assured him that he was much obliged, but was <span class="pagenum">112</span><a
-      name="link112" id="link112"></a>thoroughly refreshed by his night&rsquo;s
-      rest, and a light breakfast was all he wanted.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;We usually,&rdquo; replied Ballard, &ldquo;accommodate fellows that
-      want that kind of a breakfast; in fact, some of our breakfasts are too
-      darned light. I&rsquo;ll go down and see what I can skirmish up for you.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      At the door Dick Ballard turned and said, &ldquo;Oh, yes, have you heard
-      the news?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No, I do not remember of having heard anything of a startling
-      character,&rdquo; replied Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, by Ned, I supposed you had heard all about it,&rdquo; said
-      Ballard, as he leaned against the door and looked wise.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, what is it?&rdquo; queried Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, sir, our militia company has got a new snare drum, and, gosh
-      all fish hooks! but she is a rat-tat-tat-to-or from away back!&rdquo; The
-      door closed and Old Dick Ballard retreated, merrily whistling &ldquo;Away
-      down in Dixie.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      After breakfast, Vance was escorted to the Town Company&rsquo;s office,
-      where he met the different members of the company. Each vied with the
-      other in showing him courtesies.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I presume,&rdquo; said Homer Winthrop, as they drew a little aside
-      from the others, &ldquo;that you have never met as remarkable men as you
-      see in my associates.&rdquo; He looked radiant, inserted his thumbs in the
-      armholes of his vest, and continued:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Colonel Alexander is possessed of one of the richest brains of any
-      man I ever knew. Our attorney, Mr. Legal is a star of the first magnitude
-      in his profession, and can whip a small army in a lawsuit, while Gen. Ira
-      <span class="pagenum">113</span><a name="link113" id="link113"></a>House
-      has a reputation superior to any man in the Rocky Mountains as a town
-      builder. Now, if he,&rdquo; continued Winthrop, &ldquo;should go into the
-      midst of a desert and say, &lsquo;Here a great city shall be built,&rsquo;
-      you would make no mistake in taking a &lsquo;flyer&rsquo; on some dirt in
-      that vicinity. Then there is Jack House, the General&rsquo;s brother, who
-      is, in his specialty, a most remarkable man. He is sometimes called
-      &lsquo;the Conspirator&rsquo; of our gang, because of his ability to set
-      up jobs on the enemy and down &lsquo;em.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;By Jove, look,&rdquo; said Winthrop, pointing out of the window,
-      while his face became animated, &ldquo;do you see that young lady on the
-      other side of the street? That&rsquo;s Miss Virgie Bonifield, and I
-      venture to say she&rsquo;s one of the loveliest girls in the Rocky
-      Mountains.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I have a message for her, sent by her sister,&rdquo; replied Vance.
-      &ldquo;I will be under many obligations if you&rsquo;ll introduce me to
-      the young lady.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;With pleasure,&rdquo; replied Winthrop, &ldquo;as soon as the town
-      meeting adjourns we will call upon her.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The meeting was called to order, with Colonel Alexander in the chair.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The chairman cleared his throat several times with marked vehemence, and
-      said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Gentlemen, we have again met to deliberate upon the destiny of
-      Waterville and the great Thief River Valley. It is no small matter for
-      gigantic intellects to thus assemble as a deliberative body, to arrange,
-      by resolutions or otherwise, questions of great moment. The leading
-      question to-day, gentlemen, is that of mind over matter. We have said to
-      one another, &lsquo;Waterville shall become a great city;&rsquo; our
-      united efforts are concentrated <span class="pagenum">114</span><a
-      name="link114" id="link114"></a>in this work. The story of the bundle of
-      sticks is as true to-day as when the fable was first written.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0056" id="linkimage-0056"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0122.jpg" alt="0122 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0122.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;The wealth, gentlemen, of our united intellects is bearing down in
-      concentrated rays against every opposition, and with hammer and tongs we
-      are reaching out in every direction, and are making one of the grandest
-      campaigns the country has ever witnessed. Gentlemen, what is the pleasure
-      of this meeting?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The Colonel&rsquo;s earnestness could not be doubted. When <span
-      class="pagenum">115</span><a name="link115" id="link115"></a>he sat down
-      he fondled his gold-headed cane with apparent tenderness, as if he were
-      ashamed of the way he had abused it in emphasizing his remarks by punching
-      it into the floor in a most merciless fashion.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      B. Webster Legal, addressing the chairman, said: &ldquo;I am proud again
-      to meet my distinguished associates as a deliberative body. For the
-      benefit of our beloved citizens of Waterville, who are crowding into this
-      room of deliberation, and standing in front of the windows eagerly
-      listening to the important proceedings of this meeting, I will say that
-      only men in the broadest term&mdash;men with an abundance of gray matter
-      clinging to their brains&mdash;could possibly have accomplished the feats
-      which have characterized the acts of the Waterville Town Company from its
-      organization up to the present time. I feel, Mr. President and gentlemen,
-      that our untiring efforts are about to be crowned with a success little
-      dreamed of by the most hopeful.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;From a legal point of view, I am proud to assure you that the
-      Waterville Town Company is in a most safe and healthy condition. I have
-      frequently observed, and will again say, I am not a seller of lots, but I
-      assure each and every one of you that I am here to stay by this company as
-      long as a lot can be sold. So far as legal knots are concerned, I will
-      untie them; or, failing to do so, will, with the sharp edge of the law,
-      cleave them asunder.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The attorney&rsquo;s remarks were greeted with applause as he sat down.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The chairman jarred the frail building by again clearing his throat, and
-      requested C. Webster Legal to make a report of the assets of the
-      Waterville Town Company.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">116</span><a name="link116" id="link116"></a>"Mr.
-      Chairman,&rdquo; said B. Webster Legal, &ldquo;I have recently looked over
-      the list of property owned by the Waterville Town Company, and find that
-      we have assets amounting to some two millions of dollars.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As the attorney sat down there was a satisfied look upon his face
-      suggestive of the millionaire.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The chairman looked over his spectacles and said, &ldquo;Gentlemen, you
-      have heard, and no doubt with pardonable elation, the statement of our
-      honored associate, Judge Legal. There are eight of us,&rdquo; he
-      continued, &ldquo;and two millions means a quarter of a million each.
-      Within two years, sirs, these assets will have doubled in value. There are
-      men whose statements I would not rely implicitly upon without discounting
-      them&mdash;say, fifty or seventy-five per cent&mdash;but, gentlemen, when
-      it comes to downright conservatism, why, my level-headed friend the Judge
-      takes the jackpot. Yes, sir, I undertake to say, gentlemen, he is the king
-      bee of us all in cutting square into the heart of a proposition, and
-      analyzing it with a precision that is truly remarkable; and when he says
-      two millions, I have no hesitancy, gentlemen, in staking my reputation
-      that it is three millions if it is a cent.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As the chairman sat down he looked carefully at his gold-headed cane again
-      to make sure it had sustained no injury.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Marcus Donald, the resident Town Company&rsquo;s director, addressed the
-      meeting, and said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Mr. Chairman, I never felt so rich in my life as I do at the
-      present moment. I regret that my ancestors are not alive to rejoice with
-      me in the prosperity I am now enjoying. There is a reason in this
-      contemplated prosperity. First, the great natural opportunities in this
-      <span class="pagenum">117</span><a name="link117" id="link117"></a>wonderful
-      valley, and, second, the unity of action on the part of the members of our
-      Town Company.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I have here a small matter to which I wish to call the directors&rsquo;
-      attention.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0057" id="linkimage-0057"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9125.jpg" alt="9125 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9125.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      It is a livery bill of some eighty dollars that is past due, and, perhaps,
-      we had better arrange for it.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Judge Legal rose to a point of order. He said that such small details as
-      paying livery bills had no place in the deliberations of this body of men.
-      &ldquo;It is the duty of the auditing committee to first approve and then
-      look after the payments of small items like expense bills.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Director Donald stated in reply that B. Webster Legal was a member of the
-      auditing committee as well as himself, and, doubtless, knew the bill had
-      been approved of long ago, but that there were no funds with which&mdash;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Order!&rdquo; shouted the chairman, punching his goldheaded cane
-      vigorously into the floor. &ldquo;I sustain the point of order made by
-      this corporation&rsquo;s attorney. Let us now proceed with the
-      deliberations of weighty and progressive questions.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Gen. Ira House sat propped back in his chair in a retired corner of the
-      room, and until now had maintained silence, save the fetching and labored
-      puffs of his cigar, which almost completely enveloped him in a cloud of
-      smoke. As he straightened himself up, he pushed his chair in front of him,
-      elevated one foot to the seat and rested his left elbow on his elevated
-      knee. He wore an expression on his face becoming a philosopher. <span
-      class="pagenum">118</span><a name="link118" id="link118"></a>"Mr.
-      Chairman,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;it seems to me we&rsquo;re drifting.&rdquo;
-      He looked wise and waited a moment for his remark to take effect. &ldquo;Drifting,&rdquo;
-      he continued, &ldquo;is weakness. If we drift, we scatter; if we scatter,
-      we fall. Now, gentlemen,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;we must not drift.
-      There are important business matters awaiting our attention. I hold in my
-      hand a letter from a party who wants to know if Waterville would not be a
-      good place to start a foundry. Now, gentlemen, do we want a foundry at
-      Waterville, or do we not? That is the question before this meeting.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As Gen. House sat down, the crowd cheered him lustily, stamped their feet,
-      clapped their hands, and cries of &ldquo;Good!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s business!&rdquo; &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the talk!&rdquo;
-      were heard on all sides among the citizens who were listening with bated
-      breath to the proceedings of the Town Company&rsquo;s meeting.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I move,&rdquo; said Jack House, &ldquo;that we want a foundry at
-      Waterville, and resolutions to that effect be prepared, inviting the
-      party, whoever he is, to locate his foundry here.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Order, gentlemen!&rdquo; shouted the chairman, again clearing his
-      throat. &ldquo;Mr. Secretary, please record in the minutes of this
-      meeting, if there are no objections, the unanimous vote in favor of the
-      foundry, and prepare a set of elaborate resolutions, which we will sign,
-      inviting the party making the inquiry to come at once to Waterville and
-      locate his foundry.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The throng of citizens broke into cheers at this announcement, and the
-      word was soon passed through the throng to the outer circle, that a
-      foundry was to be located at Waterville. Presently, three cheers and a
-      <span class="pagenum">119</span><a name="link119" id="link119"></a>tiger
-      were proposed for the new foundry, and the deliberations of the Town
-      Company were necessarily delayed until the cheering had ceased.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Marcus Donald, addressing the chairman, said: &ldquo;I have received a
-      communication from the owners of a sash, blind and door factory, who seem
-      quite desirous of casting their lot with us. I suggest the importance of
-      taking official notice of their communication.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The throng of citizens waited almost breathlessly, and with a fair degree
-      of patience, to see what was to be done in regard to the sash, blind and
-      door factory. Judge Legal moved that the suggestion offered by Director
-      Donald be acted upon, and that a resolution favoring the sash, blind and
-      door factory be voted upon. As he sat down, three other directors seconded
-      the motion.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You have heard the question,&rdquo; said the chairman. &ldquo;Unless
-      there is some opposition, we will regard it as carried unanimously.&rdquo;
-      He looked over his spectacles a moment, and as no one offered an
-      objection, he brought his gold-headed cane down with a sharp rap upon the
-      floor, and said &ldquo;Carried!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Again the word was passed from citizen to citizen onto the waiting mob
-      without, that Waterville was to have a sash, blind and door factory. Again
-      huzzas and cheering rent the air, and impeded, to a certain degree, the
-      deliberations of the Town Company&rsquo;s meeting.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      At this juncture, a clerk of the local bank&mdash;the only one that
-      Waterville could boast of&mdash;presented himself and asked permission to
-      address the directors.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;What is the nature of your business, young man?&rdquo; asked Col.
-      Alexander, clearing his throat threateningly and looking hard at the clerk
-      over his spectacles.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">120</span><a name="link120" id="link120"></a>"I have
-      a sight draft for $50, drawn on the Waterville Town Company for printing
-      stock certificates.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The chairman and his seven colleagues came to their they cried, almost in
-      unison. Several of the directors shouted, &ldquo;Mr. Chairman! Mr.
-      Chairman!&rdquo; at the top of their voice, but in his indignation the
-      chairman failed to take notice of them.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0058" id="linkimage-0058"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8128.jpg" alt="8128 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8128.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Presently a silence, caused by sheer consternation, succeeded the first
-      burst of surprise. Judge Legal, mounting a chair, said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Mr. Chairman! I move you that article 57 of our by-laws be copied
-      and certified to under our corporate seal and delivered to this young
-      gentleman, that he may return it with the sight draft. Here is the wording
-      of article 57: &lsquo;Further, that this corporation, the Waterville Town
-      Company refuses to honor or pay sight drafts from any and all sources.&rsquo;.rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You have heard the question,&rdquo; said the excited chairman,
-      bringing his cane down with great vehemence. &ldquo;Do I hear a second?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;We all second it.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Silence having been restored, Judge Legal again addressed the chair:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Mr. Secretary,&rdquo; said the chairman, &ldquo;record the question
-      as carried unanimously.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Mr. Chairman,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;<span class="pagenum">121</span><a
-      name="link121_rdquo_________id_" id="link121_rdquo_________id_"></a>in the
-      future all printing by the Waterville Town Company will be sent to another
-      printing establishment.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Unless there is opposition, we will consider the question as
-      carried unanimously,&rdquo; said the chairman. At this juncture the
-      chairman took the floor, and addressing the directors, said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;There are times when, notwithstanding the power of our united
-      intellects, questions of a very exasperating nature confront us, and,
-      momentarily, we are at a loss to know just what to do; but it is only
-      momentarily&mdash;we meet every crisis. It takes us a very short time to
-      decide; and, with us, decision is action.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;In my experience I have observed that, occasionally, storms of
-      opposition sweep down upon men like an irresistible avalanche. At such
-      times it is well to retreat to some protected place and let the storm tire
-      itself out&mdash;beat itself into exhaustion, so to speak&mdash;until its
-      very protest becomes a dead silence. Refreshed with the rest we have had,
-      we may then safely sally forth, and, with renewed vigor, arrange a flank
-      movement on the enemy, and everlastingly choke opposition into a corpse.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      When the chairman sat down he motioned Vance to his side, and said, <i>sotto
-      voce</i>: &ldquo;Was not that a master stroke, Mr. Gilder? Do not we meet
-      and dispose of questions that would simply stump any ordinary body of men
-      into inaction? Opposition does not faze us; no sir, we know our rights,
-      and are here to fight for them.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The citizens were very much elated over the prospects of a foundry and a
-      sash, blind and door factory at Waterville. Their gratitude to the Town
-      Company was very marked, and was evidenced by three hearty cheers and many
-      huzzas. <span class="pagenum">122</span><a name="link122" id="link122"></a>Presently
-      the meeting of the Town Company adjourned, and then there was much
-      clapping of hands and more cheering. Each member of the company crowded
-      around Vance and shook him warmly by the hand, and assured him they had
-      had one of the most profitable meetings that had ever taken place.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0015" id="link2HCH0015"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER XV.&mdash;MISS VIRGINIA BONIFIELD.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0059" id="linkimage-0059"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9131.jpg" alt="9131 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9131.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      |ANCE <span class="pagenum">123</span><a name="link123" id="link123"></a>had
-      become so thoroughly interested during his first visit to Waterville, that
-      he was prepared, in a degree, to share in a general way the enthusiasm of
-      the citizens and the members of the Waterville Town Company which
-      prevailed after the meeting adjourned.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Buoyant with hope of the future, without hardly understanding why, and
-      with a blind belief that his investment would yield him a splendid return,
-      he began to feel that it was indeed a lucky day when the chief of the <i>Banner</i>
-      sent him to the northwest, and still luckier when he fell in with the
-      members of the Waterville Town Company.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      That afternoon, accompanied by Homer Winthrop, he called on Miss Virginia
-      Bonifield.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      That young lady received her callers with a cultured grace and dignity
-      that would have done honor to even one who had seen much more of the
-      world. She was rather tall and a pronounced brunette. Her well poised head
-      was in keeping with her graceful figure. One could not say she was
-      strikingly beautiful, but there was some<span class="pagenum">124</span><a
-      name="link124" id="link124"></a>thing in her face as well as manner that
-      made one forget to desire her different than the interesting person she
-      was. Both vivacious and intelligent, she possessed the rare charm, in her
-      conversation, of reflecting the mood of those about her. Addressing Vance,
-      she said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Louise has written me so much about you that I have been quite
-      impatient to form your acquaintance. I presume that papa is still working
-      away on Gray Rocks?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0060" id="linkimage-0060"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0132.jpg" alt="0132 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0132.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;he will soon reach the 300 foot
-      level.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">125</span><a name="link125" id="link125"></a>"And
-      the old story will be told again, I dare say,&rdquo; said Virginia,
-      laughing.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Miss Virginia is not an enthusiast,&rdquo; said Winthrop, &ldquo;in
-      regard to untold millions that have not yet been discovered in mining
-      shafts.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;My observations,&rdquo; retorted Virginia, &ldquo;have caused me to
-      be less sentimental, if not more practical, than my good sister Louise.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I fear,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;you do not share in your father&rsquo;s
-      belief in regard to the future of Gray Rocks?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I am a Bonifield,&rdquo; replied Virginia, &ldquo;and believe
-      implicitly in my father; and, in my way, love him as tenderly, I dare say,
-      as any daughter ever loved a parent, but sometimes I fear he is mistaken&mdash;but,
-      to change the subject,&rdquo; she continued, &ldquo;how do you like the
-      west?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I am very favorably impressed with what I have seen. In the east we
-      have many brilliants that are not diamonds; in the west we have many rough
-      ashlars that are diamonds unpolished.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Thank you,&rdquo; replied Virginia, &ldquo;I consider that a
-      compliment.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;It is our intention,&rdquo; said Winthrop, &ldquo;to claim Mr.
-      Gilder as a western man before another year; and if Waterville continues
-      to grow, as we expect it will, we may persuade him to edit our first daily
-      paper.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Soon after, they rose to go. &ldquo;I shall hope,&rdquo; said Miss
-      Virginia, &ldquo;that I will be honored by a call from you whenever you
-      are in Waterville.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Thank you,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;it will afford me great
-      pleasure.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Winthrop remained behind a few moments, while Vance walked up and down the
-      sidewalk. The sun was <span class="pagenum">126</span><a
-      name="link126_rdquo_________id_" id="link126_rdquo_________id_"></a>well
-      toward the western horizon. A bluish haze lay against the mountains in the
-      distance. It was an Indian summer afternoon, full of quiet rest, with a
-      gentle, invigorating mountain breeze as a constant tonic.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Presently Winthrop joined him, and they hurried down to the depot, for it
-      was nearing train time, and they had arranged to travel together to Butte
-      City.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;How are you impressed with Miss Bonifield?&rdquo; asked Winthrop.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Quite favorably,&rdquo; replied Vance. &ldquo;She is, however, an
-      entirely different type from her sister, Miss Louise; indeed, I can
-      discover no family resemblance. Miss Louise is quite fair, while Miss
-      Virginia is a decided brunette.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Soon after, the train came in, and they secured comfortable seats in a
-      Pullman. As the train started, Vance looked out of the window at the
-      turbulent waters in the river, and asked Winthrop where the foundry, and
-      sash, blind and door factory would be located.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;We have not decided as yet,&rdquo; replied Winthrop. &ldquo;That
-      will be an easy matter to arrange when the party or parties are ready to
-      commence building.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I presume you are selling a good many lots?&rdquo; said Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, yes,&rdquo; replied Winthrop, hesitatingly. &ldquo;We are
-      interesting a good many people; and it takes people to build a city. Where
-      a man&rsquo;s possessions are, his heart is generally not far away.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I should judge from your complimentary remarks about Miss Virginia
-      Bonifield, and the delightful expression of your face when we called this
-      afternoon, that your heart abides quite permanently at Waterville.&rdquo;
-      <span class="pagenum">127</span><a name="link127" id="link127"></a>Winthrop
-      seemed confused and looked out of the window. Presently lie said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Miss Bonifield is one of the most practical young ladies it has
-      ever been my good fortune to meet. She is a most exemplary young lady, and
-      the good people of Waterville hold her in high esteem. This is her second
-      year in the public school at that place.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I judge from her remarks,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;that her faith
-      is very limited in her father&rsquo;s mine.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied &lsquo;Winthrop, &ldquo;I consider her the most
-      practical member of the Bonifield family.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance blushed scarlet and turned resentfully in his seat toward Winthrop.
-      &ldquo;Ho! ho!&rdquo; said Winthrop, laughing, &ldquo;I was merely
-      expressing my own private opinion. I see, without your saying it, that
-      your opinion is quite different. How fortunate it is that all men,
-      especially you and I, Mr. Gilder, are not of the same opinion. This very
-      difference of opinion,&rdquo; Winthrop went on, &ldquo;may, as the months
-      come and go, weld our friendship more and more firmly.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance saw that he had betrayed his feelings, and good-naturedly observed
-      that he always was quite partial to blondes. &ldquo;I presume,&rdquo; he
-      went on, &ldquo;when I become editor of the first daily paper in
-      Waterville, you will, doubtless, be president of some great banking house.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I hope so,&rdquo; replied Winthrop, thoughtfully. &ldquo;If many
-      people are interested in our new town it will help us in more ways than
-      one. They will ultimately move to Waterville, erect homes, and engage in
-      business; but we must not be impatient and expect too much for the first
-      year, or the second, for that matter. &lsquo;Rome was not <span
-      class="pagenum">128</span><a name="link128" id="link128"></a>built in a
-      day.&rsquo; I fully believe,&rdquo; continued Winthrop, &ldquo;that
-      parties purchasing lots at the present prices will receive most excellent
-      returns on their investments. You see,&rdquo; continued Winthrop in a
-      confidential way, &ldquo;the Waterville Town Company was compelled to go
-      into debt very heavily at the time it commenced its operations, but by
-      persistent and continued efforts on the part of various members of the
-      company, we have greatly reduced the indebtedness, and if the sale of lots
-      continues for a week longer we will, probably, not owe a dollar.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0061" id="linkimage-0061"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9136.jpg" alt="9136 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9136.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      We will then divide our property, each member receiving a deed for his
-      respective share.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Winthrop seemed so happy in anticipation of the joyful time when the
-      company&rsquo; would be out of debt, and was so confidential and frank in
-      regard to the matter, that Vance, hardly knowing why, found himself deeply
-      interested in the work of selling lots, and suggested to Winthrop that he
-      would write to some of the members of the <i>Banner</i> force who were
-      particular friends of his, and advise them to send on their surplus
-      earnings for investment.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The town boomer was at once on the alert, and, in not an over-anxious way,
-      heartily advised the step. Accordingly, that night at the hotel in Butte
-      City, Vance wrote a letter to his friends advising an investment in
-      Waterville.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The dramatic critic, the religious editor, the police reporter, and the
-      heads of the several departments of the <i>Banner</i> at once acted on
-      Vance&rsquo;s advice. They knew nothing of the chief&rsquo;s action in
-      regard to Vance&rsquo;s dismissal. They wired Vance, authorizing him to
-      sight <span class="pagenum">129</span><a name="link129" id="link129"></a>draft
-      them for $2,500, and invest the proceeds in town lots in Waterville.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He at once complied with the instructions, turned the money over to
-      Winthrop, and instructed him to forward the deeds to his friends in New
-      York city.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He was not a little gratified to find his last letter to the <i>Banner</i>
-      copied in full by the <i>Intermountain Blade</i> and the <i>Butte City
-      Miner</i>, with editorials referring to the article as particularly able,
-      and to the writer as having the &ldquo;courage of his convictions.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The article had a most salutary effect on Homer Winthrop&rsquo;s lot
-      selling enterprise, and during the next few days he sold more Waterville
-      town lots than his most sanguine expectations had caused him to hope for.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Toward the last of the week Vance left Butte City for Gold Bluff, via
-      Waterville. He had in his possession additional data and statistics to
-      support and corroborate his recent letter to the <i>Banner</i>.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      At first the west was distasteful to him, but as he became better
-      acquainted with its customs and habits he began to recognize the true
-      manhood that is not unfrequently found under the miner&rsquo;s garb.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      There is an uncouth, whole-soul generosity met with on the frontier of
-      which the effete easterner knows nothing.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Arriving at Waterville the following morning too late for the Gold Bluff
-      stage, he was compelled to put in another day at Waterville. Remembering
-      Miss Virginia Bonifield&rsquo;s invitation, he called on her that evening,
-      and was most hospitably received. In the course of their conversation she
-      said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I understand, Mr. Gilder, that you are interested with my father in
-      Gray Rocks I hope you did not mis<span class="pagenum">130</span><a
-      name="link130" id="link130"></a>understand me or my motive when I spoke
-      discouragingly of my father&rsquo;s mining prospects.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;May I ask,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;what reason you have for your
-      pessimistic views, if I may term them such?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I presume,&rdquo; she replied, a little nettled, &ldquo;they are
-      about as tangible and equally hard to explain as those of an optimist. I
-      have a presentiment that father will never find what he is looking for in
-      the Gray Rocks mine. My sister, Louise, encourages faith in what to me
-      seems a mad belief.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Your sister may be right,&rdquo; replied Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;My greatest hope,&rdquo; she replied, &ldquo;is that I am wrong and
-      that my sweet sister is right; but I really fear, Mr. Gilder, you will
-      never see your money again that you have been investing with my father.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I cannot doubt your sincerity,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;but I
-      am glad to have more faith than you have.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why should I have any faith,&rdquo; she replied. &ldquo;Have I not
-      seen my father clinging to that false hope year after year, and every day
-      resulting in a fresh disappointment? Long ago I made up my mind that Aunt
-      Sally is about right. She says that father has been planting money with
-      different prospectors all over the mountains, and none of it has ever
-      found its way back. She also predicts that father will work away on Gray
-      Rocks until he dies, and never have his hopes realized. I love my father
-      tenderly, and feel very sorry for him. A stranger cannot understand his
-      personal charms and grandeur as one of his family. He is certainly one of
-      the sweetest characters in the world. His persuasive powers, as you
-      evidently have reason to know, are very great, and I feel it my duty to
-      thus warn you for your own protection. Papa is <span class="pagenum">131</span><a
-      name="link131" id="link131"></a>so sane on everything else excepting Gray
-      Rocks, and is so foolish about that, notwithstanding his many years of
-      lost labor.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;If your father has a &lsquo;wheel in his head&rsquo; on the subject
-      of Gray Rocks, I must admit that I, too, have one in mine,&rdquo; replied
-      Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The blush that overspread Virginia&rsquo;s face suggested that she felt
-      keenly the rebuke.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Pardon me, Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;I had forgotten that
-      I am not &lsquo;my brother&rsquo;s keeper&rsquo;. I promise never to refer
-      to the subject again.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      That evening, after Vance had taken leave of Miss Virginia Bonifield, he
-      experienced a strange unrest and dissatisfaction, and while he did not
-      admit it to himself, the glamour of his day-dreams had been broken.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0062" id="linkimage-0062"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8139.jpg" alt="8139 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8139.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Presently, as he walked along, the face of Louise came before him, and, in
-      a moment, he forgot his unsatisfactory evening; forgot hope&rsquo;s broken
-      glamour, and basked again in the alluring belief that the future held no
-      clouds for him.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It was late when he reached the hotel.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Looking through the window, he saw old Dick Ballard, who was alone in the
-      barroom entertaining himself with an evening drill.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He carried a long, iron poker at &ldquo;carry arms,&rdquo; and was
-      marching back and forth with military tread. Arriving at the end of the
-      room, he would call out &ldquo;Halt! About face! March!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was very much amused at old Dick Ballard&rsquo;s pantomime drill,
-      but finally opened the door and walked in. The transformation scene was
-      wonderful. Old Dick <span class="pagenum">132</span><a
-      name="link132_rdquo_________id_" id="link132_rdquo_________id_"></a>Ballard
-      was vigorously poking in the stove, notwithstanding it was a July night.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Hello, Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; said he, looking up, &ldquo;I saw a
-      mighty big rat run in this stove a minute ago, and I am after it.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Better charge your entire militia company on the enemy,&rdquo; said
-      Vance, laughing.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh, you saw me, did you,&rdquo; said Ballard. &ldquo;I was jes&rsquo;
-      drillin&rsquo; up a little for dress parade. Well, pardner, I&rsquo;ll set
-      &lsquo;em up, and you say nothin&rsquo; about it.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance declined to be entertained, but Ballard drank copiously from his
-      ever ready bottle.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I tell you, Waterville&rsquo;s got it and no mistake,&rdquo; said
-      he, putting his bottle carefully away.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Got what,&rdquo; asked Vance, as he turned to go to his room.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Got the crack military company of the state,&rdquo; replied
-      Ballard. &ldquo;You ought to see &lsquo;em drill once. There is nothin&rsquo;
-      in New York city or anywhere else can tech one side of &lsquo;em for big
-      money.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0016" id="link2HCH0016"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER XVI.&mdash;THE OLD COLONEL&rsquo;. DISAPPOINTMENT.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0063" id="linkimage-0063"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9141.jpg" alt="9141 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9141.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      HE FOLLOWING <span class="pagenum">133</span><a name="link133" id="link133"></a>morning
-      Vance took the stage for Gold Bluff. As he neared that little mining town,
-      he found himself experiencing an impatience once more to see Louise
-      Bonifield that was strangely at variance with any former sensation of his
-      life. It seemed to him the stage coach was traveling at a snail&rsquo;s
-      pace, and even the good natured, &ldquo;honest intentioned&rdquo; Steve
-      Gibbons, with all his droll talk of frontier adventure, failed to interest
-      him. Arriving at the hotel, he found the old miner, Ben Bonifield, waiting
-      for him.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Am delighted to see yo&rsquo;, Mr. Gilder; I am indeed, suh. I
-      presume yo&rsquo;r almost famished; pow&rsquo;ful tiresome ridin&rsquo; in
-      a stage coach all day, suh. After yo&rsquo; have refreshed yo&rsquo;self,
-      I shall be pleased to join yo&rsquo; in yo&rsquo;r room. I have a matteh
-      of vehy great impo&rsquo;tance to discuss with yo&rsquo;, suh.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;All right,&rdquo; said Vance, in his cheeriest tones. &ldquo;I
-      trust Miss Louise is well?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Quite well, suh; quite well, thank yo&rsquo;.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As Vance ate his supper a satisfied feeling of contentment with the whole
-      world intruded itself upon him. His advancement in his profession was
-      certainly gratifying. He had received several valuable hints while in
-      <span class="pagenum">134</span><a name="link134" id="link134"></a>Butte
-      City in regard to a new silver mining company that was about to be
-      organized, in which he was thinking seriously of investing a little money.
-      The price was only ten cents a share, which he had been assured, on what
-      seemed to him very excellent authority, would be worth a dollar a share
-      before twelve months&rsquo; time. His investment at Waterville was
-      certainly a good one, and he heartily believed Col. Bonifield had good
-      news to tell him about Gray Rocks. In addition to this, he was once more
-      near Louise, that fair vision of loveliness, whose tender blue eyes seemed
-      ever near him. He dropped a coin into the hand of the waiter as he rose
-      from the table, and stopped in the hallway to caress a lovely little child
-      which he found playing hide-and-seek with an older companion, and then
-      made each a present of money with which to buy bon-bons. He hummed softly
-      to himself the air of an old love song as he went leisurely to his room.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Soon after, he was enjoying a choice Havana with Col. Bonifield sitting in
-      a chair opposite him, smoking his briar-root, blowing blue rings of smoke
-      leisurely toward the ceiling. Vance was animated, and spoke glowingly of
-      the prospects of Waterville. Presently Col. Bonifield said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Mr. Gilder, we have reached the 300 foot level, suh,&rdquo; and
-      then lapsed into silence.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Have you cross-cut into the vein yet?&rdquo; asked Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; said the old miner, as he rose from his chair
-      and walked back and forth in a stately manner, &ldquo;we have cross-cut,
-      suh, into where the vein ought to have been, but it is not there, suh. I
-      must confess to yo&rsquo;, suh, that I am greatly disappointed, but the
-      disappoint<span class="pagenum">135</span><a name="link135" id="link135"></a>ment,
-      I am sure, suh, is only tempoary. Of course it is much richer, suh, than
-      it was at the 200 foot level, but it is not rich enough, suh, to work, by
-      a pow&rsquo;ful sight.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0064" id="linkimage-0064"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0143.jpg" alt="0143 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0143.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      This information was a great disappointment to Vance, for he had fully
-      shared the old miner&rsquo;s belief that they would strike the rich ore at
-      the 300 foot level.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I will admit, Col. Bonifield, that I am somewhat disappointed, and
-      of course you are. Under the circumstances, what do you advise?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">136</span><a name="link136" id="link136"></a>"Yo&rsquo;
-      honor me, suh, indeed yo&rsquo; do, Mr. Gilder, to ask my advice, because,
-      suh, I know my advice is good. Whether yo&rsquo;, Mr. Gilder, will so
-      regard it, remains to be seen. If yo&rsquo; can furnish about four
-      thousand dollars mo&rsquo; money, I will start to-morrow mornin&rsquo; fo&rsquo;
-      the 400 foot level, and we will then cross-cut, suh, into a vein of pow&rsquo;ful
-      rich ore. I assure yo&rsquo;, suh, I never was mo&rsquo; sincere in my
-      life than I am in makin&rsquo; this statement, suh.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance possessed the confidence of youth, and his belief in Gray Rocks was
-      not to be shaken at the first disappointment, while before him rose up, as
-      from a mist, the pleading face of Louise, and he fancied she was asking
-      him to still believe in her father.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0065" id="linkimage-0065"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9144.jpg" alt="9144 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9144.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      He took his check book from his pocket and wrote a check for $4,000, and
-      signing it, handed it to the old miner, saying: &ldquo;How long, with the
-      present force of men, will it take to reach the 400 foot level?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;My dear Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; said the colonel, accepting his check,
-      and clasping his hand, &ldquo;yo&rsquo; quite ovehpow&rsquo;r me, yo&rsquo;
-      do indeed, suh. Yo&rsquo; may have been bawn in the nawth but yo&rsquo;
-      are a Virginian still at heart, with the warm blood cou&rsquo;sin&rsquo;through
-      yo&rsquo;r veins I think, suh, that within three or fou&rsquo; mouths we
-      can reach the fou&rsquo; hund&rsquo;ed foot level. I told yo&rsquo;r
-      father that Gray Rocks was a sure winner, and I am proud, suh, to repeat
-      the statement to you.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; <span class="pagenum">137</span><a
-      name="link137_rdquo_________id_" id="link137_rdquo_________id_"></a>said
-      Vance, &ldquo;whether you will strike it at the four hundred foot level or
-      not, but I assure you, Colonel Bonifield, that I have every faith in your
-      sincerity, and I am anxious to develop the mine as rapidly as possible. If
-      my investment should prove a total loss, I assure you I would never hold
-      you responsible.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I am gettin&rsquo; along in years, Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; said the
-      Colonel, &ldquo;and while I have not struck it yet, I have every
-      confidence, suh, that we will if we stay by Gray Rocks. My little Louise,
-      of cou&rsquo;se, was disappointed like myself. We both feared, suh, yo&rsquo;
-      would be veihy much disappointed; and I assure yo&rsquo;, suh, we cared a
-      great deal mo&rsquo; about yo&rsquo;r disappointment than we did about our
-      own. To tell yo&rsquo; the truth, suh, that little girl of mine had mo&rsquo;
-      faith in yo&rsquo;r looking at this matteh philosophically than I did;
-      but,&rdquo; continued the Colonel, pressing Vance&rsquo;s hand, &ldquo;I
-      misjudged yo&rsquo;, Mr. Gilder, I did indeed, suh, and I apologize fo&rsquo;
-      it.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      After Colonel Bonifield had taken his departure, Vance commenced looking
-      over his accumulated mail. The first thing that claimed his attention was
-      a copy of the <i>Banner</i> containing his article, &ldquo;Two Honorable
-      Exceptions.&rdquo; He read it carefully through again with evident pride.
-      Not a word or a single sentence had been cut out. This was gratifying to
-      him, and seemed proof that the managing editor had confidence in his
-      ability to select the wheat from the chaff. He laid down the paper and
-      began opening his letters. Presently the song he was humming died on his
-      lips. He sat upright and stared at a letter which he held in his hand. It
-      read as follows:
-    </p>
-    <blockquote>
-      <p>
-        <i>Banner</i> Office, New York City.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        DEAR SIR:&mdash;
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        I am directed by the managing editor to advise you that your services
-        are no longer required. Enclosed find check in payment of your salary to
-        date.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        J Respectfully,
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        J. M. M.,
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        Ass&rsquo;t Managing Editor.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        To Vance Gilder, Esq.
-      </p>
-    </blockquote>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">138</span><a name="link138" id="link138"></a>He
-      arose from his chair and rapidly paced the room, while great beads of
-      perspiration stood on his forehead. What had he done to merit such
-      humiliation? The idea that it might be a practical joke for a moment found
-      lodgment in his thoughts, but he quickly dismissed the hallucination.
-      Again he took up the paper and re-read the article, &ldquo;Two Honorable
-      Exceptions.&rdquo; He endeavored logically to think out a solution of his
-      dismissal.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0066" id="linkimage-0066"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8146.jpg" alt="8146 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8146.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      The more earnestly he thought over the situation, the more distinctly he
-      remembered the prejudiced views the chief seemed to entertain in regard to
-      western enterprises and investments. &ldquo;He certainly wants the truth,&rdquo;
-      soliloquized Vance, &ldquo;and I will stake my life there is not a
-      sentence in this article,&rdquo; and he struck the paper vigorously with
-      his hand, &ldquo;but what is true. The article might almost be regarded as
-      an advertisement for the great mining camp of Butte City, yet it was news,
-      and not nearly so strong as it might be and still keep within the bounds
-      of truth. The same is equally true as to what I have said in regard to the
-      agricultural and other resources of Waterville.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He sat far into the night, discussing with himself this unlooked for
-      calamity. Once, and only once, did the idea occur to him that possibly the
-      chief had sent him into the northwest to systematically destroy confidence
-      concerning western investments. He was too honorable, however, to harbor
-      the thought, and quickly dismissed it as too contemptible to be
-      entertained. The only consolation he could find&mdash;and that was
-      certainly a very <span class="pagenum">139</span><a
-      name="link139_rdquo_________id_" id="link139_rdquo_________id_"></a>meager
-      one&mdash;was that in all probability a letter of explanation would soon
-      come, that would clear away the misunderstanding. In the meantime he would
-      patiently wait, keeping his own counsel.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He looked over his check book, and found he had, all told, some six
-      thousand dollars to his credit, besides the four thousand dollars he had
-      that evening given to Colonel Bonifield. He sat by his window and
-      considered the advisability of returning at once to New York and demanding
-      an explanation. Such a course would take him away from Gold Bluff, from
-      Gray Rocks, and from Louise.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0017" id="link2HCH0017"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER XVII.&mdash;An AWAKENING.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0067" id="linkimage-0067"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9148.jpg" alt="9148 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9148.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      ANCE GILDER <span class="pagenum">140</span><a name="link140" id="link140"></a>was
-      not of a morose nature. The following morning he ate as hearty a breakfast
-      as ever, and while smoking his morning cigar, acknowledged to himself that
-      he had fallen in love with the picturesque scenery of the mountains,
-      rivers, valleys and everything about him was restful, while an alluring
-      contentment stole into his heart. He congratulated himself that he was far
-      away from the hot and crowded metropolis of the Atlantic seaboard. Here,
-      far removed from &ldquo;the busy marts of men,&rdquo; and the restless
-      commotion of commerce and traffic, he could rest and wait.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The day passed quickly by; the afternoons and evenings usually in the
-      society of Louise. They were bewildering days in their completeness. The
-      night claimed the day all too soon when in her society.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He was surprised, after the first shock of disappointment had passed away,
-      to find how indifferent he was becoming in regard to the loss of his
-      position on the <i>Banner</i>.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      One morning he awakened to a keen sense of incompleteness where
-      completeness had dwelt. Also around Gold Bluff, he <span class="pagenum">141</span><a
-      name="link141" id="link141"></a>covered a vein of discontent where
-      contentment had reigned supreme. His love of the mountains, the rivers,
-      and the picturesque scenery was but a prelude of promise, thumbing sweetly
-      of the great, unselfish love awakened in him for Louise.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      This unrest dated from a certain evening when Louise first sang for him.
-      He was quite entranced by the full, rich volume of her contralto voice.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      She began by striking the chords in a hesitating way; but presently the
-      genius of her musical nature seized her with its wonderful power, and she
-      sang with wild abandon:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br />
-    </p>
-    <p class="indent15">
-      &lsquo;We seemed to those who saw us meet
-    </p>
-    <p class="indent20">
-      The casual friends of every day;
-    </p>
-    <p class="indent15">
-      His courtesy was frank and sweet,
-    </p>
-    <p class="indent20">
-      My smile was unrestrained and gay.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br />
-    </p>
-    <p class="indent15">
-      But yet, if one the other&rsquo;s name
-    </p>
-    <p class="indent20">
-      In some unguarded moment heard,
-    </p>
-    <p class="indent15">
-      The heart you thought so free and tame
-    </p>
-    <p class="indent20">
-      Would flutter like a frightened bird.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br />
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As she sang Vance gave himself up to the intoxication of the moment. His
-      soul broke through the barriers and went out to hers, and as the song died
-      on her lips, and the music ceased with a few reluctant farewell chords, he
-      knew that a great and tender love had sprung up in his heart&mdash;a love
-      that was not for a day, but for all time.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Miss Bonifield,&rdquo; said Vance, with emotion, &ldquo;you are,
-      indeed, a constant surprise to me. Your playing is <span class="pagenum">142</span><a
-      name="link142" id="link142"></a>certainly superb, while your voice; not
-      only soft and musical, but has great range. To hear you sing fills me with
-      a longing to be a better man.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Thank you,&rdquo; said Louise, &ldquo;I seldom play or sing
-      excepting for papa. Your compliment, however, is highly appreciated.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;As long as I remain in Gold Bluff I hope I will be privileged in
-      hearing you sing occasionally.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;We will promise not to ostracize you altogether, Mr. Gilder,&rdquo;
-      said Louise, laughingly, &ldquo;but may I ask how long you expect to
-      remain with us?&rdquo; There was just enough hesitation in the question to
-      suggest interest.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I do not know,&rdquo; replied Vance. &ldquo;I presume you think it
-      is strange that I have remained as long as I have. To be frank with you,
-      Miss Bonifield, I have lost my position on the <i>Banner</i>.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Lost your position!&rdquo; said Louise, with unmistakable concern.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I am indeed sorry,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;whether it is a
-      misfortune or not. I had an offer to-day to take charge of the <i>Gold
-      Bluff Prospector</i>, and am thinking seriously of accepting.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You quite <span class="pagenum">143</span><a name="link143"
-      id="link143"></a>astonish me,&rdquo; said Louise, &ldquo;but I know papa
-      will be delighted if you conclude to remain permanently in Gold Bluff.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Of course,&rdquo; said Vance thoughtfully, &ldquo;there is quite a
-      difference between the New York <i>Banner</i> and the <i>Gold Bluff
-      Prospector</i>&mdash;one a cosmopolitan daily and the other a country
-      newspaper without any special circulation. It would only be profitable to
-      me as I increased its circulation and its importance to advertisers. I
-      shall not decide for a few days. I may <span class="pagenum">144</span><a
-      name="link144_rdquo_________id_" id="link144_rdquo_________id_"></a>receive
-      some explanation from the <i>Banner</i> that will put a different light
-      upon my dismissal.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0068" id="linkimage-0068"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0151.jpg" alt="0151 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0151.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I have almost made up my mind that I should like to remain in Gold
-      Bluff,&rdquo; continued Vance, looking inquiringly at Louise. &ldquo;My
-      confidence in Gray Rocks is growing daily, and I believe it is only a
-      question of a short time until your father&rsquo;s efforts will be crowned
-      with success.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; replied Louise, feelingly, &ldquo;I thank you
-      for your confidence and faith in my father. It seems that nearly every one
-      disbelieves in his final success. I cannot tell why, yet my faith is
-      unbounded. Even sister Virgie has lost hope, and at times papa is greatly
-      discouraged because sister and Aunt Sally talk as they do; but I am sure
-      in time he will be able to fully prove how mistaken they are in their
-      judgment.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As Vance rose to go he took her hand and said &ldquo;Miss Bonifield, you
-      certainly are a noble daughter, and your father is pardonable for wishing
-      to keep you with him in this western country. I am beginning to understand
-      what a great strength and support you must be to him.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Thank you,&rdquo; replied Louise, &ldquo;I am sure you overestimate
-      the assistance I am to my father, but my greatest pride is in doing
-      something that will add to his comfort, and I am sure papa cannot want me
-      with him more than I wish to remain.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance had become accustomed to Louise&rsquo;s frankness of speech, yet he
-      received a shock that thrilled him with delight when she said, &ldquo;I
-      shall be very happy, Mr. Gilder, if you conclude to remain in Gold Bluff.
-      You have no idea how lonesome I should be if you were to go away.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance&rsquo;s heart beat wildly, and something seemed to rise up in his
-      throat as he attempted to thank her. The expression of his face evidently
-      betrayed his feelings, for she quickly drew away, and with a formality
-      that was new to Vance she bowed stiffly and said &ldquo;Good night.&rdquo;
-      After leaving the Bonifield&rsquo;s home, he followed the road which led
-      up the mountain side toward Gray Rocks. The moon, large and round, was
-      just lifting itself above the eastern horizon. He walked on past the
-      shaft, where the <span class="pagenum">145</span><a name="link145"
-      id="link145"></a>night force of men were busy working away toward the 400
-      foot level, and soon found himself near the old prospect shaft on the
-      Peacock. The valley where the little city of Gold Bluff nestled was far
-      beneath him. He saw a light glimmering from one of the windows in the
-      Bonifield home, and interpreted it as a beacon of hope.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0069" id="linkimage-0069"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9153.jpg" alt="9153 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9153.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      He repeated over and over again Louise&rsquo;s words relative to his
-      remaining in Gold Bluff.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;I will remain, no matter what the
-      explanation may be from the <i>Banner</i> office,&rdquo; and filled with
-      this decision, he returned to his hotel.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      One evening, about a week after receiving the letter dismissing him from
-      the <i>Banner</i> force, the mail brought a copy of that great New York
-      paper. Vance eagerly perused it to see if it contained his last
-      communication. No, it had been rejected, but in its stead he found an
-      article entitled &ldquo;Two Western Towns.&rdquo; It was a three-column
-      article devoted to Butte City and Waterville. It referred in the most
-      vindictive manner to the members of the Waterville Town Company, and
-      classed them as a lot of town site boomers. It warned eastern people not
-      to be caught and misled by such wildcat speculations as were offered by
-      them in the great Thief River Valley.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It said the valley was one immense lava bed, interspersed with sage brush
-      thickets, alkali swamps and basalt plains. The wonderful water-power, it
-      claimed, was an absolute myth; and, in fact, the printed statements in the
-      circulars of these &ldquo;town boomers&rdquo; were deliberate lies. <span
-      class="pagenum">146</span><a name="link146" id="link146"></a>Another thing
-      which eastern investors should bear in mind, the paper went on to say, was
-      the fact that the property which had been platted into town lots was still
-      government land. The town company had no title, and, perhaps, never would
-      have. It branded the whole enterprise as the most gigantic confidence game
-      that had ever been perpetrated on an unsuspecting public.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It further said the swindling operations of these irresponsible and
-      restless town boomers of Waterville were only exceeded in point of
-      adroitness by the mining operations in and around Butte City, Montana. The
-      article said the mountain sides at Butte City were perforated with
-      prospect holes, where hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of dollars of
-      eastern people&rsquo;s money had been expended by local managers in
-      riotous living and debauchery, and claimed that it was a safe estimate to
-      say that for every thousand dollars put into prospect shafts in and about
-      Butte City, not more than one dollar had been taken out.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It spoke of the inhabitants of both Butte City and Waterville as plebians
-      of the lowest sort and condition of life.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The worst cut of all to Vance, however, was the closing paragraph, where
-      it stated that it was the habit of promoters of these western towns to
-      bribe indiscriminately correspondents of eastern papers, and that many
-      were weak enough to fall, which was not only unfortunate for the journal
-      publishing these flattering falsehoods, but a base injustice to the
-      eastern investor, who was led captive with his savings into western
-      &ldquo;booms&rdquo; through <span class="pagenum">147</span><a
-      name="link147_rdquo_________id_" id="link147_rdquo_________id_"></a>the
-      machinations of unprincipled correspondents.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      If Vance had been nonplussed on receipt of the assistant&rsquo;s letter,
-      he was now stunned. He thought very little about his own investment in
-      Waterville, but rather, what would his old associates on the <i>Banner</i>
-      think of him? He regarded the article as a direct thrust at himself and
-      his integrity.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      After waiting a few days and receiving no further communication from the
-      <i>Banner</i> office, and feeling too much humiliation to write to his
-      city friends until time had dulled the blow, he concluded to go to
-      Waterville and see if he could not make arrangements with the Town Company
-      whereby he could return at once the money invested by his old associates
-      in Waterville town lots.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The more he thought over the refuting article in the <i>Banner</i> the
-      more indignant he became. &ldquo;There is not a manufacturer or other
-      institution in the east rich enough,&rdquo; said he to himself, &ldquo;to
-      stand such wholesale boycotting as this western country is constantly
-      subjected to by the eastern press. It is not conservatism; it is downright
-      injustice. I have not been long in the west, it is true, but my respect
-      for it and its people is growing. Even Chicago, with all her greatness,
-      energy and achievements, is belittled by the boycotting press of the east!
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;By birth I am a Gothamite, and by education I am an eastern man,
-      but my patriotism for America and all that is American has never prevented
-      me from turning up my trousers when there is a heavy fog in London?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0018" id="link2HCH0018"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER XVIII.&mdash;VANCE RETURNS TO WATERVILLE.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0070" id="linkimage-0070"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9156.jpg" alt="9156 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9156.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      T <span class="pagenum">148</span><a name="link148" id="link148"></a>was
-      on an October morning that Vance started for Waterville. A light frost the
-      night before had made the air sharp and crisp. The frost disappeared,
-      however, before the genial warmth of the rising sun, while the russet
-      leaves grew brownerer and as the wind stirred them, sang brokenly of old
-      age.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      October is the scenic month in the mountains. You seem to stand in Nature&rsquo;s
-      picture gallery. The box-alder leaves are as changeable in color as a
-      blushing maiden. From the low foothills on up the sides of the mountains
-      to the timber line, the elms, the box-alders, and poplars grow in
-      profusion. The leaves vary in color from the deepest green to the
-      brightest scarlet, the most golden yellow, or the somberest brown. The
-      colors are intermingled in this gorgeous panoramic scene with a charm and
-      beauty that baffles the most skilled artist&rsquo;s touch to reproduce on
-      canvas.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was seated beside Steve Gibbons on the top of the stage coach, as
-      they whirled along in meditative silence. The evening before Louise had
-      sung for him. It was music fit for the gods&mdash;so rich, so deep, so
-      plaintively low, so fascinating. He could see her even now, standing on
-      the wide old porch as she bade him good-bye. <span class="pagenum">149</span><a
-      name="link149" id="link149"></a>The mild October breeze that stirred the
-      ringlets of her golden hair seemed laden with worshipers of hope for
-      Vance, the lover, and he interpreted her every word and smile as a token
-      reciprocal of his own deep love.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Presently Vance was brought back from his day dreams to the present by
-      Steve Gibbons remarking:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Things ain&rsquo;t so powerful brisk down at Waterville jes&rsquo;
-      now.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why, how is that?&rsquo; asked Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh, I dunno,&rdquo; replied Gibbons, as he waked up his leaders
-      with a spirited crack of his whip, &ldquo;can&rsquo;t say jes&rsquo; what
-      is the matter. But I can tell ye one thing, pardner,&rdquo; he went on,
-      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m mighty glad I&rsquo;m not in the real estate business. In
-      my opinion, them real estate agents down thar will be jumpin&rsquo;
-      sideways for a sandwich before the winter&rsquo;s over.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was noticeably depressed by Gibbons&rsquo; remarks. He was going to
-      Waterville for the express purpose of disposing of his New York friends&rsquo;
-      property, in which they had invested on his recommendation. He cared very
-      little about his own investment. He was willing to wait, or even to lose
-      it all, if he could only prevent them from sustaining loss on their
-      purchase.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It was late that night when they reached Waterville. Vance was delighted
-      to find that Homer Winthrop was registered at the hotel. They met the
-      following morning at the breakfast table. The conduct of the usually
-      polite and entertaining Winthrop was changed to a sternness for which
-      Vance was at a loss to account. As they arose from the table, Vance went
-      out with Winthrop and asked him how he was progressing in the lot selling
-      business.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;How am I progressing?&rdquo; repeated Winthrop, as he <span
-      class="pagenum">150</span><a name="link150" id="link150"></a>turned and
-      looked coldly at Vance. &ldquo;I am through. I have left Butte City for
-      good.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why, how is that?&rdquo; asked Vance in some surprise. Winthrop was
-      silent for a moment, and then replied: &ldquo;It is rather strange, Mr.
-      Gilder, for you to ask such a question after writing the article you did
-      for that New York paper. The <i>Inter Mountain Blade</i> and the <i>Butte
-      City Miner</i> both copied the letter. It is hardly necessary for me to
-      observe,&rdquo; he went on, &ldquo;that it rendered it impossible for me
-      to sell another lot in Butte City. Those who had purchased became so
-      infuriated that I deemed it best for personal safety to leave the town.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Saying this, Winthrop turned abruptly and left Vance, who was for a moment
-      unable to make a reply. Homer Winthrop&rsquo;s words both astonished and
-      chilled him.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      A little later he visited the Town Company&rsquo;s office, where he found
-      Marcus Donald, the resident director, and Homer Winthrop in deep
-      consultation. Donald was a man of commanding presence. His associates
-      often remarked that Marcus Donald&rsquo;s face was worth $10,000 in an
-      important trade of any kind. He was dignified and commanding in
-      appearance, and when one talked with him, the most skeptical fell into the
-      habit of believing every word that fell from his lips. Vance discovered
-      that he was not wanted, but he determined to vindicate himself, and said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Gentlemen, pardon me for interrupting, but I must ask your
-      indulgence for a few moments. I wish you would read this article. I am
-      humiliated enough without any further complications or misunderstandings.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He handed<span class="pagenum">151</span><a name="link151" id="link151"></a>
-      Marcus Donald a copy of the <i>Banner</i>. Donald adjusted his gold-rimmed
-      spectacles and read aloud the entire article, &ldquo;Two Western Towns.&rdquo;
-      When he had concluded, Vance turned toward Winthrop.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Is that the letter you referred to?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0071" id="linkimage-0071"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0159.jpg" alt="0159 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0159.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why, yes,&rdquo; said Winthrop, &ldquo;but how is this?&rdquo; said
-      he, picking up the paper. &ldquo;The Butte City papers published only that
-      part of the article referring to Waterville; but how came you to write
-      such a letter at all, Mr. Gilder? You certainly know there is not a
-      syllable of truth in it from beginning to finish.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance looked first at Winthrop and then at Donald, <span class="pagenum">152</span><a
-      name="link152" id="link152"></a>and replied, &ldquo;I did not write it.&rdquo;
-      He then proceeded to give them a history of his dismissal.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;This was written,&rdquo; tapping the paper with the back of his
-      hand, &ldquo;evidently to counteract the influence and effect of what I
-      had written the week before.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Of course that puts it in a different light,&rdquo; said Donald,
-      rising and extending his hand to Vance. &ldquo;I could not believe it
-      possible that you, Mr. Gilder, could be guilty of writing such a libelous
-      article as this is.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Winthrop also accepted the explanation as eminently satisfactory, and
-      sympathized with Vance in the loss of his position on the great New York
-      daily.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;It has completely killed the lot selling business for me in Butte
-      City,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;but fortunately for us, we have made some
-      very excellent sales during the past few weeks, and the Town Company&rsquo;
-      has sufficient money in the treasury to pay all its debts, and the last
-      obligation will be paid off before twelve o&rsquo;clock to-day.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Marcus Donald, &ldquo;they will all be paid off,
-      but it will leave the treasury in a depleted condition; but the future, I
-      believe, is all right. I hope you will not lose faith, Mr. Gilder, in
-      Waterville&rsquo;s prospects.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;I have unbounded faith in Waterville,
-      but I would like very much to have the Town Company, if possible, return
-      the $2,500 which I invested for my New York friends. It would save me much
-      embarrassment if I could return them their money&rsquo;. They doubtless
-      know I have been dismissed from the force, and have read this last
-      article, which puts an entirely&rsquo; different coloring on this western
-      country&rsquo; from what I represented.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">153</span><a name="link153" id="link153"></a>"You
-      must know,&rdquo; said Winthrop, &ldquo;that what you seek is next to
-      impossible. The money has been paid into the treasury, and no difference
-      how friendly I personally feel toward you, or how much the resident
-      director, Mr. Donald, may wish to return the money, it cannot possibly be
-      done without an action of the directors.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      At this juncture, Marcus Donald invited Vance to take a scat by his desk,
-      and he would explain to him carefully and fully the situation, and
-      believed he could prove to him conclusively why he was acting for his New
-      York friends&rsquo; best interests in leaving the investment as it was.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0072" id="linkimage-0072"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8161.jpg" alt="8161 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8161.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Donald produced a great many maps and carefully spread them out on the
-      table, adjusted his spectacles carefully, and with his $10,000 face looked
-      squarely into Vance&rsquo;s, and proceeded to go over the old, old story
-      of the unlimited natural resources of the valley. He discussed at length,
-      and in a very entertaining and convincing manner, the number of acres of
-      land already in cultivation, the probable annual increase acreage of farm
-      land; figured out results that amounted to millions of dollars. He then
-      carried Vance from one side of the map to the other, up to the top, then
-      down to the bottom and back again to the point where they had first
-      started; indeed, he quite enthused Vance in regard to the future prospects
-      and final outcome of Waterville.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He also confirmed Winthrop&rsquo;s statement in regard to their inability
-      to take any money out of the treasury for <span class="pagenum">154</span><a
-      name="link154" id="link154"></a>the purpose suggested without first having
-      an action of the directors.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I advise you to write to your New York friends,&rdquo; continued
-      Donald, &ldquo;and tell them their investment is all right, <i>if</i>&mdash;mark,
-      I say <i>if</i>&mdash;they have the nerve to stay with it a year or such a
-      matter. Of course this article in the <i>Banner</i> hurts us immensely. It
-      is simply a highhanded piece of boycotting; but the west has received
-      similar injustice at the hands of the great New York dailies times without
-      number in years gone by.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Acting on Marcus Donald&rsquo;s advice, Vance wrote a letter that day to
-      his New York friends, and afterwards felt better for having done so. He
-      determined to remain a week or two at Waterville, and see if there was any
-      demand for real estate. Before many days, he began to understand the
-      wonderful, far-reaching effects of the late article in the <i>Banner</i>.
-      Rival surrounding towns copied it, and with double-leaded editorials
-      called attention to a town that had over-reached itself. They denounced
-      the various members of the Waterville Town Company as villainous sharks,
-      and predicted that the boom had been pricked with a needle that would let
-      all the wind out of it.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The transient class of real estate agents and hangers-on, who had been
-      doing a rather thriving business, said, &ldquo;Boys, this ends it,&rdquo;
-      as they blew the foam from their glasses of beer, &ldquo;we might as well
-      go somewhere else as wait and see the dog-fennel grow in the streets of
-      Waterville.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      One day Vance called on J. Arthur Boast at his office. He found him as
-      elegantly dressed as ever, and engaged in tying up bundles of legal
-      papers, deeds, contracts, etc. <span class="pagenum">155</span><a
-      name="link155" id="link155"></a>"Are you getting ready to move away from
-      Waterville?&rdquo; asked Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No, I am not going away; that is, not permanently,&rdquo; replied
-      Boast, as he stooped to brush a speck of dust from his highly polished
-      shoes, &ldquo;but I do not presume we will have any use for deeds or
-      contracts for some time to come, and I am therefore putting them away out
-      of the dust until the boom opens up again.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You talk a little discouragingly,&rdquo; said Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Discouragingly!&rdquo; said Boast, as he seated himself on the
-      table in front of Vance. &ldquo;Discouragingly! Why, didn&rsquo;t I tell
-      you the Town Company would ruin Waterville? I was away only two weeks
-      visiting, as you know, at Gold Bluff, but while I was gone they inflated
-      prices of property; made promises right and left that were quite
-      impossible for them to fulfill. The newspapers all over the country are
-      denouncing them, and the result of it is that Waterville is dead! I say
-      dead, and I mean dead, and all on account of the Town Company.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Do you suppose,&rdquo; asked Vance, &ldquo;that you could possibly&rsquo;
-      sell my twenty-five lots?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Boast looked absently&rsquo; out of the window and said, &ldquo;I might
-      sell them in time by putting them on my special bargain list.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;At what price?&rdquo; Vance ventured to ask.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Let me see,&rdquo; said Boast, &ldquo;you paid $2,500 for them, did
-      you not?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh, well,&rdquo; said Boast, &ldquo;I might be able to get $500 for
-      them, but it would be a pretty green sort of a tenderfoot that I could
-      load them on at even that price. But what&rsquo;s the use,&rdquo; said he,
-      facing around toward Vance <span class="pagenum">156</span><a
-      name="link156" id="link156"></a>and still sitting on the table, &ldquo;what&rsquo;s
-      the use of losing your nerve? Within one or two years Waterville will be
-      all right. She can&rsquo;t be kept down. She has natural resources; the
-      richest farm lands in the world; the greatest water power of any inland
-      city in the United States; marvelous veins of coal; inexhaustible quarries
-      of rock; unsurpassed forests of timber; and abundance of water for
-      irrigating purposes.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0073" id="linkimage-0073"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8164.jpg" alt="8164 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8164.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Why, dang it, old fellow,&rdquo; said he, slapping Vance on the shoulder,
-      &ldquo;Waterville s all right. All you&rsquo;ve got to do is to hold on to
-      your nerve and your lots, and you will come out on top.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s all very well,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;but the
-      ray of hope you hold out is too far away to be very satisfactory at the
-      present time.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Every tenderfoot,&rdquo; replied Boast, &ldquo;needs a certain
-      amount of experience in order to acclimate him to this western country.
-      Your experience is just now beginning. After a little Colonel Bonifield
-      will strike it rich on Gray Rocks, Waterville will also come out of the
-      kinks, and there you are, a rich man. By the way, the Colonel must be
-      pretty well along toward the 400 foot level, Waterville will also come out
-      of the kinks, and there you are, a rich man. By the way, the Colonel must
-      be pretty well along toward the 400 foot level, is he not:&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I believe he is making very satisfactory progress,&rdquo; replied
-      Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;If the old man should strike it rich,&rdquo; said Boast, &ldquo;I
-      would not mind connecting myself with his family. Of course, I am not so
-      hard to please as you New York fellows.&rdquo; He looked archly at Vance
-      and smiled wickedly as he made this remark.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was indignant at the cold-blooded insinuation of Boast, and replied:
-      <span class="pagenum">157</span><a name="link157" id="link157"></a>"While
-      you may have no objections, I don&rsquo;t doubt you will meet some pretty
-      knotty ones before you succeed in winning Miss Bonifield.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Possibly,&rdquo; replied Boast, coolly. &ldquo;Nevertheless, if the
-      old Colonel strikes it in Gray Rocks, it&rsquo;s worth a trial, anyway;
-      but come, there&rsquo;s no use in quarreling over something that hasn&rsquo;t
-      happened, or being down-hearted about a busted boom, so long as a fellow
-      has a bottle of red liquor.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance did not wait for him to go through the ordeal of condemning himself
-      as a drunken profligate, but let him to finish tying up his papers and
-      drink the contents of his bottle alone.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0019" id="link2HCH0019"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER XIX.&mdash;THE INDIGNATION MEETING
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0074" id="linkimage-0074"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9166.jpg" alt="9166 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9166.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      ANCE had <span class="pagenum">158</span><a name="link158" id="link158"></a>been
-      in Waterville something over a week, and his enthusiasm was noticeably
-      subdued. One evening he discovered that a great many citizens were
-      assembling in the Town Hall. He joined the crowd, and found it was
-      composed of representative of nearly every family in Waterville.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The meeting was called to order with J. Arthur Boast in the chair. It was
-      an indignation meeting. Instead of huzzaing for the Waterville Town
-      Company, its members were being vigorously denounced. A speaker addressed
-      the chair, and among other things said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Where is our sash, blind and door factory? Where is our foundry?
-      Where is our woolen mill? Where are our canning factories? Where is our
-      great smelting plant, and other manufacturing enterprises which have been
-      promised us by the Waterville Town Company? When we see anything in a
-      newspaper we have a right to believe what it says. Outside of Waterville,
-      the newspapers claim the members of the Waterville Town Company to be a
-      lot of restless town site boomers. I believe what I see in the papers. The
-      dog-fennel is already growing in our streets&mdash;our town is dead; not
-      one stranger in a week alights from the train at Waterville. <span
-      class="pagenum">159</span><a name="link159" id="link159"></a>We have been
-      deceived, and it is now time for an indignant community to assert its
-      rights, take the reins of government, so to speak, in our own hands, and
-      give the Waterville Town Company to understand that no more bonds of any
-      kind will be voted or subsidies given.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      A number of other speakers expressed themselves in bitter terms against
-      the Waterville Town Company. The chairman, J. Arthur Boast, finally
-      addressed the meeting, and with his thin, piping voice advise moderation.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He said it was true that, during his absence, prices had been
-      unfortunately inflated, and a reaction had set in. He reminded his hearers
-      that he was still in the real estate business, and by listing their
-      property with him he would try to put it on his &ldquo;special bargain
-      list,&rdquo; and thought possibly he could, in time, re-establish
-      confidence and create a new era of activity in the real estate business.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Boast was very careful not to openly charge the depression in Waterville
-      to anyone in particular, but his insinuations left no room to doubt he
-      meant the Waterville Town Company.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It seemed to be the sense of the meeting that retrenchment was in order.
-      One speaker advised the closing of the public school. The suggestion
-      seemed to meet with favor. Old Dick Ballard pushed his way through the
-      crowd, and addressing the chairman, begged the crowd to listen to reason.
-      &ldquo;You know,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;that I&rsquo;m your school
-      director in this township. The office sought me; I didn&rsquo;t seek the
-      office. Retrenchment in any other line exceptin&rsquo; the closin&rsquo;
-      down of our public school is, perhaps, all right; but do not take a step
-      backward. Our public school system is our pride, and should appeal to the
-      patriotism of every one here.&rdquo; <span class="pagenum">160</span><a
-      name="link160" id="link160"></a>In conclusion, he offered to give an
-      entertainment with his State Militia Company for the benefit of the public
-      school of Waterville. Hi is remarks would probably have been effective had
-      not a fiery speaker followed him and advanced the idea that by
-      discontinuing the public school it would be a direct rebuke to the
-      Waterville Town Company.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Let it be noised abroad,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;that the residents
-      of Waterville refuse to pay any school taxes, and then the Waterville town
-      Company will begin to understand that we must be consulted, or we will
-      thwart their schemes of booming this town. All they care for, anyway, is
-      the money there is in selling town lots.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The speaker then asked Dick Ballard how much money was in the teacher&rsquo;s
-      fund of the school treasury. Ballard said he did not know, but he could
-      find out in a day or two. The speaker then addressed the chair, and said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I move you, sir, that it is the sense of this public demonstration
-      that we quit paying taxes to support a public school in Waterville, and
-      when the funds now on hand are exhausted that our school be closed.&rdquo;
-      The motion almost unanimously prevailed. There were a few feeble protests,
-      but they were not recognized by the presiding officer.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      A little later Vance felt some one plucking at his sleeve, and old Dick
-      Ballard motioned him to follow.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Now, sir,&rdquo; said Ballard, in a deep whisper when they were
-      alone, &ldquo;there is some mighty important work to be done. Be in the
-      parlor of my hotel in half an hour from now. Say nothin&rsquo;.&rdquo; At
-      this Dick Ballard, with a mysterious look on his face, turned and hurried
-      away.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      A little later Vance walked over to the hotel and found <span
-      class="pagenum">161</span><a name="link161" id="link161"></a>Dick Ballard,
-      Homer Winthrop, and Marcus Donald. They apparently were waiting for him.
-      Ballard was very careful to lock the door securely.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0075" id="linkimage-0075"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9169.jpg" alt="9169 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9169.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      He then turned and said: &ldquo;Now, gentlemen, we have business of
-      importance on hand. Yes, sir, the time has come for us to act, and act
-      promptly. Hold on&mdash;just wait a moment until I read you a letter. This
-      is private,&rdquo; said he, tapping a letter which he unfolded with a
-      great flourish. &ldquo;This is from General Ira House, the greatest town
-      builder in the world. Now, here&rsquo;s what he says:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;&lsquo;I will settle my board bill, no, hold on; that isn&rsquo;t
-      the place. Here it is: &lsquo;Tell the people to be patient. The darkest
-      hour is just before the dawn. Waterville is all right.&rsquo;.rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;What do you think of that, gentlemen?&rdquo; said he, folding the
-      letter and putting it into his pocket. &ldquo;I tell you, General House
-      can come as near breakin&rsquo; the shell and gettin&rsquo; at the meat of
-      the kernel as any man I ever knew&rsquo;. He&rsquo;s brainy, and no
-      mistake. Our citizens are excited,&rdquo; Ballard went on, &ldquo;and in
-      their excitement they are foolish. They&rsquo;re attemptin&rsquo; to bite
-      the hand that is feedin&rsquo; us all. &lsquo;The Town Company has made
-      this town. I address my remarks, Mr. Gilder, to you. Modesty forbids, sir,
-      that I should say to my friends, Mr. Donald and Mr. Winthrop, that which I
-      unhesitatingly proclaim to an outside party. Now let me ask, Mr. Gilder,
-      if I didn&rsquo;t tell you long ago that the members of the Waterville
-      Town Company were the brainiest men this country had ever produced?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">162</span><a name="link162" id="link162"></a>"I
-      believe you made that remark,&rdquo; replied Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0076" id="linkimage-0076"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0170.jpg" alt="0170 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0170.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, sir, and I am proud to repeat the statement, and in the letter
-      which I have just read to you I have the evidence, the <i>prima facie</i>
-      evidence, that Watcrville is only restin&rsquo;, as it were, preparatory
-      to enterin&rsquo; the free-for-all hurdle race, and makin&rsquo; the
-      fastest time on record. Yes, sir, her time will be a record breaker, and
-      she will distance all would-be competitors, notwithstandin&rsquo; the
-      slanderous <span class="pagenum">163</span><a name="link163" id="link163"></a>and
-      libelous articles now goin&rsquo; the rounds in the press.&rsquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;We now,&rdquo; continued Mallard, &ldquo;are a ways-and-means
-      committee. The closing of our public school would indeed be a calamity.
-      They asked me over at the town meetin&rsquo; how much money was in the
-      school treasury. I told them I didn&rsquo;t know. I beg you gentlemen&rsquo;s
-      pardon for my reply, I do know. There is not a cent. I was forced into the
-      awkward position of tellin&rsquo; a falsehood for the good of my adopted
-      city, Waterville. Now, gentle men, what do you advise?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I think,&rdquo; said Donald, &ldquo;that our taxpayers proper are
-      not objecting to the expense of our public school. The Waterville Town
-      Company owns fully three-fourths of all the property in Waterville, and we
-      want the school to go on. The citizens who are the loudest in denouncing
-      the expense, and calling most vigorously for retrenchment, as a matter of
-      fact, do not pay a penny of tax.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re right,&rdquo; said Dick Ballard, glowingly, &ldquo;that&rsquo;s
-      the talk! There&rsquo;s argument in your remarks, Mr. Donald, and if I had
-      them printed on dodgers I would regard it as a personal privilege to
-      deliver copies to members of my State Militia Company, and issue a general
-      order to have them distributed over the entire town.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I wish to call your attention to one thing,&rdquo; continued
-      Ballard. &ldquo;No member of my State Militia Company voted to discontinue
-      our public school; no, sir, not one.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Winthrop was called on for remarks, and observed that the demonstration
-      was a hasty action that would not be approved, probably, by the people
-      themselves on mature reflection. <span class="pagenum">164</span><a
-      name="link164" id="link164"></a>"A few weeks ago,&rdquo; he went on,
-      &ldquo;these same people were hurrahing; for the Waterville Town Company.
-      They expect us to perform wonders in a few weeks&rsquo; time, that in
-      reality require months, and even years. I fully believe the present
-      depression will be followed by a healthy activity that will satisfy the
-      most pronounced pessimist in Waterville.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Gentlemen.&rdquo; said Dick Ballard, &ldquo;there are four of us.
-      Miss Virginia Bonifield is a most exemplary young lady, while, as a
-      teacher, she is without a peer. I stand ready to pledge myself for
-      one-fourth of her salary. Her salary for the entire year is $500.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Put me down for one fourth,&rdquo; said Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I will gladly pay one fourth,&rdquo; said Marcus Donald, &ldquo;and
-      my check is ready at any time.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Count me in on the deal,&rdquo; said Homer Winthrop &ldquo;Just one
-      thing, gentlemen,&rdquo; said Dick Ballard, &ldquo;I am pretty well
-      acquainted with Miss Virginia Bonifield.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0077" id="linkimage-0077"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9172.jpg" alt="9172 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9172.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      She posseses the spirit of independence to a very large degree. She is,
-      indeed, the daughter of her father, Colonel Bonifield. If she knew that
-      her salary was comin&rsquo; from a private source, why, you could not get
-      her to touch a dollar of it, therefore I think it best to consider this
-      compact and agreement strictly confidential.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Dick Ballard&rsquo;s views met with the approval of his associates, and
-      then the conversation became general. Vance inquired when the Town Company
-      would probably hold another meeting.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">165</span><a name="link165" id="link165"></a>"Not
-      for some time, from present indications,&rdquo; replied Winthrop.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; replied Marcus Donald, &ldquo;I have to-day received a
-      letter from Colonel Alexander, and he says it will be necessary, on
-      account of pressing business in the Wharfage and Dockage Company down on
-      the Gulf coast, to defer holding another Town Company meeting for some
-      months. The only thing we can do,&rdquo; continued Donald, &ldquo;is to
-      keep a good grip on our holdings here and wait. The dark days will roll by
-      like so many clouds and the sun will shine again. Waterville will be in
-      the ascendency. Strangers will be coming in, bringing money for internal
-      improvements; this great valley will be settled up, and successful
-      activity, in my judgment, will take the place of the present unfortunate
-      depression.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance continued his stay in Waterville several days longer than he had at
-      intended. His frequent consultations with Horner Winthrop and Marcus
-      Donald led him to believe they were two of the most honorable men he had
-      ever met. Possibly they were wrong in their judgment about Waterville, but
-      they certainly were sincere. They seemed like men who had been fighting
-      for a goal against bitter odds. The goal was finally reached when the last
-      obligation of the Waterville Town Company had been paid. They were left
-      practically penniless, or at best, with very little money; yet they were
-      content to wait until time should lift then out of the trough of the sea
-      upon the waves of commercial activity again, which they fully believed
-      would come.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      When Vance started for Gold Bluff, he said he might see them again in a
-      couple of weeks, and again, he might <span class="pagenum">166</span><a
-      name="link166" id="link166"></a>not see them for a year or longer. He was
-      wholly undecided what to do.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Arriving at Gold Bluff in the evening, Vance made a hasty toilet and
-      called upon the woman he secretly loved so devotedly. She welcomed him
-      warmly. Soon after, they were seated in the little parlor where Vance had
-      spent so many happy evenings.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The Colonel greeted him enthusiastically.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0078" id="linkimage-0078"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8174.jpg" alt="8174 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8174.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      The open grate was crackling and burning cheerily with a bright wood fire,
-      and seemed to add warmth to the welcome extended.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Am delighted to see yo&rsquo;, Mr. Gilder, I am indeed, still. We
-      have at last reached the 400 foot level. Tempo&rsquo;ary embarrassments
-      will soon be relegated into antiquity, yes, suh; a few days longer, a few
-      days mo&rsquo; of waitin&rsquo;, suh, and the struggle for a livin&rsquo;
-      will be oveh with. No matteh how much we may fight against it, we are
-      bound to be wealthy. Of cou&rsquo;se it&rsquo;ll take a few days yet, but
-      only a few.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It was evident that the Colonel was greatly in earnest. It was a welcome
-      hope to Vance. He briefly related to the Colonel and Louise concerning the
-      depression at Waterville, but that he still had hopes that eventually&mdash;he
-      did not pretend to say exactly when, but some time in the future&mdash;his
-      investment in Waterville town lots would turn out all right.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;On gen&rsquo;al principles,&rdquo; said Colonel Bonifield, &ldquo;I
-      am not favo&rsquo;able to real estate spec&rsquo;lations. I presume, suh,
-      the reason is I know so vehy little about them, but when <span
-      class="pagenum">167</span><a name="link167" id="link167"></a>it comes to a
-      mine, suh,&rsquo;.pecially like Gray Rocks, I inva&rsquo;ably know, suh,
-      what I am talkin&rsquo; about. Louise,&rdquo; said the Colonel, looking at
-      his daughter, &ldquo;let us have some music. I see Mr. Gilder is vehy
-      tired, and we will talk no mo&rsquo; business this evenin&rsquo;.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Louise opened the piano and sang for them. There was a plaintive sweetness
-      in the girl&rsquo;s voice that made Vance&rsquo;s heart pulse with
-      delicious contentment. Hope played back and forth among the chords as the
-      music swelled and surged in sweet, symphonious strains. While she was
-      singing, he felt how easy it would be to declare his love, but when she
-      had ceased, and the last vibrations of music had died away, he knew he
-      lacked the courage.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance would be called a brave man in the daily walks of life, and yet, as
-      Louise&rsquo;s lover, he was the most arrant of cowards.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0020" id="link2HCH0020"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER XX.&mdash;THE STAGE IS ROBBED.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0079" id="linkimage-0079"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9176.jpg" alt="9176 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9176.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      HE <span class="pagenum">168</span><a name="link168" id="link168"></a>next
-      morning Vance met his old acquaintance, Hank Casey.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Good morning, Mr. Casey,&rdquo; said Vance, cheerily.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Hello, pardner,&rdquo; was the laconic and somewhat dejected reply.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t seen you for some time,&rdquo; said Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No, I&rsquo;ve been prospectin&rsquo; round these &lsquo;ere diggin&rsquo;s,
-      but I guess I won&rsquo;t stay much longer. The court decided agin Steve
-      Gibbons an&rsquo; me. I think I&rsquo;ll go back to Butte City afore long.
-      She&rsquo;s the pertest minin&rsquo; camp in the &lsquo;hull country.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You say the court has decided against you?&rdquo; repeated Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he replied, &ldquo;Steve Gibbons an&rsquo; we had a law
-      suit agin&rsquo; Rufus Grim over the Peacock. B. Webster Legal is a pretty
-      cute lawyer, an&rsquo; for a time he made it bilin&rsquo; hot for old
-      Grim, but somehow on the show-down we got done up. It don&rsquo;t make
-      much difference how cute a feller&rsquo;s lawyer is, when the court&rsquo;s
-      prejudiced all out o&rsquo; shape. I sometimes think old Grim has a
-      &lsquo;nuf sight better title to the court of this &lsquo;ere district
-      than he has to the Peacock mine.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Your friend Gibbons,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;told me sonnies
-      <span class="pagenum">169</span><a name="link169" id="link169"></a>thing
-      of this law suit, and I rather expected, with the assistance of an
-      attorney like B. Webster Legal, you would succeed in establishing your
-      claim. You have my sympathy if an injustice has been done you.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh, it wa&rsquo;n&rsquo;. no fault of Lawyer Legal, I can tell you,
-      he&rsquo;s a hummer, and a mighty social chap in the bargain; but this
-      &lsquo;ere game isn&rsquo;t played to a finish yet, pardner, not by
-      several great, big moves on the chess board. You see, we&rsquo;ve appealed
-      it to the higher courts, but they&rsquo;re so dangnation slow that a
-      feller had better get a hustle on hisself while he&rsquo;s waitin&rsquo;
-      for a decision or he&rsquo;ll starve. When old Grim has his neck broken,
-      honest people may then get their just deserts.&rdquo; He seemed dejected,
-      and soon after took his leave, saying that he was going into the mountains
-      to do a little prospecting.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The Peacock mine was constantly increasing its output of the yellow metal.
-      Nearly every stage carried shipments of gold bullion to the mints. Rufus
-      Grim was growing richer and more pompous. His satellites and admirers
-      noticeably increased after the courts had decided in his favor.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      In the meantime the pumps in Gray Rocks had broken down and delayed the
-      work several weeks. Vance was in a state of feverish anxiety. He longed to
-      be relieved from the mental strain and know whether he was a half owner in
-      a gold mine that produced in paying quantities, or only a half owner in a
-      worthless shaft in the mountain side.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He retired one evening at an early hour, tired out and thoroughly
-      disgusted with his achievements in the west. He was awakened about two o&rsquo;clock
-      in the morning by a great commotion going on below. Hastily dressing
-      himself, he went down to the bar-room, where he found everything was wild
-      with excitement. <span class="pagenum">170</span><a
-      name="link170_rdquo_________id_" id="link170_rdquo_________id_"></a>The
-      stage coach had been robbed, and it was reported that Steve Gibbons was
-      dead. Hasty preparations were being made to form a posse and start in
-      pursuit of the highwaymen.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0080" id="linkimage-0080"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9178.jpg" alt="9178 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9178.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      The express company had some heavy consignments of gold bullion sent from
-      the Peacock mine, and it was reported missing. Vance signified his
-      willingness to join in the pursuit, and was furnished with a horse, and
-      soon after they started pell-mell down the mountain road from Gold Bluff
-      in the direction of Waterville, to the point where the robbery had taken
-      place.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Rufus Grim offered $1,000 for the capture of the perpetrators, which,
-      together with a large sum offered by the express company, stimulated a
-      feverish interest in the chase.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The sun was just coming up when they reached the place where the robbers
-      had sallied forth from a neighboring mountain gorge the morning before and
-      committed their lawless work. About two miles beyond, they found the only
-      two passengers of the ill-fated stage coach. A gentleman and his wife from
-      the east had been visiting Colonel Boast, the rich rancher who lived near
-      Gold Bluff, and were returning to their eastern home. The gentleman had
-      been relieved of his wallet, containing some $2,000, also his watch,
-      diamond pin, and his wife of her jewelry. They were left in a destitute
-      condition, and were waiting to take the next stage back to Gold Bluff to
-      secure such aid from Colonel Boast as would enable them to continue their
-      homeward journey.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      They said there were
-<span class="pagenum">171</span><a name="link171" id="link171"></a>
-five
-      of the robbers. When they commanded Steve Gibbons to stop, he whipped up
-      his horses, and received a bullet through his body for his attempted
-      bravery. He fell from the stage coach and sustained serious injuries.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0081" id="linkimage-0081"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0179.jpg" alt="0179 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0179.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      The robbers quickly stopped the horses, relieved the two passengers of
-      their possessions, secured the express matter and started for the mountain
-      wilds, taking with them the four dapple-gray horses that Steve Gibbons had
-      prided himself so much in driving.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Gibbons had been carefully cared for by the mountain rancher and his wife,
-      where the two passengers were <span class="pagenum">172</span><a
-      name="link172" id="link172"></a>stopping. A physician had been sent for
-      and dressed his wounds. He said Gibbons would get well; the bullet had
-      struck a rib and glanced off.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      After learning these meager details, the posse pushed on into the
-      mountains in hot pursuit. They were under command of the sheriff of the
-      county. The trail of the desperadoes was easily followed. Along in the
-      afternoon, the sheriff called a halt for refreshments. The horses were
-      tethered with lariats to some trees that grew near a mountain stream, and
-      permitted to graze while the men refreshed themselves with lunches which
-      they had brought along.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;We&rsquo;re twenty-four hours behind the rascals,&rdquo; said the
-      sheriff, &ldquo;and I don&rsquo;t know whether we&rsquo;ll overtake them
-      or not.&rdquo; Some of the men were eager to go on, and others were ready
-      to give up the chase. After a rest of an hour or such a matter, the order
-      was given to again mount, and the trail was followed until darkness set
-      in. Sleeping on the ground with the starry canopy for a covering was a new
-      experience for Vance, but he was determined not to show the white feather.
-      What others endured he would endure.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      About ten o&rsquo;clock the next morning, they came to a mountain gorge
-      and followed the trail to a point where it seemed quite impossible for a
-      horseman to ascend, it was so steep and rugged. The sheriff and a few of
-      his men dismounted and went on ahead, looking for the trail. They found
-      horses&rsquo; tracks, but where could they have gone? The grass was deep
-      and heavy in the center of the gulch, and fringed with trees and boulders
-      on either side. Finally the sheriff returned and reported the trail as
-      lost. <span class="pagenum">173</span><a name="link173" id="link173"></a>"They
-      have evidently come into this &lsquo;pocket&rsquo; of a canon to throw us
-      off their trail. We will have to return to the mouth of the gorge and see
-      in what other direction the trail leads.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The afternoon was spent in searching for the lost trail. Night overtook
-      the party again, and rations were very short. Their meal was a frugal one,
-      and far from satisfying the hunger of men who had ridden hard all day. The
-      horses were securely fastened and the party lay down to sleep. Vance made
-      his bed on some bunch grass that grew under the wide-spreading branches of
-      a mountain pine. He could plainly hear the rippling of a stream which ran
-      near by, and when deep silence settled down over the landscape, save the
-      occasional snort of one of the horses, the singing of the stream grew
-      louder and louder. The smell of pine added to the deliciousness of his
-      novel and strange surroundings. Weariness soon overcame the discomforts of
-      his improvised bed, and he sank to sleep. Suddenly he awoke in the middle
-      of the night, but found everyone else was deep in slumber, save the two
-      guards that had been left on duty a few yards from the camp. The stars
-      were winking at him from above; a wolf was howling a dismal cadence, and
-      was answered by another far away in a different direction. An owl hooted
-      its discordant strain from the dead branch of a tree a short distance
-      away.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He closed his eyes, and thought of the wonderful change that a few months
-      had brought into his life; but these thoughts one after another vanished;
-      and still other fancies went pell-mell through his imagination in the
-      panorama of thought. Presently a face appeared on this mental canvas&mdash;so
-      sweet, so tender, so trusting, and <span class="pagenum">174</span><a
-      name="link174" id="link174"></a>wreathed in that smile he knew so well. He
-      started, opened his eye and murmured, &ldquo;Louise.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The wolf howled again in the distance, and he thought he detected a
-      snappish twang in its concluding barks, and wondered if it foreboded
-      danger. Occasionally one of the horses would snort and stamp on the
-      ground, and then go on munching, munching, the grass on which they were
-      feeding. Finally he dozed again and slept. He thought it was only a moment
-      afterward, when someone shook his shoulder and told him to get up. He
-      opened his eyes and found it was morning.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He hastily sprang up and found there was considerable excitement among his
-      associates. The sheriff was missing. About a half hour later he came into
-      camp and said he had been out looking for the trail, but could find
-      nothing of it. He said they might as well return home.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was not sorry of this decision, for he was hungry and tired and
-      sore. There were mutterings, however, among some of the sheriff&rsquo;s
-      posse, and they whispered among themselves as if they suspected their
-      chief of crooked work.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It took them two days to return to Gold Bluff. They found Steve Gibbons at
-      the hotel, and able to sit up. The robbers had all worn masks, and it was
-      impossible for him to give a description of any of them. The
-      representative of the express company was evidently disappointed that the
-      sheriff had not been able to find the desperadoes; $10,000 of gold bullion
-      had been stolen, as well as other valuable express matter.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      A few days later, Steve Gibbons declared that he was able to resume his
-      place on the stage coach, but it transpired that two of his bondsmen had
-      asked to be relieved <span class="pagenum">175</span><a
-      name="link175_rdquo_________id_" id="link175_rdquo_________id_"></a>This
-      was an insinuation that some one regarded him as an accomplice in the
-      unfortunate stage robbery. He investigated and found it was Rufus Grim who
-      had advised two of his bondsmen to be a little careful. During the day,
-      through Vance&rsquo;s assistance, Gibbons succeeded in giving a
-      satisfactory bond.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      That evening, a little the worse for drink, he accosted Rufus Grim at the
-      post office, where the Gold bluff villagers were wont to congregate on the
-      arrival of the evening coach.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0082" id="linkimage-0082"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9183.jpg" alt="9183 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9183.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Steve Gibbons was evidently the agressor. &ldquo;Look&rsquo;ee here, Mr.
-      Grim,&rdquo; said Steve Gibbons, approaching him, &ldquo;you&rsquo;ve been
-      interferin&rsquo; with me for a good many years, and it&rsquo;s time you
-      was lettin&rsquo; up.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know, Mr. Gibbons,&rdquo; said Grim, &ldquo;that I
-      have ever interfered with you. I have plenty of business of my own to look
-      after, without bothering with other people&rsquo;s.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s all right, pardner,&rdquo; said Gibbons, &ldquo;but
-      there&rsquo;s somebody likely to wish they&rsquo;d never been born if they
-      don&rsquo;t quit foolin&rsquo; with me. You advised some of my bondsmen to
-      take their names off from the bond, but I&rsquo;ve got other friends, and
-      jes&rsquo; as many of &lsquo;em as you have, and don&rsquo;t you forget
-      it!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;There must be some mistake, Mr. Gibbons,&rdquo; said Grim, very
-      coolly.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I know,&rdquo; said Gibbons, &ldquo;jes&rsquo; what I&rsquo;m
-      talkin&rsquo; about. You have tried to infer that I was mixed up in the
-      robbery of the stage coach, and I say you are an unprincipled old
-      scoundrel, and a liar in the bargain. If I was as strong as I was before I
-      was shot, I&rsquo;d maul the <span class="pagenum">176</span><a
-      name="link176" id="link176"></a>earth with you. You stole the Peacock mine
-      from Hank Casey an&rsquo; me, an&rsquo; I&rsquo;ve my suspicions that you
-      bought judge and jury to beat us in our law suit.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      One would have thought that Grim would have become very angry, but
-      instead, he tried to pacify the irate and angry Steve Gibbons. It seemed
-      to anger Gibbons beyond description that he could not disturb the even
-      temper of Rufus Grim, and finally, in a burst of anger at Grim, Gibbons
-      said: &ldquo;You&rsquo;d better have your life insured, old man, for
-      somebody&rsquo;s goin&rsquo; to be revenged, and the day of judgment ain&rsquo;t
-      very far &lsquo;way, nuther.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      At this threat, Grim turned quickly and reached for his revolver. Gibbons
-      was unarmed. A moment later, Grim seemed to master himself, and turning
-      away, walked down the street.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Hank Casey put his arm through Steve Gibbon&rsquo;s and led him to the
-      hotel. Gibbons was hilarious, but Casey felt that in his hilarity he had
-      been very indiscreet. The next morning, however, he mounted the stage
-      coach on his regular run between Gold Bluff and Waterville.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0021" id="link2HCH0021"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER XXI.&mdash;REACHING THE 400 FOOT LEVEL.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0083" id="linkimage-0083"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9185.jpg" alt="9185 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9185.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      N the<span class="pagenum">177</span><a name="link177" id="link177"></a>
-      excitement incident to Col. Bonifield&rsquo;s cross-cutting into the vein,
-      the stage robbery, and the bewildering evenings spent in the society of
-      Louise, Vance quite forgot about his hopes and fears relative to his
-      investment in Waterville.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      One evening he was out for a walk near the Bonifields&rsquo;. Louise was
-      standing on the porch. He lifted his hat, and she waved a dainty little
-      handkerchief, and came down the road to meet him. There was a troubled
-      expression on her face which Vance had never seen before. It cut him to
-      the heart, and he feared some great calamity had befallen her.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; said she, after the morning salutation, &ldquo;my
-      father is very despondent this morning, and while he desires greatly to
-      see you, yet he is so broken down that I do not know whether he will be
-      able to see anyone until this afternoon.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why, what has happened?&rdquo; asked Vance, in alarm. They were
-      walking along toward the Bonifield residence as they talked.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;So you have not heard?&rdquo; said Louise, looking up with her big,
-      blue eyes. Vance looked at her in astonishment. <span class="pagenum">178</span><a
-      name="link178" id="link178"></a>"You have not heard,&rdquo; she repeated,
-      &ldquo;that they have finished cross-cutting?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; replied Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, they have finished the work,&rdquo; repeated Louise, and then
-      almost broke down in tears. He led her to a seat on the broad porch where
-      the morning sun shone full and warm, and begged her to calm herself, and
-      tell him what had happened to her father.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Is it not quite enough?&rdquo; said she, looking up at Vance
-      through her tears, &ldquo;another disappointment is father&rsquo;s only
-      reward.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was shocked, for this disappointment meant a great deal to him.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Is it possible,&rdquo; he ejaculated, &ldquo;and your father was so
-      confident only the other night!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You will not be angry with father?&rdquo; said Louise, laving her
-      hand on Vance&rsquo;s arm.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Angry,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;no; why should I be? He and I
-      are jointly interested in results. If they are unfavorable, why, he cannot
-      be more disappointed than I am. Had he been successful, we would have been
-      equal partners as well.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Thank you,&rdquo; said Louise, &ldquo;I pity my poor father so
-      much.&rdquo; She dried her eyes a little and then went on: &ldquo;Aunt
-      Sally was so querulous with papa last evening when she heard the result,
-      and it made papa very unhappy; indeed, he did not sleep any during the
-      night, though I have comforted him as well as I could.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;And have not slept a wink?&rdquo; said Vance, looking at her
-      keenly.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;How could I, when papa was so troubled?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was silent.
-<span class="pagenum">179</span><a name="link179" id="link179"></a>
-Presently
-      he spoke: &ldquo;I will confess I never was more disappointed in my life.
-      I was so hopeful your father would be successful. Mind,&rdquo; he
-      continued, hastily, glancing at Louise, &ldquo;I attach no blame to him.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0084" id="linkimage-0084"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0187.jpg" alt="0187 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0187.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Thank you,&rdquo; she murmured, and Vance went on, &ldquo;No, I do
-      not blame him, neither do I blame myself. Hundreds, yes, thousands have
-      pursued the same course. Some of them have been successful, and others,
-      ourselves included, have not. I regret that your father should <span
-      class="pagenum">180</span><a name="link180" id="link180"></a>have spent so
-      many years of his life in that useless prospect shaft.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;There is hope yet, Mr. Gilder.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Hope,&rdquo; said Vance quickly, &ldquo;where?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;The ore,&rdquo; she continued, &ldquo;is richer than at the 300
-      foot level.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;And do you believe&mdash;?&rdquo; commenced Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Do not ask me, please, Mr. Gilder, what I believe at this time. Mr.
-      Grim was here early this morning and left a proposition with papa. He has
-      not the heart, he says, to tell you of it, and requested me to do so. You
-      know, Mr. Grim,&rdquo; she continued, &ldquo;is said to be a very good
-      business man. He has examined the ore found at the 400 foot level, and
-      says it is much richer than at the 300 foot level. He offers now, if you
-      and papa will give him a half interest in the mine, to furnish the money
-      to sink the shaft to the 500 foot level.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;So,&rdquo; said Vance, reflectively. Presently he said: &ldquo;If
-      Rufus Grim has confidence to go to the 500 foot level, why not your father
-      and I?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;But it will cost $6,000, Mr. Gilder, and neither papa nor I could
-      think of asking you to put any more money into Gray Rocks.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I do not think your father should take it to heart so; indeed, I do
-      not.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;He does not care for himself, and neither do I care for myself, Mr.
-      Gilder, but we do care for you.&rdquo; Vance started and the blood mounted
-      to his face &ldquo;You have been so kind to my father and placed such
-      unbounded confidence in his judgment, and now it seems as if it were
-      impossible for him ever to <span class="pagenum">181</span><a
-      name="link181" id="link181"></a>repay you, unless&mdash;,&rdquo; she
-      hesitated.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Unless what?&rdquo; asked Vance, impatiently.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Unless you would be willing to join father in giving a half
-      interest in Gray Rocks to Mr. Grim, and let him go on and develop the
-      mine.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;What does your father advise? What does he say?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;He wants to go on to the 500 foot level, Mr. Gilder, and says he
-      will give his own half interest in Gray Rocks to Mr. Grim rather than let
-      the work stop at the 400 foot level. Father believes that at the 500 foot
-      level they will strike ore as rich as any that has been discovered on the
-      Peacock, and it looks as if Mr. Grim thought the same way, else he would
-      not be so willing to advance the money.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Have you confidence in Mr. Grim?&rdquo; asked Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;We have always distrusted him,&rdquo; replied Louise, &ldquo;but
-      perhaps he is not so bad and mean as we have thought.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;And do you think,&rdquo; asked Vance, &ldquo;that ore will be
-      discovered at the 500 foot level?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; she replied, &ldquo;but I hope so.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Would it not be better,&rdquo; urged Vance, &ldquo;to give it all
-      up and leave these wild mountains and return to civilization, so to speak,
-      where your father could enjoy the remaining years of his life in peace and
-      contentment?&rdquo; His words were full of earnestness, and he spoke with
-      great deliberation.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;If such an opportunity should present itself,&rdquo; said Louise,
-      &ldquo;I know my father would refuse it, for he is so high-spirited, and
-      moreover, he believes that a little more work, and a little more time and
-      expense on Gray Rocks, and his prophecy will be fulfilled.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance rose to go, but still lingered near the beautiful <span
-      class="pagenum">182</span><a name="link182" id="link182"></a>girl, as if
-      she were a balm to his evident disappointment. Finally he said: &ldquo;You
-      say it will require $6,000. Now, if you had $6,000, Miss Louise, and it
-      was every dollar you had in the world, what would you do with it?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I would sink the shaft on Gray Rocks to the 500 foot level,&rdquo;
-      she replied quickly. &ldquo;Shall I tell my father,&rdquo; she asked, as
-      Vance started to go, &ldquo;that you are favorable to Mr. Grim&rsquo;s
-      proposition?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; replied Vance, doggedly, &ldquo;I have no confidence in
-      Rufus Grim. You may tell your father that I say not to worry any more.
-      With your permission, I will return in a couple of hours, and will then be
-      glad to see him.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Louise seemed ignorant of any knowledge of Vance&rsquo;s passionate love
-      for her. Her mind and thoughts were so entirely in sympathy with her
-      father, whom she loved so dearly and so devotedly. As Vance bade her
-      good-bye, she took his outstretched hand as if he had been her benefactor,
-      instead of only her father&rsquo;s friend.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Your judgment,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;has decided me; we will go
-      on blasting&mdash;down, down, down&mdash;through solid rock toward an
-      unknown doom. How it will end remains to be seen.&rdquo; Before Louise
-      could make a reply, he had turned and walked rapidly away toward his
-      hotel.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Looking carefully over his accounts, he found he still had to his credit,
-      in the Chemical National Bank of New York city, barely $6,000. He paced
-      the floor for a full half-hour in deep thought. Finally he paused and said
-      aloud, &ldquo;she would advance her last dollar to sink the shaft to the
-      500 foot level&mdash;a weak, little, lovely woman, yet stronger in her
-      affections and devotion than a regiment of soldiers. Yes, I will do it; I
-      will gamble my <span class="pagenum">183</span><a
-      name="link183_rdquo_________id_" id="link183_rdquo_________id_"></a>last
-      dollar&mdash;for it is nothing better than a gamble, and yet&mdash;well,
-      who knows? We may strike it after all.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He drew a check for the amount, making it payable to Colonel Ben
-      Bonifield. Before signing it, he looked at it long and thoughtfully.
-      &ldquo;Why do I do this? Is it my faith in Gray Rocks? No. Is it my faith
-      in Colonel Bonifield? No. Is it my faith in Louise? Yes, a thousand times,
-      yes.&rdquo; His hand trembled a little as he signed his name to the check.
-      It was the last throw of the dice. He felt that he had in a measure passed
-      his word to Louise. There was a question of daily bread that must now be
-      solved. The question was immediately ahead of him. He would call on
-      Colonel Bonifield and then devote himself to the bread question. Yes, he
-      would solve it.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Strong with resolution, and with a judgment sadly warped because of his
-      love for Louise, he returned to the Bonifield home. Louise met him at the
-      door, and he went with her into the spacious parlor, where a wood fire was
-      burning brightly in the open grate.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I delivered your message to my father,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;and
-      he has fallen into a restful sleep.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Do not disturb him,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;in this envelope is a
-      check for $6,000. Tell him to start to-morrow morning for the 500 foot
-      level.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The impulsive Louise took the proffered envelope from Vance with hands
-      that trembled noticeably, while two great tears dimmed her lustrous blue
-      eyes. &ldquo;Why have you done this?&rdquo; she asked.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It is probable that Vance would then and there have told her why, had not
-      Colonel Bonifield appeared in the door. &ldquo;Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; said he,
-      &ldquo;Yo&rsquo;r presence in my house brings sunshine with it. Yo&rsquo;
-      know the worst. <span class="pagenum">184</span><a name="link184"
-      id="link184"></a>Louise tells me she has informed yo of the unfo&rsquo;tunate
-      geological fo&rsquo;mation to be found at the 400 foot level in Gray
-      Rocks?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Louise turned from Vance to her father while he was speaking, and buried
-      her face on his breast, weeping in stilled sobs. When Colonel Bonifield
-      asked her why she was weeping, she handed him the envelope, and pillowed
-      her head deeper on his breast. He opened the envelope and carefully
-      scanned the check. The old man&rsquo;s eyes were dimmed with tears of
-      gratitude.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0085" id="linkimage-0085"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9192.jpg" alt="9192 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9192.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      One arm was about his daughter, and the other he extended toward Vance,
-      who accepted the proffered hand.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Suh,&rdquo; said the Colonel, &ldquo;Yo&rsquo; ovehpoweh me with yo&rsquo;r
-      confidence. I have been workin&rsquo; away so long on Gray Rocks, suh,
-      that I can&rsquo;t blame my friends if they should lose heart. But, suh,
-      somethin&rsquo; keeps a tellin&rsquo; me that my effo&rsquo;ts will yet be
-      rewarded. Yo&rsquo; honor me by sharin&rsquo; my confidence in the outcome
-      of Gray Rocks; yo&rsquo; do, indeed, suh. There&rsquo;s good blood, Mr.
-      Gilder, cou&rsquo;sin&rsquo; through yo&rsquo;r veins, and there&rsquo;s a
-      crown awaitin&rsquo; yo&rsquo; when once we&rsquo;ve reached the 500 foot
-      level; yes, suh. I may neveh have mentioned it to yo&rsquo;, but I once
-      told yo&rsquo;r father that if he would stay by Gray Rocks, it would make
-      him a millionaire. I have forgotten whether I ever made the obse&rsquo;vation
-      to yo&rsquo; or not, but I wish to assure yo&rsquo; at this time, Mr.
-      Gilder, in the presence of Louise, suh, that yo&rsquo;r confidence in Gray
-      Rocks is well-founded, and she will make yo&rsquo; richer than all the
-      possessions left yo&rsquo; by yo&rsquo;r worthy father; yes, suh, much
-      richer.&rdquo; <span class="pagenum">185</span><a
-      name="link185_rdquo_________id_" id="link185_rdquo_________id_"></a>Louise
-      dried her tears and soon was cheerful as a mountain thrush that had never
-      known a sorrow. The old Colonel declared he had never felt better in his
-      life, and that work should be commenced early the following morning.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      On his way back to the hotel, Vance called at the office of the Gold Bluff
-      <i>Prospector</i>.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Where is your typo?&rdquo; asked Vance in the course of the
-      conversation.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Haven&rsquo;t got any,&rdquo; replied the proprietor, &ldquo;he
-      left this morning on the stage. We&rsquo;ll not be able to get out an
-      issue of the paper this week unless we find someone that can set type.
-      Say,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;why can&rsquo;t I sell my printing office to
-      you?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not able to buy,&rdquo; replied Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, I&rsquo;ll lease it to you.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;On what terms,&rdquo; asked Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I&rsquo;d lease it to you for one year for half its earnings,&rdquo;
-      replied the good-natured proprietor, who never was known to have enough
-      energy to walk across the street to solicit an advertisement.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;What will it earn in a year?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh, twelve or fifteen hundred dollars&mdash;subscriptions and
-      advertisements. I own the building. I call this the reception and
-      editorial room; the other is the composing room, while the one back of
-      where we are sitting is where the printer usually sleeps.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      In Vance&rsquo;s college days, he had been one of the trio who had edited
-      a college paper, set their own type, made up their own forms and
-      circulated the issue after night, contenting themselves, for a
-      compensation, with the general wonderment of their fellow-students as to
-      who were the publishers. He felt that he was capable of acting as
-      type-setter, as well as writing editorials, on the Gold Bluff <i>Prospector</i>.
-      He examined the room designated as the sleeping apartment of the printer,
-      and found it comfortable, yet very plain.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He told the proprietor he thought very favorably of his proposition, and
-      believed <span class="pagenum">186</span><a name="link186" id="link186"></a>he
-      would accept it. The printing was done on an old-fashioned hand press,
-      which would require the assistance of a boy for a couple of hours once a
-      week.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0086" id="linkimage-0086"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9194.jpg" alt="9194 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9194.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Aside from this, Vance believed he was competent to handle all the details
-      and labor connected with the paper. Before he retired that night,
-      arrangements had all been made, the lease drawn and signed, and Vance
-      commenced operations the next morning as the proprietor of the Gold Bluff
-      <i>Prospector</i>. He moved his trunk and personal effects into the shabby
-      back room, to be used in the future as his sleeping apartment. He settled
-      his hotel bill, and found that he had less than $3.00 in his pocket on
-      which to begin the struggle for bread.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It was a new experience, not without its novelty and excitement in
-      anticipation, however. After he had arranged his room quite tidily, he
-      commenced setting type, and smiled good humoredly to himself as he thought
-      of the change from the great New York <i>Banner</i> to the <i>Prospector</i>.
-      Yes, he had made sacrifices; and would he not willingly make any more to
-      remain near the woman he loved with a love that surpasseth understanding.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0022" id="link2HCH0022"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER XXII.&mdash;STARTING THE BOOM.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0087" id="linkimage-0087"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9195.jpg" alt="9195 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9195.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      IXTEEN <span class="pagenum">187</span><a name="link187" id="link187"></a>hours
-      a day for three days was Vance&rsquo;s first experience on the <i>Prospector</i>.
-      All day and far into the evening he set type and made up forms, until
-      finally the paper was ready to be brought out. It contained the retiring
-      proprietor&rsquo;s bow to the public, and Vance&rsquo;s announcement.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The next evening he called at the Bonifields&rsquo;. Louise greeted him
-      more kindly than ever. The Colonel, after assuring him that excellent
-      progress was being made on Gray Rocks, turned the conversation to Vance&rsquo;s
-      new venture.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Vehy creditable, suh; vehy creditable, indeed,&rdquo; said he,
-      glancing at a copy of the <i>Prospector</i> which he had been reading.
-      &ldquo;Louise and I think yo&rsquo;ve made an excellent beginnin&rsquo;,
-      suh, vehy excellent.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Indeed we do,&rdquo; said Louise; &ldquo;we have often heard,
-      though, that editors were quite exclusive, and we didn&rsquo;t know but
-      that was the reason you have not called on us for so long a time.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, that is the reason,&rdquo; responded Vance, jestingly.
-      &ldquo;As managing editor of the <i>Prospector</i>, I have been
-      exclusively engaged in setting type, making up forms, etc.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      They laughed at Vance&rsquo;s remark, and complimented <span
-      class="pagenum">188</span><a name="link188" id="link188"></a>him on being
-      able to impersonate all the functionaries of a printing establishment. In
-      the midst of their conversation, Aunt Sally appeared at the door of the
-      parlor, and courtesying low to Vance, said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Good evenin&rsquo;, Mr. Gilder; I &lsquo;low I&rsquo;ve been wantin&rsquo;
-      to sec yo&rsquo; fo&rsquo; some time, suh.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance returned the salutation by rising and bowing politely. As he sat
-      down he noticed the Colonel was greatly disturbed, as if he feared a storm
-      was approaching.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; commenced Aunt Sally&rsquo;, &ldquo;I consider
-      it my duty to inform yo&rsquo; that yo&rsquo; are makin&rsquo; as big a
-      fool of yo&rsquo;self as my brother is of hisself.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Come, sister,&rdquo; said the Colonel, &ldquo;come, come.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Benjamin,&rdquo; said Aunt Sally, looking hard at him over her
-      spectacles, &ldquo;I shall have my say. I consideh it a duty that I owe
-      Mr. Gilder to inform him that he is squanderin&rsquo; his money. There is
-      not a chance in ten thousand; no, suh, not one, fo&rsquo; yo&rsquo; to
-      eveh get back a penny of the money yo&rsquo;ve given my brother. Besides,
-      yo&rsquo;re only encouragin&rsquo; Benjamin to fool his time away. I have
-      mighty neah worn my life out takin&rsquo; care of him, Virgie and Louise.
-      Virginia has a good deal of sense&mdash;a heap mo&rsquo;, I am proud to
-      say, than Benjamin or Louise has.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I hope, Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; observed the Colonel, &ldquo;that yo&rsquo;ll
-      remember an obse&rsquo;vation I made some time ago in regard to my sister&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;What have yo&rsquo; been sayin&rsquo; about me?&rdquo; asked Aunt
-      Sally, and she looked threateningly at him. The Colonel paid no attention
-      to his sister&rsquo;s remark, and went on:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yo&rsquo; will remember I obse&rsquo;ved at one time, suh, that my
-      sister was a most ext&rsquo;ao&rsquo;dina&rsquo;y woman; yes, suh, <span
-      class="pagenum">189</span><a name="link189" id="link189"></a>most ext&rsquo;ao&rsquo;dina&rsquo;y;
-      she is possessed of a most rema&rsquo;kable intellect.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0088" id="linkimage-0088"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0197.jpg" alt="0197 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0197.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      There is, however, a slight disagreement in regard to our judgment
-      relative to Gray Rocks. She is vehy set in her ways, vehy, indeed; and, I
-      am sorry to say, doesn&rsquo;t share in our belief relative to the final
-      outcome of our minin&rsquo; property.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Benjamin,&rdquo; said Aunt Sally, still looking at him over her
-      spectacles, &ldquo;it is not a <i>slight</i> difference of opinion; it&rsquo;s
-      a vehy <i>wide</i> one, indeed. If yo&rsquo; had a hundred thousand <span
-      class="pagenum">190</span><a name="link190" id="link190"></a>dollars
-      to-day, suh, yo&rsquo;d be grub-stakin&rsquo; all the pesky mines in the
-      mountains around Gold Bluff; yo&rsquo; know yo&rsquo; would. There are
-      times, suh, when it&rsquo;s necessary fo&rsquo; me to put my foot down,
-      and I ain&rsquo;t goin&rsquo; to neglect my duty any longer. Mr. Gilder
-      has got to know the true situation, and if he has no mo&rsquo; sense than
-      to go on givin&rsquo; yo&rsquo; money to dig a worthless hole in the
-      earth, why, I&rsquo;ll wash my hands of him, and have the consolation of
-      knowin&rsquo; that I told him befo&rsquo; hand what he might expect.&rdquo;
-      Vance would have been amused, had he not observed the pained expression on
-      Louise&rsquo;s face and the evident discomfiture of Colonel Bonifield. In
-      reality, it was an opportune time for him to make an observation that he
-      had long wanted understood between the Colonel and himself, and therefore
-      he said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I am highly honored, Miss Bonifield, by your advice. Your brother,
-      the Colonel, has been very enthusiastic in regard to Gray Rocks.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t I know it?&rdquo; interrupted Aunt Sally. &ldquo;Haven&rsquo;t
-      I told him he was makin a fool of hisself?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well,&rdquo; continued Vance, &ldquo;I will not go quite so far in
-      my remarks as that, but I will say this&mdash;that it would please me very
-      much to have the Colonel&rsquo;s assurance that if he fails to find the
-      wealth he has been looking for so many years when the 500 foot level is
-      reached, that he will abandon work on Gray Rocks and accept certain offers
-      of a pecuniary nature in the east, which I have in mind.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, if I knew,&rdquo; replied Aunt Sally, &ldquo;that there was
-      to be an end to this thing, I&rsquo;d have mo&rsquo; patience in waitin&rsquo;
-      but my land! he no sooner gets to one level than he wants to push on to
-      the next hund&rsquo;ed foot level, and <span class="pagenum">191</span><a
-      name="link191" id="link191"></a>goodness gracious! there&rsquo;s no end to
-      it! Why, if Benjamin had his way, and his life was spared long enough, I
-      &lsquo;low he&rsquo;d have a hole clear through the earth!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The Colonel was noticeably disturbed. He had risen and was walking back
-      and forth in a nervous, yet dignified way.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yo&rsquo;r request, Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; he finally said, &ldquo;shall
-      be complied with, suh, and in complyin&rsquo; with it, I hope that I also
-      pacify my sister. I give yo&rsquo; my word of honor, suh, that when the
-      500 foot level is reached, and we have cross-cut into the vein of wealth
-      that I feel positive, yes, suh, positive, is waitin&rsquo; to be brought
-      to the light of day&mdash;if, I say, we should again be disappointed, then
-      I am ready to give up my labors on Gray Rocks; yes suh, give up my life&rsquo;s
-      work. Of course, suh, yo&rsquo; cannot undehstand and perhaps neveh will,
-      the magnitude of this promise.&rdquo; There were tears in the Colonel&rsquo;s
-      voice, as well as in his eyes, when he ceased speaking.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Thank the Lord!&rdquo; exclaimed Aunt Sally, as she raised her
-      hands in an attitude of supplication and thanksgiving. &ldquo;I feel now
-      there&rsquo;s goin&rsquo; to be an end of this tomfoolery, and I&rsquo;ll
-      not say another word, nary a word, until the 500 foot level is reached.&rdquo;
-      She turned to Vance as she started to leave the room, and bade him
-      good-evening, and assured him that in her opinion she had accomplished a
-      &ldquo;mighty sight of good.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      As soon as the door closed behind her, Vance turned to the Colonel and
-      begged him not to take the slightest notice of what his sister had said,
-      for he knew her peculiarities and thought nothing of them. He also thanked
-      him for his promise. Vance&rsquo;s words seemed to relieve the Colonel
-      greatly, and he became almost himself again <span class="pagenum">192</span><a
-      name="link192" id="link192"></a>before the evening was over, and narrated
-      to Vance with a fair degree of enthusiasm how nicely the pumps and other
-      machinery in the mine were working.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Afterwards Louise favored them with music, and Vance quite forgot himself,
-      so pleasantly was he entertained, until, glancing at his watch, he found
-      it was almost eleven o&rsquo;clock. Soon after, he took his departure, and
-      with a light heart wended his way to the printing office.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      His infatuation for Louise was of an ennobling character. He was a
-      fatalist in this: that he believed when the time came for him to speak his
-      heart to her he would have courage to do so, and contented himself in
-      loving blindly on.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      When he awoke next morning he found a heavy snow had fallen. Nothing like
-      it had happened in Gold Bluff before in many years. A great many of the
-      mines were necessarily shut down on account of the scarcity of fuel to
-      operate the engines. During the next four weeks snows kept falling heavier
-      and heavier, and in a measure cut off communication with the outer world.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance applied himself industriously to his paper, widening his
-      acquaintanceship among the people of Gold Bluff, solicited advertisements,
-      and succeeded far beyond his expectations.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      His friends complimented him on the neat appearance of the <i>Prospector</i>.
-      It was filled with excellent reading matter, and its circulation was
-      constantly increasing.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Another heavy snow storm during the holidays rendered the roads quite
-      impassable and finally work on Gray Rocks was necessarily suspended, nor
-      was it resumed until late the following spring. <span class="pagenum">193</span><a
-      name="link193" id="link193"></a>In the meantime matters were progressing
-      slowly in the great Thief River Valley. There had been no meeting of the
-      Waterville Town Company. Homer Winthrop and Marcus Donald regularly opened
-      up the Town Company&rsquo;s office every morning and closed it every
-      evening. Time hung heavy on their hands. Thus passed the winter months
-      away in weary waiting for a boom in real estate that seemed stubborn and
-      would not come.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Dick Ballard called one afternoon in early April, and suggested that his
-      finances were running rather low, and if it would be convenient he would
-      like a check for Homer Winthrop&rsquo;s board.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0089" id="linkimage-0089"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8201.jpg" alt="8201 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8201.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Winthrop was a proud fellow and disliked to admit that he was, in the
-      ordinary parlance, &ldquo;broke.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Homer suggested to Ballard the advisability of purchasing a few lots in
-      Eagle&rsquo;s Addition to Waterville. &ldquo;Or,&rdquo; said Winthrop,
-      &ldquo;We can let you have a couple of lots adjoining your hotel. You&rsquo;ve
-      been a good friend of ours and we would let you have them cheap, awfully
-      cheap.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Dick Ballard sat back in his chair, inserted his thumbs in the arm-holes
-      of his vest, and said: &ldquo;Now, lookee here, Winthrop, I have been your
-      friend, haven&rsquo;t I?&rdquo; Winthrop acknowledged that he had. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve
-      been your friend, Mr. Donald, haven&rsquo;t I?&rdquo; said Ballard,
-      pointing his index finger straight at Donald.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I think you have,&rdquo; replied Donald, laughingly.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, I&rsquo;ve been Colonel Alexander&rsquo;s friend; I&rsquo;ve
-      been General Ira House&rsquo;s friend; I&rsquo;ve been B. Webster Legal&rsquo;s
-      friend; in fact, gentlemen, I&rsquo;ve been a friend to the <span
-      class="pagenum">194</span><a name="link194_rdquo_________id_"
-      id="link194_rdquo_________id_"></a>Waterville Town Company from start to
-      finish.&rdquo; He brought his hand clown upon the table in front of him
-      with threat vehemence as he made this remark. &ldquo;Yes sir,&rdquo; he
-      went on, &ldquo;I have been a friend to you and to your enterprise, but
-      when it comes, Homer Winthrop, to selling your uncle any Waterville town
-      lots, why, you don&rsquo;t know me. Oh, no; Dick Ballard usually knows
-      which side his bread&rsquo;s buttered on, and, between ourselves, I wouldn&rsquo;t
-      give you a square meal of victuals for any lot you&rsquo;ve got in Eagle&rsquo;s
-      addition. No, sir, Mr. Winthrop, money is what I want, and pardon me for
-      observing, money is what I, politely, but nevertheless firmly, insist that
-      you must produce&mdash;if not to-day, perhaps tomorrow, and liquidate that
-      little matter of board which has now been running for some three months.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Presently he walked over toward the window and looked wistfully out over
-      the sage brush landscape. &ldquo;The grass is beginin&rsquo; to grow,&rdquo;
-      said he, &ldquo;and I see it is startin&rsquo; in the streets as well as
-      on the beautiful lots you have for sale. Remember, gentlemen,&rdquo; said
-      Ballard, as he turned and expectorated a vigorous &ldquo;pit-tew&rdquo; of
-      tobacco juice toward the stove, &ldquo;what I have said to you never has,
-      nor never will, escape the lips of Dick Ballard; no, sir, I&rsquo;m your
-      friend, but don&rsquo;t try to work me with any town lots in payin&rsquo;
-      board bills.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Winthrop was noticeably&rsquo; non-plussed. Donald was laughing
-      contentedly and quietly&rsquo; to himself at Winthrop&rsquo;s
-      discomfiture. Ballard looked on and chuckled, as much as to say, &ldquo;I
-      am a heap sight smarter than you fellows give me credit for.&rdquo;
-      Finally he broke the silence by suddenly asking:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Mr. Winthrop, what is your lot worth next to my hotel?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Five hundred dollars,&rdquo; replied Winthrop, looking up.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I hope you&rsquo;ll get it,&rdquo; said Ballard; &ldquo;yes, I hope
-      you&rsquo;ll sell it for a thousand&mdash;but I&rsquo;ll tell you somethin&rsquo;,&rdquo;
-      said he, shutting one eye and looking hard at Winthrop with the other,
-      &ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t trade you our militia company&rsquo;s new snare
-      drum for both those condemned lots; no, sir,&rdquo; and he turned
-      laughingly toward the door.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Just here he came face to face with Miss Virginia Bonifield.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Ballard lifted his hat and bowed low, for she was one of his boarders who
-      paid promptly. After speaking pleasantly to Marcus Donald and Homer
-      Winthrop, she said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I am very <span class="pagenum">195</span><a name="link195"
-      id="link195"></a>glad you are here, Mr. Ballard, I want to ask your
-      advice.&rdquo; Dick Ballard was all attention, for if there was any one
-      thing he liked to do better than another&mdash;barring a drill exercise
-      with his state militia company&mdash;it was to give advice. Homer
-      Winthrop, noticeably confused, pushed the best chair forward and invited
-      Miss Bonifield to be seated.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Thank you,&rdquo; said she, looking kindly at Homer, who, in turn,
-      hushed scarlet. &ldquo;What I wish to ask is in regard to an investment in
-      Waterville.&rsquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why, in what way?&rdquo; asked Dick Ballard.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;In regard to making a purchase of town lots as an investment.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Ballard coughed immoderately, cleared his throat several times, &ldquo;a-hemmed,&rdquo;
-      got red in the face, looked helplessly toward Marcus Donald, and finally
-      said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Nothin&rsquo; like it in the world, Miss Bonifield; best investment
-      on earth. There&rsquo;s not another place in the <span class="pagenum">196</span><a
-      name="link196" id="link196"></a>United States will come out of the kinks
-      like Waterville. No, sir; if I had a million I&rsquo;d plant every dollar
-      of it in Waterville, every dollar. My land!&rdquo; said he, glancing at
-      his watch, &ldquo;it is three o&rsquo;clock! Well, I must be goin&rsquo;.&rdquo;
-      With this he took up his hat and hastily left the room.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Is this a map of the town?&rdquo; asked Miss Virgie Bonifield,
-      rising and approaching a map that hung on the wall near where Marcus
-      Donald was seated.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, that is one of the best maps that has ever been gotten out,&rdquo;
-      said Marcus Donald, adjusting his gold-rimmed spectacles.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;And where is Eagle&rsquo;s Addition?&rdquo; Marcus Donald pointed
-      it out.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;And what are you selling lots for in that part of town?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, really, Miss Bonifield,&rdquo; said Donald, stammering a
-      little, &ldquo;we haven&rsquo;t been selling very many lots&mdash;that is,
-      not recently. I will refer you to Mr. Winthrop; he has charge of all such
-      matters, and perhaps he can give you better advice than I can.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;But what do <i>you</i> advise in regard to investments in
-      Waterville?&rdquo; she asked, abruptly.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh, you know we believe in Waterville, Miss Bonifield; we believe
-      it is destined to be one of the greatest cities in the United States. Of
-      course there has not been any marked activity during the past winter, but
-      we are expecting business to open up well, most any time now.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      She turned to Winthrop, and seating herself beside his desk, asked him to
-      point out what he considered one of the most desirable corners in Eagle&rsquo;s
-      Addition. Usually Winthrop prided himself on his ability to make sales of
-      lots, and he was quite willing to sell to anybody rather <span
-      class="pagenum">197</span><a name="link197" id="link197"></a>than the
-      woman by his side. He had been so hard pressed for ready-money during the
-      winter and spring that he had shut himself out, so to speak, from all
-      society, for the reason that he was destitute of even spending money of
-      the most ordinary character. After studying some time, he put his pencil
-      reluctantly down on the map and said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I consider these lots as desirable as any in Eagle&rsquo;s
-      Addition.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;And what are you selling them for?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;We are asking $100 a lot,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;but we are not
-      selling any just now, Miss Bonifield, at all.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      She looked at the map a few minutes, and then said, &ldquo;You think these
-      are about the best lots in the Addition, do you?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Winthrop almost inaudibly assented. &ldquo;Well, no&mdash;hardly&mdash;Miss
-      Bonifield; the fact is,&rdquo; he faltered, &ldquo;we do not care to make
-      any sales at the present time. We are rather expecting some information a
-      little later; we&mdash;we expect to hold a Town Company meeting, and may
-      conclude to reduce the price of lots&mdash;and&mdash;&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Or you may raise the prices,&rdquo; said she, looking archly at
-      Homer. &ldquo;Is it not so.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;P&mdash;possibly,&rdquo; replied Winthrop.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, I wish to purchase four lots on the corner you have
-      indicated. Here is the money,&rdquo; said she, laying down a roll of bills
-      on his desk, &ldquo;please fix up the deed and leave it at the hotel for
-      me as soon as it is convenient.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;But&mdash;hold on,&rdquo; said Homer. She had risen and started
-      toward the door. &ldquo;You do not mean to make a purchase of lots? I
-      really have not advised it; you&rsquo;d better reconsider&mdash;think it
-      over a few days.&rdquo; All of this was stammered out by Winthrop in a
-      hurried and confused manner.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;But I have <span class="pagenum">198</span><a name="link198"
-      id="link198"></a>considered,&rdquo; said Miss Virginia Bonifield, smiling
-      in her own imperious way. &ldquo;I have fully considered, Mr. Winthrop,
-      and desire to make the purchase. Good day.&rdquo; She was gone.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Donald sat looking over his spectacles, while an astonished and amused
-      smile played over his &ldquo;$10,000 face.&rdquo; Winthrop looked at the
-      roll of bills spread out before him, and then turning to Marcus Donald,
-      ejaculated, &ldquo;Thank God, the boom has started!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0023" id="link2HCH0023"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER XXIII.&mdash;RUFUS GRIM S AMBITION.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0090" id="linkimage-0090"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9207.jpg" alt="9207 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9207.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      UFUS GRIM <span class="pagenum">199</span><a name="link199" id="link199"></a>was
-      not pleased with Vance&rsquo;s management of the Gold Bluff <i>Prospector</i>.
-      A number of items had appeared in the columns of that paper which tended
-      to vindicate Steve Gibbons from all suspicion or connection with the stage
-      coach robbery. Grim considered this an indirect thrust at himself. His
-      money had made him a lion among the people of Gold Bluff, but for some
-      unaccountable reason he was unable to secure Vance Gilder&rsquo;s good
-      opinion.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He secretly had an ambition to represent the people of Idaho in the halls
-      of congress, and felt it would never do to let matters go on with his own
-      town paper prejudiced against him. On several occasions he had made
-      overtures to Vance of a friendly nature, but had, invariably, been
-      repulsed. On one occasion he had endeavored to compliment Vance, and told
-      him patronizingly, in his uncouth, pompous way, that he was very glad such
-      a scholarly gentleman had charge of the <i>Prospector</i>, and that he
-      considered him the most refined and cultured gentleman in Gold Bluff.
-      <span class="pagenum">200</span><a name="link200" id="link200"></a>Vance
-      had coldly replied, &ldquo;It is an admirable thing, Mr. Grim, to be a
-      cultured and refined man, but it is far better to be a manly man.&rdquo;
-      Grim had agreed with him, while Vance went quietly on setting type. The
-      rich miner was irritated at his own lack of words when in Vance&rsquo;s
-      society. With others he was boastful as ever&mdash;bragged of his gold,
-      and in his own domineering way, attempted to subdue everything with which
-      he came in contact.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0091" id="linkimage-0091"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9208.jpg" alt="9208 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9208.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Those who knew his home life best said he was afraid of his wife. She was
-      all formality, and Grim, in his way, honored her, and at the same time,
-      feared her. It was whispered that he found more pleasure in his
-      stepdaughter&rsquo;s society than in his wife&rsquo;s.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Bertha, with her handsome face and lisping speech, humored her mother&rsquo;s
-      whims of formality, and tickled the uncouth vanity of her step-father, on
-      whose bounty she was dependent. She was an artful, cooing, little woman,
-      full of strategy and deceit, and hopelessly untruthful. Her clandestine
-      meetings with her cousin, Arthur Boast, were numerous, while in her heart
-      she felt an infatuation for Vance Gilder, and was secretly intensely
-      jealous of Louise Bonifield. Outwardly, she courted Louise, and never
-      missed an opportunity of calling her &ldquo;her own dear darling,&rdquo;
-      and telling her how very pretty she was.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      In the early days of June Arthur Boast returned permanently to Gold Bluff,
-      and at first paid a great deal of attention to Louise, not as a lover, but
-      rather as a friend of the family, and by every artifice known to his
-      cunning endeavored to enlist her sympathy. He frequently <span
-      class="pagenum">201</span><a name="link201" id="link201"></a>observed that
-      no one was his friend, and it pleased him to hear Louise say that &ldquo;she
-      was his friend, and always had been.&rdquo; He said nothing derogatory of
-      Vance&rsquo;s character, but his insinuations were of a wicked nature.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was at a loss to understand why Boast had left Waterville,
-      especially as it was rumored that a great boom was going on at that place.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      One day Vance received a note from Arthur Boast asking him to call at the
-      hotel that evening. He said he was indisposed and could not leave his
-      room, otherwise he would call at the printing office.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It was after eight o&rsquo;clock when Vance called at the hotel, and was
-      at once ushered into J. Arthur Boast&rsquo;s room. He found Boast dressed
-      as elegantly as ever, in fact, he was scrupulously attired, and resting on
-      a divan. He seemed weak, and was quite pale. He no longer spoke in a thin,
-      piping voice, but in a quiet, manly way, that at once interested Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I sent for you, Mr. Gilder, because I was lonely and wanted to talk
-      with you. I suppose you think I am supremely selfish in this, as
-      everything else, but I have been almost sick for the last week.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;We are admonished to visit the sick,&rdquo; said Vance,
-      good-naturedly, &ldquo;and I am sure it is only natural that one
-      indisposed should like company.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;It is very kind of you to come, I&rsquo;m sure,&rdquo; Boast went
-      on, &ldquo;I have been worried a good deal about a certain
-      misunderstanding that seemingly exists between us.&rdquo; Vance assured
-      him that he knew of no misunderstanding.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Boast, &ldquo;not an open misunderstanding; but
-      then I feel that you have misunderstood me from the <span class="pagenum">202</span><a
-      name="link202" id="link202"></a>first, Mr. Gilder, and perhaps, in a
-      measure, I have done you the injustice of not always interpreting your
-      acts as I should have done. I do not know whether there is any philosophy
-      in the circumstances which seem to shape my life or not.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;We are told,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;that in our strength and
-      manhood we should shape circumstances rather than let circumstances shape
-      us.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s it,&rdquo; said Boast, &ldquo;the eternal trying to
-      shape circumstances brings on an endless conflict, not only between men,
-      but a conflict with one&rsquo;s own self. I have almost made up my mind
-      that it is quite impossible for a man to shape his destiny. Now, as a
-      matter of fact, I respect you, Mr. Gilder, highly, and have confidence in
-      your ability and judgment. I think you are making a great success of the
-      <i>Prospector</i>. It is impossible,&rdquo; he went on, &ldquo;for me to
-      tell you why I have this confidence or this respect. I also know that you
-      cordially dislike me, but why, I do not know, and perhaps you could not
-      tell yourself.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was surprised at this philosophic turn of mind, and began to think
-      he had misunderstood J. Arthur Boast all along.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I cannot help but feel complimented,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;by
-      your kind words. I will admit that I have never stopped to analyze my
-      feelings very closely in regard to yourself, and will not deny that I have
-      been unable to discover any affinity between us. Perhaps I have misjudged
-      you. If so, I can do no less than make proper amends.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You speak <span class="pagenum">203</span><a name="link203"
-      id="link203"></a>as if you would be my friend.&rdquo; said Boast, &ldquo;friends
-      with me are very scarce. My highest ambition has ever been to make
-      friends, and yet it requires no words of mine to tell you what a miserable
-      failure I have made of it all. I would like to be Rufus Grim&rsquo;s
-      friend, but he won&rsquo;t let me. He does everything he can to influence
-      my cousin, Bertha Allen, against me, but in that he is making a complete
-      failure. She is my friend,&rdquo; said he with animation. &ldquo;I suppose
-      you know that Mrs. Grim is very ill?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Vance; &ldquo;I had not heard of it.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, she has never been very rugged, and I understand her present
-      illness is of a very serious nature. She is so many years older than her
-      pompous lord and master, that it would not be surprising to hear of her
-      death at any time. Personally, I should regret it, not only on account of
-      my aunt, but also on account of Bertha. I dread to think what may happen
-      if my aunt should die.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You do not regard her sickness so seriously as that?&rdquo; asked
-      Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;She is certainly very ill,&rdquo; was Boast&rsquo;s reply. &ldquo;I
-      would like to go and see her, but I do not presume Rufus Grim would let me
-      into the house. But what I desired most to say,&rdquo; continued Boast,
-      brightening up and changing the conversation, &ldquo;is this: I would like
-      to have you be my friend. I wish to be yours.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was astonished, and for a moment could not reply. Finally he said,
-      &ldquo;I cannot do less, Mr. Boast, than meet you half way in such a
-      laudable ambition, I am sure.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Ambition,&rdquo; repeated Boast, &ldquo;what a detestable word! I
-      sometimes think ambition has been the cause of all my misfortune. I have
-      wanted wealth all my life, but have not succeeded to any great extent. I
-      ought to be in Waterville now, selling town lots and lands. There&rsquo;s
-      <span class="pagenum">204</span><a name="link204" id="link204"></a>great
-      activity down there. I have the ambition but not the strength. You may not
-      know it, but my health is seriously impaired. I do not seem to have any
-      vitality.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance expressed his sympathy, but Boast seemingly did not notice his
-      remarks, and said, &ldquo;if a man has a clearly defined principle of life
-      to follow, why cannot he adhere to it?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I think he can,&rdquo; replied Vance. &ldquo;No life, in my
-      judgment, has ever been a success unless a well-defined principle of
-      action is first laid out, and then lived up to.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I wish I could believe your philosophy,&rdquo; said Boast. &ldquo;The
-      dual nature in me continually divides me.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0092" id="linkimage-0092"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9212.jpg" alt="9212 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9212.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      I go to sleep at night filled with the most laudable ambitions; I wake up
-      the next morning and pursue an entirely different course, and therein lies
-      the conflict&mdash;but I know, Mr. Gilder, I am boring you.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance assured him that he was not, but soon afterward took his leave, and
-      as he walked along toward his home, he mused thoughtfully over his
-      interview with J. Arthur Boast. What a different light had been thrown on
-      his character! &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;I will be his friend. I
-      have misunderstood him.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The next morning the town was startled by the announcement that Mrs. Grim
-      was dead. The church bell tolled fifty-six times. Bertha Allen was
-      prostrated with grief, while the rich mine owner had the entire sympathy
-      of the people of Gold Bluff. Rufus Grim did nothing by halves, and there
-      could not have <span class="pagenum">205</span><a
-      name="link205_rdquo_________id_" id="link205_rdquo_________id_"></a>been a
-      more splendid show of grief than that for which his arrangements provided.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The works on the Peacock were stopped, and the men, on full pay, invited
-      to the funeral. It was an imposing affair. The crape on Mr. Grim&rsquo;s
-      hat was of the widest pattern, and jet studs took the place of his
-      diamond. His black suit fit his plump form well, and he seemed subdued
-      with genuine grief. Bertha Allen looked very fair and interesting in her
-      costume of black. She clung dependently to Mr. Grim&rsquo;s arm during the
-      burial service, and looked unusually pretty, notwithstanding the marks of
-      grief and weeping upon her handsome face; indeed, she enlisted the
-      sympathy of all who saw her.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The following day work on the Peacock was started up again, and the deep,
-      resounding blasts down below the earth&rsquo;s surface told of more gold
-      flowing towards the coffers of Rufus Grim.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The machinery in Gray Rocks mine had been behaving badly. Several big
-      breaks had occurred, and work had been delayed at one time for two weeks.
-      The days glided by, and October had come again. The rocks high up the
-      mountain, overlooking Gold Bluff, reflected the autumn sun, while the
-      forests on the mountain side were ablaze with fiery autumn tints&mdash;nature&rsquo;s
-      superb clothing.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Colonel Bonifield had ceased, in part, to be the enthusiast of former
-      days. Perhaps he felt that he had passed his word to give up work on Gray
-      Rocks if disappointment should again reward his efforts, and possibly it
-      saddened him.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      One evening Vance and Louise had called on Bertha Allen. She was beautiful
-      as ever, and lisped in sweet intonation. Her dress indicated the grief
-      that still rested <span class="pagenum">206</span><a
-      name="link206_rdquo_________id_" id="link206_rdquo_________id_"></a>upon
-      her. That evening, after her callers had taken their leave, Rufus Grim
-      joined Bertha in the parlor of his luxuriant home. The weeks that had
-      intervened since the death of his wife had not made him entirely forget
-      the proper melancholy tone which formality, at least, demanded he should
-      exhibit.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Bertha seemed frightened with some secret fear and anxiety. She knew too
-      well that a crisis in her life was approaching. Yes, Rufus Grim came to
-      declare himself.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He was confident, as he always was, of the result, nevertheless, there was
-      a timidity that prevented him from feeling the full assurance that he
-      would have liked. He sat down beside her, and after a few common-place
-      remarks, he said, in a voice low, yet audible: &ldquo;Bertha, I have
-      something to say to you.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; she lisped innocently enough, and looked up into his
-      face.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;What I have to say,&rdquo; Grim went on, in a husky voice, &ldquo;cannot
-      be a matter of news to you. You must know that I love you; yes, love you
-      with my whole heart.&rdquo; His hands trembled and his voice was unsteady.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve always been so very kind to me,&rdquo; lisped Bertha,
-      and there was gratitude in her voice.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Heaven knows I have tried to be, and that I have guarded you with
-      jealous care ever since you were a little girl and came under my
-      protection.&rdquo; He had taken her hands, but they were unresponsive.
-      &ldquo;No man,&rdquo; continued Grim, &ldquo;could love you more than I
-      have for many years. Of course you knew what my feelings were&mdash;you
-      must have known, for have I ever failed to satisfy your every wish and
-      want?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">207</span><a name="link207" id="link207"></a>"Never,&rdquo;
-      murmured Bertha, as she leaned her head against his breast
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, I have protected you,&rdquo; he went on, as he laid one arm
-      about her slender form, &ldquo;I have kept you from the young scape-grace,
-      your cousin, Arthur Boast. I feared he was trying to make love to you, and
-      for that reason forbade him the house.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0093" id="linkimage-0093"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0215.jpg" alt="0215 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0215.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh, how could you think such a thing?&rdquo; said she, in her soft,
-      cooing way, yet with a half-indignant intonation in her voice.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">208</span><a name="link208" id="link208"></a>"Oh, I
-      am perfectly content now,&rdquo; replied Grim, and his old, pompous air
-      and manner of speech began to assert themselves. &ldquo;Of course I could
-      not show you my heart in all its tenderness&mdash;I was a husband and had
-      to control myself&mdash;but now, it seems as if all obstacles have been
-      removed. Do you love me, Bertha? I have thought many times that I could
-      read my answer in your eyes, but I long to hear you say so.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; whispered Bertha, &ldquo;I love you so much.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      In his daily walks, Rufus Grim was an over-bearing, selfish man, but now
-      he was softened, and his emotion was very great. He looked tenderly and
-      longingly on the drooping head beside him, and was for a time completely
-      absorbed in the intensity of his love for the artful girl at his side.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Yes, she was fooling him. She was the affianced wife of J. Arthur Boast,
-      and yet she must play her part.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;And may I one day call you wife?&rdquo; said Rufus Grim, pressing
-      her closely to him and kissing her reverently on the forehead. &ldquo;Say
-      in a year from now,&rdquo; he pleaded.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; she lisped, gently pressing his hand, &ldquo;it shall
-      be as you say.&rdquo; As a matter of truth, she was mentally speculating
-      how she could get out of this horrible scrape. He had said in a year&mdash;that
-      was a long time. She would have ample opportunity to free herself in some
-      way. Arthur must help her.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0024" id="link2HCH0024"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER XXIV.&mdash;THE GOLDEN MAUSOLEUM.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0094" id="linkimage-0094"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9217.jpg" alt="9217 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9217.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      GRIM <span class="pagenum">209</span><a name="link209" id="link209"></a>was
-      a happy man. He would conceal his joy for one short year, and then&mdash;and
-      then&mdash;. He had at last reached the top-most craig of all his worldly
-      hopes. Wealth was his, and now he had secured the promise of Bertha Allen
-      to be his wife. He called at his lawyer&rsquo;s office the next day and
-      told him he wished to add a codicil to his will. He spoke in his usual
-      loud and confident way, and seemed to constantly remember that he was not
-      only the richest man in Gold Bluff, but, by big odds, the most fortunate.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The lawyer knew his client. He knew his whims and wisely humored his
-      eccentricities. It needed but little encouragement and flattery to set
-      Rufus Grim going, recounting the steps he had carved out for himself on
-      life&rsquo;s journey, and the pinnacle to which he had climbed.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Arthur Boast came in and took a seat in the outer room, Grim requested the
-      lawyer to close the door, and asked him what he let that young scoundrel
-      come about the premises for. Then he seemed to remember that he was the
-      victor, and why should he still hold malice? After a little, he again
-      referred to the matter of changing his will, and when the lawyer was
-      ready, he <span class="pagenum">210</span><a name="link210" id="link210"></a>dictated
-      a codicil bequeathing all his possessions unconditionally to Bertha Allen,
-      to which he attached his signature. The lawyer showed no signs of
-      astonishment at Rufus Grim&rsquo;s action, though he guessed the
-      relationship that existed between his client and Bertha Allen.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      That evening a clandestine meeting between Bertha and her cousin, Arthur
-      Boast, had been arranged.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0095" id="linkimage-0095"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9218.jpg" alt="9218 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9218.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Her first words, after the greeting and a kiss of welcome, were in regard
-      to the ordeal she had passed through with Mr. Grim.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;To think, Arthur,&rdquo; lisped Bertha, &ldquo;of that old fool
-      asking me to be his wife! Why, I really thought I would die, I did indeed!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;And what did you say?&rdquo; asked Boast.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why, you sweet old darling, what could I say but give him to
-      understand that perhaps I was willing? I told him to wait a year, and then&mdash;.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, and then?&rdquo; hissed Arthur, through his teeth.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh, don&rsquo;t be foolish, my own darling,&rdquo; said she,
-      slipping her arms about his neck, &ldquo;you know I was only pretending;
-      you know that I loathe him, but I have been dependent on his bounty for so
-      many years. I am only too ready, Arthur, to go with you; yes, to the ends
-      of the earth.&rdquo; She caressed him tenderly, and Arthur&rsquo;s
-      ill-feeling gave way before her tender entreaties.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He had heard Rufus Grim dictating the codicil to his will, and had been
-      fired with a mad jealousy, but she had confessed all at their first
-      meeting, and he felt relieved. He would not tell her of the codicil to the
-      will; no, not now.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">211</span><a name="link211" id="link211"></a>"We
-      must not delay our marriage much longer,&rdquo; said Bertha, sweetly,
-      &ldquo;we really must not, Arthur; you must save me from that old bear.
-      Oh, how I hate him!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Did he attempt to caress you?&rdquo; asked Arthur.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied Bertha, slowly, &ldquo;but he only kissed me
-      once.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Only kissed you once!&rdquo; cried Arthur, and with a savage oath
-      he pushed her from him.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Arthur, you&rsquo;ll break my heart,&rdquo; she cried in stifled
-      pain, and creeping closer to him she clasped his arm with both her hands.
-      &ldquo;He kissed me on the forehead. How could I help it? He is so
-      overbearing and so determined&mdash;I did not know but he would turn me
-      away from his home unless I humored and fooled him. Won&rsquo;t you
-      forgive me? How could I help it?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Arthur, clasping her passionately to his breast,
-      &ldquo;yes, I&rsquo;ll forgive you; but you must go away from Rufus Grim&rsquo;s
-      house, and I will arrange matters and soon we will be married.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You make me so happy, Arthur; I could starve, yes, starve willingly
-      with you, rather than live with any other man on earth.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I think we had better be married soon,&rdquo; said Arthur, &ldquo;say
-      in two weeks?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Impossible!&rdquo; lisped Bertha.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No, not impossible,&rdquo; replied Boast, almost savagely,
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I say we must be married in two weeks. I will take you to my father&rsquo;s
-      for a little while, after which we will commence housekeeping.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why, Arthur,&rdquo; protested Bertha, &ldquo;you are the most
-      unreasonable man living; you are, indeed. How can I <span class="pagenum">212</span><a
-      name="link212" id="link212"></a>be married in two weeks? It&rsquo;s such a
-      short time since mamma died.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;It must be as I say,&rdquo; replied Arthur, determinedly, &ldquo;it
-      is for your good. You are left alone in the world, and, Bertha, I love you
-      with the only love that I have ever given to any human being. There, don&rsquo;t
-      cry; dry your eyes, my darling, and make up your mind that I know what is
-      for your good.&rdquo; She finally gave in, and the compact was sealed with
-      a lover&rsquo;s kiss and a tender embrace.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The next day was one to be long remembered. Colonel Bonifield called at
-      the <i>Prospector</i> office and told Vance that, at last, they had
-      reached the 500 foot level.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0096" id="linkimage-0096"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9220.jpg" alt="9220 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9220.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the Colonel, with more enthusiasm than he had
-      exhibited for some months, &ldquo;we have cert&rsquo;nly had mo&rsquo;
-      trouble, suh, in goin&rsquo; these last hund&rsquo;ed feet than all the
-      other distance put together, but we have kep&rsquo; right along, and
-      finally, suh, we are 500 feet below the groun&rsquo;. Of cou&rsquo;se,
-      there&rsquo;s a lot of work yet to do; in fact, a pow&rsquo;ful lot, in
-      cross-cutting into the vein, but a week&rsquo;s work, with my present fo&rsquo;ce
-      of men, will finish the drift-shaft. It&rsquo;s a vehy proud moment of my
-      life, suh, to tell yo&rsquo; that afteh all the trials and delays we have
-      had, that finally we are down to the 500 foot level. There&rsquo;s a
-      little matteh, Mr. Gilder, that I want to speak to yo&rsquo; about. I&rsquo;m
-      goin&rsquo; to be a little short of money. I think, possibly, suh, I have
-      enough fo&rsquo; about three or fou&rsquo; days&rsquo; work yet. We have
-      about fo&rsquo;ty men workin&rsquo;, and I am anxious to keep them until
-      we finish cross-cuttin&rsquo;.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was aghast. He knew not what to do, and he frankly confessed to the
-      Colonel that the $6,000 which he had given him was, practically, every
-      cent he had in the world of ready money; that he had written to Judge
-      Patton, who had charge of his estate in New York city, and the judge
-      interpreted his father&rsquo;s will to require his residence in New York
-      city in order to enjoy the annuity.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The Colonel thought a moment, and then said: &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t bother yo&rsquo;self,
-      Mr. Gilder, it&rsquo;s a matteh of vehy little importance, anyway, I
-      assure yo&rsquo;, suh; I know my men. Most of them have been workin&rsquo;
-      fo&rsquo; me oveh a year, and I feel perfectly confident they will stand
-      by me until we finish the work, even if I haven&rsquo;t the ready money
-      with which to pay them. They&rsquo;re a grand lot of fellows, I assure yo&rsquo;
-      they are, and between yo&rsquo; and me, every one of them has great
-      confidence in Gray Rocks; wonde&rsquo;ful confidence, yes, suh.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The Colonel <span class="pagenum">213</span><a name="link213" id="link213"></a>bade
-      Vance good-day and started for his mine, and Vance turned to his case with
-      a heavy heart.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The winter was late in coming; though it was the first of November, yet
-      the air was comparatively mild, and the breezes soft, yet invigorating.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      That evening, Rufus Grim walked back and forth on his wide porch
-      contemplating his own importance. After a little, he walked down through
-      the village and followed a by-path along the mountain side, up toward the
-      old prospect shaft on the Peacock. The night was still and beautiful. The
-      moon was in the last quarter; but her rays were obscured by lazy, drifting
-      clouds, that hung idly in the heavens.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Arriving at the old prospect shaft, he took off his hat, and pushed his
-      fat fingers through his heavy hair. He <span class="pagenum">214</span><a
-      name="link214" id="link214"></a>even unbuttoned his coat and leaned
-      against the low wall about the old shaft. Far below him were the lights of
-      Gold Bluff shining from many windows. He looked toward his home and
-      thought of Bertha.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, she loves me,&rdquo; he mused aloud, &ldquo;she is a darling
-      little angel. I always thought she returned my love, and now I know it.
-      What a coy way she has about her! What slender hands! Gad; but it was an
-      ordeal, the declaring of my love for her, but I fancy no one could have
-      done better. No, sir, Rufus Grim is always equal to any occasion.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I have made myself what I am. After we are married, we will go to
-      New York city and Washington. They will say I have the loveliest little
-      wife in America&mdash;they cannot say otherwise. The men will envy me for
-      owning such a jewel. How different she is from other women!
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Bertha!&rdquo; he mused, &ldquo;the loveliest name in the world!
-      The little minx! Yes, she suspected that I loved her. She refused &lsquo;em
-      all for me; that scoundrel J. Arthur Boast, among the rest. He is a clever
-      dog, though, and I rather feared him, but now it is all over.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I wish my law-suit was settled; that is the only speck on my
-      horizon, but the decision in the courts above, I feel sure, will be the
-      same as in the lower courts. Yes, I am lucky; there&rsquo;s none luckier
-      on the whole face of the earth. I came into this camp with nothing&mdash;now
-      look at my possessions.&rdquo; He chuckled to himself, and in an absent
-      way kicked his foot against the old wall.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Here is the place I made the discovery. I presume I ought not to
-      blame the dogs of war for being on my track, of course, they want a share
-      of this rich mine, but d&mdash;&mdash;&mdash; &lsquo;em, they can&rsquo;t
-      have it. No, sir, it belongs to Rufus
-<span class="pagenum">215</span><a name="link215" id="link215"></a>
-Grim!
-      The gold I have will protect the unmined millions in the Peacock.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Neither court nor jury shall stand before my ambition. My first,
-      yes, my abiding ambition, is for gold, but with it has come a love that
-      knows no brooking for Bertha. God bless her! She is so tender and so
-      refined&mdash;-my cup is full to overflowing.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;They say I am successful. Whom shall I thank but <span
-      class="pagenum">216</span><a name="link216" id="link216"></a>myself? No
-      one. I have climbed the rugged and uneven path alone, unaided. I have bent
-      men to my way of thinking; I am greater than all of them; yes, greater
-      than all. I&rsquo;ll make my marriage a success too, and with my gold and
-      my beautiful wife, I will commence living. No, I have never lived; I have
-      merely slaved and existed, but now I am getting ready to commence.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Thus Rufus Grim fed himself on his own egotism, and recounted life&rsquo;s
-      victories, resulting from his own exertions.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0097" id="linkimage-0097"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0223.jpg" alt="0223 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0223.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      A dark form crouched near him, dimly outlined in the uncertain light.
-      Presently it crept stealthily up behind him. There was a hurried rush, a
-      whistling noise cut sharply through the air; a stifled cry, a heavy fall,
-      and Rufus Grinds body plunged forward into the yawning mouth of the old
-      prospect shaft, and his life&rsquo;s work was over.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      His anticipated happiness, his pompous joy, his earthly prosperity, his
-      vanity and vain-glory, all were over. Had he died by any other method, it
-      might have been said that it was well that his death occurred before he
-      discovered that Bertha Allen, to whom he had given all that was tender in
-      his coarse and pompous life, had cruelly deceived him.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It mattered not now, the decision of the higher courts of earth, but
-      rather the decision of that higher court in heaven. A sounding splash from
-      murky waters far below resounded back to the outer world like a farewell
-      echo, and Rufus Grim&rsquo;s mangled remains rested near the gold he loved
-      so well. Yes, in the vault where his manhood had been bartered for gold,
-      he slept. There was gold on <span class="pagenum">217</span><a
-      name="link217_rdquo_________id_" id="link217_rdquo_________id_"></a>every
-      side&mdash;gold above him and gold beneath him&mdash;a priceless
-      mausoleum.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Yes, at last, all that was mortal of the man of inordinate worldly
-      ambition and restless energy, reposed in the monotonous sleep of unbroken
-      stillness.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0025" id="link2HCH0025"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER XXV.&mdash;CROSS-CUTTING IN THE MINE.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0098" id="linkimage-0098"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9226.jpg" alt="9226 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9226.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      HE next<span class="pagenum">218</span><a name="link218" id="link218"></a>
-      day Rufus Grim was missed from the Peacock. His manager could not
-      understand it. Never before had he absented himself from his office
-      without giving the most detailed instructions in regard to work in the
-      mine. When the following morning came and he was still absent, the manager&rsquo;s
-      fears ripened into genuine alarm and soon all the people of Gold Bluff
-      were discussing the mystery of Rufus Grim&rsquo;s disappearance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      A vigorous search was instituted, which resulted a few days later in
-      finding his lifeless body at the bottom of the old prospect shaft. At the
-      coroner&rsquo;s inquest it was decided that he had been murdered, as was
-      evidenced by peculiar wounds on the back of his head.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      He was laid to rest by the side of his deceased wife, with a demonstration
-      that far excelled any funeral that had ever taken place in Gold Bluff.
-      Such a cowardly murder excited the sympathy of all who knew him. They
-      forgot the pompous, over-bearing owner of the Peacock, in listening to the
-      minister&rsquo;s pious words of commendation over the mangled remains of
-      Rufus Grim, the citizen.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The mystery surrounding his demise appealed to all law-abiding citizens to
-      help hunt down the assassin. In <span class="pagenum">219</span><a
-      name="link219" id="link219"></a>the feverish excitement it was remembered
-      that Hank Casey and Steve Gibbons were sworn enemies of the rich mine
-      owner; indeed, the latter had even threatened his life in the presence of
-      numerous witnesses.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The sheriff who had so ignominiously failed in running down the stage
-      robbers, took the lead in trying to ferret out the murderer and bring him
-      to justice. A few days after this, warrants were sworn out for the arrest
-      of Steve Gibbons and Hank Casey, charging them with the crime. Gibbons was
-      arrested, but Hank Casey could not be found. He had disappeared a few days
-      after the murder, and no one knew where he had gone. Gibbons maintained a
-      dogged silence and seemed much subdued and humiliated that not one of his
-      many supposed friends came forward to sign his bond. Handcuffed and
-      accompanied by the sheriff, heavily armed, he appealed in vain to many,
-      but without success. Vance made himself quite unpopular by offering to
-      sign Steve Gibbons&rsquo; bond. The people were indignant and said it was
-      carrying his ill-feeling toward Rufus Grim entirely too far. As he had no
-      property excepting an interest in Gray Rocks mine, which was undeveloped,
-      he was considered incompetent as a bondsman and promptly rejected.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      One evening Vance worked very late setting type on the <i>Prospector</i>.
-      It was past midnight when he went to his sleeping room. He was about to
-      retire when he heard some one knocking at the printing office door. He
-      admitted the visitor and found it to be J. Arthur Boast.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Good evening, Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;I have come to see
-      you on a little matter of great importance to myself.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Come in,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;I have no light in this room;
-      come on into my bedroom.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">220</span><a name="link220" id="link220"></a>"You
-      will remember a conversation we had,&rdquo; said Boast, &ldquo;some time
-      ago at the hotel.&rdquo; Vance assented that he did. &ldquo;Well, I have
-      come tonight to claim a little of the reciprocal friendship which you
-      promised me.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Circumstances,&rdquo; said Boast, &ldquo;indeed, shape the destiny
-      of man. Of this I am more and more convinced. To think of us sitting down
-      together as friends a month ago would have been preposterous, and yet I am
-      happy to know we meet as such to-night. What impelled me to send for you
-      the night you visited me at the hotel, I am unable to explain; an impulse
-      that I was not strong enough to overcome, compelled me to do it. I feel,
-      Mr. Gilder, that I have much to be thankful for in your friendship, and
-      yet it has all been brought about by a circumstance over which I had no
-      control. It was not the result of a premeditated judgment, but the outcome
-      of an impulse.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I hope,&rdquo; said Vance, as he reached Boast a cigar and lit one
-      himself, &ldquo;that you have no regrets in regard to our late friendly
-      understanding.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No, indeed,&rdquo; replied Boast, &ldquo;on the contrary I feel
-      that I am one of the most fortunate men living. By the way,&rdquo; he
-      continued, &ldquo;this is an excellent cigar.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;I received a box from one of my
-      New York friends. It is a luxury that I am not able to indulge in very
-      freely, unless some old chum happens to remember my isolation in these
-      Western mountains and takes pity on me.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Have I told you,&rdquo; asked Boast, &ldquo;that I have quit
-      drinking?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No!&rdquo; replied Vance, in some surprise.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, I have given up red liquor altogether. The habit got a pretty
-      strong hold on me and I was going down hill at a very rapid pace; indeed,
-      I had quite given up any hope of ever being anything but a hard drinker.
-      Scarcely had I reconciled myself to that belief, than a whim, a caprice,
-      an impulse, or whatever you may call it, took hold of me and said, &lsquo;No
-      more <span class="pagenum">221</span><a name="link221" id="link221"></a>liquor,
-      J. Arthur Boast; not another drop,&rsquo; and from that day to this I have
-      not tasted the abominable stuff.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0099" id="linkimage-0099"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9229.jpg" alt="9229 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9229.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Vance assured him he was glad to hear of the reformation.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I am in love; desperately so,&rsquo;.rdquo; said Boast.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;In love?&rdquo; repeated Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, I am in love with my cousin, Bertha Allen, and she
-      reciprocates my own tender affection. On her account, if not for my own, I
-      am indeed glad the red liquor craze has been overcome, and that reminds me
-      of the object of my visit.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Bertha is such <span class="pagenum">222</span><a
-      name="link222_rdquo_________id_" id="link222_rdquo_________id_"></a>a
-      stickler on formalities and so sensitive that I have had hard work to
-      convince her our marriage should take place so soon after her mother&rsquo;s
-      death. Our arrangements were made to be married the day after to-morrow.
-      Her step-father&rsquo;s death, of course, complicated matters a little,
-      and she thought we ought to postpone the affair. As usual, however,&rdquo;
-      continued Boast, &ldquo;I have convinced her that she is wrong and I am
-      right, and have finally gained her consent, on one condition, that you and
-      Miss Louise will favor us with your presence and act as groomsman and
-      bridesmaid.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was non-plussed at Boast&rsquo;s remarks, and for a moment did not
-      know what to say.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;It will be a very quiet affair,&rdquo; continued Boast, &ldquo;immediate
-      relatives and all that&mdash;she has none, and neither have I, save my
-      father and mother. We are to be married at my father&rsquo;s. There&rsquo;s
-      no one Bertha thinks so much of as Louise. They have been chums for many
-      years, and since you profess friendship for me, I feel sure you&rsquo;ll
-      not refuse my request.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance promised to consider the matter and let him know the next day, after
-      consulting Louise.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; said Boast, &ldquo;I will call to-morrow. It&rsquo;s
-      really too bad,&rdquo; he went on, &ldquo;that a weak little woman like
-      Bertha should have had so much suffering during the last few months.
-      Actuated by sympathy as well as love, I feel it my duty to set formalities
-      aside, marry her, and thus insure to myself the privilege of protecting
-      and caring for her as she deserves.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said <span class="pagenum">223</span><a name="link223"
-      id="link223"></a>Vance, &ldquo;she has had a great deal to endure. By the
-      way, Mr. Boast, do you believe Steve Gibbons guilty of Mr. Grim&rsquo;s
-      murder?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Boast relit his cigar before answering. &ldquo;Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; said he,
-      after deliberating, &ldquo;I hope Mr. Gibbons is innocent. I have tried to
-      look calmly at his case, shrouded in mystery as it is. I have tried to
-      blunt my ears to whisperings and prejudices and not jump with the
-      multitude toward a hasty conclusion Of course, the circumstantial evidence
-      against Mr. Gibbous is rather damaging. Mr. Casey&rsquo;s disappearance
-      and Gibbon&rsquo;s continued silence as to his whereabouts, makes it look
-      still worse. The probabilities are that nine out of ten of the people of
-      Gold Bluff believe him to be guilty. They have built up a wall of
-      circumstantial evidence that seems to be impregnable, and unless the
-      public pulse is permitted to cool before his trial comes off, they very
-      likely will convict him, To me, mercy seems much more preferable than a
-      hasty judgment, Well, good-night, Mr. Gilder. I am sorry to have been
-      compelled to call on you at such a late hour, but you know,&rdquo; said
-      he, with a jocular laugh, &ldquo;it is an urgent case, and when you are as
-      near to your nuptials as I am, I&rsquo;ll forgive you if you should rout
-      me out of bed at all hours of the night.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;A strange man!&rdquo; said Vance to himself when Boast was gone,
-      &ldquo;he talks like a philosopher. His judgment is seasoned with mercy.
-      How could I have misunderstood him as I did? It&rsquo;s rather odd that he
-      and Bertha Allen are to be married. I know Louise will be surprised. After
-      all, it&rsquo;s best that he should marry Miss Allen, and the very fact
-      that he makes her his wife at this time when she is left completely alone,
-      really ennobles the fellow to me.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The following day a favorable answer was given to Boast, and the marriage
-      took place the next evening. It was indeed a quiet affair. Whether Colonel
-      Boast and his wife approved of their only son marrying his cousin or not,
-      Vance was unable to satisfactorily decide in his own mind; but he and
-      Louise both acknowledged that they felt freed from an indescribable
-      restraint after taking their departure.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Almost simultaneously with the announcement of J. Arthur Boast&rsquo;s
-      marriage was the discovery that Bertha Allen was the heiress of all the
-      vast possessions of the murdered mine owner. Rufus Grims attorney became
-      Arthur Boast&rsquo;s trusted adviser. Work in the great Peacock mine
-      continued, and within a week J. Arthur Boast was in control of affairs;
-      indeed, he seemed a changed <span class="pagenum">224</span><a
-      name="link224" id="link224"></a>man. His responsibilities seemed to subdue
-      without irritating him. The people were quick to discover new elements of
-      strength in the controller of the Peacock, and vied with each other in
-      giving him encouragement.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Work on Gray Rocks had not been progressing so smoothly. Old Colonel
-      Bonifield, fired with the enthusiasm of a Ponce de Leon, believed the
-      forty odd men employed in cross-cutting the drift shaft from the 500 foot
-      level would remain with him, although his finances were exhausted.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It was on Saturday night that he called his men about him and explained
-      his temporary embarrassments.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0100" id="linkimage-0100"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8232.jpg" alt="8232 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8232.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      He paid them off in full, and assured them that three or four more days&rsquo;
-      work with their united assistance, was all that was necessary to reach the
-      gold he had been looking for so many weary years, and expressed
-      confidence, in his chivalrous way, that all his employes would report the
-      next Monday morning for work, and stay with him until the drift was
-      finished. The following Monday morning, however, found but a half dozen
-      men reporting for work, much to Colonel Bonifield&rsquo;s surprise and
-      disappointment.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The old Colonel went into the mine with his faithful adherents, and
-      encouraged them by his undaunted energy. What could have been accomplished
-      by forty men in the space of three days, would require fifteen or twenty
-      days with his half dozen assistants. They lessened the size of the drift
-      shaft, however, and this would make quite a saving of time. Throughout the
-      week, the Colonel, with his handful of assistants, labored incessantly.
-      When the next Monday morning came around, he found that only three
-      reported for duty. This was indeed discouraging, but with a determination
-      that knew no brooking, he went on.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Two days later, <span class="pagenum">225</span><a
-      name="link225_rdquo_________id_" id="link225_rdquo_________id_"></a>his
-      three assistants advised him that their families were in want of the
-      necessities of life, and while they still had unbounded faith in Gray
-      Rocks, yet they owed a duty to their families first and before all else,
-      and could not remain with him any longer.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      After this, the engineer and fireman took turns in helping the Colonel.
-      One man remaining in the engine room performed the work of both. After a
-      couple of days of monotonous drilling and blasting, the Colonel one
-      evening told Louise of his great discouragement.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;My deah daughter,&rdquo; said the Colonel, &ldquo;they have all
-      dese&rsquo;ted me; I am left alone to finish the work in the mine as best
-      I can. It&rsquo;s pow&rsquo;ful humiliatin&rsquo; to be dese&rsquo;ted
-      just when I am reachin&rsquo; fo&rsquo; the last round in the laddeh.&rdquo;
-      Louise had slipped her arms around his neck while he was speaking.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;My dear father,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;why not go to Mr. Gilder;
-      he has been so true to you, and I am sure, now that you are so near
-      finishing your work, he will give you what assistance is needed.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The old man stroked his daughter&rsquo;s hair affectionately. &ldquo;Yes,
-      suh, yo&rsquo; are right; he would help me if he could. No one seems to
-      undehstand me, Louise, my deah child, except&rsquo;n&rsquo; yo&rsquo;self
-      and Mr. Gilder. I may as well tell yo&rsquo; that I called on Mr. Gilder
-      sev&rsquo;al days ago fo&rsquo; a little mo&rsquo; money, and he told me
-      the $6,000 which he had given us was practically every dollar he had in
-      the world. It made my old heart bleed to see the pained expression on the
-      <span class="pagenum">226</span><a name="link226_rdquo_________id_"
-      id="link226_rdquo_________id_"></a>noble young fellow&rsquo;s face&mdash;pained
-      because he couldn&rsquo;t help me mo&rsquo;. I explained to him that it
-      made no diff&rsquo;ence; that my men&mdash;the rascals who have so
-      shamefully dese&rsquo;ted me&mdash;had confidence in Gray Rocks, and that
-      they would stand by me fo&rsquo; a few days longeh.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The Colonel walked back and forth in an agitated way, and held his head
-      between his hands. &ldquo;My God, it will drive me crazy,&rdquo; he
-      exclaimed, &ldquo;if the work is not finished.&rdquo; Louise was startled
-      at his manner. She noticed that he appeared older than ever before, and
-      condemned herself for not giving him more encouragement and help.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Father, how can I help you?&rdquo; she asked, imploringly.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;There is no way, my precious little child; come here to me.&rdquo;
-      He seated himself and she nestled on his lap.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;To-morrow morning, father,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;now listen, for
-      I am going to have my way&mdash;to-morrow morning I am going with you down
-      to the 500 foot level and help you with the work. I&rsquo;m not afraid,
-      and I&rsquo;m very strong, too.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why, what <span class="pagenum">227</span><a name="link227"
-      id="link227"></a>would Mr. Gilder say if he knew my little girl was down
-      in a mine workin&rsquo;.&rdquo; said the Colonel, half amused at her
-      earnestness, while he pressed her close and closer to him.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Mr. Gilder?&rdquo; repeated Louise, looking dreamily into the bed
-      of red coals in the open grate, &ldquo;we won&rsquo;t tell him. How heroic
-      it was of him to give you every dollar he had in the world! Tell me,
-      father, do you think any one else would have done so much?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No, suh,&rdquo; replied the Colonel, &ldquo;there&rsquo;s betteh
-      blood cou&rsquo;sin&rsquo; through his veins than any man I eveh saw. To
-      be sure, he&rsquo;s a nawth&rsquo;n man&mdash;that is, he was bawn in the
-      nawth; but even the old state of Virginia neveh produced a manlier man.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      True to her promise, the next morning found Louise with her father in the
-      drift shaft, 500 feet underground. They had carried with them a
-      well-filled lunch basket, and worked with a determination born of despair.
-      Holes were drilled deep in the solid rock and filled with giant powder,
-      then after lighting the fuse, they would retreat until the blast resounded
-      in hollow mockery through the caverns of the earth. No sooner would the
-      smoke clear away than they would drill again.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      While Louise was drilling and putting forth all her strength in work that
-      would have tried the courage of the hardiest miner, her father would take
-      turns with her, and again he would measure the distance from the shaft to
-      see how much farther they had to drift.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It was late in the evening, and <i>they</i> had been working on some time
-      in silence, when the Colonel, after making a last measurement, shouted out
-      in the stillness, &ldquo;Well finish it to-night! Bring the powdeh, while
-      I drill!&rdquo; and presently another blast resounded like a death knell
-      to hope, tearing away great sections of the adamantine rock. On, on they
-      worked&mdash;drilling and blasting.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Louise had become well-nigh exhausted, and rested for a moment, when the
-      Colonel shouted: &ldquo;Drill on! Drill on! There&rsquo;s no time to lose!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;But, father,&rdquo; cried Louise, &ldquo;the powder is all gone.
-      Shall we not send the engineer for more? There&rsquo;s hardly enough for
-      more than another blast.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No!&rdquo; yelled the Colonel, almost like a maniac in vehemence,
-      &ldquo;I have no money fo&rsquo; mo&rsquo; powdeh.
-<span class="pagenum">228</span><a name="link228" id="link228"></a>
-Let us
-      use what we have. Scrape the cans and put it all in one great blast. I
-      will drill.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0101" id="linkimage-0101"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0236.jpg" alt="0236 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0236.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      Louise was frightened. She feared her father was losing his mind. It might
-      be, after all, that instead of benefitting him by her constant
-      encouragement and belief in Gray Rocks, she had but added to his vain
-      hallucination, and the shock of another failure might dethrone his reason.
-      While she was thinking, she industriously applied herself to gathering
-      from the different cans that had contained the giant powder all that was
-      left into one. Yes, there was enough for one more blast, but not enough
-      for two.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Where is the powdeh?&rdquo; cried the Colonel. She looked at her
-      father, whose face was almost as white as the disheveled hair of his
-      uncovered head. He had thrown aside his hat and coat, and was wrought up
-      to the highest pitch of excitement.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;A moment, father,&rdquo; said Louise, laying her hand on his arm.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Let me alone, I have no time to wait,&rdquo; he said.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;But listen, father, won&rsquo;t you? Listen to me just a moment.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, what is it?&rdquo; said he, impatiently, wiping the
-      perspiration from his brow.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;For thirteen years, father, you&rsquo;ve been striving and striving
-      to find gold in Gray Rocks; what if you are no nearer now than you were
-      thirteen years ago? Will you be so terribly disappointed, father? Come,
-      tell me you will not.&rdquo; She had her arms about his neck and was
-      looking pleadingly up into his face. He pushed her from him.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yo&rsquo; talk as if yo&rsquo; <span class="pagenum">229</span><a
-      name="link229_rdquo_________id_" id="link229_rdquo_________id_"></a>doubted,&rdquo;
-      said he. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m thirteen years nearer success to-night than the
-      day I commenced. It&rsquo;s vehy humiliatin&rsquo; to me to think that yo&rsquo;,
-      Louise, should doubt yo&rsquo;r old father&rsquo;s judgment. Have yo&rsquo;
-      forgotten that my blood cou&rsquo;ses in yo&rsquo;r veins? Are yo&rsquo;,
-      too, turnin&rsquo; against me at the vehy last?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh, father,&rdquo; cried Louise, as she clung to him and buried her
-      head on his breast, sobbing wildly, &ldquo;don&rsquo;t speak to me so
-      harshly! It will kill me! Have I not,&rdquo; said she, between her sobs,
-      &ldquo;stood by you and believed <span class="pagenum">230</span><a
-      name="link230" id="link230"></a>with you, though all others, unless it was
-      Mr. Gilder, turned against you? I believe now that you are right, father,
-      but it may be deeper down, and I was only trying to make the
-      disappointment less hard in case disappointment should again be the result
-      of our efforts.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;There, there, little girl,&rdquo; said the Colonel, stroking her
-      head affectionately, &ldquo;I do forgive yo&rsquo;, and yo&rsquo; must
-      forgive yo&rsquo;r old, excitable father. Let us put in the powdeh; let us
-      make the last blast, and let its resoundin&rsquo; peals tell the whole
-      world that we&rsquo;ve done our best!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, father; that we have indeed done our utmost; and after this
-      blast we will go home and still have faith in Gray Rocks, though the whole
-      world disbelieves.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;We have plenty of powdeh here,&rdquo; said the old Colonel, picking
-      up the can, &ldquo;to tear ten tons of rock into shreds.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The fuse was lighted and they retired for protection until the powder
-      should ignite. Presently there was a deafening roar, as if the mountains
-      were being split asunder. The Colonel grasped his daughter&rsquo;s hand
-      with such a vise-like grip that it almost made her cry out with pain.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;The last blast!&rdquo; shouted the old Colonel, when the
-      reverberations had ceased, &ldquo;the smoke will soon clear away, and then
-      we shall see, yes, suh, we shall see!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0026" id="link2HCH0026"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER XXVI.&mdash;A STARTLING EDITORIAL.
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0102" id="linkimage-0102"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9239.jpg" alt="9239 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9239.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      ANCE knew<span class="pagenum">231</span><a name="link231" id="link231"></a>
-      nothing of Colonel Bonifield&rsquo;s discouraging labors in the mine.
-      Indeed, he had been so busy with other matters that he had not found time
-      to call on the Bonifield&rsquo;s for over a week&mdash;a very unusual
-      occurrence.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      A few days prior to Louise&rsquo;s experience in her father&rsquo;s mine,
-      Vance had been routed up by some one knocking on his window in the middle
-      of the night. It proved to be none other than the missing Hank Casey,
-      accompanied by Marcus Donald of Waterville. A consultation that lasted
-      several hours followed. An understanding was finally reached, and it was
-      agreed that Hank Casey should remain concealed during the daytime in Vance&rsquo;s
-      room, and await developments.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I may be laying myself liable to the law,&rdquo; said Vance,
-      laughingly, &ldquo;in concealing a man for whom a warrant has been issued,
-      but, nevertheless, I believe what you tell me, and on our mutual friend,
-      Marcus Donald&rsquo;s advice, I shall act my part unflinchingly.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Of course,&rdquo; said Marcus Donald, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s none of my
-      affairs in one sense of the word, but when Mr. Casey came to Waterville,
-      having walked all the way from Gold Bluff by a circuitous route, in order
-      to avoid meeting any <span class="pagenum">232</span><a name="link232"
-      id="link232"></a>one, and told me that Mr. Gibbons was about to be
-      unjustly arrested for murder, I at once became interested, especially with
-      Mr. Casey&rsquo;s knowledge of the affair.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Ye see, pardner,&rdquo; said Hank Casey, addressing Vance, &ldquo;I
-      &lsquo;lowed things was goin&rsquo; to be pipin&rsquo; hot in these
-      &lsquo;ere diggin&rsquo;s, fer I heered a rumour that Steve an&rsquo; I
-      was both to be arrested. I knowed&rsquo; t&rsquo;wan&rsquo;t no use fer
-      both of us to lay &lsquo;round here till our hands an&rsquo; feet were
-      tied, so, sez I to Steve Gibbons, sez I, &lsquo;Steve, you make your perch
-      here in Gold Bluff, an&rsquo; don&rsquo;t you run nary an inch, and I&rsquo;ll
-      scoot out an&rsquo; try an&rsquo; scare up some help an&rsquo; turn the
-      tables on these &lsquo;ere chaps. Of course, nuther of us liked Rufus Grim
-      any too well; that is, we had no hankerin&rsquo; love for him; but I
-      &lsquo;low were not quite low enough down to commence murderin&rsquo;
-      people, even if they did cheat us out of a rich mine like the Peacock.
-      This game ain&rsquo;t out yet,&rdquo; he went on, &ldquo;the higher courts
-      may reverse the decision of the court below, and in that event Steve an&rsquo;
-      I will yet have justice, though it s been dangnation slow &lsquo;bout
-      comin&rsquo;.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I am greatly astonished,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;at your
-      revelation. It is entirely contrary to my theory of the case. I am
-      beginning to feel, however, that my judgment amounts to but very little in
-      this western country, though I must say I have received great
-      encouragement from your words, Mr. Donald, in regard to Waterville
-      property. I will throw a bomb into the enemy&rsquo;s camp by writing an
-      editorial for the <i>Prospector</i> that will touch a tender place, if Mr.
-      Casey is correct in his statement.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It so happened that on the very day that Louise and her father were
-      working in the mine, the <i>Prospector</i> was issued, and contained the
-      following editorial: <span class="pagenum">233</span><a
-      name="link233_rdquo_________id_" id="link233_rdquo_________id_"></a>
-    </p>
-    <h3>
-      THE RUFUS GRIM MURDER.
-    </h3>
-    <blockquote>
-      <p>
-        The history of Rufus Grim&rsquo;s demise, though still shrouded in
-        mystery, will doubtless, when the facts are known, startle the people of
-        Gold Bluff even more than the murder itself. It is true that Steve
-        Gibbons is accused and languishes in the county jail, and that a warrant
-        is out for the arrest of his old associate, Hank Casey. In the
-        excitement of the hour, our people may have interpreted circumstantial
-        evidence as proof of guilt. As a matter of fact, not one jot or tittle
-        of damaging evidence, in the <i>Prospector&rsquo;s</i> judgment, can be
-        produced against these men.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        The idea of suicide has been effectually set aside by the findings at
-        the coroner&rsquo;s inquest. No one doubts that it was a cold-blooded,
-        cowardly murder. We believe the murderer is in Gold Bluff to-day, and
-        like the wolf of old, is clad in sheep&rsquo;s raiment.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        Our people should understand the difference between circumstantial and
-        real evidence. It is probably true that both Steve Gibbons and Hank
-        Casey were on anything but friendly terms with Rufus Grim, but they were
-        not his only enemies; indeed, there is one in Gold Bluff who was
-        secretly, if not openly, a much greater enemy to the rich mine owner
-        than either of the suspected parties.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        It is time that prejudice gave way to reason, and that others, who <i>profited</i>
-        much more by Rufus Grim&rsquo;s removal, should not only be suspected,
-        but subjected to the crucial test of a thorough investigation.
-      </p>
-    </blockquote>
-    <p>
-      This article set the people of Gold Bluff agog. The entire camp, from
-      center to circumference, seemed startled by the boldness of Vance Gilder&rsquo;s
-      double-leaded editorial. When J. Arthur Boast read the article, he was
-      dazed by its audacity. He sent for his attorney, and throughout the
-      afternoon a consultation that lasted far into the night was held.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Work on the Peacock was shut down the following <span class="pagenum">234</span><a
-      name="link234" id="link234"></a>morning at Boast&rsquo;s request, and the
-      men assembled at the company&rsquo;s office. Boast, addressing the miners,
-      said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You, doubtless, have read the editorial in yesterday&rsquo;s <i>Prospector</i>,
-      written by a stranger and interloper in our midst, Mr. Vance Gilder, who
-      foully accuses me of murdering Rufus Grim.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0103" id="linkimage-0103"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9242.jpg" alt="9242 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9242.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      I am now going down to the office of the <i>Prospector</i>, and shall
-      demand an <i>amende honorable</i>. So many of you as see fit may accompany
-      me.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Ay, ay!&rdquo; the crowd shouted, &ldquo;we are ready!&rdquo;
-      Indeed, the citizens of Gold Bluff almost to a man, sided with Boast, and
-      said Vance was showing a cowardly venom at J. Arthur Boast&rsquo;s
-      unexpected success and good fortune, that was neither dignified nor just.
-      Boast led the way to the <i>Prospector</i> office, and was followed by a
-      throng of determined miners and angry citizens, who were in a frame of
-      mind that boded no good for Vance Gilder.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Louise Bonifield had just come over to the Prospector office with a
-      message from her father, and met Arthur Boast at the office door. Louise
-      tripped lightly into the office and saluted Vance with a cheery smile and
-      good morning, while Boast paused in the doorway.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Good morning, Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; said he, savagely.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Good morning,&rdquo; replied Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Who wrote this editorial?&rdquo; asked Boast, striking vigorously a
-      copy of the <i>Prospector</i> which he held in his hand. &ldquo;I tell
-      you,&rdquo; continued Boast, &ldquo;I never murdered Rufus Grim, and any
-      man that says I did is a liar, abase scoundrel, and a contemptible whelp!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">235</span><a name="link235" id="link235"></a>"That&rsquo;s
-      right! Ay, ay!&rdquo; exclaimed the mob that was standing behind Boast,
-      ready at a moment&rsquo;s notice to loot the printing office.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was cool and collected. He noticed that Boast spoke in his old-time
-      thin, piping voice, and his eyes were restless and glittered like a fiend&rsquo;s.
-      The element of manhood and of the philosopher had wholly disappeared.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Louise stepped quickly forward before Vance could make a reply, and laying
-      her hand on Boast&rsquo;s arm, said: &ldquo;Arthur, you know I have always
-      been your friend. I am sure Mr. Gilder has never accused you of murdering
-      Mr. Grim. What do you mean?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;But he has accused me,&rdquo; retorted Boast. &ldquo;Read this!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance stepped hurriedly from behind the case, and drawing Louise gently
-      back, stood face to face with Arthur Boast. He was calm and determined.
-      &ldquo;Where,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;where have I accused you of murdering
-      Rufus Grim? Point out the sentence in the article where your name even
-      appears?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, you haven&rsquo;t used my name, but you might as well have
-      done so.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Vance, as his eyes gleamed with fiercest
-      indignation and anger, &ldquo;I have not accused you, Arthur Boast, but
-      you, by this act, with your mob of hirelings behind you, have accused
-      yourself. Now you must, and by the eternals, shall answer to the law. A
-      guilty conscience,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;needs no accuser, and it is
-      your accusing conscience that has prompted you to come here and publicly
-      charge yourself with the crime. Neither you, nor your host of admirers on
-      full pay, can intimidate me. If you can pass through the test of a
-      thorough investigation, and can be proved innocent, then I will have
-<span class="pagenum">236</span><a name="link236" id="link236"></a>
-no more to say, but until you do this,
-      I shall publicly accuse you and denounce you as the murderer of Rufus
-      Grim!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance towered up like a giant before the writhing and shriveling form of
-      J. Arthur Boast.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0104" id="linkimage-0104"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0244.jpg" alt="0244 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0244.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, I don&rsquo;t know that you have accused me in this
-      editorial,&rdquo; whined Boast, &ldquo;and I don&rsquo;t know as I need to
-      take any steps of revenge until you dare to use my name in your paper. I
-      guess I&rsquo;ll wait and see what my <span class="pagenum">237</span><a
-      name="link237" id="link237"></a>lawyer advises. Fall back, boys, I have
-      nothing farther to say at this interview.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;But I have,&rdquo; said Vance, in thundering tones, &ldquo;and
-      before long I shall have much to say.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, you won&rsquo;t say it through the columns of the Gold Bluff
-      <i>Prospector</i>. It is my property; I have the bill of sale in my
-      pocket.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;yours is the weapon of a coward; the
-      unholy use of the power of money, but your plan of securing possession of
-      the Prospector has no terrors for me. The copy of the <i>Prospector</i>
-      that you hold in your hand contains the last editorial I ever expect to
-      write for the paper. It may please you to know that my last dollar is
-      gone; I am penniless, and without interference from you the <i>Prospector</i>
-      has been issued for the last time under my management. I have been typo,
-      managing editor, devil, form setter, city editor, publisher and everything
-      else, trying hard to make an honest living. I am now through. You and your
-      host of satellites will oblige me by leaving the premises. Come to-morrow
-      morning and take possession. You&rsquo;ll not find me in the way.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Boast turned, and facing his mob of backers said, with the forced laugh of
-      a whipped man:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I thought I would squelch him, boys; he had to cave in, you bet.&rdquo;
-      His voice was shrill and squeaky, and his braggadocio air, as he led his
-      admirers away, hid but poorly his nervousness and agitation.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance and Louise were alone. Louise had stood by during the interview,
-      startled and alarmed. She marvelled at Vance&rsquo;s strength; at his
-      grandeur; at his nobleness; and when she heard him say that now he was
-      penniless, she remembered the sacrifices he had made to help her father.
-      He turned toward her and their eyes met. It came to her like an
-      inspiration, that her respect and admiration for him in times past had
-      been but a prelude to the pulsing love she now felt for him. She reached
-      out both her hands toward him; he took them, and a moment later she was
-      sobbing on his breast. No word had been spoken, but volumes had been
-      interchanged in that one look.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The doorway was darkened. They quickly looked up, Louise through her
-      tears, and Vance with a beaming countenance. Colonel Bonifield was
-      surveying the situation with a look of genuine surprise on his face.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yo&rsquo; almost pa&rsquo;lyze me, suh,&rdquo; said the Colonel,
-      &ldquo;indeed yo&rsquo; do. Why, Mr. Gilder, I sent my little girl oveh
-      here to tell yo&rsquo; that I had a matteh of vehy great impo&rsquo;tance
-      to talk oveh with yo&rsquo;, but she was gone so long, suh, <span
-      class="pagenum">238</span><a name="link238" id="link238"></a>that I became
-      impatient and came oveh myself.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Oh, papa,&rdquo; said Louise, &ldquo;Mr. Gilder and Arthur have had
-      a terrible quarrel!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;A quarrel, suh; why, how is that?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I am always ready to talk with you, Colonel,&rdquo; said Vance, in
-      a confused way, and unconsciously retaining one of Louise&rsquo;s hands.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, now, if my little girl,&rdquo; said the Colonel &ldquo;God
-      bless her! will go oveh home and see about preparin&rsquo; dinneh and lay
-      an extra plate fo&rsquo; yo&rsquo;, we&rsquo;ll have our talk and come
-      oveh a little lateh.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      While no word had been spoken between Vance and Louise, yet he believed
-      that his great love had been understood and rewarded. He lifted her hand
-      to his lips as she started to go, with that chivalrous respect so becoming
-      in the knights of old. When she was gone, Vance turned and thought he saw
-      a smile chasing rapidly over the Colonel&rsquo;s face.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Wait a moment, Colonel,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;I have some
-      choice cigars that were sent me from New York. Here, try this one.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Thank yo&rsquo;,&rdquo; <span class="pagenum">239</span><a
-      name="link239" id="link239"></a>said the Colonel, &ldquo;I neveh felt mo&rsquo;
-      like smokin&rsquo; in my life than I do this mawnin&rsquo; As they lit
-      their cigars, they walked out in front of the printing office. The morning
-      sun mellowed the crisp and invigorating mountain air. Vance narrated his
-      interview with Boast. The Colonel&rsquo;s face clouded with a troubled
-      expression. Presently he said:
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Mr. Gilder, we have at last finished our work on Gray Rocks.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I am very glad,&rdquo; was Vance&rsquo;s reply.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yo&rsquo; fo&rsquo;ced me, suh, at one time,&rdquo; said the
-      Colonel, &ldquo;to make a promise. When I pledge my word of honor, suh, as
-      I did to yo&rsquo;, it is sacred. Heretofore yo&rsquo; most naturally, Mr.
-      Gilder, have asked me what I advised. I now come to yo&rsquo; and ask,
-      what do yo&rsquo; advise?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Colonel Bonifield,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;I am glad you ask me
-      what I advise. You know, Colonel, when you first came to New York city,
-      you thought that if you could only get to the 300 foot level you would
-      cross-cut into a mine of untold wealth.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, suh,&rdquo; replied the Colonel, &ldquo;that is so, and yo&rsquo;
-      freely gave me the money to push the work.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Vance, and unconsciously with the toe of his boot
-      he dug in the sand as if he was seeking the 300 foot level, &ldquo;at the
-      300 foot level your efforts were not rewarded. Then you started for the
-      400 foot level.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">240</span><a name="link240" id="link240"></a>"Yes,
-      suh,&rdquo; said the Colonel, &ldquo;and again you gave me the money.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, yes,&rdquo; said Vance, as the toe of his boot dug still
-      deeper in the sand, &ldquo;but again you failed. Then I gave you the last
-      dollar of ready money I had in the world to sink the shaft on down to the
-      500 foot level.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Vehy true,&rdquo; said the Colonel, &ldquo;and would have given me
-      mo&rsquo; if yo&rsquo; had had it.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Most assuredly,&rdquo; said Vance, as his boot struck the rock that
-      lay beneath the sand. &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said he, planting his heel firmly
-      on the rock, &ldquo;you have at last reached the 500 foot level.
-      Heretofore, I have listened to your advice, and now I hope you will be
-      guided by mine. I have been away from New York over two years. I have not
-      left Gold Bluff for more than a year. I have remained close to Gray Rocks,
-      alternately hoping and doubting that you would be successful. Colonel
-      Bonifield, I have no regrets. You have been earnest and sincere, though
-      sadly mistaken, in regard to this mining venture.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, well, suh,&rdquo; said the Colonel, as he waited for Vance to
-      go on.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I have something <span class="pagenum">241</span><a
-      name="link241_rdquo_________id_" id="link241_rdquo_________id_"></a>to say
-      to you, Colonel&mdash;I love your daughter with my whole heart, and more
-      devotedly, it seems to me, than ever man loved woman before. I have a
-      beautiful home in New York city, with ample means to care for her and you.
-      My advice is that you and your lovely daughter, with those dependent upon
-      you, come with me and we will leave these western wilds, so associated
-      with disappointment, and go to my city home. This morning, for the first
-      time, I have had reason to believe that your daughter reciprocated the
-      great love I bear her. You are now an old man, Colonel, and while I have
-      not a doubt in the world that if you would sink your shaft to the 600 foot
-      level, say, or, perhaps to the 700 foot level, you would strike the vein
-      of gold you have been looking for so many years; yet, what is the use,
-      Colonel Bonifield, what is the use? My love for your daughter is very
-      great, and I believe it is unselfish. A home of plenty awaits us.
-      Hardships and disappointment alone have been the reward of our earnest
-      efforts. Why not go away from it all? Yes, let us go and forget the
-      trials, hardships, and hopes deferred of a frontiersman&rsquo;s life, and
-      let me help you spend the remaining years of your life in quiet, peace,
-      and contentment.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yo&rsquo; do me honor, suh,&rdquo; replied the Colonel, as he
-      brushed a mist from his eyes, &ldquo;bawn in the nawth, yet yo&rsquo;
-      possess the true chivalry of a southern gentleman. Yes, suh, yo&rsquo; do,
-      indeed. It is true we sunk the shaft to the 300 foot level, and finally,
-      to the 500 foot level, and you, suh, have fu&rsquo;nished the money fo&rsquo;
-      this great work. I thought my men would stay with me and help cross-cut
-      into the vein, but I found, when I spoke to them about the matteh, that
-      they only had confidence in Gray Rocks so long as there was money in my
-      purse to pay their wages every Saturday night. When they dese&rsquo;ted
-      me, suh, I worked away alone, and finally that little girl, Louise, went
-      down with me yeste&rsquo;day early in the mawnin&rsquo;, and we didn&rsquo;t
-      get home until after nine o&rsquo;clock last night.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">242</span><a name="link242" id="link242"></a>"What!&rdquo;
-      said Vance, &ldquo;Louise been working down in the mine?&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, suh, the hardest day&rsquo;s work I eveh put in on Gray Rocks
-      was yeste&rsquo;day.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why did you not let me know?&rdquo; asked Vance, &ldquo;I would
-      have come and helped you most cheerfully, rather than have let her do the
-      work of a man, and 500 feet under ground at that.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Well, hold on, Mr. Gilder, let me tell yo&rsquo;. We had a goodly
-      portion of giant powder yeste&rsquo;day mawnin&rsquo;, and yo&rsquo;ve no
-      idea how much assistance Louise gave me. I took the measu&rsquo;ments a
-      dozen times, suh, durin&rsquo; the day, and it seemed to me that by workin&rsquo;
-      a little late, we might finally blast through into the vein.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, Colonel, &lsquo;where the vein might have been,&rsquo;.rdquo;
-      said Vance, with a merry twinkle in his eye, while he struck his heel in
-      an absent way against the rock. The Colonel paid no attention to the
-      interruption.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Finally, suh, we made our last, drill, and filled it up with every
-      grain of powdeh we had left. My little Louise had to dust every powdeh can
-      in ordeh to have enough to make the last blast. We retired, suh, as usual,
-      afteh I had lit the fuse, and yo&rsquo; ought to have heard that last
-      blast go off! My daughter, suh, God bless her, tried to dull the
-      disappointment that she felt sure was awaitin&rsquo; our effo&rsquo;ts by
-      gettin&rsquo; me to promise not to be too much disappointed; but I had
-      confidence; yes, suh, right up to the last. Well, suh, the smoke finally
-      cleared away, and my God! suh, my old eyes wept for joy!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;What!&rdquo; exclaimed Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Look at this piece of ore, Mr. Gilder; richer, yes, suh, richer
-      than anything ever discovered in the Peacock. <span class="pagenum">243</span><a
-      name="link243" id="link243"></a>Yes, suh, my deah Gilder, we have made our
-      last blast, and Gray Rocks is worth two million dollars. The agent of a
-      rich minin&rsquo; corporation of Butte City made me an offer of that sum
-      this mawnin&rsquo;.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <br /><br />
-    </p>
-    <hr />
-    <p>
-      <a name="link2HCH0027" id="link2HCH0027"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div style="height: 4em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h2>
-      CHAPTER XXVII.&mdash;AT LAST!
-    </h2>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0105" id="linkimage-0105"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9252.jpg" alt="9252 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9252.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      EFFECT <span class="pagenum">244</span><a name="link244" id="link244"></a>on
-      the people of a mining camp of one of those fabulously rich &ldquo;strikes&rdquo;
-      like Gray Recks mine proved to be, may be imagined but cannot be described
-      in words. Shopkeeper, citizen and miner alike, go wild with enthusiasm
-      over so important a discovery. Congratulations were showered upon Colonel
-      Bonifield and Vance from every quarter. Every one in Gold Bluff felt it
-      his privilege to call at Colonel Bonifield&rsquo;s home and pay his
-      respects to one who had lived so long in their midst, and who had so
-      persistently and so patiently maintained unbounded confidence in a
-      proposition that was looked upon by others as a money-losing venture.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Independent of the fortune left him by his father, Vance was now a
-      millionaire. In his prosperity he did not forget his old friends. He
-      called on the sheriff and again offered himself as bondsman for Steve
-      Gibbons. The bond was accepted, and a half hour later, Gibbons was
-      released. Hank Casey surrendered himself, and was also immediately bailed
-      out of custody.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      One evening the stage coach brought to Gold Bluff Homer Winthrop and his
-      young bride, <i>nee</i> Virgie Bonifield. It was a great surprise to the
-      Bonifield household.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">245</span><a name="link245" id="link245"></a>"And
-      this accounts,&rdquo; said Vance to Homer, after he had congratulated him,
-      &ldquo;this accounts for Marcus Donald hastening away from Gold Bluff.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Homer, &ldquo;I could not think of having the
-      ceremony take place without my old friend and associate, Marcus Donald,
-      being present. We have traveled together so long, in adversity as well as
-      in prosperity, that we are quite inseparable.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;He is a great character,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;his
-      disinterested assistance and help I have recently seen demonstrated in a
-      marked degree.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;He is one of the &lsquo;salt of the earth,&rsquo;.rdquo; replied
-      Winthrop, enthusiastically, &ldquo;he is not only a sunny day friend, but
-      one in the hour of need&mdash;indeed, he is a man among men. By the way,&rdquo;
-      he continued, &ldquo;I want to congratulate you with all my heart on the
-      great Gray Rocks strike.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Thank you,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;the prosperity could never
-      have come at a more opportune time. My finances was reduced to the last
-      dollar when Colonel Bonifield broke the news to me.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I received your letter, written some ten days ago,&rdquo; said
-      Winthrop, &ldquo;and have sold those twenty-five lots your New York
-      friends purchased.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Thank God for that!&rdquo; ejaculated Vance.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, I sold them for $800 apiece, or $20,000. As they only paid
-      $2,500 for them, I hardly think they can complain at the profits. Oh, you
-      have no idea what a city Waterville has become. The great waterpower has
-      been effectually harnessed, the streets are paved; electric car lines,
-      planing mills, and scores of other manufacturing concerns are in full
-      operation. Our population is now <span class="pagenum">246</span><a
-      name="link246_rdquo_________id_" id="link246_rdquo_________id_"></a>numbered
-      by thousands, instead of hundreds, while busy activity and prosperity are
-      apparent on every hand.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;You quite astonish me, old fellow,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;indeed
-      you do; but I needed no greater proof of Waterville&rsquo;s prosperity
-      than your report of the sale of lots belonging to my New York friends.
-      Once, old fellow, I gave you my promise to wait five years before passing
-      judgment on your enterprise. Hardly half that time has elapsed, yet it
-      gives me pleasure to assure you that I am already better satisfied with
-      Waterville than I ever dared hope for.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Thank you,&rdquo; said Homer, &ldquo;your &lsquo;Two Honorable
-      Exceptions&rsquo; article in the New York <i>Banner</i> was indeed
-      prophetic.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;while the prophecies of Col.
-      Alexander, B. Webster Legal, Gen. Ira House, and other members of your
-      Waterville Town Company, have been more than realized.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;My associates,&rdquo; said Homer, &ldquo;in the great work of
-      building up Waterville, have at last met with a compensation which I
-      cannot but feel is a just one. Taking it all and all, they are a grand lot
-      of fellows, each one a study within himself; nevertheless, collectively a
-      phalanx of strength.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;By the way,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;it was my noble little
-      wife, Virgie, that started the boom last spring. She learned in some
-      mysterious way that a private school fund had been created for her special
-      benefit, and in order to return the money, purchased the first lots that
-      we had sold for months and months, and from that day the boom started,
-      until now&mdash;well, you&rsquo;ll have to see the place to realize the
-      wonderful changes and improvements.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <span class="pagenum">247</span><a name="link247" id="link247"></a>"Hers,&rdquo;
-      said Vance, &ldquo;is certainty a sweet and noble character.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, indeed,&rdquo; replied Winthrop, laughingly, &ldquo;I still
-      think she is the most practical member of the Bonifield family.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Indeed,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;I remember the allusion, and I
-      beg to assure you that my opinion remains unchanged in regard to Louise.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I notice,&rdquo; said Winthrop, &ldquo;that our old acquaintance,
-      J. Arthur Boast, has had quite a rise in the world&mdash;at the head of
-      the Peacock mine, I understand.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied Vance, while a sorrowful expression swept over
-      his face, &ldquo;I fear his rise preceeds a mighty fall. Gibbons and Casey
-      have been arrested for the Grim murder, but have given bonds, and are
-      waiting for their attorney, B. Webster Legal, and to use one of Steve
-      Gibbons&rsquo; expressions, &lsquo;Things are liable to be sizzlin&rsquo;
-      hot for Boast before long. &lsquo;&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why,&rdquo; interrupted Winthrop, &ldquo;you cannot mean&mdash;&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; continued Vance, &ldquo;I do mean that J. Arthur Boast
-      murdered Rufus Grim. I have the evidence. Hank Casey saw the act.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Why, you astonish me!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Casey,&rdquo; continued Vance, &ldquo;was at first afraid to report
-      the matter, nor did he until he went to Waterville. You were away at the
-      time, and he confided to Mr. Donald. His own and Steve Gibbons&rsquo; long
-      years of warfare with Grim over the Peacock, he was afraid, would cause
-      people to suspect them of the crime. He divined rightly. There is a great
-      prejudice against both of them.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I never was more surprised in my life!&rdquo; said Winthrop, <span
-      class="pagenum">248</span><a name="link248" id="link248"></a>"and while I
-      never liked the fellow, yet I had no idea he would commit murder.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The next day a warrant was issued for the arrest of J. Arthur Boast,
-      charging him with the murder of Rufus Grim. A most diligent search was
-      made, but the officer was unable to find him. His wife was in tears and
-      prostrated with grief, declaring she had no idea of his whereabouts.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It was the morning before Thanksgiving that Vance received a certain
-      letter. It was from Arthur Boast, and read as follows:
-    </p>
-    <blockquote>
-      <p>
-        At Home.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        Dear Sir:
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        Why I write to you above all others, is more than I can tell. An
-        impulse, actuated by some wandering spirit from the regions of darkness
-        and the damned, forces me to it. The things I want to do, I am unable to
-        accomplish. The acts I loathe and abhor, I am made a cat&rsquo;s-paw of
-        to perform by some unknown impelling force.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        It may be that some men can shape their own destiny&mdash;mine has been
-        shaped for me.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        I have never seen the time I did not fear you, and cannot remember the
-        time I did not hate and despise you. I sought your friendship for
-        protection. When I needed your support, you turned against me.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        Rufus Grim was my evil genius in this life, and he is more unbearable
-        dead than living. Every night since I murdered him&mdash;yes, it was I
-        who did the deed&mdash;he has visited me in my dreams All night long he
-        walks up and down my bed-room&mdash;back and forth&mdash;and curses me.
-        Sometimes I pull the covers well over my head, and try to sleep, but he
-        pulls them off and rubs his cold, clammy hands threateningly over my
-        face. He has found out also that I robbed the stage coach and bribed the
-        sheriff.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        I am tired of it all. I have not slept for ten nights. My brain <span
-        class="pagenum">249</span><a name="link249" id="link249"></a>is on fire.
-        You want vengeance, but I intend to cheat you&mdash;yes? I will cheat
-        you&mdash;and in this way I find my only consolation.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        An hour ago my attorney came to my hiding-place, and told me the higher
-        courts had reversed the decision. When this is known all Gold Bluff will
-        turn against me. Even now I can hear them hissing the words. Scoundrel!
-        scoundrel! murderer! murderer! in tantalizing scorn.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        My ambition has always been to be wealthy. Now I am so poor that if I
-        continued to live and was not hunted down and sent to prison, I would
-        not even have a crust of bread to eat.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        Yes, Gibbons and Casey are now the owners of the Peacock mine&mdash;the
-        higher courts have so decided. With their money, they&rsquo;ll join you
-        in persecuting me&mdash;but I&rsquo;ll cheat them as well as you. Your
-        longing for revenge shall not be satisfied.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        At the old prospect shaft on the Peacock, where I struck the fatal blow
-        that hurled Rufus Grim into eternity, you will find all that remains of
-        the persecuted, despised and hated.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        J. Arthur Boast.
-      </p>
-      <p>
-        To Vance Gilder.
-      </p>
-    </blockquote>
-    <p>
-      A search was at once made, and his lifeless body found near the old
-      prospect shaft.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0106" id="linkimage-0106"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figleft" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/9257.jpg" alt="9257 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/9257.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      A bullet wound in his temple, and the weapon still clutched in his hand,
-      told of the maniac&rsquo;s suicide.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The people of Gold Bluff were astonished at the rapidity with which
-      history was being made. The sheriff was missing, and his absence gave
-      color to Boast&rsquo;s statement about the sheriff being an accomplice in
-      the stage robbery.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      The undisputed owners of the Peacock mine, Casey and Gibbons, the
-      multi-millionaires, were entirely vindicated by Boast&rsquo;s letter, and
-      not <span class="pagenum">250</span><a name="link250" id="link250"></a>a
-      shadow of suspicion rested against them; indeed, the citizens of Gold
-      Bluff suddenly remembered that Mr. Henry Casey and Stephen Gibbons, Esq.,
-      were most excellent gentlemen. It was astonishing to find how many &ldquo;friends&rdquo;
-      flocked around them to tender their congratulations.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      It was Thanksgiving night, and Vance, with the members of the Bonifield
-      household, was seated before the open grate, where a cheerful fire burned
-      brightly. <span class="pagenum">251</span><a name="link251" id="link251"></a>They
-      had been talking it all over, and the Colonel, in a subdued but satisfied
-      way, thanked God that he had been permitted to live long enough to see a
-      fulfillment of his life&rsquo;s dream.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0107" id="linkimage-0107"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="figright" style="width:15%;">
-      <img src="images/8258.jpg" alt="8258 " width="100%" /><br /><a
-      href="images/8258.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </div>
-    <p>
-      Both Louise and Virgie were animated and happy, and Homer Winthrop had
-      been dilating upon Waterville&rsquo;s wonderful prosperity.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Presently the door opened, and Aunt Sally came in. &ldquo;Good evenin&rsquo;,
-      Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; said she, in her rich Southern accent, &ldquo;I &lsquo;low
-      this is the happiest day of our lives.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Yes, indeed,&rdquo; replied Vance, &ldquo;we owe many apologies to
-      your brother for our seeming lack of confidence in Gray Rocks.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      She looked at him quickly over her spectacles, and replied, &ldquo;Lack of
-      confidence, Mr. Gilder? I&rsquo;d like to know who lacked confidence in my
-      brother Benjamin&rsquo;s mine! Fo&rsquo; myself, I have believed from the
-      first that Benjamin would strike it if I could only keep him workin&rsquo;
-      away long enough.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance was non-plussed, and was about to reply, when the Colonel
-      interposed. &ldquo;Yo&rsquo; see, suh,&rdquo; said he, with a knowing
-      twinkle in his eye, &ldquo;I have often obse&rsquo;ved to yo&rsquo; that
-      my sisteh is a most ext&rsquo;ao&rsquo;dina&rsquo;y person; yes, suh, most
-      ext&rsquo;ao&rsquo;dina&rsquo;y indeed. She has been a powehful support to
-      me, suh, in my effo&rsquo;ts.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      This seemed to partially pacify Aunt Sally. Presently she said, &ldquo;I
-      &lsquo;spect, Mr. Gilder, yo&rsquo; are thinkin&rsquo; &lsquo;bout a
-      convehsation we had a few months ago in regard to sinkin&rsquo; the shaft.
-      Of cou&rsquo;se yo&rsquo; didn&rsquo;t know how much strategy I had to
-      resort to that I might keep Benjamin from getting disheartened. Of cou&rsquo;se
-      I won&rsquo;t allow nobody to say anythin&rsquo; against my brother, but I
-      &lsquo;low he is the contrariest man livin&rsquo;, I do indeed, suh. Time
-      and again I have been fo&rsquo;ced to pretend that I was opposin&rsquo;
-      him, just to make him go on work in&rsquo; and sinkin&rsquo; that shaft,
-      but at last it is all over with, and I&rsquo;ve much to be thankful fo&rsquo;
-      that I was spared so that I could keep on naggin&rsquo; at Benjamin and
-      spurrin&rsquo; him up, until finally his effo&rsquo;ts were rewa&rsquo;ded.&rdquo;
-      Soon after, she embraced Louise and Virgie tenderly, and retired.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      When she was gone, the Colonel looked up from the crackling fire, into
-      which he had been gazing long and earnestly, and said, &ldquo;I presume,
-      Mr. Gilder, my sisteh is without question one of the greatest characters
-      that ever lived, I do indeed, suh. I&rsquo;m discoverin&rsquo;, even to
-      this day, new traits of superio&rsquo;ity and strength in her. Indeed,
-      suh, she is no o&rsquo;dina&rsquo;y woman. Though bawn in the South, and
-      possessin&rsquo; in a high degree the very great refinement peculiar to
-      our Southern ladies, yet at the same time her diplomacy in accomplishin&rsquo;
-      great results equals the shrewdest Nawthe&rsquo;n Yankee. Indeed, suh, she
-      is a most rema&rsquo;kable character; yes, suh, most rema&rsquo;kable.&rdquo;
-      <span class="pagenum">252</span><a name="link252" id="link252"></a>A
-      little later Homer and Virgie retired, pleading weariness. &ldquo;Do you
-      know,&rdquo; said Colonel Bonifield, looking up from the fire again,
-      &ldquo;since our great discovery was made, I seem to want to do all my
-      sleeping in the mawnin&rsquo;.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Papa,&rdquo; said Louise, &ldquo;is too busy thinking over and over
-      again his great good fortune to get sleepy; but my! how late he does sleep
-      in the morning!&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;He has justly earned,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;the rest he claims.&rsquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Indeed he has,&rdquo; replied Louise, approaching her father and
-      pushing gently back his long white locks, &ldquo;you are my darling old
-      papa,&rdquo; she continued in a caressing way, &ldquo;and may sit up as
-      late as you like, and sleep until noon every day if it is your wish.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll tell yo&rsquo;, Mr. Gilder,&rdquo; said the Colonel,
-      rising and standing before the fire, &ldquo;this little girl of mine is
-      bound to spoil me; yes, suh; she always did humor me eveh since I can
-      remembeh, and she is worse now than eveh befo&rsquo; Well, well, you&rsquo;ll
-      have to excuse me until I have another pipe of tobacco.&rdquo; His elegant
-      suit of black of the latest pattern added to his dignified appearance, and
-      made a strange contrast, Vance thought, with the miner&rsquo;s garb he had
-      worn for so many years. He pushed through the portieres that opened into
-      the library, and Louise and Vance were left alone, for the first time
-      since the rich discovery had been announced.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      A doubt came into Vance&rsquo;s mind whether he was glad of it or not.
-      Heretofore this noble girl whom he had loved so long and patiently had
-      been in a measure dependent upon him&mdash;now she was an heiress. He
-      fancied he detected a restraint in her conversation that was embarrassing.
-      His own unworthiness rose up before him, and he was engulfed in the
-      cowardice of a lover! What if she should refuse him? Cross-cutting into a
-      pinched-out vein would be nothing in comparison with such a
-      disappointment. Presently, at his request, she went to the piano, and sang
-      for him.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      She sang <span class="pagenum">253</span><a name="link253" id="link253"></a>with
-      far more feeling than ever before. Her heart was filled with a maiden&rsquo;s
-      dearest happiness&mdash;a deep, reciprocal, unspoken love of limitless
-      depth. Yes, with the unerring divination of a woman, she knew that Vance&rsquo;s
-      love was wholly hers. There was a love song before her, and under its
-      cover, she would declare her own without restraint. She sang with the
-      rapture of a mountain thrush, in notes so rich, so innocent, so
-      plaintively low, so delightfully thrilling.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Vance listened with bated breath. There are pleasures so keen as to be
-      painful. &ldquo;I am so inferior to her,&rdquo; he thought, with unselfish
-      humility, &ldquo;but to live without her is impossible.&rdquo; Finally she
-      ceased playing and turned toward him with the music of her soul radiant
-      upon her face. A momentary silence followed.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;Louise,"<span class="pagenum">254</span><a name="link254"
-      id="link254"></a> said Vance, and there was a tremulous rhythm in his
-      voice, notwithstanding he tried to crush it into naturalness, &ldquo;it
-      may be news to you, but I can no more help loving you than I can help
-      breathing.&rdquo; He walked back and forth before the open grate. &ldquo;Please
-      do not look away from me,&rdquo; he went on, &ldquo;as if I were so
-      unworthy&mdash;I know that well enough. I would rather love you without
-      hope than have the unselfish devotion of all the other women of the earth
-      at my feet.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      She had lifted her hands and covered her face. Her happiness was very
-      great. She fears he would see it, vet he must know it, else she would be
-      miserable.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      &ldquo;What I have said,&rdquo; Vance went on, &ldquo;may be nothing to
-      you, but it is either life or death to me. To-morrow I shall leave Gold
-      Bluff for ever unless you wish me to remain.&rdquo; Vance stood before the
-      open grate still and motionless, and when she looked up, she saw his face
-      was white as marble. She rose from the piano with tear-stained cheeks,
-      flushing pink as La France roses with morning dew-drops upon them. She
-      came forward a few steps, and then paused. Her golden wealth of hair <span
-      class="pagenum">255</span><a name="link255" id="link255"></a>reflected the
-      forelight, and made a halo about her girlish face and form. Her full red
-      lips were parted with the tender smile of youth, purity and love. She was
-      thinking, &ldquo;I am certain of his love; I am sure of mine for him, and
-      I will give myself entirely, yes, wholly into his keeping.&rdquo; With one
-      hand over her beating heart, she held the other toward Vance. In a moment
-      he was by her side, and raising her hand, pressed it passionately to his
-      lips. In the deliciousness of love&rsquo;s dream, he led her to a divan
-      and seated himself beside her. His arms stole about her, her head rested
-      on her breast, and there a devout lover&rsquo;s affection was sealed with
-      love&rsquo;s first kiss.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      A moment <span class="pagenum">256</span><a name="link256" id="link256"></a>later
-      the portieres parted, and in the doorway stood the Colonel. His long white
-      hair fell back from his temples, and there was a look of gladness upon his
-      countenance. He lifted up his face toward Heaven, and in tones that were
-      scarcely audible, said: &ldquo;Such tender and sacred things of earth are
-      sanctified in Heaven.&rdquo;
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      Yes, again the Shuttle of Fate wove into the web of Destiny the better
-      attributes of a manly man and the ennobling love of a gentle woman.
-    </p>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0108" id="linkimage-0108"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0261.jpg" alt="0261 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0261.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <p>
-      <a name="linkimage-0109" id="linkimage-0109"> </a>
-    </p>
-    <div class="fig" style="width:50%;">
-      <img src="images/0263.jpg" alt="0263 " width="100%" /><br />
-    </div>
-    <h5>
-      <a href="images/0263.jpg"><img src="images/enlarge.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
-    </h5>
-    <div style="height: 6em;">
-      <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
-    </div>
-<pre xml:space="preserve">
-
-
-
-
-
-End of Project Gutenberg&rsquo;s My &ldquo;Pardner&rdquo; and I, by Willis George Emerson
-
-*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MY &ldquo;PARDNER&rdquo; AND I ***
-
-***** This file should be named 52458-h.htm or 52458-h.zip *****
-This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
-        http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/4/5/52458/
-
-Produced by David Widger from page images generously
-provided by the Internet Archive
-
-
-Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will
-be renamed.
-
-Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
-law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
-so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
-States without permission and without paying copyright
-royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
-of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm
-concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
-and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive
-specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this
-eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook
-for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports,
-performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given
-away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks
-not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the
-trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.
-
-START: FULL LICENSE
-
-THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
-PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
-
-To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
-distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
-(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase &ldquo;Project
-Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
-Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at
-www.gutenberg.org/license.
-
-Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic works
-
-1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
-and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
-(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
-the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
-destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your
-possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
-Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
-by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the
-person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph
-1.E.8.
-
-1.B. &ldquo;Project Gutenberg&rdquo; is a registered trademark. It may only be
-used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
-agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
-things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
-even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
-paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this
-agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
-
-1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the
-Foundation&rdquo; or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
-of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual
-works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
-States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
-United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
-claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
-displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
-all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
-that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting
-free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm
-works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
-Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily
-comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
-same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when
-you share it without charge with others.
-
-1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
-what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
-in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
-check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
-agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
-distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
-other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no
-representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
-country outside the United States.
-
-1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
-
-1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
-immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear
-prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work
-on which the phrase &ldquo;Project Gutenberg&rdquo; appears, or with which the
-phrase &ldquo;Project Gutenberg&rdquo; is associated) is accessed, displayed,
-performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
-
-  This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
-  most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
-  restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it
-  under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this
-  eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the
-  United States, you&rsquo;ll have to check the laws of the country where you
-  are located before using this ebook.
-
-1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is
-derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
-contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
-copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
-the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
-redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase &ldquo;Project
-Gutenberg&rdquo; associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
-either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
-obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm
-trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
-
-1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
-with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
-must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
-additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
-will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works
-posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
-beginning of this work.
-
-1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
-License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
-work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
-
-1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
-electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
-prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
-active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
-Gutenberg-tm License.
-
-1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
-compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
-any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
-to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format
-other than &ldquo;Plain Vanilla ASCII&rdquo; or other format used in the official
-version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site
-(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
-to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
-of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original &ldquo;Plain
-Vanilla ASCII&rdquo; or other form. Any alternate format must include the
-full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
-
-1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
-performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
-unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
-
-1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
-access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
-provided that
-
-* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
-  the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
-  you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
-  to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has
-  agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
-  Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
-  within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
-  legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
-  payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
-  Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
-  Section 4, &ldquo;Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
-  Literary Archive Foundation.&rdquo;
-
-* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
-  you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
-  does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
-  License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
-  copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
-  all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm
-  works.
-
-* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
-  any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
-  electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
-  receipt of the work.
-
-* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
-  distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
-
-1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than
-are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
-from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The
-Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm
-trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
-
-1.F.
-
-1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
-effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
-works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
-Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
-contain &ldquo;Defects,&rdquo; such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
-or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
-intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
-other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
-cannot be read by your equipment.
-
-1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the &ldquo;Right
-of Replacement or Refund&rdquo; described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
-Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
-Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
-liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
-fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
-LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
-PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
-TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
-LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
-INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
-DAMAGE.
-
-1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
-defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
-receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
-written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
-received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
-with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
-with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
-lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
-or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
-opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
-the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
-without further opportunities to fix the problem.
-
-1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
-in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you &lsquo;AS-IS&rsquo;, WITH NO
-OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
-LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
-
-1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
-warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
-damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
-violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
-agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
-limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
-unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
-remaining provisions.
-
-1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
-trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
-providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in
-accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
-production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
-including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
-the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
-or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or
-additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any
-Defect you cause.
-
-Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
-
-Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
-electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
-computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
-exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
-from people in all walks of life.
-
-Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
-assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm&rsquo;s
-goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
-remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
-Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
-and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future
-generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
-Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
-Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at
-www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg
-Literary Archive Foundation
-
-The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
-501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
-state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
-Revenue Service. The Foundation&rsquo;s EIN or federal tax identification
-number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
-Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
-U.S. federal laws and your state&rsquo;s laws.
-
-The Foundation&rsquo;s principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the
-mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its
-volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous
-locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt
-Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to
-date contact information can be found at the Foundation&rsquo;s web site and
-official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
-
-For additional contact information:
-
-    Dr. Gregory B. Newby
-    Chief Executive and Director
-    gbnewby@pglaf.org
-
-Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
-Literary Archive Foundation
-
-Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
-spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
-increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
-freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
-array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
-($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
-status with the IRS.
-
-The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
-charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
-States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
-considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
-with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
-where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
-DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular
-state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate
-
-While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
-have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
-against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
-approach us with offers to donate.
-
-International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
-any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
-outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
-
-Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
-methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
-ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
-donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate
-
-Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works.
-
-Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
-Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be
-freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
-distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of
-volunteer support.
-
-Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
-editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
-the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
-necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
-edition.
-
-Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search
-facility: www.gutenberg.org
-
-This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
-including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
-Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
-subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
-
-
-
-</pre>
-  </body>
-</html>
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0009.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0009.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index ee6273a..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0009.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0010.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0010.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 3d911ab..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0010.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0011.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0011.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index aa48699..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0011.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0022.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0022.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 5820c2b..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0022.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0029.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0029.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 668c594..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0029.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0038.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0038.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index c451b07..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0038.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0045.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0045.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index e9fa904..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0045.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0049.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0049.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index fdd7112..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0049.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0058.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0058.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 49855e4..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0058.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0068.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0068.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 8ea0e76..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0068.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0076.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0076.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 1dc52a4..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0076.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0084.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0084.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 597a07c..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0084.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0090.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0090.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 0418f00..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0090.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0095.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0095.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 4cd774c..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0095.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0101.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0101.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 4204ca1..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0101.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0104.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0104.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 2a6d3d5..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0104.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0116.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0116.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 02d3c90..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0116.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0122.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0122.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 65bdb93..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0122.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0132.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0132.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index f2f476b..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0132.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0143.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0143.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 6f13725..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0143.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0151.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0151.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index fd78f21..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0151.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0159.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0159.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index aa82925..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0159.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0170.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0170.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 0ad684b..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0170.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0179.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0179.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 7bd2fd4..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0179.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0187.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0187.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index fd645b7..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0187.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0197.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0197.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 58286b9..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0197.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0215.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0215.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 64ef5ed..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0215.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0223.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0223.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 21e689f..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0223.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0236.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0236.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 4e1a99c..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0236.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0244.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0244.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index fdfaf41..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0244.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0261.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0261.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 077826e..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0261.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/0263.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/0263.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 7f132a5..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/0263.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8033.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8033.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 12832b0..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8033.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8039.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8039.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index fc7769b..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8039.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8043.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8043.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 1abf163..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8043.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8046.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8046.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index b11f4c2..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8046.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8051.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8051.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index d5d6fed..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8051.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8056.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8056.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 0efe1f6..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8056.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8073.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8073.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index dd0df72..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8073.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8074.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8074.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 91c030c..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8074.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8082.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8082.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index c2b4b3e..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8082.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8087.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8087.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 9210ecf..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8087.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8109.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8109.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index fc15fb4..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8109.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8112.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8112.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index ac5caae..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8112.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8114.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8114.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 9180289..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8114.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8128.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8128.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 250d50d..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8128.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8139.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8139.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 5818199..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8139.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8146.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8146.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index bac989c..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8146.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8161.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8161.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index ec2d02c..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8161.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8164.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8164.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index a51ce3e..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8164.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8174.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8174.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 5b1e33a..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8174.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8201.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8201.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index ce8f681..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8201.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8205.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8205.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 43dc492..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8205.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8232.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8232.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 6254757..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8232.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/8258.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/8258.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index bfb52e5..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/8258.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9019.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9019.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 7ee98fe..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9019.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9020.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9020.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index fb1e202..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9020.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9021.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9021.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index d27acf3..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9021.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9026.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9026.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index b6b8c16..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9026.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9031.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9031.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index e089635..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9031.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9034.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9034.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index d0ac552..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9034.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9036.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9036.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index f90126c..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9036.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9041.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9041.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index d37e8fb..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9041.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9048.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9048.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index fe8df7f..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9048.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9053.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9053.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index b4059d4..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9053.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9055.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9055.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 258dafd..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9055.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9060.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9060.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 33d2556..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9060.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9064.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9064.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index a5e151b..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9064.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9065.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9065.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 8113515..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9065.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9066.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9066.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 030c447..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9066.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9071.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9071.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 11f5232..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9071.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9072.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9072.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 0cc5c7a..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9072.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9078.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9078.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index ff0a3ab..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9078.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9079.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9079.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index f103790..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9079.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9086.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9086.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 57618d3..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9086.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9093.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9093.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 16a56e7..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9093.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9094.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9094.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 91ca252..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9094.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9098.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9098.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 27875dd..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9098.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9102.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9102.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 9b1ec8e..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9102.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9108.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9108.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 3f7b289..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9108.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9111.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9111.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 6183f21..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9111.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9119.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9119.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 9d49711..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9119.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9125.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9125.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 189c2d3..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9125.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9131.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9131.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 4db3a74..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9131.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9136.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9136.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index e2e1a07..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9136.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9141.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9141.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 9aec5d6..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9141.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9144.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9144.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 8c23385..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9144.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9148.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9148.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index eaa9cb6..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9148.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9149.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9149.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index ba6f763..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9149.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9153.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9153.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 9183343..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9153.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9156.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9156.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index d2bfed1..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9156.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9166.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9166.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 4127806..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9166.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9169.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9169.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 8aeb7cc..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9169.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9172.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9172.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 94c7844..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9172.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9176.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9176.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 66e1452..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9176.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9178.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9178.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index e0528b2..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9178.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9183.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9183.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index ddd721e..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9183.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9185.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9185.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 7466a92..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9185.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9192.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9192.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index cfb89ff..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9192.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9194.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9194.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index e42f18f..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9194.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9195.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9195.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index fa8bc49..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9195.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9207.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9207.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 7733673..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9207.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9208.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9208.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 2dfb58c..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9208.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9212.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9212.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 654d616..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9212.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9217.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9217.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 54e05ca..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9217.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9218.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9218.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 67715c5..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9218.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9220.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9220.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index d4bc5a9..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9220.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9226.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9226.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 573b6e7..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9226.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9229.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9229.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 63bc6a4..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9229.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9239.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9239.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index aa99eb9..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9239.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9242.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9242.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index fe1369e..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9242.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9248.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9248.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index cd2796c..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9248.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9252.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9252.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index a0fdb8c..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9252.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/9257.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/9257.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 3f728ed..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/9257.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/cover.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 64fea02..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/cover.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458-h/images/enlarge.jpg b/old/52458-h/images/enlarge.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 5a9bcf3..0000000
--- a/old/52458-h/images/enlarge.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/old/52458.txt b/old/52458.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index eac2873..0000000
--- a/old/52458.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7321 +0,0 @@
-The Project Gutenberg EBook of My "Pardner" and I, by Willis George Emerson
-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
-other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
-whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of
-the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
-www.gutenberg.org.  If you are not located in the United States, you'll have
-to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.
-
-
-
-Title: My "Pardner" and I
-       Gray Rocks, A Story Of The Middle-West, Illustrated
-
-Author: Willis George Emerson
-
-Release Date: June 30, 2016 [EBook #52458]
-
-Language: English
-
-Character set encoding: ASCII
-
-*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MY "PARDNER" AND I ***
-
-
-
-
-Produced by David Widger from page images generously
-provided by the Internet Archive
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-MY "PARDNER" AND I
-
-(_Gray Rocks_)
-
-A Story Of The Middle-West
-
-Illustrated
-
-By Willis George Emerson
-
-Chicago: Laird & Lee, Publishers
-
-1894
-
-
-
-```"Beneath yon rocky peak that hides
-
-```In fleecy clouds its snow-flecked crest;
-
-```Beneath those crimson crags abides
-
-```The fairest queen of all the West."
-
-
-
-[Illustration: 0009]
-
-
-[Illustration: 0010]
-
-
-[Illustration: 0011]
-
-
-
-
-PREFACE.
-
-The breaking of a twig in some vast forest, or the dull echo of a
-miner's pick in a rugged mountain canyon, alike suggest the solitude
-of Nature. The unwritten history of mining prospectors who search for
-yellow gold, or the advance guards of our civilization in the rich
-valleys of the West, are replete-with interest and dramatic incident.
-The "boom" town builder also plays a most conspicuous part in this
-unwritten drama.
-
-There are no frayed-out remnants of a former greatness to be found on
-the frontier. A man sells for his intrinsic worth--no more, no less.
-Conditions that made men great in former generations are here active.
-and develop manhood in its highest form.
-
-There is hardly a cross-road hamlet without its hotel, and usually a
-"Dick Ballard" presides. "Brainy men." such as composed the Waterville
-Town Company, may be found wherever a new town is building, while a
-"Rufus Grim" is usually the autocrat of the mining camp.
-
-The old "Colonel" represents a class of sturdy miners whose untiring
-labor occasionally gives to the world the golden keys of some fabulously
-rich discovery; while the greater number dedicate their lives to a
-fruitless search for hidden treasures, and finally die of disappointment
-and a broken heart.
-
-"Louise," in her unswerving devotion to her father, is a specimen of
-superior womanhood whose duplicate may be found in many a ranchman's
-home throughout the nestling valleys of our y re at West.
-
-Sometimes I imagine I was with "J. Arthur Boast" in his hiding place
-when he wrote that last letter and saw the spectral ghost that ever kept
-him company. The retribution perhaps was just, yet my sympathy lingers
-around the old prospect shaft.
-
-Many of my readers will doubtless desire to express their criticism of
-GRAY ROCKS. Nothing will afford me more pleasure than to receive just
-criticisms, for it will at least enable me to escape similar errors in
-other stories that I am now engaged in writing.
-
-Sincerely,
-
-WILLIS GEORGE EMERSON.
-
-ELM REST, August 20, 1894.
-
-No. 1363 Central Park Boulevard, Chicago.
-
-
-
-
-PARTIAL LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
-
-
- I. The Mr. Gilder for Whom I am Looking is a Much Older Gentleman.....14
-
- II. He Clasped Vance's Hand Warmly....................................21
-
- III. A Letter Was Handed to Him.......................................30
-
- IV. My Salary Has Been Raised,........................................37
-
- V. Hello, Pardner! How D'Ye Do........................................41
-
- VI. He Offered Vance Some Havanas,....................................50
-
- VII. This 'ere Town is Comin' Out of the Kinks in Fine Shape..........60
-
- VIII. He Forgot Time,.................................................68
-
- IX. I Am Going to Give Him a Piece of My Mind.........................70
-
- X. Vance Turned and Saw J. Arthur Boast...............................82
-
- XI. "You're the Young Man, I Reckon," Said Grim, "From New York,".....87
-
- XII. Don't You Think I Am Horrid to Go on Talking this Way to You?....96
-
- XIII. The Stage Ride.................................................108
-
- XIV. Gentlemen, We Deliberate Upon the Destiny of Waterville.........114
-
- XV. Vance Was Presented to Miss Virginia Bonifield,..................121
-
- XVI. We Have Cross-cut Into Whar' the Vein Ought to Be...............135
-
- XVII. "Lost Your Position?" Said Louise, with Unmistakable Concern...143
-
- XVIII. Vance Handed Marcus Donald a Copy.............................151
-
- XIX. They Are the Brainiest Lot of Men This Country Has Produced.....162
-
- XX. They Started Pell-mell Down the Mountain Load....................171
-
- XXI. You Will Not Be Angry With Father, Will You?....................179
-
- XXII. There Are Times, When It's Necessary to Put My Foot Down.......189
-
- XXIII. "Yes," Whispered Bertha, "I Love You So Much,"................207
-
- XXIV. A Dark Form Crouched Near,.....................................215
-
- XXV. Where Is the Powder?............................................228
-
- XXVI. A Guilty Conscience Needs No Accuser...........................236
-
- XXVII. Such Tender Things of Earth Are Sanctified in Heaven..........253
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER I.--VANCE GILDER.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9019]
-
-ANCE GILDER {11}had an ambition. It was to be a great journalist.
-
-The sunshine that gleamed in at his western windows disclosed
-most luxurious apartments--indicating refinement and culture. The
-bric-a-brac; the leathern walls stamped with gilt; the frieze of
-palm-leaves; the chandelier; the richly carved book-case, filled with
-tawny-covered volumes; the upright piano, and a guitar which stood
-sentinel-like in a retired corner; together with India rugs and tiger
-skins on the floor before an open grate, half hidden by a large Japanese
-fan--bespoke wealth as well as refined taste.
-
-Seated at an open escritoire with writing materials before him, on the
-evening of a June day, was Vance Gilder.
-
-He was not more than twenty-five, of medium height, dark brown hair,
-soft and wavy as the silk of Indian corn, large brown eyes, a clear
-complexion, an aquiline nose, {12}and a rather heavy, dark moustache,
-which in part hid a well-formed mouth.
-
-Before him lay numerous packages of papers, but they were not claiming
-his attention. He was perusing a billet-doux written in a lady's hand.
-
-There was a refinement and gentleness in his face, while his dress and
-surroundings indicated a serious elegance, rich but unaffected.
-
-"Who can she be?" was the exclamation that escaped him as he again read
-the letter which he held in his hand.
-
-Tossing it down, he walked back and forth across the room with
-measured strides.
-
-Stopping before the mantel, he lighted a cigar. "Louise Bonifield," he
-ejaculated, between puffs of smoke, which he blew away in rings toward
-the ceiling, "where have I met her?
-
-
-[Illustration: 9020]
-
-
-Where have I seen that name?"
-
-Walking back to the escritoire, he took up the letter and read aloud:
-
-
-Murray Hill Hotel, June 18.
-
-Kind Sir:
-
-Father and I arrived in the city last night. He wishes me to call on
-you at three o'clock this afternoon; business of special importance to
-himself.
-
-Respectfully,
-
-LOUISE BONIFIELD.
-
-To Vance Gilder, Esq.
-
-
-"No," he said aloud, "I do not remember Miss Louise Bonifield. It is
-doubtless very stupid of me, and all that, but if ever I even heard the
-name before, it certainly has {13}passed from my memory. She says three
-o'clock," and glancing at the French time-piece which helped to make up
-the furniture of his room, he saw it was preparing to strike the hour of
-three.
-
-Scarcely had the sound of the mellow cathedral bell died away, when the
-door-bell clanged out like a harsh echo of the clock's last stroke.
-
-[Illustration: 9021]
-
-The servant brought in a card bearing the name of "Louise Bonifield,"
-and received instructions to admit the visitor at once.
-
-The rustling of skirts was soon heard in the hallway.
-
-With the deportment of a queen, she accepted the proffered chair and
-raised to Vance's face a pair of laughing blue eyes that might be
-dangerous. The parting of her rosy lips displayed her ivory teeth
-to advantage, while her evident embarrassment tinged with pink her
-beautiful cheeks.
-
-"I called," she stammered, "to see Mr. Vance Gilder."
-
-"At your service," he replied, bowing low.
-
-"But really, sir, are you Mr. Gilder?"
-
-"I believe," he replied, "that I enjoy the doubtful honor of that
-appellation."
-
-The half-hesitation of the visitor as she stood in the open door might
-have suggested momentary confusion, but reassurance seemed to assert
-itself as she complied with the melodious invitation of Vance Gilder to
-enter and be seated.
-
-This vision of loveliness that entered the bachelor apartments of Vance
-Gilder might have been eighteen years old, but certainly no more. In
-stature she was of medium height, rather slender, and sustained herself
-{14}"It must be," she faltered, with increasing embarrassment, "all a
-mistake."
-
-[Illustration: 0022]
-
-Vance Gilder, with all his boasted matter-of-fact principles, was
-wonderfully interested in his fair visitor. She evidently was a stranger
-in the city, or a skilled actress. In referring to her afterwards, he
-spoke of her as a "dream of loveliness."
-
-He was too chivalrous to permit his visitor's embarrassment to increase
-if he could help it and quickly {15}assured her that it was not a very
-serious mistake, and asked in what way he could serve her, at the
-same time saying he regretted exceedingly that he did not answer the
-description of the Vance Gilder for whom she was seeking.
-
-"The Mr. Gilder for whom I am looking," said his fair visitor, "is a
-much older gentleman than you. He visited father some three years ago,
-at Gold Bluff, Idaho, and owns an interest in Gray Rocks, my father's
-mine. My father is very anxious to meet Mr. Gilder; in fact, we have
-come all the way from Idaho expressly for that purpose. He would have
-called in person, but was taken ill last evening--so ill, indeed, that
-we found it necessary to summon a physician. We are stopping at the
-Murray Hill Hotel. I fear my father will be greatly disappointed."
-
-A shade of sadness stole over the usually buoyant face of Vance Gilder.
-
-"I think I understand," said he. "I bear the name of my father, who,
-after spending several months in the mining districts of Idaho, went
-to California, where he remained over a year, endeavoring to regain
-his health. He returned home a little less than two years ago and died
-within two months after his arrival.
-
-"As his living representative, and in honor of his memory," said he,
-with feeling, "if there is any way in which he could have served you
-or your father, had he lived, I will volunteer, to the extent of my
-ability, to act in his stead."
-
-"It certainly is very kind of you," she replied, "but I am distressed at
-this intelligence, and know my father will be also. We learned to think
-a great deal of Mr. Gilder {16}during his few months' stay at Gold
-Bluff. You can certainly do my father a great service by calling on
-him."
-
-"I shall take great pleasure," said Vance, in his earnest way, "in
-doing so. I am employed on the _Banner_, and my duties will prevent
-me calling before tomorrow at ten o'clock, but at that hour, tell your
-father he may expect me."
-
-She had risen while he was speaking, and with a face full of sympathy
-and kindness, thanked him for his promise; and before he realized what
-was transpiring, the hall door closed and she was gone.
-
-The house from which she had taken her leave was one of the best
-overlooking Central Park, in New York City. Vance Gilder, the elder, was
-a man of great determination of character, and had accumulated a fortune
-while yet in the prime of life. He built for himself this house. It was
-surrounded by elegantly kept gardens and velvet lawns.
-
-He retired from business late in the '60's, intending to devote himself
-to his wife and only son, then a mere child, and his library. Scarcely
-a year of such enjoyment was allowed him before his wife sickened and
-died, leaving him his son and his fortune. It was hardly more than
-natural that he should lavish a great deal of attention and wealth upon
-his child.
-
-As his son grew to manhood, his father discovered a recklessness and
-extravagance which was sadly at variance with those economic principles
-which he himself had so studiously practiced. Vance stood fairly well
-in his classes, and after graduating at Princeton, went abroad, visiting
-the principal cities of Europe, and spending money in such a lavish way
-that at the expiration of a {17}year his father summoned him home and
-remonstrated with him severely on his manner of living and his expensive
-habits.
-
-Piqued at the rebuke, he quarreled with his father, and started out to
-make his way in the world alone. The estrangement was of short duration,
-however, and soon after the reconciliation he secured a position on the
-__Banner_ _, and assiduously devoted himself to the study of journalism.
-He gave up his follies and fast living, and found more enjoyment in
-his work on the _Banner_ than he had ever found in swell dinners and
-midnight carousals at his club.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER II.--THE OLD MINER.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9026]
-
-ROOM {18}in which we have introduced Vance Gilder to the reader, in the
-home overlooking Central Park, had been his from childhood, and
-furnished by his father in its present luxurious style, as a reward for
-his devotion to the profession of journalism.
-
-His father had invested his income in real estate, and in the lapse of
-years found himself possessed of a fortune many times greater than he
-had ever anticipated. He traveled a great deal over the west, and at
-Gold Bluff, Idaho, he found in Ben Bonifield, the owner of Gray Rocks, a
-playmate of his youth.
-
-Ben Bonifield had staked out a claim which he called "Gray Rocks," and
-had worked away for several years with pick and shovel, believing that
-some day he would "strike it rich"--and from the output of other mining
-properties in that vicinity, it seemed as if his expectations might be
-realized some day.
-
-He deeded a half interest in his mine to the elder Gilder, in
-consideration of certain moneys advanced him to develop the property.
-This one investment was the only one that Mr. Gilder ever made outside
-of New York {19}City, and it is quite probable that in making this one
-it was not so much an investment as a desire to assist his boyhood's
-friend. The deed which Ben Bonifield gave had been duly recorded, but in
-his travels on the Pacific coast he had in some way mislaid it, and on
-his return to New York City he had died without ever having mentioned
-the matter to his son. When his father died, Vance was bowed down with
-grief, while the old Scotch house-keeper and her husband could not have
-mourned more sincerely had the elder Gilder been related by the nearest
-ties of blood.
-
-Vance found his father had not only left a fortune, but also a will. The
-date of this instrument showed that it was executed during the months
-of their estrangement, and had never been changed. The important part of
-the will, for this narrative, was a clause limiting Vance to an annuity
-of $5,000, provided he remained at the old homestead and gave employment
-and a home to the Scotch house-keeper and her husband; but the title to
-the vast property which he owned was not to pass into his custody until
-he was forty years of age.
-
-To the credit of the son, it can be said that he entertained no enmity
-towards his father because of this provision, but regarded it as simple
-justice. In the meantime, he devoted himself with more energy than ever
-to his profession, was economical in his habits, and had the consolation
-of knowing that he was being advanced from time to time on the _Banner_,
-until he was now regarded as one of the most trusted men on that great
-journal.
-
-To be a member of the _Banner_ staff of newsgatherers was a position
-to be envied by those similarly employed on less imposing journals.
-His associates--the city {20}editor, the religious editor, the
-dramatic critic, the police reporter, and the heads of several other
-departments--were in the habit of discussing the topics of the times
-from a strictly democratic standpoint, with the regularity with which
-day follows night.
-
-The "old man," or managing editor, could not take a deeper interest in
-the columns of the _Banner_ than did his faithful coterie of assistants.
-The managing editor prided himself on his ability to recognize and
-command intellectual forces.
-
-With the breaking of the dawn anew paper, filled with news deftly
-gathered from the four corners of the earth, was ushered into life,
-teeming with the world's history of a day, to be discussed by the
-banker, the politician, and the professional and non-professional
-classes over the breakfast-table. Each issue was a daily history
-possessing a soul and character distinctly its own, which collectively
-made up the policy of one of the greatest journals of New York City.
-Before high noon of each day a newspaper has generally served its
-purpose--dies; is a thing of the past, and the record of events found in
-its columns becomes ancient history.
-
-The following morning at ten o'clock, agreeable to his promise, Vance
-Gilder was at the Murray Hill Hotel, and sent up his card to Ben
-Bonifield. Instead of receiving in his room, the old gentleman joined
-Vance in the lobby. He was a typical character--once seen, never
-forgotten. An old Virginian by birth and education, he still retained
-the courtly polish of one of the southern aristocracy, which many years
-of mining life had not been able to wholly destroy. In stature he was
-fully six feet, and rather portly; his oval face was smooth-shaven, save
-an {21}iron-gray moustache. He wore his hair rather long, and the rim
-of his black felt hat was broad as a sombrero. His Prince Albert coat
-of broad-cloth was of old-time date, and suggested a revival of ancient
-gentility.
-
-"Glad to see yo', suh; am delighted to meet a son of my old friend,
-Colonel Gilder."
-
-[Illustration: 0029]
-
-He clasped Vance's hand warmly, and his face was full of sympathy as
-he referred to the recent information he had received concerning Mr.
-Gilder's death. They {22}soon found seats in a retired corner of the
-lobby, and after assuring Vance that he had entirely recovered from his
-recent illness, the old gentleman plunged into business.
-
-"Yo' know, of cou'se, that yo'r father owned a one-half interest in Gray
-Rocks?"
-
-"No, I was not aware of the fact until your daughter named it to me
-yesterday," replied Vance.
-
-"Yo' su'prise me, suh, yo' really do," said the old miner, "but it is
-true, nevertheless, and the deed is on record; and what is mo', suh,
-Gray Rocks is destined to be the richest gold mine in Idaho. Yo' see, I
-have been workin' away on Gray Rocks for seven years--kep' right at it,
-winter an' summer, and while I have not 'struck it' yet, I am positive,
-suh, that if I had a little mo' money to push the work, my most sanguine
-expectations would be mo' than re'lized. We are now on the 200 foot
-level, but it seems, suh, it is not deep enough. A most wonderful
-showin', in my opinion, suh, will be made when the 300 foot level is
-reached, and we have cross-cut into the vein."
-
-"I am not very well versed in regard to mining, in fact know next to
-nothing about it, but of course, as I am a half owner in a gold mine, I
-am naturally interested in having it developed."
-
-"Well, suh," said the old gentleman, "yo' see I am. I know all about
-mines. Yes, suh, I assure yo, on my honor, that I can tell 'pay dirt' as
-far as I can see it, suh, if I am sixty-five years old, Yo' see, suh,"
-continued the old miner, "let us suppose this table is the top of the
-mountain. Now, where I place this ink-stand, is Gray Rocks; just beyond,
-here where I lay this pen-stalk, is the Peacock mine. It joins us
-directly on the nawth. The {23}Excelsior is at this point, where I lay
-my eye-glasses, directly south of Gray Rocks. Both of them, suh, are
-payin' immense dividends, and befo' a year, with proper management, Gray
-Rocks will be doin' the same. When he learned, suh, that I only had a
-half interest, he refused to talk with me any mo' about it. He said he
-wanted all or none. Confidentially, Mr. Gilder, I consider old Grim the
-most ill-mannered man in the Fish River minin' district, and us miners,
-suh, usually form a pretty correct idea of mankind in gene'l. I have
-been minin' it now fo' over thirty years, and while I have never 'struck
-it' yet, I assure yo' on my word, suh, that I have mo' confidence in
-Gray Rocks to-day than ever befo'."
-
-"Of course, Col. Bonifield," said Vance, "I know nothing about your
-technical expressions of 'sinking-shafts,' 'cross-cutting,' and all
-that sort of thing, but I remember now of my father speaking of you on
-several occasions, and I doubt not, if he were living, he would gladly
-assist you in any way in his power. Personally, my means are limited,
-but if your wants are not too great, I will gladly give you my
-assistance."
-
-"Give me yo're hand, suh! Why, Mr. Gilder, yo're a gentleman that I'm
-proud to meet, suh.
-
-"What we must do, suh, is to sink the shaft on Gray Rocks to a 300 foot
-level, and we will cross-cut into a vein of wealth, suh, that will
-make yo' rich as a Vanterbilt. Yes, suh; take my word fo' it. Now," he
-continued, "there is old Grim; he owns a majority of the stock in the
-Peacock, and he wanted to buy out Gray Rocks, but {24}of the old school,
-belonging to one of the oldest and proudest families of Virginia--yes,
-suh. Now, you have a half interest in Gray Rocks, and if yo' can furnish
-the money, Mr. Gilder, to sink the shaft to the 300 foot level, I will
-go back to Gold Bluff and immediately commence the work--and mind, Mr.
-Gilder, I give yo' my word that yo' will never lose a dollar; no, suh,
-Gray Rocks is a sure winner. The claim is patented and our title is
-perfect; but we must do mo', suh; we must sink our shaft, and it costs
-money to sink shafts, and a pow'ful sight of hard work into the bargain,
-suh. I came to New York especially to see yo're father and have him help
-me by advancin' a little mo' money. He paid me $1,000, suh, fo' a half
-interest in Gray Rocks. I told him, and I tell yo' now, it will bring
-yo' a million. Yes, suh, I pledge yo' my word it will."
-
-The old gentleman's words, his enthusiasm, his southern courtliness,
-and his unmistakable belief in Gray Rocks, carried Vance quite away, in
-anticipation of his half-ownership in a gold mine. He mentally computed
-the amount of money he had in the bank, and felt that he would willingly
-check out his last half-dollar to sink the shaft on Gray Rocks to a 300
-foot level.
-
-He had to his credit in the Chemical National Bank some fifteen thousand
-dollars, and finally ventured to ask about how much it would take to do
-the work.
-
-"Why, yo' see, suh," replied the old miner, "the mo' a fellow has, the
-quicker he can sink a shaft. Now, I could get along at present with, say
-$1,500, but $2,000 would be betteh, and $2,500 would be a great plenty."
-
-"Very well," replied Vance, "I'll advance you $2,500, and can bring it
-to you within a couple of hours."
-
-{25}The old gentleman was highly delighted with Vance's ready
-acquiescence in the matter, and shook his hand warmly, assuring him that
-he was a very true Virginian. Taking his leave, he quitted the hotel,
-and in less than two hours paid to Col. Bonifield $2,500.
-
-The old gentleman was very urgent for Vance to remain and lunch with
-him.
-
-"My Louise, suh," he said, "will be delighted to see yo'.
-
-[Illustration: 8033]
-
-Now, suh, there's one girl in a thousand. I call her a diamond in the
-rough, suh. She stays by the old man, and has just as much faith in the
-ultimate outcome of Gray Rocks as I have, I sometimes think, suh, that I
-ought not to keep her away so far from civil'zation, so to speak, among
-the mountains; but she says, 'We will wait until we strike it.' I assure
-yo', suh, she is a wonderful comfort to me."
-
-Vance endeavored to persuade the old gentleman to bring his daughter and
-stop at his house for a few days, but the old miner explained that his
-stay could not be prolonged; that he was impatient to begin work on
-the mine, sinking the shaft to the 300 foot level, and then commence
-cross-cutting. He insisted that he must start for Gold Bluff by the
-evening train.
-
-Ascending to the ladies' parlor, Vance waited until the old miner
-brought his daughter to bid him good-bye. As she came into the room on
-the arm of her stately father, Vance had hard work to convince himself
-that such a queenly girl as stood before him could have grown to such
-loveliness among the mountains of the northwest.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER III.--THE BANNER FORCE.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9034]
-
-GREAT {26}metropolitan journal like the _Banner_, has a tendency to
-swallow up individual characteristics in its own self-importance. A man
-may be ever so clever with his pen, and contribute the most readable
-articles day after day and year after year, and yet not one reader in
-ten thousand has any idea whose composition he is perusing.
-
-Vance Gilder was only one of the force, and yet he was a favorite with
-his associates. He sometimes dreamed of promotion, and the time when
-he would be a correspondent of note, or possibly at the head of some
-important department on that great paper. Visions of special work which
-would call him not only to different parts of his own country, but to
-foreign parts as well, charmed him into contentment and renewed energy.
-
-Only once during his connection with the _Banner_ had he made anything
-like a "hit." He had on one solitary occasion succeeded in "scooping"
-the other New York journals in a most masterly manner. Indeed, to Vance
-belonged the credit of having completely humiliated the other dailies
-with an article under flaming headlines and double-leaded. As a
-compensation, he was sent for by {27}the chief, and received that august
-person's special thanks. This was a mark of distinction, for it was
-seldom that he paid compliments. On the other hand, if the work was not
-up to the standard, the staff generally heard from him in a volley of
-profanity that caused them to doubt the permanency of their positions.
-
-On the night after Ben Bonfield started for Gold Bluff, Vance found
-himself thinking a great deal about Gray Rocks. To a young man of
-twenty-five, fifteen years seems a long time to wait for the possession
-of one's property. There is a certain fascination about the idea of
-owning a gold mine, and this charm had taken possession of Vance to a
-degree far beyond that which he was willing to admit, and between the
-lines of copy, he speculated on the future and built many castles in the
-air.
-
-The half interest which his father owned in Gray Rocks had not been
-named in the will, and as Vance was his only heir, it naturally occurred
-to him that in case the old miner should "strike it rich," he would find
-himself with a handsome competency long before his fortieth birthday.
-
-For the first time during the years of his connection with the _Banner_,
-a feeling of dissatisfaction stole over him, and he was glad Colonel
-Bonfield had been so prompt in returning to Gold Bluff, for he felt
-the work of sinking the shaft on Gray Rocks should be commenced at the
-earliest possible moment. There was also a feeling of regret deep down
-in his heart that he had not had an opportunity to know more of the fair
-Louise, the remembrance of whose laughing blue eyes and perfect freedom
-from affectation hovered near him with a distinctness that he had never
-before experienced with any of his young lady friends. {28}He was in
-this state of mind when the police reporter came in and declared that he
-was disgusted with the scarcity of crime.
-
-"I say, Vance," said he, "it's getting to be a pretty pass when a fellow
-has to rummage all over the city for a few crumbs of accidental deaths,
-street brawls and shooting affairs."
-
-[Illustration: 9036]
-
-Before Vance had time to reply, the religious editor commenced swearing
-about the uninteresting sermons he was compelled to write of late.
-
-The dramatic critic observed that lie presumed writing sermons was a
-rather stupid business, but if the reading public could endure them, the
-religious editor ought to be able to, at $60 a week.
-
-The religious editor said, "by Gad! old boy, you're about right," and
-begged a cigarette of the dramatic critic, declaring that he did not
-know with whom he would rather smoke than a representative of the
-footlights. He then slapped Vance on the shoulder in a jocular way, and
-asked him what made him so quiet.
-
-"Scoops are scarce," replied Vance, without lifting his eyes from the
-copy he was revising.
-
-"Scarce!" chimed in the city editor, "I should say so. We have not had
-such a thing as a 'scoop' about the office for six months."
-
-"Journalism," observed the dramatic critic, "is, without question, the
-king of professions. Here we see life in its every phase."
-
-"I am beginning to think," said Vance, "that journalism is a drudgery
-without hope or reward."
-
-"You astonish me," replied the religious editor. "Why, Vance," he
-continued, knocking the ashes from his cigarette, "a fellow with as
-bright a future in the profession as you have, making such a remark
-as that, causes me to think you are growing cynical. Think of the
-opportunities which journalism affords."
-
-"What opportunities," replied Vance, "have I, or you, or any other
-members of the staff, excepting those we have no right to take advantage
-of? I freely admit that there is a fascination about the profession of
-journalism; an influence, if you please, that holds us in the rut, much
-the same as the current of a mighty river--always drawing everything
-into the center where the current is swiftest--but the individuality of
-the most talented among us is completely lost in the great octopus that
-we are _daily_ and nightly striving with our best efforts of brawn and
-brain to keep supplied with news."
-
-"Bravo!" shouted the police reporter. "There is not an ordinary
-prize-fighter in the land but has more individual reputation than any of
-us. Vance is about right in his position."
-
-At this juncture of their conversation, a note was handed to Vance.
-It was a polite request to report at the chief's private room at ten
-o'clock the next morning. After hastily glancing over it, Vance read it
-aloud.
-
-"I say, Vance, old boy, that's a little rough; and still," continued the
-religious editor, between vigorous puffs of his cigarette, "it may be a
-step up."
-
-It was an open question with members of the force whether a formal
-summons into the presence of the chief, without any intimation of the
-nature of the interview, was a good omen or otherwise.
-
-"Possibly," responded Vance, "but I rather surmise it is a step out."
-
-[Illustration: 0038]
-
-"The evil is sufficient unto the day thereof," observed the dramatic
-critic. "It is twelve o'clock, boys; let us adjourn to the 'realm of
-pie,' and there we will discuss the unlooked-for summons."
-
-A half dozen as jolly young fellows as could be found anywhere, were
-soon seated in a private room at Thompson's cafe, partaking of the
-reporter's stereotyped lunch. {31}As a result of their deliberations,
-there were many hopeful expressions made for the benefit of Vance. There
-was an under-current, however, of unmistakable belief, which Vance was
-not slow to perceive and share, that his interview with the chief would
-not result satisfactorily.
-
-The dramatic critic soon drifted to the leeward of the question, and
-with almost forced vivaciousness recounted the latest hit of a jolly
-little soubrette dancer at Madison Square Gardens. His description was
-not only interesting, but a welcome diversion from the somber subject
-that might mean a separation of Vance from the staff. The religious
-editor took up the cue where the dramatic critic let go, and commenced
-swearing in newspaper parlance about the unsatisfactory work he was
-doing in his department.
-
-[Illustration: 8039]
-
-The police reporter came in for a description of a "knock-out" he had
-witnessed in the Bowery, and for the edification of his associates,
-explained the difference between a "shoulder-strike" and an "undercut."
-
-On returning to their respective posts of duty, there was but little
-said, but it was noticeable that Vance was bid good night with more
-consideration than usual.
-
-As Vance hurried along toward the elevated road, his thoughts were again
-filled with that demure little Louise, a product of the great mountains
-of the west. With her had come a hope--perhaps only a visionary
-one--stimulated by the enthusiasm of the old miner. He did not pause to
-analyze {32}the sustaining hope which he experienced; he only knew that
-it took off the keen edge of anxiety which otherwise he would have felt
-concerning his coming interview with the chief.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IV--A SUPPER PARTY.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9041]
-
-T TEN {33}O'CLOCK the following morning, Vance sent in his card to the
-chief, and was immediately admitted to his presence. "Good morning, Mr.
-Gilder."
-
-"Good morning, sir," was Vance's prompt reply.
-
-"I sent for you," said the chief, as he industriously looked over a
-bundle of papers on his desk, "To discuss a matter I have had in mind
-for some time."
-
-"Yes, sir," was Vance's laconic reply.
-
-The chief having found the paper he evidently had been searching for,
-motioned Vance to be seated, and turning to him, asked:
-
-"Have you ever traveled much in the west?"
-
-"Have never been west of Buffalo."
-
-"Your work," observed the chief, "has been very satisfactory--I may say,
-especially so--and it is the policy of the _Banner_ not only to reward
-those who have talent, but also to keep pace with the times, and give
-its readers reliable information upon all questions of moment and
-importance. The great Northwest has been opening up for the last half
-century. There have been booms and counter-booms out in that country,
-spasmodically, for {34}many years, and a great many fortunes have been
-lost by ill advised investors, but I am not personally familiar with
-anyone who has bettered his condition in western speculations. Just
-at the present time the northwest is attracting, as you are doubtless
-aware, considerable attention, and the effort to popularize it by the
-western press, seems unabating. Our eastern people, even some of the
-oldest families of New York, are becoming poisoned with the virus of
-western investments. My private opinion is that instead of receiving
-dividends on these holdings, they will lose principal and all.
-
-"We want," said he, "a level-headed correspondent in that western
-country. Mark, I say level-headed, for the reason that not infrequently
-an eastern man, especially if he is unacquainted with the wonderland of
-the west, loses his head, figuratively speaking, and becomes won over
-by the fairy tales of prospective wealth, as told by the average real
-estate boomer.
-
-"You, Mr. Gilder," said the chief, eying Vance with great directness,
-"have been selected for this important position of trust. I might," he
-continued, as if it were an afterthought, "modify my remarks by saying
-there are some places in the west worthy of credence, possessing real
-merit; but in nine cases out of ten, the new towns that are ringing
-up throughout the north western portion of the United States are, in my
-judgment, intangible as moonshine. In short, there is entirely too much
-capital flowing from the east into those wildcat western speculations,
-and we desire to give a series of letters descriptive of that country
-to the readers of the _Banner_, containing the facts stripped of all
-allurement, and dissuade them from such unstable investments as are
-daily being made.
-
-{35}"I deem," continued the chief, "these few suggestions necessary for
-your good in governing the character of your correspondence from that
-western country to the columns of the _Banner_. I shall expect you to be
-ready tomorrow evening, and start on the six o'clock train. As you will
-probably be away for some time, it would be well for you to arrange your
-private affairs accordingly.
-
-[Illustration: 8043]
-
-Call tomorrow at eleven o'clock, and I will have ready the necessary
-credentials, transports and instructions."
-
-Vance bowed his acquiescence and turned to go, when the chief said, "By
-the way, instead of $40 a week, your present salary, you will receive
-$60 and expenses, which doubtless will be satisfactory."
-
-Vance attempted to express his appreciation of the confidence that had
-been reposed in him, of so important an undertaking; but the chief waved
-him to silence and muttered something about "time being money," and at
-once turned to other affairs that were awaiting his attention.
-
-That afternoon Vance was not found among the staff, and a new man
-occupied his chair. He called on Thomas Patten, Esq., the attorney
-who had represented the Gilder family for many years, and named in his
-father's will as trustee, and explained to him his promotion, telling
-him he would start for the west the next evening.
-
-His old associates at the _Banner_ were asking questions of one another
-as to what had transpired between Vance and the chief, but no one seemed
-to know anything about it, except that a new man was on duty and Vance
-absent.
-
-{36}At half past eleven o'clock that night the dramatic critic hurried
-in from the street and passed word around among the coterie that a
-surprise was waiting for them over at Thompson's cafe. Thompson's is,
-and has been for many years, a favorite resort for newspaper men. Vance
-Gilder was well known to the manager as a member of the _Banner_ staff,
-and when that afternoon he requested that a lunch something better than
-the ordinary be prepared, he was assured that everything would be in
-readiness.
-
-The dramatic critic ushered his associates into a private room precisely
-at twelve o'clock. Vance was in waiting, and a warm greeting was
-exchanged. The religious editor declared that he believed a conspiracy
-of gigantic proportions had been laid to entrap the meek and lowly, but,
-nevertheless, he took his place with alacrity at the table to enjoy the
-modest but excellent feast prepared for the occasion.
-
-A few bottles of rare old wine added interest to the surprise which Vance
-had so cleverly arranged. After the glasses had been tilled and drained,
-the political editor moved that an explanation was in order.
-
-"My friends," said Vance, "the most important disclosure I have to make
-is that my salary has been raised to $60 a week."
-
-The religious editor said, "By Gad," and fell from his chair, declaring
-that his nerves were so unstrung that it would require another glass of
-wine to restore them. After Vance had carefully narrated his interview
-with the chief, he received the hearty congratulations of his
-associates. Each vied with the others in wishing him unbounded success
-as a western correspondent for the _Banner_. {37}"I understand," said
-the political editor, after clearing his throat with a glass of wine,
-"that the west is teeming with opportunities in a political way; and I
-would not be surprised," he added, "if the Honorable Vance Gilder would
-be the next thing we hear of, as mayor of some municipality in the Rocky
-Mountain region, or possibly as a member of Congress from the Third
-District."
-
-[Illustration: 0045]
-
-"Or still better," observed the religious editor, "president of one
-of those bonanza gold mines that advertise {38}themselves as being the
-greatest dividend paying properties in the world."
-
-"What's the matter," said the police reporter, "of being moderate in
-your expectations? Suppose Vance secures the position of judge of the
-police court in one of those western towns, where from a dozen to twenty
-drunks and brawls occur every twenty-four hours--ye gods! what a country
-for rich morsels of crime!"
-
-It was conceded by all that Vance would have abundant opportunity
-for making investments here and there in the growing west that would
-materially increase his financial prospects.
-
-[Illustration: 8046]
-
-"Sixty dollars," said the dramatic critic, as he finished his third
-glass of wine, "is quite a step up, but evidently a mere bagatelle to
-the 'pick-ups' on the side, in a new country that is just developing
-like the west is at the present time."
-
-That Vance was one of the luckiest fellows living was the verdict of all
-his associates. After the lunch had been disposed of and a good-night
-glass of wine drunk to Vance's success, he bade his companions
-good-night, and was soon being driven rapidly up Eighth Avenue to
-Central Park, west.
-
-On reaching his room he began to feel more than ever that he had
-awakened to find himself famous, and that a great honor had been thrust
-upon him.
-
-His gratitude to his chief was unbounded, but like the young and
-ambitious everywhere, his own personal advancement in a financial sense
-was a consideration not to be overlooked. {39}While he knew personally
-very little about the Western country, the many allusions of his
-companions to the rare opportunities which awaited him in the new world
-he was about to visit filled him with a vague, indescribable sense of
-importance.
-
-As he retired for the night, he assured himself that Gold Bluff, Idaho,
-would be one of his objective points, and hoped he would be there when
-the shaft reached the 300 foot level. He was beginning to share the old
-miner's enthusiasm and confidence in Gray Rocks.
-
-He drifted away into a restful sleep, while visions of a lovely girl in
-early womanhood, with beautiful blue eyes, "gentle grace and sovereign
-sweetness," rose in a mist before him, and he dreamed he was at Gold
-Bluff.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER V.--AN ODD CHARACTER.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9048]
-
-TRIP from New York to the inter-mountain country of the west, with the
-present railroad facilities of palatial Pullmans and dining cars, is now
-an every-day affair. The traveler is surrounded by every comfort. Vance
-Gilder was more than ever in love with the change, as the cars rumbled
-on through dell and forest, across broad stretches of beautiful valley
-country, and ever and anon rushing over an iron bridge that spanned some
-beautiful stream of water, some of them calm and peaceful, and others
-rushing madly along, breaking into white spray over rocky ripples, and
-then hurrying on again as if they were running a race with time.
-
-As he approached the Rocky Mountain country, and for the first time in
-his life gazed upon that mighty range of Nature's towering masonry, he
-was almost intoxicated with the new sights to be seen on the "crown of
-the continent."
-
-Notwithstanding his enjoyment of the new and varied scenery, he was glad
-enough to abandon the cars at Butte City, after four days and nights of
-continuous riding.
-
-Butte City is said to be, not only the greatest mining {41}camp in
-Montana, but the greatest in the world. They boast of the many millions
-that are brought to the light of day by the magic wand of the miner's
-pick. Vance found lodging at the Mercury Hotel, and early the next
-morning, after breakfasting heartily, started for a walk.
-
-[Illustration: 0049]
-
-The town is built on a side-hill, gently rising from the depot grounds
-westward to a very considerable elevation. He paused now and then to
-inspect the architecture of some of the buildings, and then looked away
-toward the smelter districts, at the black clouds of smoke which the
-{42}chimneys were belching forth, and falling over the city like a veil
-of mourning.
-
-Presently he was accosted by an individual of grizzly beard and
-good-matured countenance, who said: "Hello, pard; how d'ye do? Sizin'
-up these diggins' be ye?"
-
-As Vance eyed his questioner rather critically and acknowledged the
-salutation, the fellow reached him a card which bore the name "Hank
-Casey." While Vance was glancing at the card, his new acquaintance said:
-
-"I reckon you be from down east? I come from thar a long time ago.
-You'll notice from my card that I'm in the real estate business; also
-have some fine minin' propositions."
-
-"Yes," replied Vance, "I am from the east, but do not know as I care to
-make any investments."
-
-"Well, now, look'ee? here, stranger. I 'spect I might give you a pinter
-or two that may not come amiss. This 'ere town is chuck up full of dead
-beats and black legs, who make it their business to run every new feller
-in that comes from down east. Now Hank Casey do a straight-for'ard,
-legitimate business--that's me," said he, as he tucked his thumbs into
-the armholes of his vest and straightened himself to his fullest height.
-
-Vance was amused by this odd character, and determined to learn from
-him what he could concerning Butte City and the claims made for it. He
-therefore asked, "What population have you and what are your resources?"
-
-"Over fifty thousand people, above an' below. You see, thar's several
-thousand of us in this town below ground, workin' away with shovel an'
-pick. I reckon as how you'll see a fair sample of our miners if you're
-on the {43}streets tonight. As for resources--why, pardner, thar's no
-end to 'em. We took out mighty near forty million dollars from our mines
-last year, an' thar's ore enough in sight to keep on minin' at the same
-rate for a hundred years to come. What d'ye think o' that?"
-
-Vance replied that it certainly was a most extraordinary statement.
-
-[Illustration: 8051]
-
-"What other towns have you in this state," asked Vance.
-
-"None to speak of," was the prompt reply. "Butte City is the pertest
-town in any o' these western diggings. Thar's not another town in
-Montana as can tech one side of us, for money, marbles, or chalk. To be
-sure," he went on, in a condescending tone, "we have lots o' towns in
-this 'ere state, sech as they be; lots o' minin' camps, but they are
-merely blacksmith-shops-on-the-crossroads,' compared with Butte City.
-D'ye see that Corner lot over thar'? Five years ago I owned the ground
-whar' that buildin' stands. I bought it for $300, held it just thirteen
-months, and sold it for $4,000 spot cash."
-
-"Why that was an immense profit," said Vance, with more interest than he
-had yet manifested in Hank Casey's description of Butte City. Hank Casey
-smiled contentedly and expectorated an accumulation of tobacco juice
-with a resounding "pit-tew" on the side walk, and said: "You call that
-a good profit? Why, pardner, I bought stock in the Blackbird mine at
-twelve cents a share when the company was fust organized, and now its
-worth $300 a share and payin' an immense dividend monthly. That's what I
-call a good investment; but as fer that speck," {44}said he, jerking
-his thumb over his shoulder at the corner lot, "that don't amount to
-nothin'."
-
-"Do you know where Gold Bluff, Idaho, is?" asked Vance.
-
-"I reckon I ought to know," replied the boomer; "me an' Steve Gibbons
-were the fust prospectors in that 'neck o' the woods.' Steve an' I claim
-to own the Peacock, but old Rufus Grim, the biggest scoundrel in Idaho
-yes, the biggest in this whole minin' country claims to own it, and has
-got possession, and I've learned, in this western country 'specially,
-that possession is not only nine points of the law, but mighty near ten.
-Of course, a gold mine like the Peacock is a mighty handy thing to have
-in the family, but as a general rule, they're mighty unsartin. Give me
-a silver or copper mine every time."
-
-Vance assured his new-found acquaintance that he was under many
-obligations for the information received, and said he hoped to meet him
-again. Hank Casey, however, was not to be disposed of in this way,
-and walked along with Vance. Presently he called his attention to some
-vacant lots across the street.
-
-"D'ye see them lots over thar? I can sell you one o' them fifty-foot
-lots at $3,500. an I'll bet diamonds against peanuts it'll be a rich
-buy at $10,000 before two years. By the way, stranger, what's the matter
-with you takin a leetle 'flyer' in Butte City dirt? Buy a few lots, stop
-here with us for six months, sell 'em out agin for 100 per cent, profit,
-an' that'll pay all the expenses of your western trip. See? said he,
-touching Vance gently in the ribs with his elbow.
-
-"Yes; I see," said Vance, "I see very clearly, or would, {45}were it not
-for the smoke. It smells like sulphur. Does it come from some of your
-mills or smelters?"
-
-"Now, look'ee here, pard, you're just like every other down-easter.
-They're always kickin' 'bout this smoke.
-
-[Illustration: 9053]
-
-Now, let me tell you; if we didn't have that 'ar smoke we wouldn't have
-any Butte City, and besides, it kills the bacteria, molecules, an'
-all that sort o thing. It's mighty healthy here, I can tell you, an' a
-mighty pert town into the bargain."
-
-Vance coughed immoderately, but Hank Casey who was acclimated, assured
-him that he was at that moment breathing the healthiest air that ever
-his lungs were filled with.
-
-In the course of their walk, the boomer kept up a constant conversation,
-explaining different points of interest, pointing out the different
-mining properties in sight and telling their names, until Vance felt
-that he had been very fortunate in falling in with one so conversant
-with Butte City. At parting, Vance bade his new-found friend good day,
-and promised to call at his office before leaving the city.
-
-When he returned to the hotel, he commenced his first letter to the
-_Banner_, but it was not finished until late that night. When it
-appeared in the great New York journal it surprised, in point of
-brilliancy and interest, even his warmest friends. His descriptions were
-so vivid and lifelike, and his characters so droll, and withal teeming
-with information, that a score of letters came to the managing editor,
-assuring him of the great pleasure and profit they had experienced in
-its perusal. Of course, Vance knew {46}nothing of this at the time,
-but devoted himself with unceasing diligence in searching out reliable
-information, and then training it into weekly letters.
-
-Butte City began to impress him as a place of more importance than he
-had at first thought. He learned that almost one million of dollars was
-paid out monthly to the miners alone, and they, as a class, are "hail
-fellows well met," who believe in the doctrine of keeping money in
-constant circulation.
-
-He noticed in many of the mercantile houses that when the day clerks
-went off duty at six o'clock in the evening, another set of clerks came
-on, and the shops and stores, by the aid of brilliant electric lights,
-continued business twenty-four hours out of the day the year around.
-
-Vance frequently thought of his conversation with the managing editor,
-and what he had said about western towns and the over-enthusiastic town
-boomer. In Hank Casey he felt he had found a typical character
-that fully came up to all the managing editor had inferred, and had
-frequently used him as an inspiration, but was becoming more and more
-convinced that Butte City was one of those solid, substantial places
-which the managing editor had classed as exceptions to the rule.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VI--THE TOWN BOOMER.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9055]
-
-BOUT TWO WEEKS after Vance Gilder arrived in Butte City, he noticed one
-morning that everybody was talking about a new town, and each was asking
-the others what they thought about it. Glancing at the hotel register,
-he saw the name, Homer Winthrop, of Waterville, Idaho.
-
-In looking over the _Butte City Miner_ and the _Inter-Mountain Blade_,
-both healthy dailies and well edited, he was somewhat astonished to
-find a full-page advertisement in each of the papers, setting forth
-in blazing splendor the great Thief River Valley, and signed by Homer
-Winthrop as agent, announcing that he would be at the Mercury Hotel
-for a short time, and inviting those who were interested in investing a
-little money in a purely agricultural city, to come early and "get in on
-the ground floor."
-
-The advertisement represented Waterville as being in the midst of the
-great Thief River Valley, with the largest water power in the country,
-surrounded by an agricultural district of two million acres of the
-richest land the sun ever shone down upon. He termed the new town of
-{48}Waterville the "City of Destiny," and said the price of town lots
-would quadruple in a few years' time.
-
-Vance was at once interested. "Here," said he to himself, "is a genuine
-town boomer, and as the fellow is stopping at this hotel, it will be an
-easy matter to learn just how this boom business is operated. It will
-make an excellent article for the _Banner_."
-
-Accordingly, about eleven o'clock that forenoon he called to see the
-irrepressible town boomer and hear what sort of a marvelous story he had
-to tell about Waterville.
-
-[Illustration: 8056]
-
-He was quickly admitted into a reception room by a young gentleman who
-assured him that Mr. Winthrop would soon be at leisure, and begged him
-to be seated, calling his attention to the numerous maps on the walls,
-one of which covered nearly the entire side of the room.
-
-Winthrop's young assistant seemed to know his business, and at once
-commenced the preliminary skirmish of interesting Vance in the great
-Thief River Valley, and especially town lots in Waterville; but as Vance
-did not evince any inclination to purchase, the young fellow endeavored
-to so impress him by calling his attention to the advertisements in the
-morning papers. Every once in a while he would tip-toe over to the
-door where the great town-boomer, Homer Winthrop, was holding a private
-conversation with a would-be purchaser. He would put his ear to the
-keyhole and listen for a moment, and then come tip-toeing back and
-assure Vance Mr. Winthrop would soon be at leisure.
-
-Presently the door opened and a gentleman in miner's garb came out, and
-Vance was immediately shown in. As he entered the private room of Homer
-Winthrop, he involuntarily paused to study, if but for a moment, the
-face of the man who had arrived in Butte City late the night before, and
-now had everyone in the place agog over the prospects of a new town that
-had just been laid out on paper in the Thief River Valley.
-
-Homer Winthrop, with all the easy grace of a Chesterfield, motioned his
-visitor to a seat, pushing a box of very superior Havanas toward him,
-and invited him to join him in burning a weed. He was a man above the
-average height, inclined to be rather slender, and possessed a rather
-good looking face, beaming with good nature and apparent frankness;
-a pair of intelligent dark eyes that laughed and smiled with as much
-expression as the face, changeable, however, into intenseness and
-earnestness seldom met with; a broad, intellectual forehead; a rather
-square chin, indicating great determination of character. To this add
-a luxuriant head of dark hair, and moustache, otherwise a clean-shaven
-face, and the reader will have a fair idea of his appearance.
-
-He was evidently an adept in reading human nature, and knew his man
-on sight; had seen much of western life--and yet it required no second
-interview to discover in him the polished manners and easy grace of one
-who has seen much of refinement and culture. He could have entered into
-the gaieties of a reception in a Fifth Avenue mansion with as little
-effort as he had stirred up a city of 50,000 people in a few hours
-over the magnificent prospects of a new town that was just budding into
-existence.
-
-[Illustration: 0058]
-
-Vance accepted the proffered cigar, and they easily engaged in
-conversation. They discussed the great out put of ore from the mines of
-Butte City, and the wonder{50}ful development of the western country
-during recent years; the magnificent mining properties that had been
-opened up; and, in fact, nearly everything except Waterville and the
-great Thief River Valley. Homer Winthrop with the skill of a tactician,
-narrated incidents and legends of different miners who had devoted a
-lifetime in searching for the precious metal and finally "struck it
-rich" in some out-of-the-way, unexpected place.
-
-Vance finally inquired in regard to the new town of {51}Waterville, and
-was not a little surprised at the conservative reply he received, wholly
-devoid of any enthusiasm.
-
-"Oh," said Winthrop, "we have a very excellent agricultural country in
-the valley. We are building our new town of Waterville on the rapids of
-the Thief River. It has, perhaps, the greatest water power of any inland
-city in the United States. Many believe a great citv will eventually be
-built at that point. We also have a great deal of capital invested in
-the construction of irrigating canals, reclaiming the valley lands from
-their present arid condition and converting them into productive farms."
-He also went on, in a voice full of rhythm that was almost musical in
-its intonation, explaining in a modest way why many people believed in
-the future of the place, touching on the numerous natural resources that
-were apparent to everyone sufficiently interested to visit the valley
-and see for himself.
-
-Vance was deeply interested in Homer Winthrop's appearance, and later
-found himself charmed with his new acquaintance more than he cared to
-admit, even to himself. On taking his leave, he promised to call again
-the next day. As Vance stepped into the reception room, he found
-it almost filled with miners and tradesmen who were waiting for an
-interview' with Mr. Winthrop, and he rightly guessed that a profitable
-business was being done.
-
-In thinking over his interview with the town boomer of Waterville,
-Vance was compelled to admit that he was one of the most attractive
-individuals with whom he had ever come in contact. That afternoon he
-finished a letter to the _Banner_, but it contained no reference to
-Waterville.
-
-The result of his second interview was that he accepted an invitation
-to visit the new town, which was some two {52}hundred miles distant.
-Agreeable to this arrangement, they left Butte City early one morning,
-and that evening reached Waterville.
-
-Vance was not particularly attracted by the general appearance and "lay"
-of the new town site. It appeared crude and unfinished, and abounded
-with sage brush and sand. The waters of the rapids, however, in their
-mad rushing as they went foaming down the narrows like race horses,
-impressed him with a belief that nothing had been overdrawn in regard
-to this great natural power, which had been idling its time away for
-centuries.
-
-[Illustration: 9060]
-
-Homer stood by his side on the rocky bank, but said nothing.
-
-Presently Vance looked up and said: "What a wonderful power is going to
-waste in these rapids!"
-
-"It will soon be harnessed," replied Winthrop, "and this vast power
-utilized in many manufacturing enterprises. I do not feel," he
-continued, "that I am over-estimating facts, Mr. Gilder, when I say
-there is power enough here to turn every spindle in every woolen mill
-and factory in the United States."
-
-"My only surprise," replied Vance, "is that these waters have not been
-put to use long before this."
-
-That night at the hotel Vance felt he was indeed "roughing it." He rose
-in the morning feeling but little refreshed, and sat down to a very
-unpalatable breakfast, and immediately afterwards started with Homer
-Winthrop on a drive through the valley.
-
-The farmers were busy harvesting their grain, and on {53}inquiry they
-learned the yield of wheat was from forty to seventy bushels to the
-acre, and that oats yielded from sixty to one hundred bushels to the
-acre. Vance was greatly astonished, and became almost enthusiastic over
-the agricultural possibilities of the valley.
-
-"Why," said he, "Mr. Winthrop, there is no question but this is destined
-to be one of the richest agricultural valleys in the world. In my work
-on the _Banner_ I have had occasion to look up statistics on grain
-products, and if these farmers are telling the truth in regard to the
-yield of their crops, there is no other place like it in the United
-States."
-
-A moment after, he was chagrined to think he had given way to such
-a burst of enthusiasm. It would have been better for him to remain
-a listener, and allow Winthrop to grow enthusiastic in praise of the
-country. Winthrop, however, took no advantage of Vance's earnestness.
-
-The day was a perfect one; the sun was shining, and yet there was a
-cool, invigorating breeze sweeping gently down from the snow-capped
-Tetons. Driving rapidly and pleasantly along, they at last found
-themselves near the foot-hills on a slight elevation overlooking
-the valley to the west. Alighting from the carriage, Vance followed
-Winthrop's lead, and soon they found themselves on a table rock, at a
-sufficient elevation to see for many miles to the north, south and west.
-For a few minutes Vance contemplated the sight in silence, and then
-said: "This is indeed a grand sight." Turning to Winthrop, he continued:
-
-"I have seen many beautiful sights--the Green and White Mountains of New
-England, the Cumberland of {54}Virginia, and the mighty Rocky Mountains
-through Colorado but standing here on the foot hills, with the mountains
-rising behind us to the sky, with their hoary crests even on this July
-day capped with snow, and these mountain streams, foaming cataracts, all
-shimmering in the sunshine, making sweet and restful harmony in their
-ceaseless flow, surpasses anything I have ever seen. The valley itself
-looks like a vast green sward stretching before us like a map. The
-yellow shocks of golden grain in the farming districts are suggestive
-of what may be in years to come. No man can look upon such a promising
-picture and not be convinced of the commercial importance which will
-attend the development of this valley."
-
-During Vance's outburst of ecstacy, Homer Winthrop said nothing, merely
-acquiescing, in a modest way, to all Vance expressed.
-
-Returning to Waterville, they partook of a sumptuous repast, which
-Winthrop had ordered especially prepared, Consisting principally of
-mountain trout, caught that morning in the Thief River.
-
-After lunch Vance accepted an invitation to smoke and walk out over the
-town site.
-
-"This," said Winthrop, "is block fourteen of Eagle's addition. You see it
-is less than three blocks from the center of the town. It is one of the
-choicest blocks we have. If you want me to give you some advice, Mr.
-Gilder, I will do so, and say, buy a few of these lots. The price is
-only $100 each, and, in my judgment, they will be worth $500 before five
-years from to-day."
-
-Vance looked away into the distance at the farm lands, and the music of
-the sickle was borne lazily to him by a gentle breeze; then he turned
-his gaze toward the river, where the roaring waters were crowding down
-the rapids, proclaiming in thundering tones that Waterville was an
-exception to the rule. After a little he turned to Homer Winthrop and
-said: "I have been advised to keep clear of these new towns. The person
-who gave me this advice told me there were a few honorable exceptions to
-the rule. I must believe, from what I have seen, that Waterville is an
-exception. I will take twenty-five of these lots, and you may fix up the
-deed for them as soon as possible."
-
-The deed and abstract were delivered to Vance that afternoon, and his
-check for $2,500 was duly deposited in Homer Winthrop's pocket.
-
-"I may have been foolish," said Vance, "to act so hastily in this
-matter."
-
-Winthrop turned to him, and placing a hand on either shoulder, looked
-squarely into his companion's eyes, and said:
-
-"My belief, Mr. Gilder, is that you have acted wisely, and if you
-will keep these lots five years, you will thank me for suggesting
-the advisability of making the purchase. I have but one request to
-make--that you will wait five years before passing judgment on my
-advice."
-
-"Your request is cheerfully granted," replied Vance with great
-earnestness, and the two men clasped hands, and a bond of friendship was
-thereby woven.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VII.--A VISIT TO WATERVILLE
-
-
-[Illustration: 9064]
-
-NEW WESTERN TOWN is usually provided with a public square, and the
-business houses and shops are arranged along the four sides of it in
-sentinel-like position, the corner lots going at a premium, and where
-the most substantial buildings are erected. Waterville, however could
-not boast of a public square, but it had two iron bridges spanning the
-Thief River.
-
-A large stone grist mill had been built on the side of the river
-opposite the town, and on the elevated ground beyond, it was said the
-State Agricultural College was to be built.
-
-It was a favorite pastime with the real estate agents to sit on the
-depot platform, and while waiting for the incoming trains, to whittle
-pine sticks into shavings, telling of the different manufactories, state
-institutions, colleges and asylums, etc., that would be located in the
-near future at Waterville.
-
-That evening after Vance had made his purchase of town lots he strolled
-away by himself across the great iron bridge, and gave himself up to
-meditation. Had he acted wisely? Would Waterville after all prove
-a "boom town" and his investment a losing one? Was Homer Winthrop,
-{57}with his suave manners and great earnestness, which at times seemed
-to carry conviction to the hearts of all who heard him express
-himself, the noble specimen of manhood he appeared to be, or were his
-fascinations merely the arts of the ordinary skilled western boomer?
-Would the managing editor approve his action in purchasing lots in such
-a new and undeveloped place as Waterville?
-
-It is a common experience with mankind, that after a doubtful
-transaction has been consummated, we can deliberate with far more
-intentness of thought than before the trade was made.
-
-A peculiarity of a western town is its plentifulness of real estate
-agents, who seem to travel in swarms, and find an abiding place in the
-town that promises the greatest activity.
-
-[Illustration: 9065]
-
-After a reaction sets in and hard times overtake them, this peculiar
-class usually pick up their "ink-horns" and fly, as from a pestilence.
-
-Another peculiarity is, that if a trade is made with a "tender-foot"
-everyone in the village usually knows of it in a very few hours.
-
-As Vance was returning from his walk he was met on the outskirts of the
-village by a number of this class of hangers-on, who make their living
-by selling town lots on commission. Each one was desirous of saying
-"just a word" to Vance in private.
-
-The story of one was practically the story of all. They advised him
-to stop and think what he was losing by not buying more property in
-Waterville. One particularly long, lank individual, who wore a sombrero
-and high-{58}topped boots, assured him that "the opportunity of a
-lifetime was at that very minute knocking at his door; it might never
-come again."
-
-"You might go away from Waterville," said he, "and come back here in
-a few mouths' time, and you'll find the town lots I can sell you to-day
-for a mere song, going at ten times the price that you can buy them for
-now. My name is Steve Gibbons, and I presume I am doing the biggest
-real estate business in Waterville. I sell more lots than any other half
-dozen agents in town. You've made a great mistake, Mr. Gilder," said he,
-"in buying of the Town Company. Of course, this is confidential, but if
-you had come to me instead of buying of Winthrop, I could have saved you
-big money."
-
-"What do you mean by 'the company'?" asked Vance.
-
-"Why, you see, the Waterville Town Company own mighty near all the
-property in town.
-
-[Illustration: 9066]
-
-That man Winthrop is a member of the company. Now, while I have not as
-many lots for sale as the Town Company, my prices beat them all holler."
-
-"Do you think," asked Vance, "that Mr. Winthrop charged me too much for
-my lots?"
-
-"Think!" said Steve Gibbons, "think? why, pardner, all the agents in
-town are laughin' about it; he took you in."
-
-Vance bit his lips, and mentally concluded to investigate very
-thoroughly before he quit Waterville.
-
-"You see," Gibbons went on, "all us fellers are down on the Town
-Company. We don't like corporations, nohow; they don't give us
-honorable-intentioned fellers a fair chance. We are the men that's
-buildin' up this here town--givin' it the bone, and the sinew, and the
-standin', so to speak. Don't you see?"
-
-"Yes," said Vance, "I understand," and begging to be excused, he turned
-and walked away from the "honorable-intentioned" Steve Gibbons, and soon
-after sought the privacy of his own room in the Ballard House.
-
-Dick Ballard was a Grand Army man, and kept the only hotel of any
-importance in Waterville. The only thing first-class about it was the
-price for lodging. Immediately after the average traveler settled his
-bill at the Ballard, there was generally a half-distinct impression
-in his mind that he had been stopping at a first-class hotel, but the
-remembrance of three kinds of meat cooked in the same kettle was not
-easily forgotten.
-
-As Vance sat in his room, in anything but a pleasant frame of mind,
-there came a gentle knock on his door. He quickly admitted his visitor,
-and found it was Dick Ballard, the proprietor.
-
-"I reckon," said he, as soon as he stepped in, "you'll be one of us by
-and by. Bought property already, and a mighty good buy you've made of
-it, too. Oh, you know a good thing when you see it; you bet yer life you
-do."
-
-"Do you think," said Vance, "the lots I purchased were reasonable at the
-price?"
-
-"I should say so; yes, sir, mighty cheap. This here town is comin out
-of the kinks in fine shape. We'll have a drum corps in our State militia
-before another year; you bet we will. I presume you know we have the
-finest drilled company at Waterville, outside the regular army, in the
-state?"
-
-"I have been told," said Vance, "that I paid too much {60}for the
-property. I am more interested in learning the truth or untruth of the
-statement than I am about your militia company."
-
-[Illustration: 0068]
-
-"Who told you that:" asked Ballard, with indignation. As Vance did not
-answer, the hotel proprietor went on to say: "I'll bet it was J. Arthur
-Boast. Now, look'ee here, Mr. Gilder, you can't believe everything these
-fellers tell you."
-
-The truth of this remark pressed itself on Vance so {61}forcibly, and
-his indignation getting the better of him, he turned upon Dick Ballard
-and said bitterly:
-
-"Who in thunderation can I believe?"
-
-"You can believe me, sir, and I'll produce prima facie evidence of
-everything I say. This town is all right; your investment is a good one,
-and the man who says it is not is surely trying to stick his nose into
-other people's business--but, say, hold on a minute," said Ballard, as
-if he had forgotten something, "will you take a drink?" and he produced
-a bottle from his pocket.
-
-"No, thank you," said Vance.
-
-"Well, if you don't mind, I will," said the landlord, as he proceeded to
-treat himself to a liberal portion of the contents of his bottle.
-
-"Now," said he, as he sat down smacking his lips, "everything I tell you
-is prima facie. I know how it is; some of these fellows have been trying
-to make you dissatisfied with your purchase. I am not selling town
-lots. My business is to run this hotel and see that everybody has a fair
-deal."
-
-"Who is the Town Company?" asked Vance.
-
-"The Town Company, sir, consists of some of the most remarkable men in
-this country. They are strong men, brainy men; they are hustlers; and
-I," said Ballard, rising to his feet, "I am their friend. This man,
-Homer Winthrop," he went on, "carries more gray matter about on his
-brain than all the shark real estate agents in Waterville put together.
-He is one of the company, but you'll see them all before long; and when
-you do, I know you'll agree with me in saying they are the cleanest
-cut lot of men on the continent. Winthrop is a great man, but there are
-others in the company that are a mighty {62}sight stronger than he is.
-They are all men of honor, and their integrity is prima facie."
-
-"Prima facie" seemed to be a favorite expression of Dick Ballard's.
-After he had delivered himself in the strongest language at his command,
-he treated himself to another drink and retired.
-
-Vance sat far into the night, looking out at his window into the mellow
-moonlight, listening to the ceaseless roar of the waters and the yelping
-coyotes in the distance, which were answered by half a dozen dogs in
-different parts of the town. At times he regretted his purchase, and
-again he felt it must, in the very nature of things, increase many times
-in value in a few years.
-
-The moon came up the eastern sky, and seemed to hang in space like
-a ball of fire, beckoning him to return to his eastern home before
-disaster overtook him. The three great Tetons of the mountain range
-bearing their name stood out in bold relief, throwing long, menacing
-shadows directly towards him. The shimmering of the soft moonbeams
-glistened on the restless waters of the musical river, whose alluring
-song of promise and power was wafted to him on the night wind.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VIII.--AT THE MINE
-
-
-[Illustration: 9071]
-
-HE {63}next morning Vance was rather late in rising. Soon after he had
-taken his seat at the breakfast table, he was joined by an individual
-small in stature but tastily dressed. His eyes were restless, and he
-seemed on the point of making an observation several times before he
-finally did so.
-
-"Very pleasant morning," said he, looking up at
-
-Vance and then hastily glancing at the sunshine that streamed in at the
-window.
-
-"Yes, delightful," was Vance's reply.
-
-Presently the stranger observed: "Sunny days are the rule, cloudy days
-the exception, at Waterville. At least that's my experience during a
-year's sojourn among the good people of this village." There was a
-quaking sound in the fellow's voice that attracted Vance's attention,
-because it was different from others more than because there was
-anything charming about it. Vance wondered if this individual was not
-also in the real estate business. It seemed as if every one with whom
-you come in contact was a real estate agent. He was on the point of
-asking him what line of business he {64}was engaged in, when the fellow,
-looking up from his plate, said, "Real estate is my line. My office is
-just across the street; you can see my sign from the window." Looking
-out at the window, Vance saw a large real estate sign, with gold letters
-on a black back-ground, bearing the name of "J. Arthur Boast."
-
-"You are Mr. Boast, I presume," said Vance, turning from the window.
-
-"J. Arthur Boast, at your service."
-
-Half an hour later Vance Gilder was seated in the real estate office of
-J. Arthur Boast, looking over his special bargain list; not with a view
-of buying, but rather to gain information.
-
-[Illustration: 9072]
-
-Boast talked a great deal, and in his fawning, insinuating manner,
-advised Vance, without saying so in so many words, to keep his eyes open
-when dealing with the Town Company. After Vance had carefully scanned
-his list of town lots, he was better satisfied than ever with his
-purchases.
-
-Taking a bottle from his desk, Boast held it up toward the sunlight,
-and asked Vance if he would have some "red liquor." Vance declined with
-thanks. Boast walked back and forth with the bottle in his hand, and in
-a quaking voice, meant to be confidential, told Vance that he had got
-to quit drinking; that red liquor was getting an awful hold on him.
-He seemed to be desirous of giving the impression that he was a hard
-drinker. Finally he poured out some of the contents of the bottle into
-a glass, and drank it down at one swallow. Afterwards he seemed quite
-wretched and his eyes were filled {65}with tears. Vance concluded,
-notwithstanding all he had said against himself, that J. Arthur Boast
-was not a drinking man.
-
-"That liquor is all right," said Boast; "a very superior article, but
-it is a little early in the day for me to commence. It always half
-strangles me in the morning."
-
-As Vance was seeking information from which he could draw his own
-conclusions, he gave Boast all the opportunities possible to express
-himself in regard to Waterville and its people.
-
-[Illustration: 8073]
-
-The fellow said nothing positive, yet there was an evil vein of
-insinuation in all that he did say not only in regard to the Waterville
-Town Company and every other real estate agent, but also against
-everybody in the town generally. Vance very much disliked the fellow,
-and afterwards learned that he was universally disliked and shunned by
-everyone in Waterville.
-
-Instead of returning to Butte City with Winthrop that afternoon, Vance
-remained in Waterville, and arranged to take the early stage next
-morning for Gold Bluff, which was located some sixty miles northwest of
-Waterville, in the Fish River Mining District. He arrived in that Idaho
-mining town late the following night, registered at the Bluff House, and
-after a late supper retired to his room for a much needed rest.
-
-The next morning he found, on inquiry, that Ben Bonifield's mine was
-located about half a mile from town upon the mountain side, and he
-at once started out in {66}that direction, to see how the work on the
-shaft, bound for the 300 foot level, was progressing.
-
-The town of Gold Bluff was cozily nestled in a little valley, with
-abrupt mountains lowering away to the sky on either side of it. The
-mountains were covered with spruce and pine and mountain poplars up to
-the snow line, above which the barren rocks rose majestically towards
-the heavens. A refreshing stream meandered its course through the town,
-on one side of which were stores and shops, and on the other residences.
-Vance noticed that some of them were of modern architecture and neatly
-painted, while others were primitive in the extreme--relics of early
-mining; days. The town was rather quaint and picturesque, and made more
-so by a profusion of shade trees.
-
-"Good morning," said Vance, as he came up to Ben Bonifield, who, in
-miner's costume, was working vigorously away at the frame-work of the
-shaft over Gray Rocks. The old man looked up with an astonished air, and
-said:
-
-[Illustration: 8074]
-
-"Good mawnin', suh." Then, recognizing his visitor, he threw down his
-hammer and gave Vance's hand such a squeeze in his powerful grasp that
-it almost made him cry out with pain.
-
-"Why, suh," cried the old miner, "I am almost pa'alyzed to see yo'. I
-am indeed, suh. Mr. Gilder, I welcome yo' suh, to Gold Bluff and to
-Gray Rocks. Here, suh, are our possessions," waving his hand toward
-the shaft. "Immediately upon my return from the city, Mr. Gilder, we
-commenced work in earnest, suh, and befo' many weeks, I am proud to say,
-suh, we will reach the 300 foot level and be ready to cross-cut into
-the vein, suh. Yo' don't know," said the old miner, again taking Vance's
-hand, "how proud I am--yes, proud, suh, proud to be honored with a visit
-from yo', I very much desire that yo' pu'son'lly inspect the mine; and
-there is no better time than the present."
-
-Vance entered heartily into the tour of inspection, and at the old
-miner's invitation, went down in the bucket, where the miners were at
-work. The old gentleman kept him there until he had explained everything
-to the minutest detail, and when Vance at last reached the top of the
-shaft he felt he had a far better idea of sinking shafts on mines than
-ever before.
-
-"Come," said the old miner, "my Louise will be most delighted to see
-yo', suh; she will indeed." Then turning, he gave some instruction
-to his foreman, telling him he would not return that afternoon, and
-together the old gentleman and Vance walked down the mountain side to
-the village of Gold bluff.
-
-The old miner's residence was a modest one, situated well back from the
-street, near some huge boulders--a natural pyramid of rocks, while a
-beautiful little spring of water flowed from near its base. There was a
-very pretty yard in front, filled with growing evergreens and mountain
-ash.
-
-"I planted these trees myself, suh," said the old miner, "years ago.
-They remind me of my old Virginia home. I was the fust one to set out
-shade trees in Gold Bluff; yes, still, the fust one."
-
-As Vance entered the yard, he paused a moment to contemplate the beauty
-and home-like appearance of the {68}yard, and Ben Bonifield's home,
-with its wide porches in front literally covered with honeysuckles, ivy,
-and vining roses.
-
-[Illustration: 0076]
-
-Vance found Louise dressed as a mountain maid, instead of the
-fashionable young lady who had called on him in his New York home. She
-was not such a woman as poets rave about, and yet, withal, there was a
-grace--a charm--about her, that commanded admiration. Her hair, in the
-sunlight, was like one beautiful sheen of gold, {69}with little ringlets
-here and there; her complexion was pink and white, and when under deep
-excitement a ruddy glow would mantle her cheeks. Her nose, while well
-formed, neither large nor small, was quite ordinary. Her mouth was a
-perfect Cupid's bow, with lips like two red cherries. As Vance conversed
-with her that afternoon, he forgot the hair, forgot the delicately
-formed, rosy lips, forgot even the glow of pink which came and went over
-her fair cheeks, in looking into her talking eyes--so clear, so blue,
-and yet to trustful; even forgot the long brown lashes that fringed
-them with gentle protection. Her eyes were the crowning feature of her
-expressive face, which may not have been a beautiful one in the parlance
-of fashion, yet it was one that a student of human nature would term
-a face of intelligence; and after all, to the cultured, is there aught
-more beautiful?
-
-As Vance sat with the old miner and his daughter on the porch of their
-cozy dwelling that afternoon, he forgot time. The sun went down behind
-the western mountains, leaving the beauty of an afterglow reflected on
-the waters of the mountain brooklet. The moon that was climbing up over
-the eastern hills threw its rays aslant through the clinging roses that
-grew in profusion about the porch. A feeling of peace, and possibly
-a dangerous contentment, stole into his heart, and he murmured a
-thanksgiving to the fates. The unseen, potent force that binds us
-all, sooner or later, with a silken cord, was thonging him to a future
-destiny.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IX.--THE STAGE DRIVER.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9078]
-
-ROM {70}Gold Bluff Vance sent to the _Banner_ one of his strongest
-descriptive letters. The inspiration of the new west, with its gorges,
-mountains, beautiful valleys and gurgling streams abounding with trout,
-tinged its every sentence.
-
-His vivacious style, which had won for him the place he occupied on the
-_Banner_, was reinforced with the new and intoxicating sights of
-the picturesque. For two weeks he did little else than tramp through
-valleys, following up mountain streams on fishing jaunts, and felt that
-he was "roughing it" in a most delightful fashion. One night, coming in
-from a long tramp far up in the mountains, he found a large bundle of
-mail awaiting him that had been forwarded from Butte Citv. Among his
-letters was one from the chief, which read as follows:
-
-_Banner_ Office,
-
-New York City, July
-
-Dear Sir:
-
-Your letters to the _Banner_, in one sense of the word, are all and even
-more than I expected. They are giving excellent satisfaction. As yet
-you have expressed no decided opinion in regard to the desirability of
-Western investments.
-
-My ideas are to educate our readers against unstable investments. Nine
-out of every ten of the mining shafts in Montana, {71}in my judgment,
-have had more money put into them than ever has or ever will be taken
-out. You will also find many Western towns where they are selling lots
-at from one to two hundred dollars each, which, in reality, would be
-expensive property to own at the government price of $1.25 per acre. Of
-course, there are, perhaps, a few honorable exceptions.
-
-To Vance Gilder, Esq.
-
-Respectfully,
-
-J. R. S., Chief.
-
-When one is seeking an excuse for his convictions, especially if
-they are as strong as Vance's had become in regard to Butte City and
-Waterville, the one little sentence, "Of course, there are, perhaps, a
-few honorable exceptions," in the chief's letter saves him a great
-deal of worry. Vance was too light hearted to be cast down by the
-half-criticism of the class of correspondence he was sending in.
-
-He had an engagement that evening with Louise Bonifield and her father;
-indeed, his was a standing invitation at the Bonifields', and almost
-every afternoon since his arrival at Gold Bluff found him at their
-mountain home.
-
-[Illustration: 9079]
-
-As he started from the hotel he was accosted by a familiar voice:
-"Hello, pard; how d' ye do?" and Steve Gibbons thrust out his long arm
-to shake Vance's hand in western fashion. He still wore his sombrero and
-high-topped boots.
-
-Vance assured Gibbons that he was delighted to see him.
-
-"I knew you would be," said Gibbons, "You see, I have given up the real
-estate t {72}business clown at Waterville, and am turned stage driver.
-Of course, every man in this 'ere country is lookin' for promotion. I
-don't reckon I'm any smarter than other people, but I've had my eye on
-this job for several months; but you can bet your life them other real
-estate agents didn't know nothin' about it. I tell you, pardner, it's a
-mighty elevatin' position to drive a six-horse team through these deep
-mountain gorges in all kinds of wind and weather. Had to give a mighty
-stout bond, too, for we handle all the express matter, and there's a
-good deal of gold dust hauled down from this 'ere camp."
-
-Vance was glad to meet anyone, however slight the acquaintance had been,
-and in the course of their conversation Steve Gibbons confessed to him
-that he was "givin' it to him just a leetle" in regard to the town lots
-which Vance had purchased of the Town Company.
-
-"You see," said he, "the facts are, the Town Company of Waterville has
-made that 'ere town, and are still makin' it. It's a mighty pert place,
-and is growin' perter all the time."
-
-Vance mentally wondered if all the "honest intentioned" fellows of
-Waterville would talk in the same way about the Town Company if they
-were occupying positions where their interests were no longer adverse to
-the Company's.
-
-"Then you don't think I paid too much for my lots?" asked Vance,
-looking up with a quizzical expression.
-
-"No," said Steve Gibbons, "them lots are all right, pardner, and will
-make you a barrel if you hold on to 'em. They sold 'em to you cheap
-enough. That was just a leetle competition talk I was givin' you that
-night down at Waterville. Business is business, you know, {73}when you
-are sellin' town lots, and a man has got to talk for hisself. I really
-did want to sell you some lots, that's a fact, 'cause I wanted to rake
-in the commission; but it's all over with now. I have throwed up the
-whole darned business of sellin' lots since I was promoted. Old Dick
-Ballard," said he, "is jest as _prima facie_ as ever, and says his
-company is the finest drilled militia in the state. By the way," he
-continued, "the Town Company has had a meetin', and the people are
-feelin' mighty good jess now'."
-
-"How's that?" asked Vance.
-
-"Oh," replied Gibbons, "about once a month the Town Company have a
-meetin', and pass resolutions, declar' dividends and get up a new'
-prospectus of different manufacturin' enterprises that's goin' to
-be built thar; also, of colleges and state institutions that will be
-located at Waterville this comin' year, and that always makes the people
-feel high-spirited for the next week or ten days, anyhow. Most of the
-people go on a spree after one o' them encouragin' meetin's."
-
-"I presume," said Vance, "that Homer Winthrop is one of the leading
-spirits of the Company."
-
-"He is one of the Company," said Gibbons, as he filled his pipe and lit
-it, "but he lacks a good deal, I can tell you, of bein' the biggest toad
-in the puddle. There's old Colonel Alexander, he's the fellow that
-lays out the plans on a gigantic scale. Then there's General Ira House.
-I 'spect he has the biggest reputation of any town boomer on the western
-half of the continent--I allow as what he has. And when you're talkin'
-about smart ones, you don't want to forget B. Webster Legal; he's the
-corporation attorney, and you can bet your last {74}half dollar the
-company will never run agin' any shoals as long as he stands at the
-wheel and writes up contracts. Oh, he's a hummer, and no mistake."
-
-"It's reported down thar' that half a dozen different railroad companies
-are tryin' mighty hard to get him for their attorney, but he saws, 'Not
-much; I have cast my fortune with my friends and with Waterville, and
-I'll stick by the enterprise as long as a town lot can be sold.'"
-
-"The Town Company is mighty cute," he went on, "they never have any law
-suits, 'cause their contracts are drawn up with knots tied knee deep all
-over the fellow they're dealin' with."
-
-It is probable that Steve Gibbons would have gone on indefinitely had
-not Vance begged to be excused, pleading a previous engagement. They
-bade each other good night, Gibbons starting for the stables to look
-after his horses, and Vance walked leisurely along toward the Bonifield's
-home.
-
-That afternoon Louise had accepted his invitation to go on a fishing
-jaunt some day during the week to a place called Silver Point Lake, some
-two miles away.
-
-[Illustration: 8082]
-
-Her simplicity of manner and frankness, though possessing, withal, a
-demure humor, which was one of her charming characteristics, had greatly
-fascinated him.
-
-They were standing on the cottage porch in the soft summer twilight,
-while a mountain breeze was tossing the ringlets of Louise's hair about,
-as if coquetting with them. Vance was studying her face while she was
-looking far away toward the western {75}mountains, where the sun had
-left a reddened glow on the sky, which, he said, was a promise of fair
-weather for the fishing excursion the next day. Presently, a creaky
-voice commenced calling:
-
-"Louise! Louise! where is your par?" and before Vance's fair companion
-could explain, a woman well advanced in years came out on the porch, and
-seemed surprised at seeing Vance, and eyed him critically.
-
-"Aunt Sally," said Louise, "this is Mr. Gilder, papa's friend. Mr.
-Gilder, this is my Aunt Sally, father's sister."
-
-Aunt Sally acknowledged the introduction with a stately bow. Her apparel
-was of the fashion of a quarter of a century ago.
-
-"Am very glad to see you, suh," she said, addressing Vance. "I
-understand you are interested with my brother in his mine. I can give
-you, Mr. Gilder, some very excellent advice; I can, indeed, suh, but I
-will defer it until some other time." Then turning to Louise, she said,
-"Do you know where your par's gone?"
-
-"I do not," replied Louise, sweetly, "I think he will be here in a few
-moments."
-
-"I just allow he's grub-stakin' some of them pesky prospectin' miners
-again," cried Aunt Sally. "Mr. Gilder," she continued, "I have to watch
-over my brother very closely, I do, indeed, suh. He's been plantin'
-money all over these mountains for many years, but there's no crop ever
-been harvested. I allow I'll give him a piece of my mind when he comes
-home." Saying this, she turned and disappeared into the house. Louise
-was evidently confused, and regretted her aunt's words, while Vance was
-at a loss to understand the import of the spinster s remarks.
-
-{76}"I am very sorry, Mr. Gilder," said Louise--and he noticed she was
-trembling like a frightened bird--"sorry that Aunt Sally should so far
-forget herself as to speak so before a stranger."
-
-[Illustration: 0084]
-
-Vance declared there was no reason for being disturbed, but Louise was
-not wholly reassured by his words. "I know papa will be very angry with
-Aunt Sally."
-
-"There surely is no cause for that," replied Vance.
-
-{77}"You see," said Louise, "mamma died when Virginia and I were little
-girls, and Aunt Sally has been a mother to us. Ever since papa commenced
-work on Gray Rocks she has continually opposed him. She says he will
-never find a dollar s worth of gold if he sinks his shaft a thousand
-feet. I sometimes think she has influenced sister Virgie. Sister is away
-from home now, teaching school at Waterville. I do not know whether papa
-is wrong or not, but if he is, then I am also, for I believe with all my
-heart that some time papa will find the wealth he has so persistently
-labored for so many years. And I sincerely hope," she continued, laying
-her hand on Vance's arm and looking pleadingly up into his face, "that
-you will not be influenced by anything that Aunt Sally may have said,
-will you?"
-
-Vance was only human; he could not withstand such an appeal, If doubts
-had ever come to him, the trembling girl at his side, by her looks and
-words, had put them to flight. "No," he replied, "my faith is as firm as
-the rocks in your father's mine."
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER X.--PROPERTY HAS GONE UP.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9086]
-
-MMEDIATELY {78}after breakfast the following morning, Vance was waited
-upon by Col. Bonifield. The old miner bore a troubled expression on his
-face. Vance invited him to his room.
-
-"Mr. Gilder," said the old miner, as he raised himself to his full
-height, and with the dignity of a general addressed Vance: "I assure
-yo', suh, I am greatly pained at the uncalled fo' remarks which my
-sister made in yo'r presence last evening; I am indeed, suh.
-
-"I assure you," replied Vance, "there is no occasion to refer to the
-matter at all. I assured your daughter, and I now assure you, that I
-have every confidence in the mine, and will continue to have until you
-yourself have sufficient reason to shake your faith. I certainly cannot
-say more, and under the circumstances could not say less."
-
-"Mr. Gilder," said the old miner, "yo', suh, are a very honorable
-gentleman, and I am very proud of my partnership with yo'; I am indeed,
-suh. In regard to my sister--in her younger days, I assure yo', she
-was one of the most rema'kable women of Virginia; yes, suh, a vehy
-rema'kable woman. She certainly has been a true sister to me, suh, and a
-faithful mother to my daughters, but in {79}some way she disbelieves in
-Gray Rocks, and would yo' believe it, suh, she has gone so far at
-times as to intimate that I am crazy as a March hare in regard to ever
-'strikin' it rich' on our minin' property; yes, suh, she certainly has
-said some vehy bitter things against Gray Rocks, but fo' all that,
-she is a vehy rema'kable woman, even to this day. Yes, suh, quite
-rema'kable."
-
-"I now have a matter, Mr. Gilder," he continued, "of vehy great
-importance to discuss with yo." Vance offered the old miner a cigar,
-which he accepted, and soon they were discussing the "important matter,"
-which of course referred to Gray Rocks.
-
-[Illustration: 8087]
-
-"We are not far away, Mr. Gilder, from the 300 foot level. Our machinery
-and pumps, suh, have been workin' rema'kably well. Two weeks mo' and our
-shaft will be finished; yes, suh, finished. Then we will cross-cut, and
-my opinion is, it will be well fo' yo' to remain in Gold Bluff and
-be ready to send in yo'r resignation as cor'spondent of that New York
-paper; yes, suh that is my advice. It is only proper, suh, that yo'
-should enjoy the riches that await yo'."
-
-"But supposing, Col. Bonifield," said Vance, "supposing that you do not
-find any pay ore when you crosscut into the vein, as you say; in that
-event, I suppose you agree with me that it would be a pretty good idea
-for me to hold my position on the _Banner?_"
-
-"Of cou'se, suh," replied the old miner, "but there is but one chance in
-ten thousand that we won't strike it. I admit of this one chance against
-us, suh, fo' the sake of {80}argument alone. Mr. Grim is now takin' out
-of the Peacock some of the richest ore I ever saw in my life, he is indeed,
-suh--and his mine joins ours, as yo' know, directly on the nawth."
-
-Vance was silent for a few moments, and then said: "In the event, Col.
-Bonifield, we do not strike it; what then? Will you be discouraged?"
-
-"No, suh; if we fail at the 300 foot level, suh, and yo' can furnish
-the money, we will start the next mornin' fo' the 400 foot level; but
-I assure yo', suh, I have no idea yo 'll have to furnish any mo' money.
-Gray Rocks is a sure winner; it is indeed, suh. The oldest miners in
-the camp say that if we stick to Gray Rocks it will be worth mo' in five
-years than Rufus Grim's Peacock mine. When I was yo'r age, Mr. Gilder,"
-he continued, blowing a cloud of smoke away out of the window toward
-Gray Rocks, "I could not have stuck to that property year after year as
-I have been doin'. Why suh, it took a quarter of a century's experience
-fo' me to learn that a rollin' stone gathers no moss'; it did indeed,
-suh. Now I have observed the fellows that strike it, in nine cases out
-of ten, are the ones who follow up and hold on after they once strike
-a trail. Why, suh, if yo' had seen the float rock that I found befo'
-stakin' out Gray Rocks, yo' would know why I believe there is an entire
-hill full of wealth over yonder."
-
-While they were talking there came a gentle rap on the door. Vance
-called out for them to "come in. The door opened, and a boy sidled into
-the room with a letter in his hand and asked for Col. Bonifield.
-
-"At yo'r service, suh," said the old miner' rising with much dignity.
-"Thank yo', suh," said he, taking the {81}letter. The boy took himself
-off, closing the door behind him, while the colonel, adjusting his
-glasses, read aloud the address, "Miss Louise Bonifield."
-
-Dropping his glasses from his eyes, he placed the letter in his pocket
-and said: "Mr. Boast has evidently returned to Gold Bluff."
-
-"Mr. Boast, did you say?" asked Vance.
-
-"Yes, suh, Mr. Boast--a young man in whom I have only the slightest
-confidence. His full name is J. Arthur Boast. His father, Colonel Boast,
-lives on a ranch about three miles from here."
-
-Vance could never explain why, but the unfavorable opinion he had formed
-of J. Arthur Boast while at Waterville was in the twinkling of an eye
-changed to hatred. Soon after, Colonel Bonifield took his departure, and
-Vance commenced preparing for his next day's fishing-jaunt. His door had
-been left ajar, and presently he heard a squeaky, ill-omened voice that
-he well remembered.
-
-"How do you do, Mr. Gilder?"
-
-Vance turned and saw J. Arthur Boast standing at his door. "How do you
-do," said Vance, rather abruptly.
-
-"I did not expect to find you at Gold Bluff," said Boast in an
-insinuating tone of voice.
-
-"Why not?" said Vance; without deigning to look up.
-
-"Oh, you eastern fellows, and newspaper men in particular, never stay
-very long in one place. So you've met my old mining friend, Colonel
-Bonifield?"
-
-"Yes," replied Vance.
-
-"I presume you've met his daughter, Miss Louise?" As he made this remark
-he looked out of the corners of his restless eyes in a manner that was
-intended to be cunning. {82}Vance was full of resentment, and dared not
-trust himself to make and immediate reply. Presently Boast continued:
-"They are old friends, of mine; a most respectable family. I used to
-live in Gold Bluff; may live here again. One can't say what may happen,
-you know."
-
-[Illustration: 0090]
-
-"I thought," said Vance, "you were in love with Waterville."
-
-"One's in love where one's possessions are, don't you see?"
-
-Vance did not reply to the question, but busied himself with his fishing
-tackle. Presently Boast took a bottle from his pocket, and said:
-
-"Will you have a drink of red liquor Vance replied in the negative.
-
-"Well, I suppose," said Boast, "I ought not to drink so much. The truth
-is, I am a pretty devilish hard citizen. I am drinking entirely too much
-of the stuff, but no one takes interest enough in me to tell me so; yet
-I know I'm going to the bad. The habit is formed and what is a fellow
-going to do about it?"
-
-He waited some time for a reply, but as Vance made none, he proceeded to
-pour out a small portion of the contents of the bottle into a glass, and
-then added some water to it and stood looking out of the window.
-
-"Won't you be seated?" asked Vance.
-
-"Thank you, I believe I will," replied Boast, and sat down with the
-glass of liquor in his hand, and said nothing for several minutes. He
-acted as if he dreaded the ordeal of swallowing the portion, but felt it
-would not do to set it aside after all he had said in regard to being
-a hard drinker. Finally he gulped it down at a single swallow, and then
-drank a great quantity of water immediately afterward. He strangled
-considerably and his eyes became very red, and evidently was glad the
-trial was over. Presently he said:
-
-"Mr. Gilder, there are things going to happen down at Waterville in
-the next ninety days that will surprise everyone. Some very large
-manufacturing enterprises wall soon be located there."
-
-"That certainly is very welcome news," replied Vance, "as a property
-owner in the new city, I am naturally interested in its development."
-
-
-{84}"Property has gone up ten per cent since you were there."
-
-"Is that so?" said Vance, looking up in some surprise. "Of course,"
-Boast continued, "I am selling my special bargain list at the same old
-prices, but the Company and other real estate agents who have desk room
-here and there over the town, are trying very hard to inflate prices. I
-am holding them level, however, and intend to keep on doing so. I don't
-propose having Waterville killed by a lot of town boomers, who are
-trying to get prices away above intrinsic values."
-
-"It is very fortunate," replied Vance, "that Waterville has such a
-conservative citizen as yourself."
-
-"It's very complimentary for you to say so, I am sure," replied Boast.
-"Of course. Mr. Gilder, I would not say anything detrimental about
-anyone."
-
-"Certainly not," replied Vance. The tenor of his conversation was
-decidedly wicked in its insinuations; indeed, one to hear him talk would
-naturally think the destiny of Waterville rested entirely with J. Arthur
-Boast. Presently, in a high, creaking voice, he said:
-
-"How do you like Miss Louise?"
-
-"Miss Louise?" repeated Vance, with a perplexed look on his face.
-
-"Yes, Miss Louise Bonifield. How do you like her? Pretty fair specimen
-for the west, ain't she?"
-
-"My likes and dislikes," said Vance, "are hardly to be taken into
-consideration. One seldom forms an opinion until he is acquainted. Of
-course, there are exceptions to the rule. I have known people for a very
-short time, and yet instinctively taken a great dislike to them. Miss
-Bonifield," continued Vance, without looking up, {85}"has the appearance
-of a lady of refinement and culture, but as my observations have been
-limited, I can hardly say more than that I am well pleased with both the
-young lady and her father." At this Vance prepared to leave the room.
-
-"You'd better drink with me," said Boast, taking up his bottle again.
-
-[Illustration: 9093]
-
-"I am liable to drink every drop of this liquor before I let up, and
-you'd only be doing me a kindness by dividing it up with me a little."
-
-"No, thank you," replied Vance. "Very well," said Boast "I shall remain
-in Gold Bluff several days, and hope to see you often."
-
-Vance closed the door after Boast had left his room, and the one word,
-"Scoundrel!" hissed through his teeth.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XI.--OWNER OF THE PEACOCK MINE.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9094]
-
-HE next {86}morning Vance was up at an early hour for a morning walk.
-He followed the winding road up the hill-side toward Gray Rocks. The
-air was fresh and invigorating; the sun was just rising over the eastern
-mountains. Robins and mountain thrushes were twittering gaily their
-morning songs. He mentally compared the stifled life so prevalent in the
-great cities to the healthful and exhilarating prospect about him.
-
-A shadow flitted across his mind. It was J. Arthur Boast's inquiry in
-regard to Louise Bonifield. "But why should I be so ready to come to
-her rescue? What right have I to be her champion? They may be old
-acquaintances, but they certainly are not friends. She is too noble a
-character to form an alliance of friendship with such an individual as
-Boast. He is critical, cold, calculating, and, I believe, unprincipled."
-
-Walking on in an aimless way, he followed a path that led by Gray Rocks
-on toward the Peacock. Presently he saw a well-dressed man in middle
-life walking toward him. There was an unmistakable look of good living
-and prosperity--a general air of superiority about him. His round, fat
-face was smooth shaven, except a {87}bristly dark moustache. His nose
-was large and obtrusive. In his shirt front glistened a diamond of great
-value, while its counterpart reflected the morning sun from a massive
-ring on one of his fat, short fingers.
-
-"Good morning," said he.
-
-[Illustration: 0095]
-
-Vance returned the salutation, and presently the pompous stranger
-introduced himself as Rufus Grim, owner of the Peacock.
-
-"Yes, I have heard of you," replied Vance.
-
-{88}"You're the young man from New York, I reckon," said Grim.
-
-"New York is my home."
-
-"Yes, I have heard about you. I rather expected you over to see me. I
-assure you, Mr. Gilder," he went on, "it would afford me great pleasure
-to show you through the Peacock. She is a fine piece of property, I can
-tell you; none better. If you'll walk down this way a little we can see
-the old prospect shaft where the precious metal of the Peacock was first
-discovered."
-
-Vance readily consented, and presently they came to an old, open shaft
-near the brow of the mountain overlooking the village of Gold Bluff and
-the valley below.
-
-"Here," said Rufus Grim, with a wave of his fat hand, "is where I
-commenced prospecting fifteen years ago. I was one of the pioneers
-in this mining camp. Sometimes I did not know where the next meal was
-coming from, but I worked on, day after day; first for wages, and then
-for an interest in what, at the time, was looked upon as a labor and
-money losing investment. I stuck to it; the other fellows didn't.
-Finally I bought out the other fellows, and if you have heard very much
-about the history of Gold Bluff and the prosperity of her mines,
-of course you have heard about me. In fact," he said, with vulgar
-braggadocio, "the history of the Peacock and my own are so interwoven
-that you couldn't very well hear of one and not know all about the
-other."
-
-"Yes," replied Vance, "I have heard a great deal of you. Mr. Grim, and
-am delighted to have the pleasure of knowing you personally."
-
-"Yes, I presume," said Grim, as he looked away toward the valley that
-nestled beneath their feet, "I presume you've heard a great deal about
-Rufus Grim that is not true, and precious little to my credit. I have
-not a doubt but what the busy-bodies of Gold Bluff have told you that
-old, worn-out story about Steve Gibbons and Hank Casey, and how unjustly
-I treated them; but I can tell you," he continued with warmth, "there's
-not a word of truth in all that you may have heard. No, sir, I have
-climbed the ladder step by step and built up my own fortune, and
-whatever I am to-day, I have nobody to thank but myself."
-
-"I assure you," said Vance, "I have heard nothing particularly to your
-discredit. In fact, I have heard next to nothing at all, except that you
-were the owner of the Peacock, and that it is a paying property."
-
-Rufus Grim looked at Vance at first as if he doubted him, and then
-expressed his surprise that no one had told him what a mean man he was.
-"If you get acquainted with that young scoundrel, Boast, he'll tell you
-quick enough--a miserable story; how I cheated Casey and Gibbons out
-of their share of the mine; but I say it's false," he continued, as
-he brought his fat hands down together, "not a word of truth in any
-of their statements. No, sir. You see," he went on, turning to the
-old prospect shaft, "I have put a wall around this so that it may be
-preserved. It gratifies me to come here occasionally and think over the
-hard times of my prospecting life and the change that has come. It came,
-sir, because I made it come. Yonder is my home," said he, waving his
-hand toward an elegant residence located in the suburbs of the village,
-with beautiful grounds about it. "If there is any better in the Fish
-River mining district, I don't know it."
-
-{90}"You're home," said Vance, "is certainly a lovely looking place."
-
-"You are at liberty," said Grim "to come and see me whenever you desire.
-I can't promise you more than this, that you will be welcome." Grim made
-this last remark as if he was bestowing a great favor upon a stranger
-within the gates of Gold Bluff; indeed, one might have imagined him
-Lord Mayor of some municipality granting the freedom of the city to some
-favored guest.
-
-Vance thanked him for the invitation. With a stately bow to Vance, Grim
-turned and walked toward the works on the Peacock, and Vance returned
-to the hotel refreshed from his walk, and interested in the fragments of
-the story he had heard from the owner of the Peacock.
-
-At the appointed hour he called for Louise, and, together, they walked
-briskly toward Silver Point Lake.
-
-Louise was all animation and life, and thought nothing of the two miles'
-walk which lay before them.
-
-[Illustration: 9098]
-
-Indeed, she had followed these mountain paths from her early childhood,
-and felt less fatigue after a tramp of a half-dozen miles than many a
-city belle after walking a half-dozen blocks.
-
-It might be well to explain that Louise's mother was a lady of great
-culture and refinement, and belonged to one of the oldest families of
-Baltimore. She died when Louise was only four years old. A spinster
-sister of Colonel Bonifield tried to persuade her brother to give up his
-daughters while he was leading a life in the mountains, and let than
-be reared to womanhood at the old Bonifield home in Virginia, but Ben
-Bonifield could not do this. The loss of his wife was a severe blow, and
-to part with his daughters, Virginia and Louise, could not be thought
-of. Therefore, Aunt Sully had accepted her brother's invitation to make
-her home in the mountains, and take upon herself the care and training
-of her brother's children.
-
-Aunt Sally was a lady in the olden time possessed of uncommon gifts
-and a finished education, not only in classical literature, but also in
-music and painting. Louise had proven a more apt scholar than her elder
-sister, Virginia. Aunt Sally had been a most painstaking instructress,
-and her wards had grown up with minds enriched and cultured, while
-their physical development was in keeping with the wild freedom of a
-health-sustaining mountain country.
-
-In her later years, however, Aunt Sally had become greatly dissatisfied
-with her brother and his attachment for Gray Rocks, and she had
-developed a querulous disposition, which, at times, was very annoying to
-Ben Bonifield. She lost no opportunity to express her opinion that "he
-was fooling his time away" while working on Gray Rocks.
-
-As Vance and Louise walked along that morning toward Silver Point Lake,
-he could not help glancing at the ruddy glow on the fair cheeks of his
-companion. He listened to her childish talk of the many excursions which
-she had made with her father far over some of the tallest mountains that
-lav before them, and of numerous "fish frys" they had enjoyed at Silver
-Point Lake.
-
-While he listened to the sweet music of her voice, he {92}mentally
-speculated as to what sort of a friendship, if any, could possibly exist
-between such a fair creature and J. Arthur Boast. Presently, looking up
-at Vance with her large blue eyes, she said:
-
-"We may have company at the lake."
-
-"Why, how is that?" inquired Vance in some surprise.
-
-"I received a note," replied Louise, "from Bertha Allen, inviting me
-to go horseback riding to-day. In my reply I explained my previous
-engagement with you. Just before starting this morning I received a note
-from her saying that she and her cousin, Arthur Boast, would try to join
-our fishing party. Of course," she said, with a sweet little laugh, "you
-do not know who Bertha Allen is. Bertha Allen," she went on, "is Mr.
-Rufus Grim's step-daughter. Mr. Grim married Mrs. Allen when Bertha was
-a girl in her early teens. Mrs. Allen is Colonel Boast's sister, and
-Bertha and Arthur are, therefore, cousins."
-
-Vance did not fancy the prospect of meeting Boast, and felt that his
-happiness for the day would certainly be very incomplete if Boast was to
-be one of the fishing party.
-
-"I have met Mr. Boast," said Vance, with just a tinge of resentment in
-his voice.
-
-"I hope you like him," said Louise, as she turned her lovely face toward
-him with a pleading look in her eyes.
-
-"May I ask you why you hope so?" asked Vance, in almost a defiant tone.
-
-There was no maidenly blush on Louise's cheeks as she replied with the
-simplicity of a child:
-
-"Why, Mr. Gilder, there is hardly anybody that likes Arthur, and I
-sometimes feel sorry for him. Mr. Grim {93}says very hard things about
-him, and no one seems to be his friend."
-
-"Perhaps he is unworthy," replied Vance.
-
-For a moment Louise was silent, and then said:
-
-"The judgment of the world, Mr. Gilder, is often at fault. We may judge
-with a degree of accuracy art, music, fame, or power, but it is hardly
-wise to apply the same rule to a human being."
-
-[Illustration: 0101]
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XII--TROUT FISHING.
-
-
-[Illustration: 0102]
-
-RRIVING at {94}the lake by a circuitous path, they found themselves
-on the banks of a lovely sheet of water, several hundred feet wide and
-perhaps a mile in length. The distinct reflection of the foliage, trees
-and mountains, which rose several hundred feet on the opposite side,
-made a double picture of enchanting loveliness.
-
-"We have been waiting for you," said Bertha Allen, in a flute-like
-voice. She was a cooing sort of a young lady, with a dainty lisp, which
-she evidently regarded as becoming. She embraced Louise and gave her one
-of her sweetest kisses, and in a half sotto voice lisped, "how beautiful
-you look to-day!"
-
-Vance was presented, and Bertha honored him with one of her stateliest
-bows. There was no alternative, as Boast extended his hand and observed
-that he had met Mr. Gilder before, but to accept the situation and make
-the best of it.
-
-Vance saw in Bertha Allen a young lady of about five and twenty, rather
-tall and slender, with a wasp-like waist. She had a small head and face,
-with heavy braids of dark brown hair, which corresponded with her long
-eyelashes of a dark hue. Her eyes never looked straight at anyone,
-but she continually practiced a bewitching habit of shy observation,
-evidently considering it fasci{95}nating. Her mouth was small, and a
-noticeable dimple was in her chin. There was a delicate pink upon her
-cheeks, which Vance noticed as the day wore on, did not come and go,
-but remained as one of her permanent features. There was a poetry in
-her movements, however, which admirably fitted her slow, soft tone of
-lisping-speech. Her slender form was robed in a pretty costume of pink,
-with black lace and ribbons. It was a costume of frills and laces,
-coquetishly arranged, making her graceful figure more symmetrical
-in arrangement. There were puffings here and there, which concealed
-defects, if any existed, and revealed her womanly charms to the best
-advantage. She talked a good deal, and called Louise her own "dear
-darling." Here every sentence was a lisp, and she told Cousin Arthur he
-was "simply horrid to kill the poor worms in baiting the hooks."
-
-Vance noticed that Roast was ready at any time to neglect his stylish
-cousin to engage in conversation with Louise. He found himself
-interpreting Bertha Allen's attempts to entertain and interest him, as
-the act of an accomplice, to enable Boast to have a tete-a-tete with
-Louise. There was consolation, however, in the fact that he did not
-believe Louise favored Arthur Boast's attentions.
-
-"How Arthur and Louise are enjoying themselves!" lisped Bertha Allen, in
-a sweet, confiding way, to Vance.
-
-"Do you think their enjoyment is superior to ours?" asked Vance.
-
-"No more than mine," she replied demurely, "but possibly more than
-yours." This was followed by a silvery little laugh.
-
-"I fear I am not very entertaining," said Vance.
-
-{96}"On the contrary, Mr. Gilder," replied Bertha, "I think you are a
-very charming companion. Are you from Virginia?" she asked.
-
-"No; my people were from Virginia. I was born and reared in New York
-City."
-
-[Illustration: 0104]
-
-"The Bonifields are Virginians. They seem to think," continued Bertha,
-"that all good people come from Virginia or Baltimore. I sometimes wish
-I had been born in Virginia."
-
-{97}"I never noticed that peculiarity," replied Vance, "in either
-Colonel Bonifield or his daughter."
-
-"Oh, I don't mean, Mr. Gilder, they are affected. Don't you think I am
-horrid to go on talking this way to you? But really, is not Louise one
-of the sweetest little darlings in the world?"
-
-Vance was bored, but turning toward Bertha Allen and smiling at her
-pretty up-turned face, replied:
-
-"You ask me so many questions, Miss Allen, that I do not know which to
-answer first."
-
-She looked archly at Vance, and said: "Do not answer either of them, for
-I know I would be dissatisfied with your reply. Is not that a beautiful
-botanical specimen? Really, Mr. Gilder," she continued, "I sometimes do
-not know what I am saying. I know you will think me awfully stupid."
-
-The well modulated and lisping voice of Bertha Allen possessed a
-charm of its own, and Vance found himself interested in studying
-the difference between the sweet, simple, unaffected Louise, and the
-affected, calculating Miss Allen.
-
-"Don't you think, Mr. Gilder, that Louise has great individuality?"
-
-"I believe her to be a most exemplary young lady," replied Vance, "and
-possessed of a good mind."
-
-"Oh, you think that, do you?" said Bertha, lisping and laughing like the
-silvery tones of a flute. "You are not the only one, Mr. Gilder, that
-thinks that way. I mean Cousin Arthur. Oh, he's awfully smitten."
-
-"Indeed!" replied Vance.
-
-"What a beautiful picture," said Bertha presently. "The waters mirror
-the trees and the mountains so {98}distinctly. Let us look over the bank
-at our own reflections."
-
-"Permit me to hold your hand," said Vance, "and I will prevent your
-falling. There--can you see yourself?"
-
-"Oh, just splendidly!" lisped Bertha, "it is clear as a French plate
-mirror. Shall I support you, Mr. Gilder, while you look?"
-
-"No, thank you," replied Vance, "I am not fond of looking at homeliness.
-I would rather look at you."
-
-"Oh, Mr. Gilder, you men are such flatterers! I thought better things of
-you."
-
-"And why of me?" asked Vance, teasingly.
-
-"Louise has spoken of you so many' times," she replied, "and in such
-flattering terms, that I was very anxious to meet you. Indeed, I had
-quite made up my mind that you were different from other men. Let us
-turn down this way, Mr. Gilder. Let me see--what was I saying? I thought
-you must be different; but I guess men are all about alike."
-
-"I feel highly honored," replied Vance, "to think that Miss Bonifield
-should have spoken of me at all."
-
-Bertha stopped and looked at Vance for a moment in silence, and then
-said:
-
-"Men are so conceited. There is no sentiment, I assure you, in Louise."
-
-"Your frankness is quite charming, Miss Allen."
-
-"Oh, do you think so?" said Bertha, with a sweet lisp.
-
-"Yes: and as to Miss Bonifield, I beg to differ from you. She certainly
-possesses in a high degree that sentiment peculiar to the children of
-nature. She loves all that is natural, and in the tenderness of her
-heart, pities the assumed."
-
-{99}"How unfortunate, Mr. Gilder," said Bertha, "that love is not
-reciprocal."
-
-Before Vance could reply, Louise called to them and soon after she and
-Boast came up, declaring the day had been a great success. Arthur and
-Vance divided the catch equally, and soon with their baskets swinging
-from their shoulders, they started for home. Bertha was profuse in her
-invitations to Mr. Gilder to call, and he promised to do so. He was
-quite glad, however, when they finally separated and he had Louise all
-to himself.
-
-"I hope you have enjoyed the day as much as you anticipated, Mr.
-Gilder," said Louise.
-
-"If I am anything," replied Vance, "I am frank; and therefore confess
-I would have enjoyed it far more without Boast and his pretty cousin."
-
-"I knew you would think her pretty," said Louise; "everyone does."
-
-"And do you think she is pretty?" asked Vance.
-
-"Yes, indeed," replied Louise, "I have seen no one, even in your great
-city of New York, half so handsome as Bertha."
-
-"You are certainly generous in your compliments," said Vance.
-
-"Bertha has such a sweet way about her, and she always makes one feel so
-at his ease."
-
-Before Vance had time to reply, Colonel Bonifield waved his pipe
-and blew out a cloud of smoke as an act of welcome to the returning
-fishermen. Vance displayed his long string of speckled beauties, and the
-Colonel assured him they had made a great success. "I have been thinkin'
-of yo' all day," he continued, "and had half a mind, upon my honor I
-did, suh, to come oveh and help yo' out." {100}Soon after. Vance took
-leave of the Bonifields, and started for the hotel. His respect for
-generous-hearted Louise was increasing. "Yes," said Vance to himself,
-"she is a child of nature. She does not know how to dissemble, and her
-heart is too pure to be resentful." His pleasant reverie was broken by
-encountering Boast at the hotel, who had arrived a little before him.
-
-His shoes had been exchanged for polished ones, yet he complained about
-his negligee appearance, and stooped to brush the least speck of dust
-or cigar ashes that might have found lodgment on his trousers or coat
-sleeves, and kept assuring Vance that he knew he "looked rougher than a
-miner."
-
-[Illustration: 9108]
-
-As a matter of fact, he was spotlessly at-attired, as was his custom.
-Even in his office at Waterville, he seemed backward about doing any
-business, for fear of soiling his hands in ink, or getting his desk out
-of order. Stepping into the bar-room of the hotel, they found seats near
-an open door, and Vance determined to gain as much information as he
-could from what Boast might have to say. As they seated themselves,
-Vance said:
-
-"I met Mr. Grim this morning."
-
-"Oh. did you?" replied Boast. "There is a man," he continued, "that
-ought to be hung. He's a robber!"
-
-"A robber?" asked Vance.
-
-"Yes. Fifteen years ago," continued Boast, "my father was the richest
-man in this part of Idaho. He was engaged then as now in the cattle and
-horse ranching business. He owns a very large ranch three miles from
-here down the valley. Grim came to the mining camp {101}without a dollar
-in his pocket and worked by the day. An opportunity presented itself for
-him to steal from his associates. He not only stole everything in sight,
-but by fraud and misrepresentation secured possession of the Peacock.
-
-[Illustration: 8109]
-
-"He is an ignorant old boor.
-
-"Ten years ago he married my aunt, the widow Allen, who is fully fifteen
-years his senior. He wanted a position in society and a home. My aunt
-is a stickler on all that's polite, but notwithstanding her training and
-all of old Grim's wealth, she has been unable to gild him over with
-even an appearance of culture, learning or decency. I never call at his
-house. They own perhaps the finest residence in the state of Idaho. If
-you will talk with Rufus Grim half an hour, it will be a wonder if
-he does not tell you that I am the biggest scoundrel outside the
-penitentiary; and it is all because my cousin Bertha is my friend.
-Sometimes I think he is afraid I will marry her. I believe he is in love
-with Bertha himself, and is only waiting for my aunt to die. It may be
-unwise for me to talk so plainly, Mr. Gilder, but when I think of that
-old reprobate, I become desperate."
-
-There was certainly no half insinuation in this statement, but rather a
-fiendish denunciation of the rich miner.
-
-"I think," said Boast, "we'd better have something to drink. I have a
-bottle in my pocket, but you are not very sociable, and I don't presume
-you will drink with me."
-
-"No," said Vance, "I am just as much obliged, but I do not feel the need
-of any stimulant this evening."
-
-{102}"I have abstained all day," said Boast, "out of respect for the
-ladies." His voice began to sound piping, and his restless eyes no
-longer looked squarely at Vance, but confined themselves to side-long
-glances, as if he were trying to discover what his feelings were toward
-his cousin and Miss Louise. "They are pretty fair specimens, eh, for the
-mountains? The ladies, I mean; the ladies."
-
-Vance answered in the affirmative.
-
-"My cousin is terribly taken with you, Mr. Gilder; if she was not my
-cousin I would feel jealous of you." As Vance made no reply, Boast
-continued: "I know I am going down hill at a pretty rapid rate, all on
-account of this red liquor." Tipping up the bottle, he took a swallow,
-coughed immoderately afterward, and made wry faces, as if he were
-mentally damning all the "red liquor" to perdition.
-
-"There's only one thing that will ever save Bertha Allen, and that is
-for old Grim to _die_. My aunt would inherit the wealth, and of course,
-in that event, Bertha would be an heiress. At present, she is entirely
-dependent upon his generosity. I understand," continued Boast, "Colonel
-Bonifield has about reached the 300 foot level. If I have one hope
-greater than another, it is that he will strike it ten times richer
-than old Grim ever did. In that event," he continued, while he furtively
-glanced at Vance, "there will be another heiress in Gold Bluff."
-
-That night, after Vance found the seclusion of his room, he worked far
-into the early hours of morning, finishing a letter to the _Banner, a
-letter full of decided opinions_.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIII.--THE STAGE RIDE.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9111]
-
-HE {103}following morning Vance forwarded to the _Banner_ office a
-two column article, which he considered the finest of all his western
-letters.
-
-The chief was at Buzzard's Bay enjoying a much needed rest, when Vance's
-letter was received. The assistant managing editor did little more than
-glance over the manuscript and observe to the dramatic critic, as
-he hung the copy on the hook, that "Young Gilder was sending in some
-excellent articles from the Northwest." The article was headed "Two
-Honorable Exceptions." It proceeded, in a most logical manner, to give
-the output of precious metals from the mining town of Butte City.
-
-His statistics were carefully revised, showing there was five times
-as much capital per capita in the mining camp of Butte City, with her
-50,000 people, as in the cities of New York, Philadelphia or Boston.
-
-Vance had spent a good deal of time in preparing the article, and every
-statement was supplemented with irrefragable proof. The latter half of
-the article was devoted to Waterville and the agricultural resources of
-the Thief River Valley. The exports of surplus crops had increased
-{104}from 100 carloads per annum to 3,000 carloads in four years' time,
-and a clever comparison was drawn between the farmers of eastern and New
-England states and the farmers of the great Thief River Valley, showing
-that for a given amount of labor, the farmer in the Thief River Valley
-received at least three dollars where the eastern farmer received only
-one.
-
-The wonderful water power in the rapids of the Thief River, where the
-new town of Waterville was building, was also dwelt upon, as well as
-the centrality of location of the new city--not only from a local
-standpoint, but as to the entire northwestern section of the United
-States. The yield of wheat and other cereals was briefly referred to,
-all showing that Gilder had been most painstaking in preparing the
-article.
-
-The managing editor, at Buzzard's Bay, was enjoying his morning smoke
-when the _Banner_ was laid on his table. Glancing it over leisurely, his
-eye caught the head-lines, "Two Honorable Exceptions." In a moment he
-was all animation. His cigar was permitted to go out in his general
-neglect of everything else, in devouring every sentence and word of the
-article. He then paced back and forth across his room and swore like a
-pirate, declaring he would not have had the article appear in the
-columns of the _Banner_ for $10,000.
-
-"Just to think," said he, "the very thing I sent that young fool of a
-Gilder into the west to accomplish, he has in this one article spoiled
-forever. Half a dozen of my friends have been asking me about mining
-invest{105}ments in Butte City. I have pleaded ignorance, but assured
-them we had sent a trusty man to inspect the merits of such investments,
-and they could expect reliable information in the columns of the
-_Banner_. Here it is, and a pretty mess he has made of it. He has,"
-continued the managing editor, angrily, "completely lost his head; only
-one thing will bring him to his senses, and that is a prompt dismissal
-from the _Banner_ force."
-
-Accordingly he wired the assistant managing editor, directing him to
-notify Mr. Gilder by letter that his services were no longer required.
-He also instructed his assistant to send the clearest headed man on the
-force immediately to Butte City, Montana, and Waterville, Idaho,
-and have an article for the coming Sunday issue that would entirely
-counteract the effect of Mr. Gilder's communication.
-
-While these arrangements were being made at the _Banner_ office, Vance
-was preparing to return to Butte City by way of Waterville, in order to
-make some investigations and secure additional information for his next
-letter to the _Banner_.
-
-The old miner, Ben Bonifield, had assured him they would reach the 300
-foot level by the following Saturday night, and Vance promised to return
-to Gold Bluff early the following week. Vance waited over one stage in
-order to travel in the one driven by Steve Gibbons.
-
-As a special mark of distinction to Vance, Gibbons invited him to a seat
-on the top of the stage. As they were whirled away from the beautiful
-little village of Gold Bluff, the sun was beginning to gild with gold
-the eastern hills. Vance felt it was a sight never to be forgotten. The
-evening before starting he was at the Bonifields. {106}When Louise said
-good-bye, with the sweet truthfulness of youth, and assured him that she
-would be lonely when he was gone, he felt like declaring then and there,
-he would stay forever if she would but make the request. She gave Vance
-a letter of introduction to her sister Virginia, whom Vance promised to
-call upon as soon as possible after reaching Waterville.
-
-Steve Gibbons was in his element on top of the stage coach.
-
-[Illustration: 8114]
-
-He chatted away in a vivacious manner, recounting various reminiscences
-of the different mountain gorges, here and there, where fine specimens
-of float rock had been discovered at different times. Again he would
-tell of some thrilling adventure with the Indians, and marvelous
-hair-breadth escapes. Gibbons invariably figured in these narratives as
-one of the principal characters. Presently he said:
-
-"I don't reckon you met Grim, did you?"
-
-"Rufus Grim?" said Vance; "yes, I had the pleasure of meeting him only a
-few days ago."
-
-"I 'spect," said Gibbons, "that Rufus Grim is the biggest scoundrel
-unhung in these diggins. He thinks he's mighty pert, but Hank Casey
-and me 'll teach him afore long that other people can be a mighty sight
-perter than what he is. The only hearty, overgrown regret that I've
-never been able to get rid of is that I didn't twist his neck ten years
-ago."
-
-"What grievance have you," asked Vance, "against Mr. Grim? One would
-naturally suppose the owner of the richest mine in the Fish River Mining
-District would be respected instead of disliked." {107}Steve Gibbons
-pushed his sombrero back from his forehead, as if to relieve his pent up
-feelings, swung his long whip twice around his head, and made the welkin
-ring as he cracked it over the backs of his dappled leaders.
-
-He then expectorated a vigorous "pit-tew" of tobacco juice, and said:
-"I reckon one can't always judge by appearances. When Steve Gibbons says
-that Rufus Grim is a scoundrel, he is a pretty good jedge of what he is
-sayin', and he mighty near means what he says, pardner. Somebody's goin'
-to be jerked out of the kinks 'fore long, and--'twixt ourselves--I think
-that somebody is Rufus Grim. Hank Casey an' me are old pards, and
-we've employed B. Webster Legal. He's the corporation attorney for the
-Waterville Town Company. You won't be takin' no chances, pardner, of
-bettin' your last dollar that old Grim will think somebody's after him
-with a sharp stick and a diamond drill in the end of it 'afore B. Webster
-Legal gets through with him. I tell you, Jedge Legal is a cuss in
-the court room. He can whip his weight in wild-cats in a law suit. Of
-course, I don't mean that he's goin' to leave the Town Company; he'll
-never do that as long as a lot can be sold--he says so his-self. Hank
-and I hev made a bargain with him, and old Grim is goin' to be ousted.
-The Peacock belongs to Hank Casey and me. What do you think of that?"
-
-"I assure you," replied Vance, "you interest me very much. I supposed
-Mr. Grim was the owner of the Peacock."
-
-Again Steve Gibbons' long whip cracked like a pistol shot over the backs
-of his horses. Presently he said:
-
-"I don't tell everybody, pardner, but I 'spect it makes no difference
-with you. You see, when Rufus Grim came {108}to Gold Bluff some fifteen
-years ago, he was so darnation poor he couldn't buy a meal of victuals.
-Hank and I had staked out the Peacock.
-
-[Illustration: 0116]
-
-We had found some mighty rich float rock in that part of the mountain,
-and knew the precious stuff was not very far away. We 'grub-staked'
-Grim and put him to work on wages, and while he was workin', he struck
-a 'pocket' and found free gold--a regular vault full of yellow stuff. He
-commenced his treachery by stealin' every grain of it, and then cleverly
-walled up that part of the shaft and continued diggin' in the opposite
-direction, endeavorin' to get as far away from the place where he had
-made the discovery as possible. Well, by and by Hank Casey and me got
-tired of payin' out money, and we sold out the Peacock for a mere song
-to Grim. Soon after, the name of Rufus Grim was known all over the
-mountain district as a bonanza king. He organized an immense company,
-and owns most of the stock himself. Within six months after we were
-defrauded of our rights in the Peacock, he was a rich man, and has
-been gettin' richer ever since. Hank Casey and me have a whole lot of
-evidence. B. Webster Legal says if we can prove what we claim, that we
-have got a lead pipe cinch on the Peacock. The papers are bein' drawn
-up, and things are goin' to be sizzlin' hot for Rufus Grim before many
-moons go over his head."
-
-Vance expressed much surprise and sympathy at the injustice he had
-sustained.
-
-"Say, pardner," said Steve, "I kind o' reckon you're shinin' up a little
-toward old Bonifield's gal, ain't you?" and he nudged Vance in the ribs
-with his elbow.
-
-The question was so unexpected that Vance hardly knew how to reply. "I
-hope," replied Vance, "that I am not in disfavor with the young lady, or
-her father either. I own an interest in Gray Rocks."
-
-"The dickens you do!" said Steve Gibbons. "Well, if there's any man in
-these mountains, pardner, who ought to strike it, old Ben Bonifield is
-the one. He's been stickin to Gray Rocks for a good many years, and is
-one of the squarest men in the Fish River Minin' District, while that
-gal of his---why, she is the gem of all these diggins. I did think J.
-Arthur Boast had the inside {110}track on the Bonifield ranch, but here
-lately I 'lowed as maybe Boast was playin' second fiddle; but then you
-can't tell how a game is goin' to end until the last card is played."
-
-Vance made no reply, but ground his teeth in silent anger at the mention
-of Boast's name.
-
-It was late that night when they arrived at Waterville.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIV.--THE TOWN COMPANY'S MEETING.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9119]
-
-ARLY {111}the next morning Dick Ballard rapped on Vance's door, and
-being admitted, greeted him warmly, and assured him he was mighty glad
-to see him again.
-
-"There's goin' to be a meetin' of the Town Company."
-
-"Is that so?" said Vance.
-
-"Yes; the hul kit and bilin' of 'em are here," replied Ballard. "There's
-Colonel Alexander, Homer Winthrop, General Ira House and his brother,
-Jack House, B. Webster Legal and Marcus Donald. Donald is the resident
-director of the Town Company." Vance said he would be glad to meet them.
-
-"Well, you'll see the keenest lot of men," said Ballard, "this here
-country has ever pulled together. Every one of 'em is a strong man and
-a hustler from the word go. What I say about 'em you'll find is _prima
-facie_." After a little, Dick Ballard winked one eye at Vance and said:
-"I feel a bottle in my pocket, and I wouldn't wonder a mite there was
-suthin' in it that wouldn't taste bad. A little spirits is mighty good
-for a feller when he has had a hard day's ride."
-
-Vance assured him that he was much obliged, but was {112}thoroughly
-refreshed by his night's rest, and a light breakfast was all he wanted.
-
-"We usually," replied Ballard, "accommodate fellows that want that kind
-of a breakfast; in fact, some of our breakfasts are too darned light.
-I'll go down and see what I can skirmish up for you."
-
-At the door Dick Ballard turned and said, "Oh, yes, have you heard the
-news?"
-
-"No, I do not remember of having heard anything of a startling
-character," replied Vance.
-
-"Well, by Ned, I supposed you had heard all about it," said Ballard, as
-he leaned against the door and looked wise.
-
-"Well, what is it?" queried Vance.
-
-"Well, sir, our militia company has got a new snare drum, and, gosh all
-fish hooks! but she is a rat-tat-tat-to-or from away back!" The door
-closed and Old Dick Ballard retreated, merrily whistling "Away down in
-Dixie."
-
-After breakfast, Vance was escorted to the Town Company's office, where
-he met the different members of the company. Each vied with the other in
-showing him courtesies.
-
-"I presume," said Homer Winthrop, as they drew a little aside from the
-others, "that you have never met as remarkable men as you see in my
-associates." He looked radiant, inserted his thumbs in the armholes of
-his vest, and continued:
-
-"Colonel Alexander is possessed of one of the richest brains of any man
-I ever knew. Our attorney, Mr. Legal is a star of the first magnitude in
-his profession, and can whip a small army in a lawsuit, while Gen. Ira
-{113}House has a reputation superior to any man in the Rocky Mountains
-as a town builder. Now, if he," continued Winthrop, "should go into the
-midst of a desert and say, 'Here a great city shall be built,' you would
-make no mistake in taking a 'flyer' on some dirt in that vicinity. Then
-there is Jack House, the General's brother, who is, in his specialty,
-a most remarkable man. He is sometimes called 'the Conspirator' of our
-gang, because of his ability to set up jobs on the enemy and down 'em."
-
-"By Jove, look," said Winthrop, pointing out of the window, while his
-face became animated, "do you see that young lady on the other side of
-the street? That's Miss Virgie Bonifield, and I venture to say she's one
-of the loveliest girls in the Rocky Mountains."
-
-"I have a message for her, sent by her sister," replied Vance. "I will
-be under many obligations if you'll introduce me to the young lady."
-
-"With pleasure," replied Winthrop, "as soon as the town meeting
-adjourns we will call upon her."
-
-The meeting was called to order, with Colonel Alexander in the chair.
-
-The chairman cleared his throat several times with marked vehemence, and
-said:
-
-"Gentlemen, we have again met to deliberate upon the destiny of
-Waterville and the great Thief River Valley. It is no small matter for
-gigantic intellects to thus assemble as a deliberative body, to arrange,
-by resolutions or otherwise, questions of great moment. The leading
-question to-day, gentlemen, is that of mind over matter. We have said to
-one another, 'Waterville shall become a great city;' our united efforts
-are concentrated {114}in this work. The story of the bundle of sticks is
-as true to-day as when the fable was first written.
-
-[Illustration: 0122]
-
-"The wealth, gentlemen, of our united intellects is bearing down in
-concentrated rays against every opposition, and with hammer and tongs we
-are reaching out in every direction, and are making one of the grandest
-campaigns the country has ever witnessed. Gentlemen, what is the
-pleasure of this meeting?"
-
-The Colonel's earnestness could not be doubted. When {115}he sat down
-he fondled his gold-headed cane with apparent tenderness, as if he
-were ashamed of the way he had abused it in emphasizing his remarks by
-punching it into the floor in a most merciless fashion.
-
-B. Webster Legal, addressing the chairman, said: "I am proud again to
-meet my distinguished associates as a deliberative body. For the benefit
-of our beloved citizens of Waterville, who are crowding into this room
-of deliberation, and standing in front of the windows eagerly listening
-to the important proceedings of this meeting, I will say that only men
-in the broadest term--men with an abundance of gray matter clinging
-to their brains--could possibly have accomplished the feats which
-have characterized the acts of the Waterville Town Company from
-its organization up to the present time. I feel, Mr. President and
-gentlemen, that our untiring efforts are about to be crowned with a
-success little dreamed of by the most hopeful.
-
-"From a legal point of view, I am proud to assure you that the
-Waterville Town Company is in a most safe and healthy condition. I have
-frequently observed, and will again say, I am not a seller of lots,
-but I assure each and every one of you that I am here to stay by
-this company as long as a lot can be sold. So far as legal knots are
-concerned, I will untie them; or, failing to do so, will, with the sharp
-edge of the law, cleave them asunder."
-
-The attorney's remarks were greeted with applause as he sat down.
-
-The chairman jarred the frail building by again clearing his throat,
-and requested C. Webster Legal to make a report of the assets of the
-Waterville Town Company.
-
-{116}"Mr. Chairman," said B. Webster Legal, "I have recently looked over
-the list of property owned by the Waterville Town Company, and find that
-we have assets amounting to some two millions of dollars."
-
-As the attorney sat down there was a satisfied look upon his face
-suggestive of the millionaire.
-
-The chairman looked over his spectacles and said, "Gentlemen, you
-have heard, and no doubt with pardonable elation, the statement of our
-honored associate, Judge Legal. There are eight of us," he continued,
-"and two millions means a quarter of a million each. Within two years,
-sirs, these assets will have doubled in value. There are men whose
-statements I would not rely implicitly upon without discounting
-them--say, fifty or seventy-five per cent--but, gentlemen, when it comes
-to downright conservatism, why, my level-headed friend the Judge takes
-the jackpot. Yes, sir, I undertake to say, gentlemen, he is the king
-bee of us all in cutting square into the heart of a proposition, and
-analyzing it with a precision that is truly remarkable; and when he says
-two millions, I have no hesitancy, gentlemen, in staking my reputation
-that it is three millions if it is a cent."
-
-As the chairman sat down he looked carefully at his gold-headed cane
-again to make sure it had sustained no injury.
-
-Marcus Donald, the resident Town Company's director, addressed the
-meeting, and said:
-
-"Mr. Chairman, I never felt so rich in my life as I do at the present
-moment. I regret that my ancestors are not alive to rejoice with me in
-the prosperity I am now enjoying. There is a reason in this
-contemplated prosperity. First, the great natural opportunities in this
-{117}wonderful valley, and, second, the unity of action on the part of
-the members of our Town Company.
-
-"I have here a small matter to which I wish to call the directors'
-attention.
-
-[Illustration: 9125]
-
-It is a livery bill of some eighty dollars that is past due, and,
-perhaps, we had better arrange for it."
-
-Judge Legal rose to a point of order. He said that such small details
-as paying livery bills had no place in the deliberations of this body of
-men. "It is the duty of the auditing committee to first approve and then
-look after the payments of small items like expense bills."
-
-Director Donald stated in reply that B. Webster Legal was a member of
-the auditing committee as well as himself, and, doubtless, knew the bill
-had been approved of long ago, but that there were no funds with which--
-
-"Order!" shouted the chairman, punching his goldheaded cane vigorously
-into the floor. "I sustain the point of order made by this corporation's
-attorney. Let us now proceed with the deliberations of weighty and
-progressive questions."
-
-Gen. Ira House sat propped back in his chair in a retired corner of
-the room, and until now had maintained silence, save the fetching and
-labored puffs of his cigar, which almost completely enveloped him in a
-cloud of smoke. As he straightened himself up, he pushed his chair in
-front of him, elevated one foot to the seat and rested his left elbow
-on his elevated knee. He wore an expression on his face becoming
-a philosopher. {118}"Mr. Chairman," said he, "it seems to me we're
-drifting." He looked wise and waited a moment for his remark to take
-effect. "Drifting," he continued, "is weakness. If we drift, we scatter;
-if we scatter, we fall. Now, gentlemen," he continued, "we must not
-drift. There are important business matters awaiting our attention. I
-hold in my hand a letter from a party who wants to know if Waterville
-would not be a good place to start a foundry. Now, gentlemen, do we want
-a foundry at Waterville, or do we not? That is the question before this
-meeting."
-
-As Gen. House sat down, the crowd cheered him lustily, stamped their
-feet, clapped their hands, and cries of "Good!"
-
-"That's business!" "That's the talk!" were heard on all sides among the
-citizens who were listening with bated breath to the proceedings of the
-Town Company's meeting.
-
-"I move," said Jack House, "that we want a foundry at Waterville, and
-resolutions to that effect be prepared, inviting the party, whoever he
-is, to locate his foundry here."
-
-"Order, gentlemen!" shouted the chairman, again clearing his throat.
-"Mr. Secretary, please record in the minutes of this meeting, if there
-are no objections, the unanimous vote in favor of the foundry, and
-prepare a set of elaborate resolutions, which we will sign, inviting the
-party making the inquiry to come at once to Waterville and locate his
-foundry."
-
-The throng of citizens broke into cheers at this announcement, and the
-word was soon passed through the throng to the outer circle, that a
-foundry was to be located at Waterville. Presently, three cheers and a
-{119}tiger were proposed for the new foundry, and the deliberations of
-the Town Company were necessarily delayed until the cheering had ceased.
-
-Marcus Donald, addressing the chairman, said: "I have received a
-communication from the owners of a sash, blind and door factory,
-who seem quite desirous of casting their lot with us. I suggest the
-importance of taking official notice of their communication."
-
-The throng of citizens waited almost breathlessly, and with a fair
-degree of patience, to see what was to be done in regard to the sash,
-blind and door factory. Judge Legal moved that the suggestion offered by
-Director Donald be acted upon, and that a resolution favoring the
-sash, blind and door factory be voted upon. As he sat down, three other
-directors seconded the motion.
-
-"You have heard the question," said the chairman. "Unless there is some
-opposition, we will regard it as carried unanimously." He looked over
-his spectacles a moment, and as no one offered an objection, he brought
-his gold-headed cane down with a sharp rap upon the floor, and said
-"Carried!"
-
-Again the word was passed from citizen to citizen onto the waiting mob
-without, that Waterville was to have a sash, blind and door factory.
-Again huzzas and cheering rent the air, and impeded, to a certain
-degree, the deliberations of the Town Company's meeting.
-
-At this juncture, a clerk of the local bank--the only one that
-Waterville could boast of--presented himself and asked permission to
-address the directors.
-
-"What is the nature of your business, young man?" asked Col. Alexander,
-clearing his throat threateningly and looking hard at the clerk over his
-spectacles.
-
-{120}"I have a sight draft for $50, drawn on the Waterville Town Company
-for printing stock certificates."
-
-The chairman and his seven colleagues came to their they cried,
-almost in unison. Several of the directors shouted, "Mr. Chairman!
-Mr. Chairman!" at the top of their voice, but in his indignation the
-chairman failed to take notice of them.
-
-[Illustration: 8128]
-
-Presently a silence, caused by sheer consternation, succeeded the first
-burst of surprise. Judge Legal, mounting a chair, said:
-
-"Mr. Chairman! I move you that article 57 of our by-laws be copied
-and certified to under our corporate seal and delivered to this young
-gentleman, that he may return it with the sight draft. Here is the
-wording of article 57: 'Further, that this corporation, the Waterville
-Town Company refuses to honor or pay sight drafts from any and all
-sources.'"
-
-"You have heard the question," said the excited chairman, bringing his
-cane down with great vehemence. "Do I hear a second?"
-
-"We all second it."
-
-Silence having been restored, Judge Legal again addressed the chair:
-
-"Mr. Secretary," said the chairman, "record the question as carried
-unanimously."
-
-"Mr. Chairman," said he, "{121}in the future all printing by the
-Waterville Town Company will be sent to another printing establishment."
-
-"Unless there is opposition, we will consider the question as carried
-unanimously," said the chairman. At this juncture the chairman took the
-floor, and addressing the directors, said:
-
-"There are times when, notwithstanding the power of our united
-intellects, questions of a very exasperating nature confront us, and,
-momentarily, we are at a loss to know just what to do; but it is only
-momentarily--we meet every crisis. It takes us a very short time to
-decide; and, with us, decision is action.
-
-"In my experience I have observed that, occasionally, storms of
-opposition sweep down upon men like an irresistible avalanche. At such
-times it is well to retreat to some protected place and let the storm
-tire itself out--beat itself into exhaustion, so to speak--until its
-very protest becomes a dead silence. Refreshed with the rest we have
-had, we may then safely sally forth, and, with renewed vigor, arrange a
-flank movement on the enemy, and everlastingly choke opposition into a
-corpse."
-
-When the chairman sat down he motioned Vance to his side, and said,
-_sotto voce_: "Was not that a master stroke, Mr. Gilder? Do not we meet
-and dispose of questions that would simply stump any ordinary body of
-men into inaction? Opposition does not faze us; no sir, we know our
-rights, and are here to fight for them."
-
-The citizens were very much elated over the prospects of a foundry and a
-sash, blind and door factory at Waterville. Their gratitude to the Town
-Company was very marked, and was evidenced by three hearty cheers and
-many huzzas. {122}Presently the meeting of the Town Company adjourned,
-and then there was much clapping of hands and more cheering. Each member
-of the company crowded around Vance and shook him warmly by the hand,
-and assured him they had had one of the most profitable meetings that
-had ever taken place.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XV.--MISS VIRGINIA BONIFIELD.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9131]
-
-|ANCE {123}had become so thoroughly interested during his first visit to
-Waterville, that he was prepared, in a degree, to share in a general way
-the enthusiasm of the citizens and the members of the Waterville Town
-Company which prevailed after the meeting adjourned.
-
-Buoyant with hope of the future, without hardly understanding why,
-and with a blind belief that his investment would yield him a splendid
-return, he began to feel that it was indeed a lucky day when the chief
-of the _Banner_ sent him to the northwest, and still luckier when he
-fell in with the members of the Waterville Town Company.
-
-That afternoon, accompanied by Homer Winthrop, he called on Miss
-Virginia Bonifield.
-
-That young lady received her callers with a cultured grace and dignity
-that would have done honor to even one who had seen much more of the
-world. She was rather tall and a pronounced brunette. Her well poised
-head was in keeping with her graceful figure. One could not say she was
-strikingly beautiful, but there was some{124}thing in her face as
-well as manner that made one forget to desire her different than
-the interesting person she was. Both vivacious and intelligent, she
-possessed the rare charm, in her conversation, of reflecting the mood of
-those about her. Addressing Vance, she said:
-
-"Louise has written me so much about you that I have been quite
-impatient to form your acquaintance. I presume that papa is still
-working away on Gray Rocks?"
-
-[Illustration: 0132]
-
-"Yes," replied Vance, "he will soon reach the 300 foot level."
-
-{125}"And the old story will be told again, I dare say," said Virginia,
-laughing.
-
-"Miss Virginia is not an enthusiast," said Winthrop, "in regard to
-untold millions that have not yet been discovered in mining shafts."
-
-"My observations," retorted Virginia, "have caused me to be less
-sentimental, if not more practical, than my good sister Louise."
-
-"I fear," said Vance, "you do not share in your father's belief in
-regard to the future of Gray Rocks?"
-
-"I am a Bonifield," replied Virginia, "and believe implicitly in
-my father; and, in my way, love him as tenderly, I dare say, as any
-daughter ever loved a parent, but sometimes I fear he is mistaken--but,
-to change the subject," she continued, "how do you like the west?"
-
-"I am very favorably impressed with what I have seen. In the east we
-have many brilliants that are not diamonds; in the west we have many
-rough ashlars that are diamonds unpolished."
-
-"Thank you," replied Virginia, "I consider that a compliment."
-
-"It is our intention," said Winthrop, "to claim Mr. Gilder as a western
-man before another year; and if Waterville continues to grow, as we
-expect it will, we may persuade him to edit our first daily paper."
-
-Soon after, they rose to go. "I shall hope," said Miss Virginia, "that I
-will be honored by a call from you whenever you are in Waterville."
-
-"Thank you," replied Vance, "it will afford me great pleasure."
-
-Winthrop remained behind a few moments, while Vance walked up and down
-the sidewalk. The sun was {126}well toward the western horizon. A bluish
-haze lay against the mountains in the distance. It was an Indian summer
-afternoon, full of quiet rest, with a gentle, invigorating mountain
-breeze as a constant tonic.
-
-Presently Winthrop joined him, and they hurried down to the depot, for
-it was nearing train time, and they had arranged to travel together to
-Butte City.
-
-"How are you impressed with Miss Bonifield?" asked Winthrop.
-
-"Quite favorably," replied Vance. "She is, however, an entirely
-different type from her sister, Miss Louise; indeed, I can discover no
-family resemblance. Miss Louise is quite fair, while Miss Virginia is a
-decided brunette."
-
-Soon after, the train came in, and they secured comfortable seats in
-a Pullman. As the train started, Vance looked out of the window at the
-turbulent waters in the river, and asked Winthrop where the foundry, and
-sash, blind and door factory would be located.
-
-"We have not decided as yet," replied Winthrop. "That will be an easy
-matter to arrange when the party or parties are ready to commence
-building."
-
-"I presume you are selling a good many lots?" said Vance.
-
-"Well, yes," replied Winthrop, hesitatingly. "We are interesting a
-good many people; and it takes people to build a city. Where a man's
-possessions are, his heart is generally not far away."
-
-"I should judge from your complimentary remarks about Miss Virginia
-Bonifield, and the delightful expression of your face when we called
-this afternoon, that your heart abides quite permanently at Waterville."
-{127}Winthrop seemed confused and looked out of the window. Presently
-lie said:
-
-"Miss Bonifield is one of the most practical young ladies it has ever
-been my good fortune to meet. She is a most exemplary young lady, and
-the good people of Waterville hold her in high esteem. This is her
-second year in the public school at that place."
-
-"I judge from her remarks," said Vance, "that her faith is very limited
-in her father's mine."
-
-"Yes," replied 'Winthrop, "I consider her the most practical member of
-the Bonifield family."
-
-Vance blushed scarlet and turned resentfully in his seat toward
-Winthrop. "Ho! ho!" said Winthrop, laughing, "I was merely expressing my
-own private opinion. I see, without your saying it, that your opinion is
-quite different. How fortunate it is that all men, especially you and
-I, Mr. Gilder, are not of the same opinion. This very difference of
-opinion," Winthrop went on, "may, as the months come and go, weld our
-friendship more and more firmly."
-
-Vance saw that he had betrayed his feelings, and good-naturedly observed
-that he always was quite partial to blondes. "I presume," he went on,
-"when I become editor of the first daily paper in Waterville, you will,
-doubtless, be president of some great banking house."
-
-"I hope so," replied Winthrop, thoughtfully. "If many people are
-interested in our new town it will help us in more ways than one. They
-will ultimately move to Waterville, erect homes, and engage in business;
-but we must not be impatient and expect too much for the first year, or
-the second, for that matter. 'Rome was not {128}built in a day.' I
-fully believe," continued Winthrop, "that parties purchasing lots at the
-present prices will receive most excellent returns on their investments.
-You see," continued Winthrop in a confidential way, "the Waterville
-Town Company was compelled to go into debt very heavily at the time it
-commenced its operations, but by persistent and continued efforts on
-the part of various members of the company, we have greatly reduced the
-indebtedness, and if the sale of lots continues for a week longer we
-will, probably, not owe a dollar.
-
-[Illustration: 9136]
-
-We will then divide our property, each member receiving a deed for his
-respective share."
-
-Winthrop seemed so happy in anticipation of the joyful time when the
-company' would be out of debt, and was so confidential and frank in
-regard to the matter, that Vance, hardly knowing why, found himself
-deeply interested in the work of selling lots, and suggested to Winthrop
-that he would write to some of the members of the _Banner_ force who
-were particular friends of his, and advise them to send on their surplus
-earnings for investment.
-
-The town boomer was at once on the alert, and, in not an over-anxious
-way, heartily advised the step. Accordingly, that night at the hotel in
-Butte City, Vance wrote a letter to his friends advising an investment
-in Waterville.
-
-The dramatic critic, the religious editor, the police reporter, and
-the heads of the several departments of the _Banner_ at once acted on
-Vance's advice. They knew nothing of the chief's action in regard to
-Vance's dismissal. They wired Vance, authorizing him to sight {129}draft
-them for $2,500, and invest the proceeds in town lots in Waterville.
-
-He at once complied with the instructions, turned the money over to
-Winthrop, and instructed him to forward the deeds to his friends in New
-York city.
-
-He was not a little gratified to find his last letter to the _Banner_
-copied in full by the _Intermountain Blade_ and the _Butte City Miner_,
-with editorials referring to the article as particularly able, and to
-the writer as having the "courage of his convictions."
-
-The article had a most salutary effect on Homer Winthrop's lot selling
-enterprise, and during the next few days he sold more Waterville town
-lots than his most sanguine expectations had caused him to hope for.
-
-Toward the last of the week Vance left Butte City for Gold Bluff, via
-Waterville. He had in his possession additional data and statistics to
-support and corroborate his recent letter to the _Banner_.
-
-At first the west was distasteful to him, but as he became better
-acquainted with its customs and habits he began to recognize the true
-manhood that is not unfrequently found under the miner's garb.
-
-There is an uncouth, whole-soul generosity met with on the frontier of
-which the effete easterner knows nothing.
-
-Arriving at Waterville the following morning too late for the Gold Bluff
-stage, he was compelled to put in another day at Waterville. Remembering
-Miss Virginia Bonifield's invitation, he called on her that evening, and
-was most hospitably received. In the course of their conversation she
-said:
-
-"I understand, Mr. Gilder, that you are interested with my father in
-Gray Rocks I hope you did not mis{130}understand me or my motive when
-I spoke discouragingly of my father's mining prospects."
-
-"May I ask," said Vance, "what reason you have for your pessimistic
-views, if I may term them such?"
-
-"I presume," she replied, a little nettled, "they are about as
-tangible and equally hard to explain as those of an optimist. I have a
-presentiment that father will never find what he is looking for in the
-Gray Rocks mine. My sister, Louise, encourages faith in what to me seems
-a mad belief."
-
-"Your sister may be right," replied Vance.
-
-"My greatest hope," she replied, "is that I am wrong and that my sweet
-sister is right; but I really fear, Mr. Gilder, you will never see your
-money again that you have been investing with my father."
-
-"I cannot doubt your sincerity," replied Vance, "but I am glad to have
-more faith than you have."
-
-"Why should I have any faith," she replied. "Have I not seen my father
-clinging to that false hope year after year, and every day resulting in
-a fresh disappointment? Long ago I made up my mind that Aunt Sally is
-about right. She says that father has been planting money with different
-prospectors all over the mountains, and none of it has ever found its
-way back. She also predicts that father will work away on Gray Rocks
-until he dies, and never have his hopes realized. I love my father
-tenderly, and feel very sorry for him. A stranger cannot understand his
-personal charms and grandeur as one of his family. He is certainly one
-of the sweetest characters in the world. His persuasive powers, as you
-evidently have reason to know, are very great, and I feel it my duty
-to thus warn you for your own protection. Papa is {131}so sane on
-everything else excepting Gray Rocks, and is so foolish about that,
-notwithstanding his many years of lost labor."
-
-"If your father has a 'wheel in his head' on the subject of Gray Rocks,
-I must admit that I, too, have one in mine," replied Vance.
-
-The blush that overspread Virginia's face suggested that she felt keenly
-the rebuke.
-
-"Pardon me, Mr. Gilder," said she, "I had forgotten that I am not 'my
-brother's keeper'. I promise never to refer to the subject again."
-
-That evening, after Vance had taken leave of Miss Virginia Bonifield, he
-experienced a strange unrest and dissatisfaction, and while he did not
-admit it to himself, the glamour of his day-dreams had been broken.
-
-[Illustration: 8139]
-
-Presently, as he walked along, the face of Louise came before him, and,
-in a moment, he forgot his unsatisfactory evening; forgot hope's broken
-glamour, and basked again in the alluring belief that the future held no
-clouds for him.
-
-It was late when he reached the hotel.
-
-Looking through the window, he saw old Dick Ballard, who was alone in
-the barroom entertaining himself with an evening drill.
-
-He carried a long, iron poker at "carry arms," and was marching back
-and forth with military tread. Arriving at the end of the room, he would
-call out "Halt! About face! March!"
-
-Vance was very much amused at old Dick Ballard's pantomime drill, but
-finally opened the door and walked in. The transformation scene was
-wonderful. Old Dick {132}Ballard was vigorously poking in the stove,
-notwithstanding it was a July night.
-
-"Hello, Mr. Gilder," said he, looking up, "I saw a mighty big rat run in
-this stove a minute ago, and I am after it."
-
-"Better charge your entire militia company on the enemy," said Vance,
-laughing.
-
-"Oh, you saw me, did you," said Ballard. "I was jes' drillin' up a
-little for dress parade. Well, pardner, I'll set 'em up, and you say
-nothin' about it."
-
-Vance declined to be entertained, but Ballard drank copiously from his
-ever ready bottle.
-
-"I tell you, Waterville's got it and no mistake," said he, putting his
-bottle carefully away.
-
-"Got what," asked Vance, as he turned to go to his room.
-
-"Got the crack military company of the state," replied Ballard. "You
-ought to see 'em drill once. There is nothin' in New York city or
-anywhere else can tech one side of 'em for big money."
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVI.--THE OLD COLONEL'S DISAPPOINTMENT.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9141]
-
-HE FOLLOWING {133}morning Vance took the stage for Gold Bluff. As
-he neared that little mining town, he found himself experiencing an
-impatience once more to see Louise Bonifield that was strangely at
-variance with any former sensation of his life. It seemed to him the
-stage coach was traveling at a snail's pace, and even the good natured,
-"honest intentioned" Steve Gibbons, with all his droll talk of frontier
-adventure, failed to interest him. Arriving at the hotel, he found the
-old miner, Ben Bonifield, waiting for him.
-
-"Am delighted to see yo', Mr. Gilder; I am indeed, suh. I presume yo'r
-almost famished; pow'ful tiresome ridin' in a stage coach all day, suh.
-After yo' have refreshed yo'self, I shall be pleased to join yo' in
-yo'r room. I have a matteh of vehy great impo'tance to discuss with yo',
-suh."
-
-"All right," said Vance, in his cheeriest tones. "I trust Miss Louise is
-well?"
-
-"Quite well, suh; quite well, thank yo'."
-
-As Vance ate his supper a satisfied feeling of contentment with the
-whole world intruded itself upon him. His advancement in his profession
-was certainly gratifying. He had received several valuable hints while
-in {134}Butte City in regard to a new silver mining company that was
-about to be organized, in which he was thinking seriously of investing
-a little money. The price was only ten cents a share, which he had been
-assured, on what seemed to him very excellent authority, would be
-worth a dollar a share before twelve months' time. His investment at
-Waterville was certainly a good one, and he heartily believed Col.
-Bonifield had good news to tell him about Gray Rocks. In addition to
-this, he was once more near Louise, that fair vision of loveliness,
-whose tender blue eyes seemed ever near him. He dropped a coin into the
-hand of the waiter as he rose from the table, and stopped in the hallway
-to caress a lovely little child which he found playing hide-and-seek
-with an older companion, and then made each a present of money with
-which to buy bon-bons. He hummed softly to himself the air of an old
-love song as he went leisurely to his room.
-
-Soon after, he was enjoying a choice Havana with Col. Bonifield sitting
-in a chair opposite him, smoking his briar-root, blowing blue rings
-of smoke leisurely toward the ceiling. Vance was animated, and spoke
-glowingly of the prospects of Waterville. Presently Col. Bonifield said:
-
-"Mr. Gilder, we have reached the 300 foot level, suh," and then lapsed
-into silence.
-
-"Have you cross-cut into the vein yet?" asked Vance.
-
-"Mr. Gilder," said the old miner, as he rose from his chair and walked
-back and forth in a stately manner, "we have cross-cut, suh, into where
-the vein ought to have been, but it is not there, suh. I must confess to
-yo', suh, that I am greatly disappointed, but the disappoint{135}ment,
-I am sure, suh, is only tempoary. Of course it is much richer, suh, than
-it was at the 200 foot level, but it is not rich enough, suh, to work,
-by a pow'ful sight."
-
-[Illustration: 0143]
-
-This information was a great disappointment to Vance, for he had fully
-shared the old miner's belief that they would strike the rich ore at the
-300 foot level.
-
-"I will admit, Col. Bonifield, that I am somewhat disappointed, and of
-course you are. Under the circumstances, what do you advise?"
-
-{136}"Yo' honor me, suh, indeed yo' do, Mr. Gilder, to ask my advice,
-because, suh, I know my advice is good. Whether yo', Mr. Gilder, will so
-regard it, remains to be seen. If yo' can furnish about four thousand
-dollars mo' money, I will start to-morrow mornin' fo' the 400 foot
-level, and we will then cross-cut, suh, into a vein of pow'ful rich ore.
-I assure yo', suh, I never was mo' sincere in my life than I am in
-makin' this statement, suh."
-
-Vance possessed the confidence of youth, and his belief in Gray Rocks
-was not to be shaken at the first disappointment, while before him rose
-up, as from a mist, the pleading face of Louise, and he fancied she was
-asking him to still believe in her father.
-
-[Illustration: 9144]
-
-He took his check book from his pocket and wrote a check for $4,000,
-and signing it, handed it to the old miner, saying: "How long, with the
-present force of men, will it take to reach the 400 foot level?"
-
-"My dear Mr. Gilder," said the colonel, accepting his check, and
-clasping his hand, "yo' quite ovehpow'r me, yo' do indeed, suh. Yo' may
-have been bawn in the nawth but yo' are a Virginian still at heart,
-with the warm blood cou'sin'through yo'r veins I think, suh, that within
-three or fou' mouths we can reach the fou' hund'ed foot level. I told
-yo'r father that Gray Rocks was a sure winner, and I am proud, suh, to
-repeat the statement to you."
-
-"I don't know," said Vance, "whether you will strike it at the four
-hundred foot level or not, but I assure you, Colonel Bonifield, that I
-have every faith in your sincerity, and I am anxious to develop the mine
-as rapidly as possible. If my investment should prove a total loss, I
-assure you I would never hold you responsible."
-
-"I am gettin' along in years, Mr. Gilder," said the Colonel, "and while
-I have not struck it yet, I have every confidence, suh, that we will
-if we stay by Gray Rocks. My little Louise, of cou'se, was disappointed
-like myself. We both feared, suh, yo' would be veihy much disappointed;
-and I assure yo', suh, we cared a great deal mo' about yo'r
-disappointment than we did about our own. To tell yo' the truth, suh,
-that little girl of mine had mo' faith in yo'r looking at this matteh
-philosophically than I did; but," continued the Colonel, pressing
-Vance's hand, "I misjudged yo', Mr. Gilder, I did indeed, suh, and I
-apologize fo' it."
-
-After Colonel Bonifield had taken his departure, Vance commenced looking
-over his accumulated mail. The first thing that claimed his attention
-was a copy of the _Banner_ containing his article, "Two Honorable
-Exceptions." He read it carefully through again with evident pride. Not
-a word or a single sentence had been cut out. This was gratifying to
-him, and seemed proof that the managing editor had confidence in his
-ability to select the wheat from the chaff. He laid down the paper and
-began opening his letters. Presently the song he was humming died on his
-lips. He sat upright and stared at a letter which he held in his hand.
-It read as follows:
-
-
-_Banner_ Office, New York City.
-
-DEAR SIR:--
-
-I am directed by the managing editor to advise you that your services
-are no longer required. Enclosed find check in payment of your salary to
-date.
-
-J Respectfully,
-
-J. M. M.,
-
-Ass't Managing Editor.
-
-To Vance Gilder, Esq.
-
-
-{138}He arose from his chair and rapidly paced the room, while great
-beads of perspiration stood on his forehead. What had he done to merit
-such humiliation? The idea that it might be a practical joke for a
-moment found lodgment in his thoughts, but he quickly dismissed the
-hallucination. Again he took up the paper and re-read the article, "Two
-Honorable Exceptions." He endeavored logically to think out a solution
-of his dismissal.
-
-[Illustration: 8146]
-
-The more earnestly he thought over the situation, the more distinctly he
-remembered the prejudiced views the chief seemed to entertain in regard
-to western enterprises and investments. "He certainly wants the truth,"
-soliloquized Vance, "and I will stake my life there is not a sentence
-in this article," and he struck the paper vigorously with his hand, "but
-what is true. The article might almost be regarded as an advertisement
-for the great mining camp of Butte City, yet it was news, and not nearly
-so strong as it might be and still keep within the bounds of truth.
-The same is equally true as to what I have said in regard to the
-agricultural and other resources of Waterville."
-
-He sat far into the night, discussing with himself this unlooked for
-calamity. Once, and only once, did the idea occur to him that possibly
-the chief had sent him into the northwest to systematically destroy
-confidence concerning western investments. He was too honorable,
-however, to harbor the thought, and quickly dismissed it as too
-contemptible to be entertained. The only consolation he could find--and
-that was certainly a very {139}meager one--was that in all probability a
-letter of explanation would soon come, that would clear away the
-misunderstanding. In the meantime he would patiently wait, keeping his
-own counsel.
-
-He looked over his check book, and found he had, all told, some six
-thousand dollars to his credit, besides the four thousand dollars he
-had that evening given to Colonel Bonifield. He sat by his window
-and considered the advisability of returning at once to New York and
-demanding an explanation. Such a course would take him away from Gold
-Bluff, from Gray Rocks, and from Louise.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVII.--An AWAKENING.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9148]
-
-ANCE GILDER {140}was not of a morose nature. The following morning he
-ate as hearty a breakfast as ever, and while smoking his morning cigar,
-acknowledged to himself that he had fallen in love with the picturesque
-scenery of the mountains, rivers, valleys and everything about him
-was restful, while an alluring contentment stole into his heart. He
-congratulated himself that he was far away from the hot and crowded
-metropolis of the Atlantic seaboard. Here, far removed from "the busy
-marts of men," and the restless commotion of commerce and traffic, he
-could rest and wait.
-
-The day passed quickly by; the afternoons and evenings usually in the
-society of Louise. They were bewildering days in their completeness. The
-night claimed the day all too soon when in her society.
-
-He was surprised, after the first shock of disappointment had passed
-away, to find how indifferent he was becoming in regard to the loss of
-his position on the _Banner_.
-
-One morning he awakened to a keen sense of incompleteness where
-completeness had dwelt. Also around Gold Bluff, he {141}covered
-a vein of discontent where contentment had reigned supreme. His love of
-the mountains, the rivers, and the picturesque scenery was but a prelude
-of promise, thumbing sweetly of the great, unselfish love awakened in
-him for Louise.
-
-This unrest dated from a certain evening when Louise first sang for him.
-He was quite entranced by the full, rich volume of her contralto voice.
-
-She began by striking the chords in a hesitating way; but presently the
-genius of her musical nature seized her with its wonderful power, and
-she sang with wild abandon:=
-
-```'We seemed to those who saw us meet
-
-````The casual friends of every day;
-
-```His courtesy was frank and sweet,
-
-````My smile was unrestrained and gay.=
-
-
-```But yet, if one the other's name
-
-````In some unguarded moment heard,
-
-```The heart you thought so free and tame
-
-````Would flutter like a frightened bird."=
-
-As she sang Vance gave himself up to the intoxication of the moment. His
-soul broke through the barriers and went out to hers, and as the song
-died on her lips, and the music ceased with a few reluctant farewell
-chords, he knew that a great and tender love had sprung up in his
-heart--a love that was not for a day, but for all time.
-
-"Miss Bonifield," said Vance, with emotion, "you are, indeed, a constant
-surprise to me. Your playing is {142}certainly superb, while your voice;
-not only soft and musical, but has great range. To hear you sing fills
-me with a longing to be a better man."
-
-"Thank you," said Louise, "I seldom play or sing excepting for papa.
-Your compliment, however, is highly appreciated."
-
-"As long as I remain in Gold Bluff I hope I will be privileged in
-hearing you sing occasionally."
-
-"We will promise not to ostracize you altogether, Mr. Gilder," said
-Louise, laughingly, "but may I ask how long you expect to remain
-with us?" There was just enough hesitation in the question to suggest
-interest.
-
-"I do not know," replied Vance. "I presume you think it is strange that
-I have remained as long as I have. To be frank with you, Miss Bonifield,
-I have lost my position on the _Banner_."
-
-"Lost your position!" said Louise, with unmistakable concern.
-
-"I am indeed sorry," replied Vance, "whether it is a misfortune or not.
-I had an offer to-day to take charge of the _Gold Bluff Prospector_, and
-am thinking seriously of accepting."
-
-"You quite astonish me," said Louise, "but I know papa will be delighted
-if you conclude to remain permanently in Gold Bluff."
-
-"Of course," said Vance thoughtfully, "there is quite a difference
-between the New York _Banner_ and the _Gold Bluff Prospector_--one a
-cosmopolitan daily and the other a country newspaper without any special
-circulation. It would only be profitable to me as I increased its
-circulation and its importance to advertisers. I shall not decide for a
-few days. I may receive some explanation from the _Banner_ that will put
-a different light upon my dismissal."
-
-[Illustration: 0151]
-
-"I have almost made up my mind that I should like to remain in Gold
-Bluff," continued Vance, looking inquiringly at Louise. "My confidence
-in Gray Rocks is growing daily, and I believe it is only a question of a
-short time until your father's efforts will be crowned with success."
-
-"Mr. Gilder," replied Louise, feelingly, "I thank you for your
-confidence and faith in my father. It seems that nearly every one
-disbelieves in his final success. I cannot tell why, yet my faith
-is unbounded. Even sister Virgie has lost hope, and at times papa is
-greatly discouraged because sister and Aunt Sally talk as they do; but I
-am sure in time he will be able to fully prove how mistaken they are in
-their judgment."
-
-As Vance rose to go he took her hand and said "Miss Bonifield, you
-certainly are a noble daughter, and your father is pardonable for
-wishing to keep you with him in this western country. I am beginning to
-understand what a great strength and support you must be to him."
-
-"Thank you," replied Louise, "I am sure you overestimate the assistance
-I am to my father, but my greatest pride is in doing something that will
-add to his comfort, and I am sure papa cannot want me with him more than
-I wish to remain."
-
-Vance had become accustomed to Louise's frankness of speech, yet he
-received a shock that thrilled him with delight when she said, "I shall
-be very happy, Mr. Gilder, if you conclude to remain in Gold Bluff. You
-have no idea how lonesome I should be if you were to go away."
-
-Vance's heart beat wildly, and something seemed to rise up in his throat
-as he attempted to thank her. The expression of his face evidently
-betrayed his feelings, for she quickly drew away, and with a formality
-that was new to Vance she bowed stiffly and said "Good night." After
-leaving the Bonifield's home, he followed the road which led up the
-mountain side toward Gray Rocks. The moon, large and round, was just
-lifting itself above the eastern horizon. He walked on past the shaft,
-where the {145}night force of men were busy working away toward the 400
-foot level, and soon found himself near the old prospect shaft on the
-Peacock. The valley where the little city of Gold Bluff nestled was far
-beneath him. He saw a light glimmering from one of the windows in the
-Bonifield home, and interpreted it as a beacon of hope.
-
-[Illustration: 9153]
-
-He repeated over and over again Louise's words relative to his remaining
-in Gold Bluff.
-
-"Yes," said he, "I will remain, no matter what the explanation may be
-from the _Banner_ office," and filled with this decision, he returned to
-his hotel.
-
-One evening, about a week after receiving the letter dismissing him
-from the _Banner_ force, the mail brought a copy of that great New
-York paper. Vance eagerly perused it to see if it contained his last
-communication. No, it had been rejected, but in its stead he found an
-article entitled "Two Western Towns." It was a three-column article
-devoted to Butte City and Waterville. It referred in the most vindictive
-manner to the members of the Waterville Town Company, and classed them
-as a lot of town site boomers. It warned eastern people not to be caught
-and misled by such wildcat speculations as were offered by them in the
-great Thief River Valley.
-
-It said the valley was one immense lava bed, interspersed with
-sage brush thickets, alkali swamps and basalt plains. The wonderful
-water-power, it claimed, was an absolute myth; and, in fact, the printed
-statements in the circulars of these "town boomers" were deliberate
-lies. {146}Another thing which eastern investors should bear in mind,
-the paper went on to say, was the fact that the property which had been
-platted into town lots was still government land. The town company
-had no title, and, perhaps, never would have. It branded the whole
-enterprise as the most gigantic confidence game that had ever been
-perpetrated on an unsuspecting public.
-
-It further said the swindling operations of these irresponsible and
-restless town boomers of Waterville were only exceeded in point of
-adroitness by the mining operations in and around Butte City, Montana.
-The article said the mountain sides at Butte City were perforated with
-prospect holes, where hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of dollars of
-eastern people's money had been expended by local managers in riotous
-living and debauchery, and claimed that it was a safe estimate to say
-that for every thousand dollars put into prospect shafts in and about
-Butte City, not more than one dollar had been taken out.
-
-It spoke of the inhabitants of both Butte City and Waterville as
-plebians of the lowest sort and condition of life.
-
-The worst cut of all to Vance, however, was the closing paragraph, where
-it stated that it was the habit of promoters of these western towns to
-bribe indiscriminately correspondents of eastern papers, and that many
-were weak enough to fall, which was not only unfortunate for the journal
-publishing these flattering falsehoods, but a base injustice to the
-eastern investor, who was led captive with his savings into western
-"booms" through the machinations of unprincipled correspondents.
-
-If Vance had been nonplussed on receipt of the assistant's letter, he
-was now stunned. He thought very little about his own investment in
-Waterville, but rather, what would his old associates on the _Banner_
-think of him? He regarded the article as a direct thrust at himself and
-his integrity.
-
-After waiting a few days and receiving no further communication from the
-_Banner_ office, and feeling too much humiliation to write to his city
-friends until time had dulled the blow, he concluded to go to Waterville
-and see if he could not make arrangements with the Town Company whereby
-he could return at once the money invested by his old associates in
-Waterville town lots.
-
-The more he thought over the refuting article in the _Banner_ the more
-indignant he became. "There is not a manufacturer or other institution
-in the east rich enough," said he to himself, "to stand such wholesale
-boycotting as this western country is constantly subjected to by the
-eastern press. It is not conservatism; it is downright injustice. I have
-not been long in the west, it is true, but my respect for it and its
-people is growing. Even Chicago, with all her greatness, energy and
-achievements, is belittled by the boycotting press of the east!
-
-"By birth I am a Gothamite, and by education I am an eastern man, but my
-patriotism for America and all that is American has never prevented me
-from turning up my trousers when there is a heavy fog in London?"
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVIII.--VANCE RETURNS TO WATERVILLE.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9156]
-
-T {148}was on an October morning that Vance started for Waterville. A
-light frost the night before had made the air sharp and crisp. The frost
-disappeared, however, before the genial warmth of the rising sun, while
-the russet leaves grew brownerer and as the wind stirred them, sang
-brokenly of old age.
-
-October is the scenic month in the mountains. You seem to stand in
-Nature's picture gallery. The box-alder leaves are as changeable in
-color as a blushing maiden. From the low foothills on up the sides of
-the mountains to the timber line, the elms, the box-alders, and poplars
-grow in profusion. The leaves vary in color from the deepest green to
-the brightest scarlet, the most golden yellow, or the somberest brown.
-The colors are intermingled in this gorgeous panoramic scene with
-a charm and beauty that baffles the most skilled artist's touch to
-reproduce on canvas.
-
-Vance was seated beside Steve Gibbons on the top of the stage coach, as
-they whirled along in meditative silence. The evening before Louise
-had sung for him. It was music fit for the gods--so rich, so deep, so
-plaintively low, so fascinating. He could see her even now, standing
-on the wide old porch as she bade him good-bye. {149}The mild October
-breeze that stirred the ringlets of her golden hair seemed laden with
-worshipers of hope for Vance, the lover, and he interpreted her every
-word and smile as a token reciprocal of his own deep love.
-
-Presently Vance was brought back from his day dreams to the present by
-Steve Gibbons remarking:
-
-"Things ain't so powerful brisk down at Waterville jes' now."
-
-"Why, how is that?' asked Vance.
-
-"Oh, I dunno," replied Gibbons, as he waked up his leaders with a
-spirited crack of his whip, "can't say jes' what is the matter. But I
-can tell ye one thing, pardner," he went on, "I'm mighty glad I'm not
-in the real estate business. In my opinion, them real estate agents down
-thar will be jumpin' sideways for a sandwich before the winter's over."
-
-Vance was noticeably depressed by Gibbons' remarks. He was going to
-Waterville for the express purpose of disposing of his New York friends'
-property, in which they had invested on his recommendation. He cared
-very little about his own investment. He was willing to wait, or even to
-lose it all, if he could only prevent them from sustaining loss on their
-purchase.
-
-It was late that night when they reached Waterville. Vance was delighted
-to find that Homer Winthrop was registered at the hotel. They met the
-following morning at the breakfast table. The conduct of the usually
-polite and entertaining Winthrop was changed to a sternness for which
-Vance was at a loss to account. As they arose from the table, Vance
-went out with Winthrop and asked him how he was progressing in the lot
-selling business.
-
-"How am I progressing?" repeated Winthrop, as he {150}turned and looked
-coldly at Vance. "I am through. I have left Butte City for good."
-
-"Why, how is that?" asked Vance in some surprise. Winthrop was silent
-for a moment, and then replied: "It is rather strange, Mr. Gilder, for
-you to ask such a question after writing the article you did for that
-New York paper. The _Inter Mountain Blade_ and the _Butte City Miner_
-both copied the letter. It is hardly necessary for me to observe," he
-went on, "that it rendered it impossible for me to sell another lot in
-Butte City. Those who had purchased became so infuriated that I deemed
-it best for personal safety to leave the town."
-
-Saying this, Winthrop turned abruptly and left Vance, who was for a
-moment unable to make a reply. Homer Winthrop's words both astonished
-and chilled him.
-
-A little later he visited the Town Company's office, where he found
-Marcus Donald, the resident director, and Homer Winthrop in deep
-consultation. Donald was a man of commanding presence. His associates
-often remarked that Marcus Donald's face was worth $10,000 in an
-important trade of any kind. He was dignified and commanding in
-appearance, and when one talked with him, the most skeptical fell
-into the habit of believing every word that fell from his lips. Vance
-discovered that he was not wanted, but he determined to vindicate
-himself, and said:
-
-"Gentlemen, pardon me for interrupting, but I must ask your indulgence
-for a few moments. I wish you would read this article. I am humiliated
-enough without any further complications or misunderstandings."
-
-He handed Marcus Donald a copy of the _Banner_. Donald adjusted his
-gold-rimmed spectacles and read aloud the entire article, "Two Western
-Towns." When he had concluded, Vance turned toward Winthrop.
-
-"Is that the letter you referred to?"
-
-[Illustration: 0159]
-
-"Why, yes," said Winthrop, "but how is this?" said he, picking up the
-paper. "The Butte City papers published only that part of the article
-referring to Waterville; but how came you to write such a letter at all,
-Mr. Gilder? You certainly know there is not a syllable of truth in it
-from beginning to finish."
-
-Vance looked first at Winthrop and then at Donald, {152}and replied,
-"I did not write it." He then proceeded to give them a history of his
-dismissal.
-
-"This was written," tapping the paper with the back of his hand,
-"evidently to counteract the influence and effect of what I had written
-the week before."
-
-"Of course that puts it in a different light," said Donald, rising and
-extending his hand to Vance. "I could not believe it possible that you,
-Mr. Gilder, could be guilty of writing such a libelous article as this
-is."
-
-Winthrop also accepted the explanation as eminently satisfactory, and
-sympathized with Vance in the loss of his position on the great New York
-daily.
-
-"It has completely killed the lot selling business for me in Butte
-City," said he, "but fortunately for us, we have made some very
-excellent sales during the past few weeks, and the Town Company' has
-sufficient money in the treasury to pay all its debts, and the last
-obligation will be paid off before twelve o'clock to-day."
-
-"Yes," said Marcus Donald, "they will all be paid off, but it will leave
-the treasury in a depleted condition; but the future, I believe, is
-all right. I hope you will not lose faith, Mr. Gilder, in Waterville's
-prospects."
-
-"No," said Vance, "I have unbounded faith in Waterville, but I would
-like very much to have the Town Company, if possible, return the
-$2,500 which I invested for my New York friends. It would save me much
-embarrassment if I could return them their money'. They doubtless know
-I have been dismissed from the force, and have read this last article,
-which puts an entirely' different coloring on this western country' from
-what I represented."
-
-{153}"You must know," said Winthrop, "that what you seek is next to
-impossible. The money has been paid into the treasury, and no difference
-how friendly I personally feel toward you, or how much the resident
-director, Mr. Donald, may wish to return the money, it cannot possibly
-be done without an action of the directors."
-
-At this juncture, Marcus Donald invited Vance to take a scat by his
-desk, and he would explain to him carefully and fully the situation, and
-believed he could prove to him conclusively why he was acting for his
-New York friends' best interests in leaving the investment as it was.
-
-[Illustration: 8161]
-
-Donald produced a great many maps and carefully spread them out on the
-table, adjusted his spectacles carefully, and with his $10,000 face
-looked squarely into Vance's, and proceeded to go over the old, old
-story of the unlimited natural resources of the valley. He discussed at
-length, and in a very entertaining and convincing manner, the number
-of acres of land already in cultivation, the probable annual increase
-acreage of farm land; figured out results that amounted to millions of
-dollars. He then carried Vance from one side of the map to the other,
-up to the top, then down to the bottom and back again to the point where
-they had first started; indeed, he quite enthused Vance in regard to the
-future prospects and final outcome of Waterville.
-
-He also confirmed Winthrop's statement in regard to their inability
-to take any money out of the treasury for {154}the purpose suggested
-without first having an action of the directors.
-
-"I advise you to write to your New York friends," continued Donald, "and
-tell them their investment is all right, _if_--mark, I say _if_--they
-have the nerve to stay with it a year or such a matter. Of course this
-article in the _Banner_ hurts us immensely. It is simply a highhanded
-piece of boycotting; but the west has received similar injustice at the
-hands of the great New York dailies times without number in years gone
-by."
-
-Acting on Marcus Donald's advice, Vance wrote a letter that day to his
-New York friends, and afterwards felt better for having done so. He
-determined to remain a week or two at Waterville, and see if there was
-any demand for real estate. Before many days, he began to understand
-the wonderful, far-reaching effects of the late article in the _Banner_.
-Rival surrounding towns copied it, and with double-leaded editorials
-called attention to a town that had over-reached itself. They denounced
-the various members of the Waterville Town Company as villainous sharks,
-and predicted that the boom had been pricked with a needle that would
-let all the wind out of it.
-
-The transient class of real estate agents and hangers-on, who had been
-doing a rather thriving business, said, "Boys, this ends it," as they
-blew the foam from their glasses of beer, "we might as well go somewhere
-else as wait and see the dog-fennel grow in the streets of Waterville."
-
-One day Vance called on J. Arthur Boast at his office. He found him
-as elegantly dressed as ever, and engaged in tying up bundles of legal
-papers, deeds, contracts, etc. {155}"Are you getting ready to move away
-from Waterville?" asked Vance.
-
-"No, I am not going away; that is, not permanently," replied Boast, as
-he stooped to brush a speck of dust from his highly polished shoes, "but
-I do not presume we will have any use for deeds or contracts for some
-time to come, and I am therefore putting them away out of the dust until
-the boom opens up again."
-
-"You talk a little discouragingly," said Vance.
-
-"Discouragingly!" said Boast, as he seated himself on the table in front
-of Vance. "Discouragingly! Why, didn't I tell you the Town Company would
-ruin Waterville? I was away only two weeks visiting, as you know, at
-Gold Bluff, but while I was gone they inflated prices of property; made
-promises right and left that were quite impossible for them to fulfill.
-The newspapers all over the country are denouncing them, and the result
-of it is that Waterville is dead! I say dead, and I mean dead, and all
-on account of the Town Company."
-
-"Do you suppose," asked Vance, "that you could possibly' sell my
-twenty-five lots?"
-
-Boast looked absently' out of the window and said, "I might sell them in
-time by putting them on my special bargain list."
-
-"At what price?" Vance ventured to ask.
-
-"Let me see," said Boast, "you paid $2,500 for them, did you not?"
-
-"Yes," replied Vance.
-
-"Oh, well," said Boast, "I might be able to get $500 for them, but it
-would be a pretty green sort of a tenderfoot that I could load them on
-at even that price. But what's the use," said he, facing around toward
-Vance {156}and still sitting on the table, "what's the use of losing
-your nerve? Within one or two years Waterville will be all right. She
-can't be kept down. She has natural resources; the richest farm lands
-in the world; the greatest water power of any inland city in the
-United States; marvelous veins of coal; inexhaustible quarries of rock;
-unsurpassed forests of timber; and abundance of water for irrigating
-purposes.
-
-[Illustration: 8164]
-
-Why, dang it, old fellow," said he, slapping Vance on the shoulder,
-"Waterville s all right. All you've got to do is to hold on to your
-nerve and your lots, and you will come out on top."
-
-"That's all very well," replied Vance, "but the ray of hope you hold out
-is too far away to be very satisfactory at the present time."
-
-"Every tenderfoot," replied Boast, "needs a certain amount of experience
-in order to acclimate him to this western country. Your experience is
-just now beginning. After a little Colonel Bonifield will strike it rich
-on Gray Rocks, Waterville will also come out of the kinks, and there you
-are, a rich man. By the way, the Colonel must be pretty well along
-toward the 400 foot level, Waterville will also come out of the kinks,
-and there you are, a rich man. By the way, the Colonel must be pretty
-well along toward the 400 foot level, is he not:"
-
-"I believe he is making very satisfactory progress," replied Vance.
-
-"If the old man should strike it rich," said Boast, "I would not mind
-connecting myself with his family. Of course, I am not so hard to
-please as you New York fellows." He looked archly at Vance and smiled
-wickedly as he made this remark.
-
-Vance was indignant at the cold-blooded insinuation of Boast, and
-replied: {157}"While you may have no objections, I don't doubt you will
-meet some pretty knotty ones before you succeed in winning Miss
-Bonifield."
-
-"Possibly," replied Boast, coolly. "Nevertheless, if the old Colonel
-strikes it in Gray Rocks, it's worth a trial, anyway; but come, there's
-no use in quarreling over something that hasn't happened, or being
-down-hearted about a busted boom, so long as a fellow has a bottle of
-red liquor."
-
-Vance did not wait for him to go through the ordeal of condemning
-himself as a drunken profligate, but let him to finish tying up his
-papers and drink the contents of his bottle alone.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIX.--THE INDIGNATION MEETING
-
-
-[Illustration: 9166]
-
-ANCE had been in Waterville something over a week, and his enthusiasm
-was noticeably subdued. One evening he discovered that a great many
-citizens were assembling in the Town Hall. He joined the crowd, and
-found it was composed of representative of nearly every family in
-Waterville.
-
-The meeting was called to order with J. Arthur Boast in the chair. It
-was an indignation meeting. Instead of huzzaing for the Waterville
-Town Company, its members were being vigorously denounced. A speaker
-addressed the chair, and among other things said:
-
-"Where is our sash, blind and door factory? Where is our foundry? Where
-is our woolen mill? Where are our canning factories? Where is our great
-smelting plant, and other manufacturing enterprises which have been
-promised us by the Waterville Town Company? When we see anything in
-a newspaper we have a right to believe what it says. Outside of
-Waterville, the newspapers claim the members of the Waterville Town
-Company to be a lot of restless town site boomers. I believe what I see
-in the papers. The dog-fennel is already growing in our streets--our
-town is dead; not one stranger in a week alights from the train at
-Waterville. {159}We have been deceived, and it is now time for an
-indignant community to assert its rights, take the reins of government,
-so to speak, in our own hands, and give the Waterville Town Company to
-understand that no more bonds of any kind will be voted or subsidies
-given."
-
-A number of other speakers expressed themselves in bitter terms against
-the Waterville Town Company. The chairman, J. Arthur Boast, finally
-addressed the meeting, and with his thin, piping voice advise
-moderation.
-
-He said it was true that, during his absence, prices had been
-unfortunately inflated, and a reaction had set in. He reminded his
-hearers that he was still in the real estate business, and by listing
-their property with him he would try to put it on his "special bargain
-list," and thought possibly he could, in time, re-establish confidence
-and create a new era of activity in the real estate business.
-
-Boast was very careful not to openly charge the depression in Waterville
-to anyone in particular, but his insinuations left no room to doubt he
-meant the Waterville Town Company.
-
-It seemed to be the sense of the meeting that retrenchment was in order.
-One speaker advised the closing of the public school. The suggestion
-seemed to meet with favor. Old Dick Ballard pushed his way through
-the crowd, and addressing the chairman, begged the crowd to listen to
-reason. "You know," he continued, "that I'm your school director in this
-township. The office sought me; I didn't seek the office. Retrenchment
-in any other line exceptin' the closin' down of our public school is,
-perhaps, all right; but do not take a step backward. Our public school
-system is our pride, and should appeal to the patriotism of every one
-here." {160}In conclusion, he offered to give an entertainment with
-his State Militia Company for the benefit of the public school of
-Waterville. Hi is remarks would probably have been effective had not a
-fiery speaker followed him and advanced the idea that by discontinuing
-the public school it would be a direct rebuke to the Waterville Town
-Company.
-
-"Let it be noised abroad," said he, "that the residents of Waterville
-refuse to pay any school taxes, and then the Waterville town Company
-will begin to understand that we must be consulted, or we will thwart
-their schemes of booming this town. All they care for, anyway, is the
-money there is in selling town lots."
-
-The speaker then asked Dick Ballard how much money was in the teacher's
-fund of the school treasury. Ballard said he did not know, but he could
-find out in a day or two. The speaker then addressed the chair, and
-said:
-
-"I move you, sir, that it is the sense of this public demonstration that
-we quit paying taxes to support a public school in Waterville, and when
-the funds now on hand are exhausted that our school be closed." The
-motion almost unanimously prevailed. There were a few feeble protests,
-but they were not recognized by the presiding officer.
-
-A little later Vance felt some one plucking at his sleeve, and old Dick
-Ballard motioned him to follow.
-
-"Now, sir," said Ballard, in a deep whisper when they were alone, "there
-is some mighty important work to be done. Be in the parlor of my hotel
-in half an hour from now. Say nothin'." At this Dick Ballard, with a
-mysterious look on his face, turned and hurried away.
-
-A little later Vance walked over to the hotel and found {161}Dick
-Ballard, Homer Winthrop, and Marcus Donald. They apparently were waiting
-for him. Ballard was very careful to lock the door securely.
-
-[Illustration: 9169]
-
-He then turned and said: "Now, gentlemen, we have business of importance
-on hand. Yes, sir, the time has come for us to act, and act promptly.
-Hold on--just wait a moment until I read you a letter. This is private,"
-said he, tapping a letter which he unfolded with a great flourish. "This
-is from General Ira House, the greatest town builder in the world. Now,
-here's what he says:
-
-"'I will settle my board bill, no, hold on; that isn't the place. Here
-it is: 'Tell the people to be patient. The darkest hour is just before
-the dawn. Waterville is all right.'"
-
-"What do you think of that, gentlemen?" said he, folding the letter and
-putting it into his pocket. "I tell you, General House can come as near
-breakin' the shell and gettin' at the meat of the kernel as any man
-I ever knew'. He's brainy, and no mistake. Our citizens are excited,"
-Ballard went on, "and in their excitement they are foolish. They're
-attemptin' to bite the hand that is feedin' us all. 'The Town Company has
-made this town. I address my remarks, Mr. Gilder, to you. Modesty
-forbids, sir, that I should say to my friends, Mr. Donald and Mr.
-Winthrop, that which I unhesitatingly proclaim to an outside party. Now
-let me ask, Mr. Gilder, if I didn't tell you long ago that the members
-of the Waterville Town Company were the brainiest men this country had
-ever produced?"
-
-{162}"I believe you made that remark," replied Vance.
-
-[Illustration: 0170]
-
-"Yes, sir, and I am proud to repeat the statement, and in the letter
-which I have just read to you I have the evidence, the _prima facie_
-evidence, that Watcrville is only restin', as it were, preparatory to
-enterin' the free-for-all hurdle race, and makin' the fastest time
-on record. Yes, sir, her time will be a record breaker, and she will
-distance all would-be competitors, notwithstandin' the slanderous
-{163}and libelous articles now goin' the rounds in the press.'
-
-"We now," continued Mallard, "are a ways-and-means committee. The
-closing of our public school would indeed be a calamity. They asked me
-over at the town meetin' how much money was in the school treasury. I
-told them I didn't know. I beg you gentlemen's pardon for my reply, I
-do know. There is not a cent. I was forced into the awkward position of
-tellin' a falsehood for the good of my adopted city, Waterville. Now,
-gentle men, what do you advise?"
-
-"I think," said Donald, "that our taxpayers proper are not objecting
-to the expense of our public school. The Waterville Town Company owns
-fully three-fourths of all the property in Waterville, and we want the
-school to go on. The citizens who are the loudest in denouncing the
-expense, and calling most vigorously for retrenchment, as a matter of
-fact, do not pay a penny of tax."
-
-"You're right," said Dick Ballard, glowingly, "that's the talk! There's
-argument in your remarks, Mr. Donald, and if I had them printed on
-dodgers I would regard it as a personal privilege to deliver copies to
-members of my State Militia Company, and issue a general order to have
-them distributed over the entire town."
-
-"I wish to call your attention to one thing," continued Ballard. "No
-member of my State Militia Company voted to discontinue our public
-school; no, sir, not one."
-
-Winthrop was called on for remarks, and observed that the demonstration
-was a hasty action that would not be approved, probably, by the
-people themselves on mature reflection. {164}"A few weeks ago," he went
-on, "these same people were hurrahing; for the Waterville Town Company.
-They expect us to perform wonders in a few weeks' time, that in reality
-require months, and even years. I fully believe the present depression
-will be followed by a healthy activity that will satisfy the most
-pronounced pessimist in Waterville."
-
-"Gentlemen." said Dick Ballard, "there are four of us. Miss Virginia
-Bonifield is a most exemplary young lady, while, as a teacher, she is
-without a peer. I stand ready to pledge myself for one-fourth of her
-salary. Her salary for the entire year is $500.
-
-"Put me down for one fourth," said Vance.
-
-"I will gladly pay one fourth," said Marcus Donald, "and my check is
-ready at any time."
-
-"Count me in on the deal," said Homer Winthrop "Just one thing,
-gentlemen," said Dick Ballard, "I am pretty well acquainted with Miss
-Virginia Bonifield.
-
-[Illustration: 9172]
-
-She posseses the spirit of independence to a very large degree. She is,
-indeed, the daughter of her father, Colonel Bonifield. If she knew that
-her salary was comin' from a private source, why, you could not get
-her to touch a dollar of it, therefore I think it best to consider this
-compact and agreement strictly confidential."
-
-Dick Ballard's views met with the approval of his associates, and then
-the conversation became general. Vance inquired when the Town Company
-would probably hold another meeting.
-
-{165}"Not for some time, from present indications," replied Winthrop.
-
-"No," replied Marcus Donald, "I have to-day received a letter from
-Colonel Alexander, and he says it will be necessary, on account of
-pressing business in the Wharfage and Dockage Company down on the Gulf
-coast, to defer holding another Town Company meeting for some months.
-The only thing we can do," continued Donald, "is to keep a good grip
-on our holdings here and wait. The dark days will roll by like so
-many clouds and the sun will shine again. Waterville will be in the
-ascendency. Strangers will be coming in, bringing money for internal
-improvements; this great valley will be settled up, and successful
-activity, in my judgment, will take the place of the present unfortunate
-depression."
-
-Vance continued his stay in Waterville several days longer than he had
-at intended. His frequent consultations with Horner Winthrop and Marcus
-Donald led him to believe they were two of the most honorable men he had
-ever met. Possibly they were wrong in their judgment about Waterville,
-but they certainly were sincere. They seemed like men who had been
-fighting for a goal against bitter odds. The goal was finally reached
-when the last obligation of the Waterville Town Company had been paid.
-They were left practically penniless, or at best, with very little
-money; yet they were content to wait until time should lift then out of
-the trough of the sea upon the waves of commercial activity again, which
-they fully believed would come.
-
-When Vance started for Gold Bluff, he said he might see them again in
-a couple of weeks, and again, he might {166}not see them for a year or
-longer. He was wholly undecided what to do.
-
-Arriving at Gold Bluff in the evening, Vance made a hasty toilet and
-called upon the woman he secretly loved so devotedly. She welcomed him
-warmly. Soon after, they were seated in the little parlor where Vance
-had spent so many happy evenings.
-
-The Colonel greeted him enthusiastically.
-
-[Illustration: 8174]
-
-The open grate was crackling and burning cheerily with a bright wood
-fire, and seemed to add warmth to the welcome extended.
-
-"Am delighted to see yo', Mr. Gilder, I am indeed, still. We have at
-last reached the 400 foot level. Tempo'ary embarrassments will soon be
-relegated into antiquity, yes, suh; a few days longer, a few days mo' of
-waitin', suh, and the struggle for a livin' will be oveh with. No matteh
-how much we may fight against it, we are bound to be wealthy. Of cou'se
-it'll take a few days yet, but only a few."
-
-It was evident that the Colonel was greatly in earnest. It was a welcome
-hope to Vance. He briefly related to the Colonel and Louise concerning
-the depression at Waterville, but that he still had hopes that
-eventually--he did not pretend to say exactly when, but some time in the
-future--his investment in Waterville town lots would turn out all right.
-
-"On gen'al principles," said Colonel Bonifield, "I am not favo'able to
-real estate spec'lations. I presume, suh, the reason is I know so vehy
-little about them, but when {167}it comes to a mine, suh,'specially like
-Gray Rocks, I inva'ably know, suh, what I am talkin' about. Louise,"
-said the Colonel, looking at his daughter, "let us have some music.
-I see Mr. Gilder is vehy tired, and we will talk no mo' business this
-evenin'."
-
-Louise opened the piano and sang for them. There was a plaintive
-sweetness in the girl's voice that made Vance's heart pulse with
-delicious contentment. Hope played back and forth among the chords as
-the music swelled and surged in sweet, symphonious strains. While she
-was singing, he felt how easy it would be to declare his love, but when
-she had ceased, and the last vibrations of music had died away, he knew
-he lacked the courage.
-
-Vance would be called a brave man in the daily walks of life, and yet,
-as Louise's lover, he was the most arrant of cowards.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XX.--THE STAGE IS ROBBED.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9176]
-
-HE {168}next morning Vance met his old acquaintance, Hank Casey.
-
-"Good morning, Mr. Casey," said Vance, cheerily.
-
-"Hello, pardner," was the laconic and somewhat dejected reply.
-
-"I haven't seen you for some time," said Vance.
-
-"No, I've been prospectin' round these 'ere diggin's, but I guess I
-won't stay much longer. The court decided agin Steve Gibbons an' me. I
-think I'll go back to Butte City afore long. She's the pertest minin'
-camp in the 'hull country."
-
-"You say the court has decided against you?" repeated Vance.
-
-"Yes," he replied, "Steve Gibbons an' we had a law suit agin' Rufus Grim
-over the Peacock. B. Webster Legal is a pretty cute lawyer, an' for a
-time he made it bilin' hot for old Grim, but somehow on the show-down
-we got done up. It don't make much difference how cute a feller's lawyer
-is, when the court's prejudiced all out o' shape. I sometimes think old
-Grim has a 'nuf sight better title to the court of this 'ere district
-than he has to the Peacock mine."
-
-"Your friend Gibbons," said Vance, "told me sonnies {169}thing of this
-law suit, and I rather expected, with the assistance of an attorney like
-B. Webster Legal, you would succeed in establishing your claim. You have
-my sympathy if an injustice has been done you."
-
-"Oh, it wa'n't no fault of Lawyer Legal, I can tell you, he's a hummer,
-and a mighty social chap in the bargain; but this 'ere game isn't played
-to a finish yet, pardner, not by several great, big moves on the chess
-board. You see, we've appealed it to the higher courts, but they're so
-dangnation slow that a feller had better get a hustle on hisself while
-he's waitin' for a decision or he'll starve. When old Grim has his
-neck broken, honest people may then get their just deserts." He seemed
-dejected, and soon after took his leave, saying that he was going into
-the mountains to do a little prospecting.
-
-The Peacock mine was constantly increasing its output of the yellow
-metal. Nearly every stage carried shipments of gold bullion to the
-mints. Rufus Grim was growing richer and more pompous. His satellites
-and admirers noticeably increased after the courts had decided in his
-favor.
-
-In the meantime the pumps in Gray Rocks had broken down and delayed the
-work several weeks. Vance was in a state of feverish anxiety. He longed
-to be relieved from the mental strain and know whether he was a half
-owner in a gold mine that produced in paying quantities, or only a half
-owner in a worthless shaft in the mountain side.
-
-He retired one evening at an early hour, tired out and thoroughly
-disgusted with his achievements in the west. He was awakened about two
-o'clock in the morning by a great commotion going on below. Hastily
-dressing himself, he went down to the bar-room, where he found
-everything was wild with excitement. {170}The stage coach had been
-robbed, and it was reported that Steve Gibbons was dead. Hasty
-preparations were being made to form a posse and start in pursuit of the
-highwaymen.
-
-[Illustration: 9178]
-
-The express company had some heavy consignments of gold bullion sent
-from the Peacock mine, and it was reported missing. Vance signified his
-willingness to join in the pursuit, and was furnished with a horse, and
-soon after they started pell-mell down the mountain road from Gold Bluff
-in the direction of Waterville, to the point where the robbery had taken
-place.
-
-Rufus Grim offered $1,000 for the capture of the perpetrators, which,
-together with a large sum offered by the express company, stimulated a
-feverish interest in the chase.
-
-The sun was just coming up when they reached the place where the robbers
-had sallied forth from a neighboring mountain gorge the morning before
-and committed their lawless work. About two miles beyond, they found the
-only two passengers of the ill-fated stage coach. A gentleman and his
-wife from the east had been visiting Colonel Boast, the rich rancher
-who lived near Gold Bluff, and were returning to their eastern home. The
-gentleman had been relieved of his wallet, containing some $2,000, also
-his watch, diamond pin, and his wife of her jewelry. They were left in
-a destitute condition, and were waiting to take the next stage back to
-Gold Bluff to secure such aid from Colonel Boast as would enable them to
-continue their homeward journey.
-
-They said there were five of the robbers. When they commanded Steve
-Gibbons to stop, he whipped up his horses, and received a bullet through
-his body for his attempted bravery. He fell from the stage coach and
-sustained serious injuries.
-
-[Illustration: 0179]
-
-The robbers quickly stopped the horses, relieved the two passengers
-of their possessions, secured the express matter and started for the
-mountain wilds, taking with them the four dapple-gray horses that Steve
-Gibbons had prided himself so much in driving.
-
-Gibbons had been carefully cared for by the mountain rancher and his
-wife, where the two passengers were {172}stopping. A physician had been
-sent for and dressed his wounds. He said Gibbons would get well; the
-bullet had struck a rib and glanced off.
-
-After learning these meager details, the posse pushed on into the
-mountains in hot pursuit. They were under command of the sheriff of the
-county. The trail of the desperadoes was easily followed. Along in the
-afternoon, the sheriff called a halt for refreshments. The horses were
-tethered with lariats to some trees that grew near a mountain stream,
-and permitted to graze while the men refreshed themselves with lunches
-which they had brought along.
-
-"We're twenty-four hours behind the rascals," said the sheriff, "and
-I don't know whether we'll overtake them or not." Some of the men were
-eager to go on, and others were ready to give up the chase. After a rest
-of an hour or such a matter, the order was given to again mount, and the
-trail was followed until darkness set in. Sleeping on the ground with
-the starry canopy for a covering was a new experience for Vance, but
-he was determined not to show the white feather. What others endured he
-would endure.
-
-About ten o'clock the next morning, they came to a mountain gorge and
-followed the trail to a point where it seemed quite impossible for a
-horseman to ascend, it was so steep and rugged. The sheriff and a few of
-his men dismounted and went on ahead, looking for the trail. They found
-horses' tracks, but where could they have gone? The grass was deep and
-heavy in the center of the gulch, and fringed with trees and boulders
-on either side. Finally the sheriff returned and reported the trail as
-lost. {173}"They have evidently come into this 'pocket' of a canon to
-throw us off their trail. We will have to return to the mouth of the
-gorge and see in what other direction the trail leads."
-
-The afternoon was spent in searching for the lost trail. Night overtook
-the party again, and rations were very short. Their meal was a frugal
-one, and far from satisfying the hunger of men who had ridden hard all
-day. The horses were securely fastened and the party lay down to
-sleep. Vance made his bed on some bunch grass that grew under the
-wide-spreading branches of a mountain pine. He could plainly hear the
-rippling of a stream which ran near by, and when deep silence settled
-down over the landscape, save the occasional snort of one of the horses,
-the singing of the stream grew louder and louder. The smell of pine
-added to the deliciousness of his novel and strange surroundings.
-Weariness soon overcame the discomforts of his improvised bed, and he
-sank to sleep. Suddenly he awoke in the middle of the night, but found
-everyone else was deep in slumber, save the two guards that had been
-left on duty a few yards from the camp. The stars were winking at him
-from above; a wolf was howling a dismal cadence, and was answered by
-another far away in a different direction. An owl hooted its discordant
-strain from the dead branch of a tree a short distance away.
-
-He closed his eyes, and thought of the wonderful change that a few
-months had brought into his life; but these thoughts one after another
-vanished; and still other fancies went pell-mell through his imagination
-in the panorama of thought. Presently a face appeared on this mental
-canvas--so sweet, so tender, so trusting, and {174}wreathed in that
-smile he knew so well. He started, opened his eye and murmured,
-"Louise."
-
-The wolf howled again in the distance, and he thought he detected a
-snappish twang in its concluding barks, and wondered if it foreboded
-danger. Occasionally one of the horses would snort and stamp on the
-ground, and then go on munching, munching, the grass on which they were
-feeding. Finally he dozed again and slept. He thought it was only a
-moment afterward, when someone shook his shoulder and told him to get
-up. He opened his eyes and found it was morning.
-
-He hastily sprang up and found there was considerable excitement among
-his associates. The sheriff was missing. About a half hour later he came
-into camp and said he had been out looking for the trail, but could find
-nothing of it. He said they might as well return home.
-
-Vance was not sorry of this decision, for he was hungry and tired and
-sore. There were mutterings, however, among some of the sheriff's posse,
-and they whispered among themselves as if they suspected their chief of
-crooked work.
-
-It took them two days to return to Gold Bluff. They found Steve Gibbons
-at the hotel, and able to sit up. The robbers had all worn masks, and
-it was impossible for him to give a description of any of them. The
-representative of the express company was evidently disappointed that
-the sheriff had not been able to find the desperadoes; $10,000 of gold
-bullion had been stolen, as well as other valuable express matter.
-
-A few days later, Steve Gibbons declared that he was able to resume his
-place on the stage coach, but it transpired that two of his bondsmen had
-asked to be relieved {175}This was an insinuation that some one regarded
-him as an accomplice in the unfortunate stage robbery. He investigated
-and found it was Rufus Grim who had advised two of his bondsmen to be
-a little careful. During the day, through Vance's assistance, Gibbons
-succeeded in giving a satisfactory bond.
-
-That evening, a little the worse for drink, he accosted Rufus Grim at
-the post office, where the Gold bluff villagers were wont to congregate
-on the arrival of the evening coach.
-
-[Illustration: 9183]
-
-Steve Gibbons was evidently the agressor. "Look'ee here, Mr. Grim,"
-said Steve Gibbons, approaching him, "you've been interferin' with me
-for a good many years, and it's time you was lettin' up."
-
-"I don't know, Mr. Gibbons," said Grim, "that I have ever interfered
-with you. I have plenty of business of my own to look after, without
-bothering with other people's."
-
-"That's all right, pardner," said Gibbons, "but there's somebody likely
-to wish they'd never been born if they don't quit foolin' with me. You
-advised some of my bondsmen to take their names off from the bond, but
-I've got other friends, and jes' as many of 'em as you have, and don't
-you forget it!"
-
-"There must be some mistake, Mr. Gibbons," said Grim, very coolly.
-
-"I know," said Gibbons, "jes' what I'm talkin' about. You have tried to
-infer that I was mixed up in the robbery of the stage coach, and I say
-you are an unprincipled old scoundrel, and a liar in the bargain. If I
-was as strong as I was before I was shot, I'd maul the {176}earth with
-you. You stole the Peacock mine from Hank Casey an' me, an' I've my
-suspicions that you bought judge and jury to beat us in our law suit."
-
-One would have thought that Grim would have become very angry, but
-instead, he tried to pacify the irate and angry Steve Gibbons. It seemed
-to anger Gibbons beyond description that he could not disturb the even
-temper of Rufus Grim, and finally, in a burst of anger at Grim, Gibbons
-said: "You'd better have your life insured, old man, for somebody's
-goin' to be revenged, and the day of judgment ain't very far 'way,
-nuther."
-
-At this threat, Grim turned quickly and reached for his revolver.
-Gibbons was unarmed. A moment later, Grim seemed to master himself, and
-turning away, walked down the street.
-
-Hank Casey put his arm through Steve Gibbon's and led him to the hotel.
-Gibbons was hilarious, but Casey felt that in his hilarity he had been
-very indiscreet. The next morning, however, he mounted the stage coach
-on his regular run between Gold Bluff and Waterville.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXI.--REACHING THE 400 FOOT LEVEL.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9185]
-
-N the{177} excitement incident to Col. Bonifield's cross-cutting into
-the vein, the stage robbery, and the bewildering evenings spent in the
-society of Louise, Vance quite forgot about his hopes and fears relative
-to his investment in Waterville.
-
-One evening he was out for a walk near the Bonifields'. Louise was
-standing on the porch. He lifted his hat, and she waved a dainty little
-handkerchief, and came down the road to meet him. There was a troubled
-expression on her face which Vance had never seen before. It cut him to
-the heart, and he feared some great calamity had befallen her.
-
-"Mr. Gilder," said she, after the morning salutation, "my father is very
-despondent this morning, and while he desires greatly to see you, yet
-he is so broken down that I do not know whether he will be able to see
-anyone until this afternoon."
-
-"Why, what has happened?" asked Vance, in alarm. They were walking along
-toward the Bonifield residence as they talked.
-
-"So you have not heard?" said Louise, looking up with her big, blue
-eyes. Vance looked at her in astonishment. {178}"You have not heard,"
-she repeated, "that they have finished cross-cutting?"
-
-"No," replied Vance.
-
-"Yes, they have finished the work," repeated Louise, and then almost
-broke down in tears. He led her to a seat on the broad porch where the
-morning sun shone full and warm, and begged her to calm herself, and
-tell him what had happened to her father.
-
-"Is it not quite enough?" said she, looking up at Vance through her
-tears, "another disappointment is father's only reward."
-
-Vance was shocked, for this disappointment meant a great deal to him.
-
-"Is it possible," he ejaculated, "and your father was so confident only
-the other night!"
-
-"You will not be angry with father?" said Louise, laving her hand on
-Vance's arm.
-
-"Angry," replied Vance, "no; why should I be? He and I are jointly
-interested in results. If they are unfavorable, why, he cannot be more
-disappointed than I am. Had he been successful, we would have been equal
-partners as well."
-
-"Thank you," said Louise, "I pity my poor father so much." She dried her
-eyes a little and then went on: "Aunt Sally was so querulous with papa
-last evening when she heard the result, and it made papa very unhappy;
-indeed, he did not sleep any during the night, though I have comforted
-him as well as I could."
-
-"And have not slept a wink?" said Vance, looking at her keenly.
-
-"How could I, when papa was so troubled?"
-
-Vance was silent. Presently he spoke: "I will confess I never was
-more disappointed in my life. I was so hopeful your father would be
-successful. Mind," he continued, hastily, glancing at Louise, "I attach
-no blame to him."
-
-[Illustration: 0187]
-
-"Thank you," she murmured, and Vance went on, "No, I do not blame him,
-neither do I blame myself. Hundreds, yes, thousands have pursued the
-same course. Some of them have been successful, and others, ourselves
-included, have not. I regret that your father should {180}have spent so
-many years of his life in that useless prospect shaft."
-
-"There is hope yet, Mr. Gilder."
-
-"Hope," said Vance quickly, "where?"
-
-"The ore," she continued, "is richer than at the 300 foot level."
-
-"And do you believe--?" commenced Vance.
-
-"Do not ask me, please, Mr. Gilder, what I believe at this time. Mr.
-Grim was here early this morning and left a proposition with papa. He
-has not the heart, he says, to tell you of it, and requested me to do
-so. You know, Mr. Grim," she continued, "is said to be a very good
-business man. He has examined the ore found at the 400 foot level, and
-says it is much richer than at the 300 foot level. He offers now, if you
-and papa will give him a half interest in the mine, to furnish the money
-to sink the shaft to the 500 foot level."
-
-"So," said Vance, reflectively. Presently he said: "If Rufus Grim has
-confidence to go to the 500 foot level, why not your father and I?"
-
-"But it will cost $6,000, Mr. Gilder, and neither papa nor I could think
-of asking you to put any more money into Gray Rocks."
-
-"I do not think your father should take it to heart so; indeed, I do
-not."
-
-"He does not care for himself, and neither do I care for myself, Mr.
-Gilder, but we do care for you." Vance started and the blood mounted to
-his face "You have been so kind to my father and placed such unbounded
-confidence in his judgment, and now it seems as if it were impossible
-for him ever to repay you, unless--," she hesitated.
-
-"Unless what?" asked Vance, impatiently.
-
-"Unless you would be willing to join father in giving a half interest in
-Gray Rocks to Mr. Grim, and let him go on and develop the mine."
-
-"What does your father advise? What does he say?"
-
-"He wants to go on to the 500 foot level, Mr. Gilder, and says he will
-give his own half interest in Gray Rocks to Mr. Grim rather than let the
-work stop at the 400 foot level. Father believes that at the 500 foot
-level they will strike ore as rich as any that has been discovered on
-the Peacock, and it looks as if Mr. Grim thought the same way, else he
-would not be so willing to advance the money."
-
-"Have you confidence in Mr. Grim?" asked Vance.
-
-"We have always distrusted him," replied Louise, "but perhaps he is not
-so bad and mean as we have thought."
-
-"And do you think," asked Vance, "that ore will be discovered at the 500
-foot level?"
-
-"I don't know," she replied, "but I hope so."
-
-"Would it not be better," urged Vance, "to give it all up and leave
-these wild mountains and return to civilization, so to speak, where
-your father could enjoy the remaining years of his life in peace and
-contentment?" His words were full of earnestness, and he spoke with
-great deliberation.
-
-"If such an opportunity should present itself," said Louise, "I know
-my father would refuse it, for he is so high-spirited, and moreover, he
-believes that a little more work, and a little more time and expense on
-Gray Rocks, and his prophecy will be fulfilled."
-
-Vance rose to go, but still lingered near the beautiful {182}girl, as if
-she were a balm to his evident disappointment. Finally he said: "You say
-it will require $6,000. Now, if you had $6,000, Miss Louise, and it was
-every dollar you had in the world, what would you do with it?"
-
-"I would sink the shaft on Gray Rocks to the 500 foot level," she
-replied quickly. "Shall I tell my father," she asked, as Vance started
-to go, "that you are favorable to Mr. Grim's proposition?"
-
-"No," replied Vance, doggedly, "I have no confidence in Rufus Grim.
-You may tell your father that I say not to worry any more. With your
-permission, I will return in a couple of hours, and will then be glad to
-see him."
-
-Louise seemed ignorant of any knowledge of Vance's passionate love for
-her. Her mind and thoughts were so entirely in sympathy with her father,
-whom she loved so dearly and so devotedly. As Vance bade her good-bye,
-she took his outstretched hand as if he had been her benefactor, instead
-of only her father's friend.
-
-"Your judgment," said Vance, "has decided me; we will go on
-blasting--down, down, down--through solid rock toward an unknown doom.
-How it will end remains to be seen." Before Louise could make a reply,
-he had turned and walked rapidly away toward his hotel.
-
-Looking carefully over his accounts, he found he still had to his
-credit, in the Chemical National Bank of New York city, barely $6,000.
-He paced the floor for a full half-hour in deep thought. Finally he
-paused and said aloud, "she would advance her last dollar to sink the
-shaft to the 500 foot level--a weak, little, lovely woman, yet stronger
-in her affections and devotion than a regiment of soldiers. Yes, I will
-do it; I will gamble my {183}last dollar--for it is nothing better than
-a gamble, and yet--well, who knows? We may strike it after all."
-
-He drew a check for the amount, making it payable to Colonel Ben
-Bonifield. Before signing it, he looked at it long and thoughtfully.
-"Why do I do this? Is it my faith in Gray Rocks? No. Is it my faith in
-Colonel Bonifield? No. Is it my faith in Louise? Yes, a thousand times,
-yes." His hand trembled a little as he signed his name to the check. It
-was the last throw of the dice. He felt that he had in a measure passed
-his word to Louise. There was a question of daily bread that must now
-be solved. The question was immediately ahead of him. He would call on
-Colonel Bonifield and then devote himself to the bread question. Yes, he
-would solve it.
-
-Strong with resolution, and with a judgment sadly warped because of his
-love for Louise, he returned to the Bonifield home. Louise met him at
-the door, and he went with her into the spacious parlor, where a wood
-fire was burning brightly in the open grate.
-
-"I delivered your message to my father," she said, "and he has fallen
-into a restful sleep."
-
-"Do not disturb him," said Vance, "in this envelope is a check for
-$6,000. Tell him to start to-morrow morning for the 500 foot level."
-
-The impulsive Louise took the proffered envelope from Vance with hands
-that trembled noticeably, while two great tears dimmed her lustrous blue
-eyes. "Why have you done this?" she asked.
-
-It is probable that Vance would then and there have told her why, had
-not Colonel Bonifield appeared in the door. "Mr. Gilder," said he,
-"Yo'r presence in my house brings sunshine with it. Yo' know the worst.
-{184}Louise tells me she has informed yo of the unfo'tunate geological
-fo'mation to be found at the 400 foot level in Gray Rocks?"
-
-Louise turned from Vance to her father while he was speaking, and buried
-her face on his breast, weeping in stilled sobs. When Colonel Bonifield
-asked her why she was weeping, she handed him the envelope, and pillowed
-her head deeper on his breast. He opened the envelope and carefully
-scanned the check. The old man's eyes were dimmed with tears of
-gratitude.
-
-[Illustration: 9192]
-
-One arm was about his daughter, and the other he extended toward Vance,
-who accepted the proffered hand.
-
-"Suh," said the Colonel, "Yo' ovehpoweh me with yo'r confidence. I have
-been workin' away so long on Gray Rocks, suh, that I can't blame my
-friends if they should lose heart. But, suh, somethin' keeps a tellin'
-me that my effo'ts will yet be rewarded. Yo' honor me by sharin' my
-confidence in the outcome of Gray Rocks; yo' do, indeed, suh. There's
-good blood, Mr. Gilder, cou'sin' through yo'r veins, and there's a crown
-awaitin' yo' when once we've reached the 500 foot level; yes, suh. I may
-neveh have mentioned it to yo', but I once told yo'r father that if
-he would stay by Gray Rocks, it would make him a millionaire. I have
-forgotten whether I ever made the obse'vation to yo' or not, but I wish
-to assure yo' at this time, Mr. Gilder, in the presence of Louise, suh,
-that yo'r confidence in Gray Rocks is well-founded, and she will make
-yo' richer than all the possessions left yo' by yo'r worthy father; yes,
-suh, much richer." {185}Louise dried her tears and soon was cheerful
-as a mountain thrush that had never known a sorrow. The old Colonel
-declared he had never felt better in his life, and that work should be
-commenced early the following morning.
-
-On his way back to the hotel, Vance called at the office of the Gold
-Bluff _Prospector_.
-
-"Where is your typo?" asked Vance in the course of the conversation.
-
-"Haven't got any," replied the proprietor, "he left this morning on
-the stage. We'll not be able to get out an issue of the paper this week
-unless we find someone that can set type. Say," said he, "why can't I
-sell my printing office to you?"
-
-"I'm not able to buy," replied Vance.
-
-"Well, I'll lease it to you."
-
-"On what terms," asked Vance.
-
-"I'd lease it to you for one year for half its earnings," replied the
-good-natured proprietor, who never was known to have enough energy to
-walk across the street to solicit an advertisement.
-
-"What will it earn in a year?"
-
-"Oh, twelve or fifteen hundred dollars--subscriptions and
-advertisements. I own the building. I call this the reception and
-editorial room; the other is the composing room, while the one back of
-where we are sitting is where the printer usually sleeps."
-
-In Vance's college days, he had been one of the trio who had edited
-a college paper, set their own type, made up their own forms and
-circulated the issue after night, contenting themselves, for a
-compensation, with the general wonderment of their fellow-students as
-to who were the publishers. He felt that he was capable of acting
-as type-setter, as well as writing editorials, on the Gold Bluff
-_Prospector_. He examined the room designated as the sleeping apartment
-of the printer, and found it comfortable, yet very plain.
-
-He told the proprietor he thought very favorably of his proposition, and
-believed he would accept it. The printing was done on an old-fashioned
-hand press, which would require the assistance of a boy for a couple of
-hours once a week.
-
-[Illustration: 9194]
-
-Aside from this, Vance believed he was competent to handle all the
-details and labor connected with the paper. Before he retired that
-night, arrangements had all been made, the lease drawn and signed, and
-Vance commenced operations the next morning as the proprietor of the
-Gold Bluff _Prospector_. He moved his trunk and personal effects
-into the shabby back room, to be used in the future as his sleeping
-apartment. He settled his hotel bill, and found that he had less than
-$3.00 in his pocket on which to begin the struggle for bread.
-
-It was a new experience, not without its novelty and excitement in
-anticipation, however. After he had arranged his room quite tidily,
-he commenced setting type, and smiled good humoredly to himself as
-he thought of the change from the great New York _Banner_ to the
-_Prospector_. Yes, he had made sacrifices; and would he not willingly
-make any more to remain near the woman he loved with a love that
-surpasseth understanding.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXII.--STARTING THE BOOM.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9195]
-
-IXTEEN {187}hours a day for three days was Vance's first experience on
-the _Prospector_. All day and far into the evening he set type and
-made up forms, until finally the paper was ready to be brought out.
-It contained the retiring proprietor's bow to the public, and Vance's
-announcement.
-
-The next evening he called at the Bonifields'. Louise greeted him
-more kindly than ever. The Colonel, after assuring him that excellent
-progress was being made on Gray Rocks, turned the conversation to
-Vance's new venture.
-
-"Vehy creditable, suh; vehy creditable, indeed," said he, glancing at a
-copy of the _Prospector_ which he had been reading. "Louise and I think
-yo've made an excellent beginnin', suh, vehy excellent."
-
-"Indeed we do," said Louise; "we have often heard, though, that editors
-were quite exclusive, and we didn't know but that was the reason you
-have not called on us for so long a time."
-
-"Well, that is the reason," responded Vance, jestingly. "As managing
-editor of the _Prospector_, I have been exclusively engaged in setting
-type, making up forms, etc."
-
-They laughed at Vance's remark, and complimented {188}him on being able
-to impersonate all the functionaries of a printing establishment. In
-the midst of their conversation, Aunt Sally appeared at the door of the
-parlor, and courtesying low to Vance, said:
-
-"Good evenin', Mr. Gilder; I 'low I've been wantin' to sec yo' fo' some
-time, suh."
-
-Vance returned the salutation by rising and bowing politely. As he sat
-down he noticed the Colonel was greatly disturbed, as if he feared a
-storm was approaching.
-
-"Mr. Gilder," commenced Aunt Sally', "I consider it my duty to inform
-yo' that yo' are makin' as big a fool of yo'self as my brother is of
-hisself."
-
-"Come, sister," said the Colonel, "come, come."
-
-"Benjamin," said Aunt Sally, looking hard at him over her spectacles, "I
-shall have my say. I consideh it a duty that I owe Mr. Gilder to inform
-him that he is squanderin' his money. There is not a chance in ten
-thousand; no, suh, not one, fo' yo' to eveh get back a penny of the
-money yo've given my brother. Besides, yo're only encouragin' Benjamin
-to fool his time away. I have mighty neah worn my life out takin' care
-of him, Virgie and Louise. Virginia has a good deal of sense--a heap
-mo', I am proud to say, than Benjamin or Louise has."
-
-"I hope, Mr. Gilder," observed the Colonel, "that yo'll remember an
-obse'vation I made some time ago in regard to my sister----"
-
-"What have yo' been sayin' about me?" asked Aunt Sally, and she looked
-threateningly at him. The Colonel paid no attention to his sister's
-remark, and went on:
-
-"Yo' will remember I obse'ved at one time, suh, that my sister was a
-most ext'ao'dina'y woman; yes, suh, {189}most ext'ao'dina'y; she is
-possessed of a most rema'kable intellect.
-
-[Illustration: 0197]
-
-There is, however, a slight disagreement in regard to our judgment
-relative to Gray Rocks. She is vehy set in her ways, vehy, indeed; and,
-I am sorry to say, doesn't share in our belief relative to the final
-outcome of our minin' property."
-
-"Benjamin," said Aunt Sally, still looking at him over her spectacles,
-"it is not a _slight_ difference of opinion; it's a vehy _wide_ one,
-indeed. If yo' had a hundred thousand {190}dollars to-day, suh, yo'd be
-grub-stakin' all the pesky mines in the mountains around Gold Bluff; yo'
-know yo' would. There are times, suh, when it's necessary fo' me to
-put my foot down, and I ain't goin' to neglect my duty any longer. Mr.
-Gilder has got to know the true situation, and if he has no mo' sense
-than to go on givin' yo' money to dig a worthless hole in the earth,
-why, I'll wash my hands of him, and have the consolation of knowin'
-that I told him befo' hand what he might expect." Vance would have been
-amused, had he not observed the pained expression on Louise's face and
-the evident discomfiture of Colonel Bonifield. In reality, it was an
-opportune time for him to make an observation that he had long wanted
-understood between the Colonel and himself, and therefore he said:
-
-"I am highly honored, Miss Bonifield, by your advice. Your brother, the
-Colonel, has been very enthusiastic in regard to Gray Rocks."
-
-"Don't I know it?" interrupted Aunt Sally. "Haven't I told him he was
-makin a fool of hisself?"
-
-"Well," continued Vance, "I will not go quite so far in my remarks as
-that, but I will say this--that it would please me very much to have
-the Colonel's assurance that if he fails to find the wealth he has been
-looking for so many years when the 500 foot level is reached, that he
-will abandon work on Gray Rocks and accept certain offers of a pecuniary
-nature in the east, which I have in mind."
-
-"Well, if I knew," replied Aunt Sally, "that there was to be an end to
-this thing, I'd have mo' patience in waitin' but my land! he no sooner
-gets to one level than he wants to push on to the next hund'ed foot
-level, and {191}goodness gracious! there's no end to it! Why, if
-Benjamin had his way, and his life was spared long enough, I 'low he'd
-have a hole clear through the earth!"
-
-The Colonel was noticeably disturbed. He had risen and was walking back
-and forth in a nervous, yet dignified way.
-
-"Yo'r request, Mr. Gilder," he finally said, "shall be complied with,
-suh, and in complyin' with it, I hope that I also pacify my sister. I
-give yo' my word of honor, suh, that when the 500 foot level is reached,
-and we have cross-cut into the vein of wealth that I feel positive, yes,
-suh, positive, is waitin' to be brought to the light of day--if, I say,
-we should again be disappointed, then I am ready to give up my labors on
-Gray Rocks; yes suh, give up my life's work. Of course, suh, yo' cannot
-undehstand and perhaps neveh will, the magnitude of this promise."
-There were tears in the Colonel's voice, as well as in his eyes, when he
-ceased speaking.
-
-"Thank the Lord!" exclaimed Aunt Sally, as she raised her hands in an
-attitude of supplication and thanksgiving. "I feel now there's goin'
-to be an end of this tomfoolery, and I'll not say another word, nary a
-word, until the 500 foot level is reached." She turned to Vance as she
-started to leave the room, and bade him good-evening, and assured him
-that in her opinion she had accomplished a "mighty sight of good."
-
-As soon as the door closed behind her, Vance turned to the Colonel and
-begged him not to take the slightest notice of what his sister had
-said, for he knew her peculiarities and thought nothing of them. He also
-thanked him for his promise. Vance's words seemed to relieve the Colonel
-greatly, and he became almost himself again {192}before the evening was
-over, and narrated to Vance with a fair degree of enthusiasm how nicely
-the pumps and other machinery in the mine were working.
-
-Afterwards Louise favored them with music, and Vance quite forgot
-himself, so pleasantly was he entertained, until, glancing at his
-watch, he found it was almost eleven o'clock. Soon after, he took his
-departure, and with a light heart wended his way to the printing office.
-
-His infatuation for Louise was of an ennobling character. He was a
-fatalist in this: that he believed when the time came for him to speak
-his heart to her he would have courage to do so, and contented himself
-in loving blindly on.
-
-When he awoke next morning he found a heavy snow had fallen. Nothing
-like it had happened in Gold Bluff before in many years. A great many of
-the mines were necessarily shut down on account of the scarcity of fuel
-to operate the engines. During the next four weeks snows kept falling
-heavier and heavier, and in a measure cut off communication with the
-outer world.
-
-Vance applied himself industriously to his paper, widening
-his acquaintanceship among the people of Gold Bluff, solicited
-advertisements, and succeeded far beyond his expectations.
-
-His friends complimented him on the neat appearance of the _Prospector_.
-It was filled with excellent reading matter, and its circulation was
-constantly increasing.
-
-Another heavy snow storm during the holidays rendered the roads quite
-impassable and finally work on Gray Rocks was necessarily suspended,
-nor was it resumed until late the following spring. {193}In the meantime
-matters were progressing slowly in the great Thief River Valley. There
-had been no meeting of the Waterville Town Company. Homer Winthrop
-and Marcus Donald regularly opened up the Town Company's office every
-morning and closed it every evening. Time hung heavy on their hands.
-Thus passed the winter months away in weary waiting for a boom in real
-estate that seemed stubborn and would not come.
-
-Dick Ballard called one afternoon in early April, and suggested that his
-finances were running rather low, and if it would be convenient he would
-like a check for Homer Winthrop's board.
-
-[Illustration: 8201]
-
-Winthrop was a proud fellow and disliked to admit that he was, in the
-ordinary parlance, "broke."
-
-Homer suggested to Ballard the advisability of purchasing a few lots in
-Eagle's Addition to Waterville. "Or," said Winthrop, "We can let you have
-a couple of lots adjoining your hotel. You've been a good friend of ours
-and we would let you have them cheap, awfully cheap."
-
-Dick Ballard sat back in his chair, inserted his thumbs in the arm-holes
-of his vest, and said: "Now, lookee here, Winthrop, I have been your
-friend, haven't I?" Winthrop acknowledged that he had. "I've been your
-friend, Mr. Donald, haven't I?" said Ballard, pointing his index finger
-straight at Donald.
-
-"I think you have," replied Donald, laughingly.
-
-"Yes, I've been Colonel Alexander's friend; I've been General Ira
-House's friend; I've been B. Webster Legal's friend; in fact, gentlemen,
-I've been a friend to the {194}Waterville Town Company from start to
-finish." He brought his hand clown upon the table in front of him with
-threat vehemence as he made this remark. "Yes sir," he went on, "I have
-been a friend to you and to your enterprise, but when it comes, Homer
-Winthrop, to selling your uncle any Waterville town lots, why, you
-don't know me. Oh, no; Dick Ballard usually knows which side his bread's
-buttered on, and, between ourselves, I wouldn't give you a square meal
-of victuals for any lot you've got in Eagle's addition. No, sir, Mr.
-Winthrop, money is what I want, and pardon me for observing, money
-is what I, politely, but nevertheless firmly, insist that you must
-produce--if not to-day, perhaps tomorrow, and liquidate that little
-matter of board which has now been running for some three months."
-
-Presently he walked over toward the window and looked wistfully out
-over the sage brush landscape. "The grass is beginin' to grow," said
-he, "and I see it is startin' in the streets as well as on the beautiful
-lots you have for sale. Remember, gentlemen," said Ballard, as he turned
-and expectorated a vigorous "pit-tew" of tobacco juice toward the stove,
-"what I have said to you never has, nor never will, escape the lips of
-Dick Ballard; no, sir, I'm your friend, but don't try to work me with
-any town lots in payin' board bills."
-
-Winthrop was noticeably' non-plussed. Donald was laughing contentedly
-and quietly' to himself at Winthrop's discomfiture. Ballard looked on
-and chuckled, as much as to say, "I am a heap sight smarter than you
-fellows give me credit for." Finally he broke the silence by suddenly
-asking:
-
-"Mr. Winthrop, what is your lot worth next to my hotel?"
-
-"Five hundred dollars," replied Winthrop, looking up.
-
-"I hope you'll get it," said Ballard; "yes, I hope you'll sell it for
-a thousand--but I'll tell you somethin'," said he, shutting one eye
-and looking hard at Winthrop with the other, "I wouldn't trade you our
-militia company's new snare drum for both those condemned lots; no,
-sir," and he turned laughingly toward the door.
-
-Just here he came face to face with Miss Virginia Bonifield.
-
-Ballard lifted his hat and bowed low, for she was one of his boarders
-who paid promptly. After speaking pleasantly to Marcus Donald and Homer
-Winthrop, she said:
-
-"I am very glad you are here, Mr. Ballard, I want to ask your advice."
-Dick Ballard was all attention, for if there was any one thing he liked
-to do better than another--barring a drill exercise with his state
-militia company--it was to give advice. Homer Winthrop, noticeably
-confused, pushed the best chair forward and invited Miss Bonifield to be
-seated.
-
-"Thank you," said she, looking kindly at Homer, who, in turn,
-hushed scarlet. "What I wish to ask is in regard to an investment in
-Waterville.'
-
-"Why, in what way?" asked Dick Ballard.
-
-"In regard to making a purchase of town lots as an investment."
-
-Ballard coughed immoderately, cleared his throat several times,
-"a-hemmed," got red in the face, looked helplessly toward Marcus Donald,
-and finally said:
-
-"Nothin' like it in the world, Miss Bonifield; best investment on earth.
-There's not another place in the {196}United States will come out of
-the kinks like Waterville. No, sir; if I had a million I'd plant every
-dollar of it in Waterville, every dollar. My land!" said he, glancing
-at his watch, "it is three o'clock! Well, I must be goin'." With this he
-took up his hat and hastily left the room.
-
-"Is this a map of the town?" asked Miss Virgie Bonifield, rising and
-approaching a map that hung on the wall near where Marcus Donald was
-seated.
-
-"Yes, that is one of the best maps that has ever been gotten out," said
-Marcus Donald, adjusting his gold-rimmed spectacles.
-
-"And where is Eagle's Addition?" Marcus Donald pointed it out.
-
-"And what are you selling lots for in that part of town?"
-
-"Well, really, Miss Bonifield," said Donald, stammering a little, "we
-haven't been selling very many lots--that is, not recently. I will refer
-you to Mr. Winthrop; he has charge of all such matters, and perhaps he
-can give you better advice than I can."
-
-"But what do _you_ advise in regard to investments in Waterville?" she
-asked, abruptly.
-
-"Oh, you know we believe in Waterville, Miss Bonifield; we believe it
-is destined to be one of the greatest cities in the United States. Of
-course there has not been any marked activity during the past winter,
-but we are expecting business to open up well, most any time now."
-
-She turned to Winthrop, and seating herself beside his desk, asked him
-to point out what he considered one of the most desirable corners in
-Eagle's Addition. Usually Winthrop prided himself on his ability to
-make sales of lots, and he was quite willing to sell to anybody rather
-{197}than the woman by his side. He had been so hard pressed for
-ready-money during the winter and spring that he had shut himself out,
-so to speak, from all society, for the reason that he was destitute of
-even spending money of the most ordinary character. After studying some
-time, he put his pencil reluctantly down on the map and said:
-
-"I consider these lots as desirable as any in Eagle's Addition."
-
-"And what are you selling them for?"
-
-"We are asking $100 a lot," said he, "but we are not selling any just
-now, Miss Bonifield, at all."
-
-She looked at the map a few minutes, and then said, "You think these
-are about the best lots in the Addition, do you?"
-
-Winthrop almost inaudibly assented. "Well, no--hardly--Miss Bonifield;
-the fact is," he faltered, "we do not care to make any sales at the
-present time. We are rather expecting some information a little later;
-we--we expect to hold a Town Company meeting, and may conclude to reduce
-the price of lots--and--"
-
-"Or you may raise the prices," said she, looking archly at Homer. "Is it
-not so."
-
-"P--possibly," replied Winthrop.
-
-"Well, I wish to purchase four lots on the corner you have indicated.
-Here is the money," said she, laying down a roll of bills on his desk,
-"please fix up the deed and leave it at the hotel for me as soon as it
-is convenient."
-
-"But--hold on," said Homer. She had risen and started toward the door.
-"You do not mean to make a purchase of lots? I really have not advised
-it; you'd better reconsider--think it over a few days." All of this was
-stammered out by Winthrop in a hurried and confused manner.
-
-"But I have considered," said Miss Virginia Bonifield, smiling in her
-own imperious way. "I have fully considered, Mr. Winthrop, and desire to
-make the purchase. Good day." She was gone.
-
-Donald sat looking over his spectacles, while an astonished and amused
-smile played over his "$10,000 face." Winthrop looked at the roll
-of bills spread out before him, and then turning to Marcus Donald,
-ejaculated, "Thank God, the boom has started!"
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXIII.--RUFUS GRIM S AMBITION.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9207]
-
-UFUS GRIM {199}was not pleased with Vance's management of the Gold Bluff
-_Prospector_. A number of items had appeared in the columns of that
-paper which tended to vindicate Steve Gibbons from all suspicion
-or connection with the stage coach robbery. Grim considered this an
-indirect thrust at himself. His money had made him a lion among the
-people of Gold Bluff, but for some unaccountable reason he was unable to
-secure Vance Gilder's good opinion.
-
-He secretly had an ambition to represent the people of Idaho in the
-halls of congress, and felt it would never do to let matters go on with
-his own town paper prejudiced against him. On several occasions he had
-made overtures to Vance of a friendly nature, but had, invariably, been
-repulsed. On one occasion he had endeavored to compliment Vance, and
-told him patronizingly, in his uncouth, pompous way, that he was very
-glad such a scholarly gentleman had charge of the _Prospector_, and that
-he considered him the most refined and cultured gentleman in Gold Bluff.
-{200}Vance had coldly replied, "It is an admirable thing, Mr. Grim, to
-be a cultured and refined man, but it is far better to be a manly man."
-Grim had agreed with him, while Vance went quietly on setting type.
-The rich miner was irritated at his own lack of words when in Vance's
-society. With others he was boastful as ever--bragged of his gold, and
-in his own domineering way, attempted to subdue everything with which he
-came in contact.
-
-[Illustration: 9208]
-
-Those who knew his home life best said he was afraid of his wife. She
-was all formality, and Grim, in his way, honored her, and at the same
-time, feared her. It was whispered that he found more pleasure in his
-stepdaughter's society than in his wife's.
-
-Bertha, with her handsome face and lisping speech, humored her mother's
-whims of formality, and tickled the uncouth vanity of her step-father,
-on whose bounty she was dependent. She was an artful, cooing, little
-woman, full of strategy and deceit, and hopelessly untruthful. Her
-clandestine meetings with her cousin, Arthur Boast, were numerous, while
-in her heart she felt an infatuation for Vance Gilder, and was secretly
-intensely jealous of Louise Bonifield. Outwardly, she courted Louise,
-and never missed an opportunity of calling her "her own dear darling,"
-and telling her how very pretty she was.
-
-In the early days of June Arthur Boast returned permanently to Gold
-Bluff, and at first paid a great deal of attention to Louise, not as a
-lover, but rather as a friend of the family, and by every artifice
-known to his cunning endeavored to enlist her sympathy. He frequently
-{201}observed that no one was his friend, and it pleased him to hear
-Louise say that "she was his friend, and always had been." He said
-nothing derogatory of Vance's character, but his insinuations were of a
-wicked nature.
-
-Vance was at a loss to understand why Boast had left Waterville,
-especially as it was rumored that a great boom was going on at that
-place.
-
-One day Vance received a note from Arthur Boast asking him to call at
-the hotel that evening. He said he was indisposed and could not leave
-his room, otherwise he would call at the printing office.
-
-It was after eight o'clock when Vance called at the hotel, and was at
-once ushered into J. Arthur Boast's room. He found Boast dressed as
-elegantly as ever, in fact, he was scrupulously attired, and resting
-on a divan. He seemed weak, and was quite pale. He no longer spoke in a
-thin, piping voice, but in a quiet, manly way, that at once interested
-Vance.
-
-"I sent for you, Mr. Gilder, because I was lonely and wanted to talk
-with you. I suppose you think I am supremely selfish in this, as
-everything else, but I have been almost sick for the last week."
-
-"We are admonished to visit the sick," said Vance, good-naturedly, "and
-I am sure it is only natural that one indisposed should like company."
-
-"It is very kind of you to come, I'm sure," Boast went on, "I have been
-worried a good deal about a certain misunderstanding that
-seemingly exists between us." Vance assured him that he knew of no
-misunderstanding.
-
-"No," said Boast, "not an open misunderstanding; but then I feel that
-you have misunderstood me from the {202}first, Mr. Gilder, and perhaps,
-in a measure, I have done you the injustice of not always interpreting
-your acts as I should have done. I do not know whether there is any
-philosophy in the circumstances which seem to shape my life or not."
-
-"We are told," said Vance, "that in our strength and manhood we should
-shape circumstances rather than let circumstances shape us."
-
-"That's it," said Boast, "the eternal trying to shape circumstances
-brings on an endless conflict, not only between men, but a conflict
-with one's own self. I have almost made up my mind that it is quite
-impossible for a man to shape his destiny. Now, as a matter of fact, I
-respect you, Mr. Gilder, highly, and have confidence in your ability and
-judgment. I think you are making a great success of the _Prospector_.
-It is impossible," he went on, "for me to tell you why I have this
-confidence or this respect. I also know that you cordially dislike me,
-but why, I do not know, and perhaps you could not tell yourself."
-
-Vance was surprised at this philosophic turn of mind, and began to think
-he had misunderstood J. Arthur Boast all along.
-
-"I cannot help but feel complimented," said Vance, "by your kind words.
-I will admit that I have never stopped to analyze my feelings very
-closely in regard to yourself, and will not deny that I have been unable
-to discover any affinity between us. Perhaps I have misjudged you. If
-so, I can do no less than make proper amends."
-
-"You speak as if you would be my friend." said Boast, "friends with me
-are very scarce. My highest ambition has ever been to make friends, and
-yet it requires no words of mine to tell you what a miserable failure
-I have made of it all. I would like to be Rufus Grim's friend, but he
-won't let me. He does everything he can to influence my cousin, Bertha
-Allen, against me, but in that he is making a complete failure. She is
-my friend," said he with animation. "I suppose you know that Mrs. Grim
-is very ill?"
-
-"No," said Vance; "I had not heard of it."
-
-"Yes, she has never been very rugged, and I understand her present
-illness is of a very serious nature. She is so many years older than her
-pompous lord and master, that it would not be surprising to hear of her
-death at any time. Personally, I should regret it, not only on account
-of my aunt, but also on account of Bertha. I dread to think what may
-happen if my aunt should die."
-
-"You do not regard her sickness so seriously as that?" asked Vance.
-
-"She is certainly very ill," was Boast's reply. "I would like to go and
-see her, but I do not presume Rufus Grim would let me into the house.
-But what I desired most to say," continued Boast, brightening up and
-changing the conversation, "is this: I would like to have you be my
-friend. I wish to be yours."
-
-Vance was astonished, and for a moment could not reply. Finally he said,
-"I cannot do less, Mr. Boast, than meet you half way in such a laudable
-ambition, I am sure."
-
-"Ambition," repeated Boast, "what a detestable word! I sometimes think
-ambition has been the cause of all my misfortune. I have wanted wealth
-all my life, but have not succeeded to any great extent. I ought to be
-in Waterville now, selling town lots and lands. There's {204}great
-activity down there. I have the ambition but not the strength. You may
-not know it, but my health is seriously impaired. I do not seem to have
-any vitality."
-
-Vance expressed his sympathy, but Boast seemingly did not notice his
-remarks, and said, "if a man has a clearly defined principle of life to
-follow, why cannot he adhere to it?"
-
-"I think he can," replied Vance. "No life, in my judgment, has ever been
-a success unless a well-defined principle of action is first laid out,
-and then lived up to."
-
-"I wish I could believe your philosophy," said Boast. "The dual nature
-in me continually divides me.
-
-[Illustration: 9212]
-
-I go to sleep at night filled with the most laudable ambitions; I wake
-up the next morning and pursue an entirely different course, and therein
-lies the conflict--but I know, Mr. Gilder, I am boring you."
-
-Vance assured him that he was not, but soon afterward took his leave,
-and as he walked along toward his home, he mused thoughtfully over his
-interview with J. Arthur Boast. What a different light had been
-thrown on his character! "Yes," said he, "I will be his friend. I have
-misunderstood him."
-
-The next morning the town was startled by the announcement that Mrs.
-Grim was dead. The church bell tolled fifty-six times. Bertha Allen was
-prostrated with grief, while the rich mine owner had the entire sympathy
-of the people of Gold Bluff. Rufus Grim did nothing by halves, and there
-could not have {205}been a more splendid show of grief than that for
-which his arrangements provided.
-
-The works on the Peacock were stopped, and the men, on full pay, invited
-to the funeral. It was an imposing affair. The crape on Mr. Grim's hat
-was of the widest pattern, and jet studs took the place of his diamond.
-His black suit fit his plump form well, and he seemed subdued with
-genuine grief. Bertha Allen looked very fair and interesting in her
-costume of black. She clung dependently to Mr. Grim's arm during the
-burial service, and looked unusually pretty, notwithstanding the marks
-of grief and weeping upon her handsome face; indeed, she enlisted the
-sympathy of all who saw her.
-
-The following day work on the Peacock was started up again, and the
-deep, resounding blasts down below the earth's surface told of more gold
-flowing towards the coffers of Rufus Grim.
-
-The machinery in Gray Rocks mine had been behaving badly. Several big
-breaks had occurred, and work had been delayed at one time for two
-weeks. The days glided by, and October had come again. The rocks high
-up the mountain, overlooking Gold Bluff, reflected the autumn sun,
-while the forests on the mountain side were ablaze with fiery autumn
-tints--nature's superb clothing.
-
-Colonel Bonifield had ceased, in part, to be the enthusiast of former
-days. Perhaps he felt that he had passed his word to give up work
-on Gray Rocks if disappointment should again reward his efforts, and
-possibly it saddened him.
-
-One evening Vance and Louise had called on Bertha Allen. She was
-beautiful as ever, and lisped in sweet intonation. Her dress indicated
-the grief that still rested {206}upon her. That evening, after her
-callers had taken their leave, Rufus Grim joined Bertha in the parlor
-of his luxuriant home. The weeks that had intervened since the death
-of his wife had not made him entirely forget the proper melancholy tone
-which formality, at least, demanded he should exhibit.
-
-Bertha seemed frightened with some secret fear and anxiety. She knew too
-well that a crisis in her life was approaching. Yes, Rufus Grim came to
-declare himself.
-
-He was confident, as he always was, of the result, nevertheless, there
-was a timidity that prevented him from feeling the full assurance
-that he would have liked. He sat down beside her, and after a few
-common-place remarks, he said, in a voice low, yet audible: "Bertha, I
-have something to say to you."
-
-"Yes," she lisped innocently enough, and looked up into his face.
-
-"What I have to say," Grim went on, in a husky voice, "cannot be a matter
-of news to you. You must know that I love you; yes, love you with my
-whole heart." His hands trembled and his voice was unsteady.
-
-"You've always been so very kind to me," lisped Bertha, and there was
-gratitude in her voice.
-
-"Heaven knows I have tried to be, and that I have guarded you with
-jealous care ever since you were a little girl and came under my
-protection." He had taken her hands, but they were unresponsive. "No
-man," continued Grim, "could love you more than I have for many years.
-Of course you knew what my feelings were--you must have known, for have
-I ever failed to satisfy your every wish and want?"
-
-{207}"Never," murmured Bertha, as she leaned her head against his breast
-
-"Yes, I have protected you," he went on, as he laid one arm about her
-slender form, "I have kept you from the young scape-grace, your cousin,
-Arthur Boast. I feared he was trying to make love to you, and for that
-reason forbade him the house."
-
-[Illustration: 0215]
-
-"Oh, how could you think such a thing?" said she, in her soft, cooing
-way, yet with a half-indignant intonation in her voice.
-
-{208}"Oh, I am perfectly content now," replied Grim, and his old,
-pompous air and manner of speech began to assert themselves. "Of course
-I could not show you my heart in all its tenderness--I was a husband and
-had to control myself--but now, it seems as if all obstacles have been
-removed. Do you love me, Bertha? I have thought many times that I could
-read my answer in your eyes, but I long to hear you say so."
-
-"Yes," whispered Bertha, "I love you so much."
-
-In his daily walks, Rufus Grim was an over-bearing, selfish man, but now
-he was softened, and his emotion was very great. He looked tenderly and
-longingly on the drooping head beside him, and was for a time completely
-absorbed in the intensity of his love for the artful girl at his side.
-
-Yes, she was fooling him. She was the affianced wife of J. Arthur Boast,
-and yet she must play her part.
-
-"And may I one day call you wife?" said Rufus Grim, pressing her closely
-to him and kissing her reverently on the forehead. "Say in a year from
-now," he pleaded.
-
-"Yes," she lisped, gently pressing his hand, "it shall be as you say."
-As a matter of truth, she was mentally speculating how she could get out
-of this horrible scrape. He had said in a year--that was a long time.
-She would have ample opportunity to free herself in some way. Arthur
-must help her.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXIV.--THE GOLDEN MAUSOLEUM.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9217]
-
-GRIM {209}was a happy man. He would conceal his joy for one short year,
-and then--and then--. He had at last reached the top-most craig of all
-his worldly hopes. Wealth was his, and now he had secured the promise of
-Bertha Allen to be his wife. He called at his lawyer's office the next
-day and told him he wished to add a codicil to his will. He spoke in his
-usual loud and confident way, and seemed to constantly remember that he
-was not only the richest man in Gold Bluff, but, by big odds, the most
-fortunate.
-
-The lawyer knew his client. He knew his whims and wisely humored his
-eccentricities. It needed but little encouragement and flattery to set
-Rufus Grim going, recounting the steps he had carved out for himself on
-life's journey, and the pinnacle to which he had climbed.
-
-Arthur Boast came in and took a seat in the outer room, Grim requested
-the lawyer to close the door, and asked him what he let that young
-scoundrel come about the premises for. Then he seemed to remember that
-he was the victor, and why should he still hold malice? After a little,
-he again referred to the matter of changing his will, and when the
-lawyer was ready, he {210}dictated a codicil bequeathing all his
-possessions unconditionally to Bertha Allen, to which he attached his
-signature. The lawyer showed no signs of astonishment at Rufus Grim's
-action, though he guessed the relationship that existed between his
-client and Bertha Allen.
-
-That evening a clandestine meeting between Bertha and her cousin, Arthur
-Boast, had been arranged.
-
-[Illustration: 9218]
-
-Her first words, after the greeting and a kiss of welcome, were in
-regard to the ordeal she had passed through with Mr. Grim.
-
-"To think, Arthur," lisped Bertha, "of that old fool asking me to be his
-wife! Why, I really thought I would die, I did indeed!"
-
-"And what did you say?" asked Boast.
-
-"Why, you sweet old darling, what could I say but give him to understand
-that perhaps I was willing? I told him to wait a year, and then--."
-
-"Yes, and then?" hissed Arthur, through his teeth.
-
-"Oh, don't be foolish, my own darling," said she, slipping her arms
-about his neck, "you know I was only pretending; you know that I loathe
-him, but I have been dependent on his bounty for so many years. I am
-only too ready, Arthur, to go with you; yes, to the ends of the earth."
-She caressed him tenderly, and Arthur's ill-feeling gave way before her
-tender entreaties.
-
-He had heard Rufus Grim dictating the codicil to his will, and had been
-fired with a mad jealousy, but she had confessed all at their first
-meeting, and he felt relieved. He would not tell her of the codicil to
-the will; no, not now.
-
-{211}"We must not delay our marriage much longer," said Bertha, sweetly,
-"we really must not, Arthur; you must save me from that old bear. Oh,
-how I hate him!"
-
-"Did he attempt to caress you?" asked Arthur.
-
-"Yes," replied Bertha, slowly, "but he only kissed me once."
-
-"Only kissed you once!" cried Arthur, and with a savage oath he pushed
-her from him.
-
-"Arthur, you'll break my heart," she cried in stifled pain, and creeping
-closer to him she clasped his arm with both her hands. "He kissed me
-on the forehead. How could I help it? He is so overbearing and so
-determined--I did not know but he would turn me away from his home
-unless I humored and fooled him. Won't you forgive me? How could I help
-it?"
-
-"Yes," said Arthur, clasping her passionately to his breast, "yes, I'll
-forgive you; but you must go away from Rufus Grim's house, and I will
-arrange matters and soon we will be married."
-
-"You make me so happy, Arthur; I could starve, yes, starve willingly
-with you, rather than live with any other man on earth."
-
-"I think we had better be married soon," said Arthur, "say in two
-weeks?"
-
-"Impossible!" lisped Bertha.
-
-"No, not impossible," replied Boast, almost savagely,
-
-"I say we must be married in two weeks. I will take you to my father's
-for a little while, after which we will commence housekeeping."
-
-"Why, Arthur," protested Bertha, "you are the most unreasonable man
-living; you are, indeed. How can I {212}be married in two weeks? It's
-such a short time since mamma died."
-
-"It must be as I say," replied Arthur, determinedly, "it is for your
-good. You are left alone in the world, and, Bertha, I love you with the
-only love that I have ever given to any human being. There, don't cry;
-dry your eyes, my darling, and make up your mind that I know what is
-for your good." She finally gave in, and the compact was sealed with a
-lover's kiss and a tender embrace.
-
-The next day was one to be long remembered. Colonel Bonifield called at
-the _Prospector_ office and told Vance that, at last, they had reached
-the 500 foot level.
-
-[Illustration: 9220]
-
-"Yes," said the Colonel, with more enthusiasm than he had exhibited for
-some months, "we have cert'nly had mo' trouble, suh, in goin' these last
-hund'ed feet than all the other distance put together, but we have kep'
-right along, and finally, suh, we are 500 feet below the groun'. Of
-cou'se, there's a lot of work yet to do; in fact, a pow'ful lot, in
-cross-cutting into the vein, but a week's work, with my present fo'ce of
-men, will finish the drift-shaft. It's a vehy proud moment of my life,
-suh, to tell yo' that afteh all the trials and delays we have had, that
-finally we are down to the 500 foot level. There's a little matteh,
-Mr. Gilder, that I want to speak to yo' about. I'm goin' to be a little
-short of money. I think, possibly, suh, I have enough fo' about three or
-fou' days' work yet. We have about fo'ty men workin', and I am anxious
-to keep them until we finish cross-cuttin'."
-
-Vance was aghast. He knew not what to do, and he frankly confessed to
-the Colonel that the $6,000 which he had given him was, practically,
-every cent he had in the world of ready money; that he had written to
-Judge Patton, who had charge of his estate in New York city, and the
-judge interpreted his father's will to require his residence in New York
-city in order to enjoy the annuity.
-
-The Colonel thought a moment, and then said: "Don't bother yo'self, Mr.
-Gilder, it's a matteh of vehy little importance, anyway, I assure yo',
-suh; I know my men. Most of them have been workin' fo' me oveh a year,
-and I feel perfectly confident they will stand by me until we finish the
-work, even if I haven't the ready money with which to pay them. They're
-a grand lot of fellows, I assure yo' they are, and between yo' and
-me, every one of them has great confidence in Gray Rocks; wonde'ful
-confidence, yes, suh."
-
-The Colonel bade Vance good-day and started for his mine, and Vance
-turned to his case with a heavy heart.
-
-The winter was late in coming; though it was the first of November, yet
-the air was comparatively mild, and the breezes soft, yet invigorating.
-
-That evening, Rufus Grim walked back and forth on his wide porch
-contemplating his own importance. After a little, he walked down through
-the village and followed a by-path along the mountain side, up
-toward the old prospect shaft on the Peacock. The night was still and
-beautiful. The moon was in the last quarter; but her rays were obscured
-by lazy, drifting clouds, that hung idly in the heavens.
-
-Arriving at the old prospect shaft, he took off his hat, and pushed his
-fat fingers through his heavy hair. He {214}even unbuttoned his coat and
-leaned against the low wall about the old shaft. Far below him were the
-lights of Gold Bluff shining from many windows. He looked toward his
-home and thought of Bertha.
-
-"Yes, she loves me," he mused aloud, "she is a darling little angel. I
-always thought she returned my love, and now I know it. What a coy way
-she has about her! What slender hands! Gad; but it was an ordeal, the
-declaring of my love for her, but I fancy no one could have done better.
-No, sir, Rufus Grim is always equal to any occasion.
-
-"I have made myself what I am. After we are married, we will go to New
-York city and Washington. They will say I have the loveliest little wife
-in America--they cannot say otherwise. The men will envy me for owning
-such a jewel. How different she is from other women!
-
-"Bertha!" he mused, "the loveliest name in the world! The little minx!
-Yes, she suspected that I loved her. She refused 'em all for me; that
-scoundrel J. Arthur Boast, among the rest. He is a clever dog, though,
-and I rather feared him, but now it is all over.
-
-"I wish my law-suit was settled; that is the only speck on my horizon,
-but the decision in the courts above, I feel sure, will be the same as
-in the lower courts. Yes, I am lucky; there's none luckier on the whole
-face of the earth. I came into this camp with nothing--now look at my
-possessions." He chuckled to himself, and in an absent way kicked his
-foot against the old wall.
-
-"Here is the place I made the discovery. I presume I ought not to blame
-the dogs of war for being on my track, of course, they want a share of
-this rich mine, but d------ 'em, they can't have it. No, sir, it belongs
-to Rufus {215}Grim! The gold I have will protect the unmined millions in
-the Peacock.
-
-"Neither court nor jury shall stand before my ambition. My first, yes, my
-abiding ambition, is for gold, but with it has come a love that knows no
-brooking for Bertha. God bless her! She is so tender and so refined---my
-cup is full to overflowing.
-
-"They say I am successful. Whom shall I thank but {216}myself? No one. I
-have climbed the rugged and uneven path alone, unaided. I have bent men
-to my way of thinking; I am greater than all of them; yes, greater than
-all. I'll make my marriage a success too, and with my gold and my
-beautiful wife, I will commence living. No, I have never lived; I have
-merely slaved and existed, but now I am getting ready to commence."
-
-Thus Rufus Grim fed himself on his own egotism, and recounted life's
-victories, resulting from his own exertions.
-
-[Illustration: 0223]
-
-A dark form crouched near him, dimly outlined in the uncertain light.
-Presently it crept stealthily up behind him. There was a hurried rush,
-a whistling noise cut sharply through the air; a stifled cry, a heavy
-fall, and Rufus Grinds body plunged forward into the yawning mouth of
-the old prospect shaft, and his life's work was over.
-
-His anticipated happiness, his pompous joy, his earthly prosperity, his
-vanity and vain-glory, all were over. Had he died by any other method,
-it might have been said that it was well that his death occurred before
-he discovered that Bertha Allen, to whom he had given all that was
-tender in his coarse and pompous life, had cruelly deceived him.
-
-It mattered not now, the decision of the higher courts of earth, but
-rather the decision of that higher court in heaven. A sounding splash
-from murky waters far below resounded back to the outer world like a
-farewell echo, and Rufus Grim's mangled remains rested near the gold he
-loved so well. Yes, in the vault where his manhood had been bartered for
-gold, he slept. There was gold on {217}every side--gold above him and
-gold beneath him--a priceless mausoleum.
-
-Yes, at last, all that was mortal of the man of inordinate worldly
-ambition and restless energy, reposed in the monotonous sleep of
-unbroken stillness.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXV.--CROSS-CUTTING IN THE MINE.
-
-
-[Illustration: 0226]
-
-HE next{218} day Rufus Grim was missed from the Peacock. His manager
-could not understand it. Never before had he absented himself from his
-office without giving the most detailed instructions in regard to work
-in the mine. When the following morning came and he was still absent,
-the manager's fears ripened into genuine alarm and soon all the people
-of Gold Bluff were discussing the mystery of Rufus Grim's disappearance.
-
-A vigorous search was instituted, which resulted a few days later in
-finding his lifeless body at the bottom of the old prospect shaft. At
-the coroner's inquest it was decided that he had been murdered, as was
-evidenced by peculiar wounds on the back of his head.
-
-He was laid to rest by the side of his deceased wife, with a
-demonstration that far excelled any funeral that had ever taken place in
-Gold Bluff. Such a cowardly murder excited the sympathy of all who knew
-him. They forgot the pompous, over-bearing owner of the Peacock, in
-listening to the minister's pious words of commendation over the mangled
-remains of Rufus Grim, the citizen.
-
-The mystery surrounding his demise appealed to all law-abiding citizens
-to help hunt down the assassin. In {219}the feverish excitement it was
-remembered that Hank Casey and Steve Gibbons were sworn enemies of the
-rich mine owner; indeed, the latter had even threatened his life in the
-presence of numerous witnesses.
-
-The sheriff who had so ignominiously failed in running down the stage
-robbers, took the lead in trying to ferret out the murderer and bring
-him to justice. A few days after this, warrants were sworn out for the
-arrest of Steve Gibbons and Hank Casey, charging them with the crime.
-Gibbons was arrested, but Hank Casey could not be found. He had
-disappeared a few days after the murder, and no one knew where he had
-gone. Gibbons maintained a dogged silence and seemed much subdued and
-humiliated that not one of his many supposed friends came forward to
-sign his bond. Handcuffed and accompanied by the sheriff, heavily armed,
-he appealed in vain to many, but without success. Vance made himself
-quite unpopular by offering to sign Steve Gibbons' bond. The people were
-indignant and said it was carrying his ill-feeling toward Rufus Grim
-entirely too far. As he had no property excepting an interest in Gray
-Rocks mine, which was undeveloped, he was considered incompetent as a
-bondsman and promptly rejected.
-
-One evening Vance worked very late setting type on the _Prospector_.
-It was past midnight when he went to his sleeping room. He was about to
-retire when he heard some one knocking at the printing office door. He
-admitted the visitor and found it to be J. Arthur Boast.
-
-"Good evening, Mr. Gilder," said he, "I have come to see you on a little
-matter of great importance to myself."
-
-"Come in," said Vance, "I have no light in this room; come on into my
-bedroom."
-
-{220}"You will remember a conversation we had," said Boast, "some time
-ago at the hotel." Vance assented that he did. "Well, I have come tonight
-to claim a little of the reciprocal friendship which you promised
-me."
-
-"Circumstances," said Boast, "indeed, shape the destiny of man. Of this
-I am more and more convinced. To think of us sitting down together as
-friends a month ago would have been preposterous, and yet I am happy
-to know we meet as such to-night. What impelled me to send for you the
-night you visited me at the hotel, I am unable to explain; an impulse
-that I was not strong enough to overcome, compelled me to do it. I feel,
-Mr. Gilder, that I have much to be thankful for in your friendship, and
-yet it has all been brought about by a circumstance over which I had
-no control. It was not the result of a premeditated judgment, but the
-outcome of an impulse."
-
-"I hope," said Vance, as he reached Boast a cigar and lit one himself,
-"that you have no regrets in regard to our late friendly understanding."
-
-"No, indeed," replied Boast, "on the contrary I feel that I am one of
-the most fortunate men living. By the way," he continued, "this is an
-excellent cigar."
-
-"Yes," replied Vance, "I received a box from one of my New York friends.
-It is a luxury that I am not able to indulge in very freely, unless some
-old chum happens to remember my isolation in these Western mountains and
-takes pity on me."
-
-"Have I told you," asked Boast, "that I have quit drinking?"
-
-"No!" replied Vance, in some surprise.
-
-"Yes, I have given up red liquor altogether. The habit got a pretty
-strong hold on me and I was going down hill at a very rapid pace;
-indeed, I had quite given up any hope of ever being anything but a hard
-drinker. Scarcely had I reconciled myself to that belief, than a whim,
-a caprice, an impulse, or whatever you may call it, took hold of me and
-said, 'No more liquor, J. Arthur Boast; not another drop,' and from that
-day to this I have not tasted the abominable stuff."
-
-[Illustration: 0229]
-
-Vance assured him he was glad to hear of the reformation.
-
-"I am in love; desperately so,'" said Boast.
-
-"In love?" repeated Vance.
-
-"Yes, I am in love with my cousin, Bertha Allen, and she reciprocates
-my own tender affection. On her account, if not for my own, I am indeed
-glad the red liquor craze has been overcome, and that reminds me of the
-object of my visit.
-
-"Bertha is such a stickler on formalities and so sensitive that I have
-had hard work to convince her our marriage should take place so soon
-after her mother's death. Our arrangements were made to be married the
-day after to-morrow. Her step-father's death, of course, complicated
-matters a little, and she thought we ought to postpone the affair. As
-usual, however," continued Boast, "I have convinced her that she is
-wrong and I am right, and have finally gained her consent, on one
-condition, that you and Miss Louise will favor us with your presence and
-act as groomsman and bridesmaid."
-
-Vance was non-plussed at Boast's remarks, and for a moment did not know
-what to say.
-
-"It will be a very quiet affair," continued Boast, "immediate relatives
-and all that--she has none, and neither have I, save my father and
-mother. We are to be married at my father's. There's no one Bertha
-thinks so much of as Louise. They have been chums for many years, and
-since you profess friendship for me, I feel sure you'll not refuse my
-request."
-
-Vance promised to consider the matter and let him know the next day,
-after consulting Louise.
-
-"Very well," said Boast, "I will call to-morrow. It's really too bad,"
-he went on, "that a weak little woman like Bertha should have had so
-much suffering during the last few months. Actuated by sympathy as well
-as love, I feel it my duty to set formalities aside, marry her, and thus
-insure to myself the privilege of protecting and caring for her as she
-deserves."
-
-"Yes," said Vance, "she has had a great deal to endure. By the way, Mr.
-Boast, do you believe Steve Gibbons guilty of Mr. Grim's murder?"
-
-Boast relit his cigar before answering. "Mr. Gilder," said he, after
-deliberating, "I hope Mr. Gibbons is innocent. I have tried to look
-calmly at his case, shrouded in mystery as it is. I have tried to blunt
-my ears to whisperings and prejudices and not jump with the multitude
-toward a hasty conclusion Of course, the circumstantial evidence against
-Mr. Gibbous is rather damaging. Mr. Casey's disappearance and Gibbon's
-continued silence as to his whereabouts, makes it look still worse.
-The probabilities are that nine out of ten of the people of Gold Bluff
-believe him to be guilty. They have built up a wall of circumstantial
-evidence that seems to be impregnable, and unless the public pulse is
-permitted to cool before his trial comes off, they very likely will
-convict him, To me, mercy seems much more preferable than a hasty
-judgment, Well, good-night, Mr. Gilder. I am sorry to have been
-compelled to call on you at such a late hour, but you know," said he,
-with a jocular laugh, "it is an urgent case, and when you are as near to
-your nuptials as I am, I'll forgive you if you should rout me out of bed
-at all hours of the night."
-
-"A strange man!" said Vance to himself when Boast was gone, "he talks
-like a philosopher. His judgment is seasoned with mercy. How could I
-have misunderstood him as I did? It's rather odd that he and Bertha
-Allen are to be married. I know Louise will be surprised. After all,
-it's best that he should marry Miss Allen, and the very fact that he
-makes her his wife at this time when she is left completely alone,
-really ennobles the fellow to me."
-
-The following day a favorable answer was given to Boast, and the
-marriage took place the next evening. It was indeed a quiet affair.
-Whether Colonel Boast and his wife approved of their only son marrying
-his cousin or not, Vance was unable to satisfactorily decide in his own
-mind; but he and Louise both acknowledged that they felt freed from an
-indescribable restraint after taking their departure.
-
-Almost simultaneously with the announcement of J. Arthur Boast's
-marriage was the discovery that Bertha Allen was the heiress of all the
-vast possessions of the murdered mine owner. Rufus Grims attorney
-became Arthur Boast's trusted adviser. Work in the great Peacock mine
-continued, and within a week J. Arthur Boast was in control of affairs;
-indeed, he seemed a changed {224}man. His responsibilities seemed to
-subdue without irritating him. The people were quick to discover new
-elements of strength in the controller of the Peacock, and vied with
-each other in giving him encouragement.
-
-Work on Gray Rocks had not been progressing so smoothly. Old Colonel
-Bonifield, fired with the enthusiasm of a Ponce de Leon, believed the
-forty odd men employed in cross-cutting the drift shaft from the 500
-foot level would remain with him, although his finances were exhausted.
-
-It was on Saturday night that he called his men about him and explained
-his temporary embarrassments.
-
-[Illustration: 8232]
-
-He paid them off in full, and assured them that three or four more days'
-work with their united assistance, was all that was necessary to reach
-the gold he had been looking for so many weary years, and expressed
-confidence, in his chivalrous way, that all his employes would report
-the next Monday morning for work, and stay with him until the drift was
-finished. The following Monday morning, however, found but a half
-dozen men reporting for work, much to Colonel Bonifield's surprise and
-disappointment.
-
-The old Colonel went into the mine with his faithful adherents,
-and encouraged them by his undaunted energy. What could have been
-accomplished by forty men in the space of three days, would require
-fifteen or twenty days with his half dozen assistants. They lessened the
-size of the drift shaft, however, and this would make quite a saving of
-time. Throughout the week, the Colonel, with his handful of assistants,
-labored incessantly. When the next Monday morning came around, he found
-that only three reported for duty. This was indeed discouraging, but
-with a determination that knew no brooking, he went on.
-
-Two days later, his three assistants advised him that their families
-were in want of the necessities of life, and while they still had
-unbounded faith in Gray Rocks, yet they owed a duty to their families
-first and before all else, and could not remain with him any longer.
-
-After this, the engineer and fireman took turns in helping the Colonel.
-One man remaining in the engine room performed the work of both. After
-a couple of days of monotonous drilling and blasting, the Colonel one
-evening told Louise of his great discouragement.
-
-"My deah daughter," said the Colonel, "they have all dese'ted me; I am
-left alone to finish the work in the mine as best I can. It's pow'ful
-humiliatin' to be dese'ted just when I am reachin' fo' the last round
-in the laddeh." Louise had slipped her arms around his neck while he was
-speaking.
-
-"My dear father," she said, "why not go to Mr. Gilder; he has been so
-true to you, and I am sure, now that you are so near finishing your
-work, he will give you what assistance is needed."
-
-The old man stroked his daughter's hair affectionately. "Yes, suh, yo'
-are right; he would help me if he could. No one seems to undehstand me,
-Louise, my deah child, except'n' yo'self and Mr. Gilder. I may as well
-tell yo' that I called on Mr. Gilder sev'al days ago fo' a little mo'
-money, and he told me the $6,000 which he had given us was practically
-every dollar he had in the world. It made my old heart bleed to see the
-pained expression on the {226}noble young fellow's face--pained because
-he couldn't help me mo'. I explained to him that it made no diff'ence;
-that my men--the rascals who have so shamefully dese'ted me--had
-confidence in Gray Rocks, and that they would stand by me fo' a few days
-longeh."
-
-The Colonel walked back and forth in an agitated way, and held his head
-between his hands. "My God, it will drive me crazy," he exclaimed,
-"if the work is not finished." Louise was startled at his manner. She
-noticed that he appeared older than ever before, and condemned herself
-for not giving him more encouragement and help.
-
-"Father, how can I help you?" she asked, imploringly.
-
-"There is no way, my precious little child; come here to me." He seated
-himself and she nestled on his lap.
-
-"To-morrow morning, father," said she, "now listen, for I am going to
-have my way--to-morrow morning I am going with you down to the 500 foot
-level and help you with the work. I'm not afraid, and I'm very strong,
-too."
-
-"Why, what would Mr. Gilder say if he knew my little girl was down in a
-mine workin'?" said the Colonel, half amused at her earnestness, while
-he pressed her close and closer to him.
-
-"Mr. Gilder?" repeated Louise, looking dreamily into the bed of red
-coals in the open grate, "we won't tell him. How heroic it was of him to
-give you every dollar he had in the world! Tell me, father, do you think
-any one else would have done so much?"
-
-"No, suh," replied the Colonel, "there's betteh blood cou'sin' through
-his veins than any man I eveh saw. To be sure, he's a nawth'n man--that
-is, he was bawn in the nawth; but even the old state of Virginia neveh
-produced a manlier man."
-
-True to her promise, the next morning found Louise with her father in
-the drift shaft, 500 feet underground. They had carried with them
-a well-filled lunch basket, and worked with a determination born of
-despair. Holes were drilled deep in the solid rock and filled with giant
-powder, then after lighting the fuse, they would retreat until the blast
-resounded in hollow mockery through the caverns of the earth. No sooner
-would the smoke clear away than they would drill again.
-
-While Louise was drilling and putting forth all her strength in work
-that would have tried the courage of the hardiest miner, her father
-would take turns with her, and again he would measure the distance from
-the shaft to see how much farther they had to drift.
-
-It was late in the evening, and _they_ had been working on some time in
-silence, when the Colonel, after making a last measurement, shouted out
-in the stillness, "Well finish it to-night! Bring the powdeh, while
-I drill!" and presently another blast resounded like a death knell to
-hope, tearing away great sections of the adamantine rock. On, on they
-worked--drilling and blasting.
-
-Louise had become well-nigh exhausted, and rested for a moment, when the
-Colonel shouted: "Drill on! Drill on! There's no time to lose!"
-
-"But, father," cried Louise, "the powder is all gone. Shall we not
-send the engineer for more? There's hardly enough for more than another
-blast."
-
-"No!" yelled the Colonel, almost like a maniac in vehemence, "I have no
-money fo' mo' powdeh. Let us use what we have. Scrape the cans and put
-it all in one great blast. I will drill."
-
-[Illustration: 0236]
-
-Louise was frightened. She feared her father was losing his mind. It
-might be, after all, that instead of benefitting him by her constant
-encouragement and belief in Gray Rocks, she had but added to his vain
-hallucination, and the shock of another failure might dethrone his
-reason. While she was thinking, she industriously applied herself to
-gathering from the different cans that had contained the giant powder
-all that was left into one. Yes, there was enough for one more blast,
-but not enough for two.
-
-"Where is the powdeh?" cried the Colonel. She looked at her father,
-whose face was almost as white as the disheveled hair of his uncovered
-head. He had thrown aside his hat and coat, and was wrought up to the
-highest pitch of excitement.
-
-"A moment, father," said Louise, laying her hand on his arm.
-
-"Let me alone, I have no time to wait," he said.
-
-"But listen, father, won't you? Listen to me just a moment."
-
-"Well, what is it?" said he, impatiently, wiping the perspiration from
-his brow.
-
-"For thirteen years, father, you've been striving and striving to find
-gold in Gray Rocks; what if you are no nearer now than you were thirteen
-years ago? Will you be so terribly disappointed, father? Come, tell
-me you will not." She had her arms about his neck and was looking
-pleadingly up into his face. He pushed her from him.
-
-"Yo' talk as if yo' doubted," said he. "I'm thirteen years nearer
-success to-night than the day I commenced. It's vehy humiliatin' to me
-to think that yo', Louise, should doubt yo'r old father's judgment. Have
-yo' forgotten that my blood cou'ses in yo'r veins? Are yo', too, turnin'
-against me at the vehy last?"
-
-"Oh, father," cried Louise, as she clung to him and buried her head on
-his breast, sobbing wildly, "don't speak to me so harshly! It will kill
-me! Have I not," said she, between her sobs, "stood by you and believed
-{230}with you, though all others, unless it was Mr. Gilder, turned
-against you? I believe now that you are right, father, but it may be
-deeper down, and I was only trying to make the disappointment less hard
-in case disappointment should again be the result of our efforts."
-
-"There, there, little girl," said the Colonel, stroking her head
-affectionately, "I do forgive yo', and yo' must forgive yo'r old,
-excitable father. Let us put in the powdeh; let us make the last blast,
-and let its resoundin' peals tell the whole world that we've done our
-best!"
-
-"Yes, father; that we have indeed done our utmost; and after this blast
-we will go home and still have faith in Gray Rocks, though the whole
-world disbelieves."
-
-"We have plenty of powdeh here," said the old Colonel, picking up the
-can, "to tear ten tons of rock into shreds."
-
-The fuse was lighted and they retired for protection until the powder
-should ignite. Presently there was a deafening roar, as if the mountains
-were being split asunder. The Colonel grasped his daughter's hand with
-such a vise-like grip that it almost made her cry out with pain.
-
-"The last blast!" shouted the old Colonel, when the reverberations had
-ceased, "the smoke will soon clear away, and then we shall see, yes,
-suh, we shall see!"
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXVI.--A STARTLING EDITORIAL.
-
-
-[Illustration: 9239]
-
-ANCE knew{231} nothing of Colonel Bonifield's discouraging labors in
-the mine. Indeed, he had been so busy with other matters that he had not
-found time to call on the Bonifield's for over a week--a very unusual
-occurrence.
-
-A few days prior to Louise's experience in her father's mine, Vance had
-been routed up by some one knocking on his window in the middle of
-the night. It proved to be none other than the missing Hank Casey,
-accompanied by Marcus Donald of Waterville. A consultation that lasted
-several hours followed. An understanding was finally reached, and it
-was agreed that Hank Casey should remain concealed during the daytime in
-Vance's room, and await developments.
-
-"I may be laying myself liable to the law," said Vance, laughingly, "in
-concealing a man for whom a warrant has been issued, but, nevertheless,
-I believe what you tell me, and on our mutual friend, Marcus Donald's
-advice, I shall act my part unflinchingly."
-
-"Of course," said Marcus Donald, "it's none of my affairs in one sense
-of the word, but when Mr. Casey came to Waterville, having walked all
-the way from Gold Bluff by a circuitous route, in order to avoid meeting
-any {232}one, and told me that Mr. Gibbons was about to be unjustly
-arrested for murder, I at once became interested, especially with Mr.
-Casey's knowledge of the affair."
-
-"Ye see, pardner," said Hank Casey, addressing Vance, "I 'lowed things
-was goin' to be pipin' hot in these 'ere diggin's, fer I heered a rumour
-that Steve an' I was both to be arrested. I knowed' t'wan't no use fer
-both of us to lay 'round here till our hands an' feet were tied, so,
-sez I to Steve Gibbons, sez I, 'Steve, you make your perch here in Gold
-Bluff, an' don't you run nary an inch, and I'll scoot out an' try an'
-scare up some help an' turn the tables on these 'ere chaps. Of course,
-nuther of us liked Rufus Grim any too well; that is, we had no hankerin'
-love for him; but I 'low were not quite low enough down to commence
-murderin' people, even if they did cheat us out of a rich mine like the
-Peacock. This game ain't out yet," he went on, "the higher courts may
-reverse the decision of the court below, and in that event Steve an' I
-will yet have justice, though it s been dangnation slow 'bout comin'."
-
-"I am greatly astonished," said Vance, "at your revelation. It is
-entirely contrary to my theory of the case. I am beginning to feel,
-however, that my judgment amounts to but very little in this western
-country, though I must say I have received great encouragement from your
-words, Mr. Donald, in regard to Waterville property. I will throw a bomb
-into the enemy's camp by writing an editorial for the _Prospector_ that
-will touch a tender place, if Mr. Casey is correct in his statement."
-
-It so happened that on the very day that Louise and her father were
-working in the mine, the _Prospector_ was issued, and contained the
-following editorial: {233}
-
-
-THE RUFUS GRIM MURDER.
-
-The history of Rufus Grim's demise, though still shrouded
-in mystery, will doubtless, when the facts are known, startle the people
-of Gold Bluff even more than the murder itself. It is true that Steve
-Gibbons is accused and languishes in the county jail, and that a
-warrant is out for the arrest of his old associate, Hank Casey. In the
-excitement of the hour, our people may have interpreted circumstantial
-evidence as proof of guilt. As a matter of fact, not one jot or tittle
-of damaging evidence, in the _Prospector's_ judgment, can be produced
-against these men.
-
-The idea of suicide has been effectually set aside by the findings at
-the coroner's inquest. No one doubts that it was a cold-blooded, cowardly
-murder. We believe the murderer is in Gold Bluff to-day, and like the
-wolf of old, is clad in sheep's raiment.
-
-Our people should understand the difference between circumstantial and
-real evidence. It is probably true that both Steve Gibbons and Hank
-Casey were on anything but friendly terms with Rufus Grim, but they
-were not his only enemies; indeed, there is one in Gold Bluff who was
-secretly, if not openly, a much greater enemy to the rich mine owner
-than either of the suspected parties.
-
-It is time that prejudice gave way to reason, and that others, who
-_profited_ much more by Rufus Grim's removal, should not only
-be suspected, but subjected to the crucial test of a thorough
-investigation.
-
-This article set the people of Gold Bluff agog. The entire camp, from
-center to circumference, seemed startled by the boldness of Vance
-Gilder's double-leaded editorial. When J. Arthur Boast read the article,
-he was dazed by its audacity. He sent for his attorney, and throughout
-the afternoon a consultation that lasted far into the night was held.
-
-Work on the Peacock was shut down the following {234}morning at
-Boast's request, and the men assembled at the company's office. Boast,
-addressing the miners, said:
-
-"You, doubtless, have read the editorial in yesterday's _Prospector_,
-written by a stranger and interloper in our midst, Mr. Vance Gilder, who
-foully accuses me of murdering Rufus Grim.
-
-[Illustration: 9242]
-
-I am now going down to the office of the _Prospector_, and shall demand
-an _amende honorable_. So many of you as see fit may accompany me."
-
-"Ay, ay!" the crowd shouted, "we are ready!" Indeed, the citizens of
-Gold Bluff almost to a man, sided with Boast, and said Vance was showing
-a cowardly venom at J. Arthur Boast's unexpected success and good
-fortune, that was neither dignified nor just. Boast led the way to the
-_Prospector_ office, and was followed by a throng of determined miners
-and angry citizens, who were in a frame of mind that boded no good for
-Vance Gilder.
-
-Louise Bonifield had just come over to the Prospector office with a
-message from her father, and met Arthur Boast at the office door. Louise
-tripped lightly into the office and saluted Vance with a cheery smile
-and good morning, while Boast paused in the doorway.
-
-"Good morning, Mr. Gilder," said he, savagely.
-
-"Good morning," replied Vance.
-
-"Who wrote this editorial?" asked Boast, striking vigorously a copy
-of the _Prospector_ which he held in his hand. "I tell you," continued
-Boast, "I never murdered Rufus Grim, and any man that says I did is a
-liar, abase scoundrel, and a contemptible whelp!"
-
-{235}"That's right! Ay, ay!" exclaimed the mob that was standing behind
-Boast, ready at a moment's notice to loot the printing office.
-
-Vance was cool and collected. He noticed that Boast spoke in his
-old-time thin, piping voice, and his eyes were restless and glittered
-like a fiend's. The element of manhood and of the philosopher had wholly
-disappeared.
-
-Louise stepped quickly forward before Vance could make a reply, and
-laying her hand on Boast's arm, said: "Arthur, you know I have always
-been your friend. I am sure Mr. Gilder has never accused you of
-murdering Mr. Grim. What do you mean?"
-
-"But he has accused me," retorted Boast. "Read this!"
-
-Vance stepped hurriedly from behind the case, and drawing Louise gently
-back, stood face to face with Arthur Boast. He was calm and determined.
-"Where," said he, "where have I accused you of murdering Rufus Grim?
-Point out the sentence in the article where your name even appears?"
-
-"Well, you haven't used my name, but you might as well have done so."
-
-"No," said Vance, as his eyes gleamed with fiercest indignation and
-anger, "I have not accused you, Arthur Boast, but you, by this act, with
-your mob of hirelings behind you, have accused yourself. Now you must,
-and by the eternals, shall answer to the law. A guilty conscience," he
-continued, "needs no accuser, and it is your accusing conscience that
-has prompted you to come here and publicly charge yourself with
-the crime. Neither you, nor your host of admirers on full pay,
-can intimidate me. If you can pass through the test of a thorough
-investigation, and can be proved innocent, then I will have {236}no more
-to say, but until you do this, I shall publicly accuse you and denounce
-you as the murderer of Rufus Grim!"
-
-Vance towered up like a giant before the writhing and shriveling form of
-J. Arthur Boast.
-
-[Illustration: 0244]
-
-"Well, I don't know that you have accused me in this editorial," whined
-Boast, "and I don't know as I need to take any steps of revenge until
-you dare to use my name in your paper. I guess I'll wait and see what my
-{237}lawyer advises. Fall back, boys, I have nothing farther to say at
-this interview."
-
-"But I have," said Vance, in thundering tones, "and before long I shall
-have much to say."
-
-"Well, you won't say it through the columns of the Gold Bluff
-_Prospector_. It is my property; I have the bill of sale in my pocket."
-
-"Yes," said Vance, "yours is the weapon of a coward; the unholy use
-of the power of money, but your plan of securing possession of the
-Prospector has no terrors for me. The copy of the _Prospector_ that you
-hold in your hand contains the last editorial I ever expect to write for
-the paper. It may please you to know that my last dollar is gone; I am
-penniless, and without interference from you the _Prospector_ has been
-issued for the last time under my management. I have been typo, managing
-editor, devil, form setter, city editor, publisher and everything else,
-trying hard to make an honest living. I am now through. You and
-your host of satellites will oblige me by leaving the premises. Come
-to-morrow morning and take possession. You'll not find me in the way."
-
-Boast turned, and facing his mob of backers said, with the forced laugh
-of a whipped man:
-
-"I thought I would squelch him, boys; he had to cave in, you bet." His
-voice was shrill and squeaky, and his braggadocio air, as he led his
-admirers away, hid but poorly his nervousness and agitation.
-
-Vance and Louise were alone. Louise had stood by during the interview,
-startled and alarmed. She marvelled at Vance's strength; at his
-grandeur; at his nobleness; and when she heard him say that now he was
-penniless, she remembered the sacrifices he had made to help her
-father. He turned toward her and their eyes met. It came to her like an
-inspiration, that her respect and admiration for him in times past had
-been but a prelude to the pulsing love she now felt for him. She reached
-out both her hands toward him; he took them, and a moment later she was
-sobbing on his breast. No word had been spoken, but volumes had been
-interchanged in that one look.
-
-The doorway was darkened. They quickly looked up, Louise through her
-tears, and Vance with a beaming countenance. Colonel Bonifield was
-surveying the situation with a look of genuine surprise on his face.
-
-"Yo' almost pa'lyze me, suh," said the Colonel, "indeed yo' do. Why, Mr.
-Gilder, I sent my little girl oveh here to tell yo' that I had a matteh
-of vehy great impo'tance to talk oveh with yo', but she was gone so
-long, suh, that I became impatient and came oveh myself."
-
-"Oh, papa," said Louise, "Mr. Gilder and Arthur have had a terrible
-quarrel!"
-
-"A quarrel, suh; why, how is that?"
-
-"I am always ready to talk with you, Colonel," said Vance, in a confused
-way, and unconsciously retaining one of Louise's hands.
-
-"Well, now, if my little girl," said the Colonel "God bless her! will go
-oveh home and see about preparin' dinneh and lay an extra plate fo' yo',
-we'll have our talk and come oveh a little lateh."
-
-While no word had been spoken between Vance and Louise, yet he believed
-that his great love had been understood and rewarded. He lifted her
-hand to his lips as she started to go, with that chivalrous respect
-so becoming in the knights of old. When she was gone, Vance turned and
-thought he saw a smile chasing rapidly over the Colonel's face.
-
-"Wait a moment, Colonel," said Vance, "I have some choice cigars that
-were sent me from New York. Here, try this one."
-
-"Thank yo'," said the Colonel, "I neveh felt mo' like smokin' in my
-life than I do this mawnin' As they lit their cigars, they walked out
-in front of the printing office. The morning sun mellowed the crisp and
-invigorating mountain air. Vance narrated his interview with Boast. The
-Colonel's face clouded with a troubled expression. Presently he said:
-
-"Mr. Gilder, we have at last finished our work on Gray Rocks."
-
-"I am very glad," was Vance's reply.
-
-"Yo' fo'ced me, suh, at one time," said the Colonel, "to make a promise.
-When I pledge my word of honor, suh, as I did to yo', it is sacred.
-Heretofore yo' most naturally, Mr. Gilder, have asked me what I advised.
-I now come to yo' and ask, what do yo' advise?"
-
-"Colonel Bonifield," said Vance, "I am glad you ask me what I advise.
-You know, Colonel, when you first came to New York city, you thought
-that if you could only get to the 300 foot level you would cross-cut
-into a mine of untold wealth."
-
-"Yes, suh," replied the Colonel, "that is so, and yo' freely gave me the
-money to push the work."
-
-"Yes," said Vance, and unconsciously with the toe of his boot he dug in
-the sand as if he was seeking the 300 foot level, "at the 300 foot
-level your efforts were not rewarded. Then you started for the 400 foot
-level."
-
-{240}"Yes, suh," said the Colonel, "and again you gave me the money."
-
-"Yes, yes," said Vance, as the toe of his boot dug still deeper in the
-sand, "but again you failed. Then I gave you the last dollar of ready
-money I had in the world to sink the shaft on down to the 500 foot
-level."
-
-"Vehy true," said the Colonel, "and would have given me mo' if yo' had
-had it."
-
-"Most assuredly," said Vance, as his boot struck the rock that lay
-beneath the sand. "Yes," said he, planting his heel firmly on the
-rock, "you have at last reached the 500 foot level. Heretofore, I have
-listened to your advice, and now I hope you will be guided by mine. I
-have been away from New York over two years. I have not left Gold Bluff
-for more than a year. I have remained close to Gray Rocks, alternately
-hoping and doubting that you would be successful. Colonel Bonifield,
-I have no regrets. You have been earnest and sincere, though sadly
-mistaken, in regard to this mining venture."
-
-"Well, well, suh," said the Colonel, as he waited for Vance to go on.
-
-"I have something to say to you, Colonel--I love your daughter with my
-whole heart, and more devotedly, it seems to me, than ever man loved
-woman before. I have a beautiful home in New York city, with ample means
-to care for her and you. My advice is that you and your lovely daughter,
-with those dependent upon you, come with me and we will leave these
-western wilds, so associated with disappointment, and go to my city
-home. This morning, for the first time, I have had reason to believe
-that your daughter reciprocated the great love I bear her. You are now
-an old man, Colonel, and while I have not a doubt in the world that if
-you would sink your shaft to the 600 foot level, say, or, perhaps to the
-700 foot level, you would strike the vein of gold you have been looking
-for so many years; yet, what is the use, Colonel Bonifield, what is
-the use? My love for your daughter is very great, and I believe it is
-unselfish. A home of plenty awaits us. Hardships and disappointment
-alone have been the reward of our earnest efforts. Why not go away
-from it all? Yes, let us go and forget the trials, hardships, and
-hopes deferred of a frontiersman's life, and let me help you spend the
-remaining years of your life in quiet, peace, and contentment."
-
-"Yo' do me honor, suh," replied the Colonel, as he brushed a mist from
-his eyes, "bawn in the nawth, yet yo' possess the true chivalry of a
-southern gentleman. Yes, suh, yo' do, indeed. It is true we sunk the
-shaft to the 300 foot level, and finally, to the 500 foot level, and
-you, suh, have fu'nished the money fo' this great work. I thought my men
-would stay with me and help cross-cut into the vein, but I found, when
-I spoke to them about the matteh, that they only had confidence in Gray
-Rocks so long as there was money in my purse to pay their wages every
-Saturday night. When they dese'ted me, suh, I worked away alone, and
-finally that little girl, Louise, went down with me yeste'day early
-in the mawnin', and we didn't get home until after nine o'clock last
-night."
-
-{242}"What!" said Vance, "Louise been working down in the mine?"
-
-"Yes, suh, the hardest day's work I eveh put in on Gray Rocks was
-yeste'day."
-
-"Why did you not let me know?" asked Vance, "I would have come and
-helped you most cheerfully, rather than have let her do the work of a
-man, and 500 feet under ground at that."
-
-"Well, hold on, Mr. Gilder, let me tell yo'. We had a goodly portion of
-giant powder yeste'day mawnin', and yo've no idea how much assistance
-Louise gave me. I took the measu'ments a dozen times, suh, durin' the
-day, and it seemed to me that by workin' a little late, we might finally
-blast through into the vein."
-
-"Yes, Colonel, 'where the vein might have been,'" said Vance, with a
-merry twinkle in his eye, while he struck his heel in an absent way
-against the rock. The Colonel paid no attention to the interruption.
-
-"Finally, suh, we made our last, drill, and filled it up with every
-grain of powdeh we had left. My little Louise had to dust every powdeh
-can in ordeh to have enough to make the last blast. We retired, suh, as
-usual, afteh I had lit the fuse, and yo' ought to have heard that
-last blast go off! My daughter, suh, God bless her, tried to dull the
-disappointment that she felt sure was awaitin' our effo'ts by gettin' me
-to promise not to be too much disappointed; but I had confidence; yes,
-suh, right up to the last. Well, suh, the smoke finally cleared away,
-and my God! suh, my old eyes wept for joy!"
-
-"What!" exclaimed Vance.
-
-"Look at this piece of ore, Mr. Gilder; richer, yes, suh, richer than
-anything ever discovered in the Peacock. {243}Yes, suh, my deah Gilder,
-we have made our last blast, and Gray Rocks is worth two million
-dollars. The agent of a rich minin' corporation of Butte City made me an
-offer of that sum this mawnin'."
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXVII.--AT LAST!
-
-
-[Illustration: 9252]
-
-EFFECT {244}on the people of a mining camp of one of those fabulously
-rich "strikes" like Gray Recks mine proved to be, may be imagined but
-cannot be described in words. Shopkeeper, citizen and miner alike, go
-wild with enthusiasm over so important a discovery. Congratulations were
-showered upon Colonel Bonifield and Vance from every quarter. Every one
-in Gold Bluff felt it his privilege to call at Colonel Bonifield's home
-and pay his respects to one who had lived so long in their midst, and
-who had so persistently and so patiently maintained unbounded confidence
-in a proposition that was looked upon by others as a money-losing
-venture.
-
-Independent of the fortune left him by his father, Vance was now a
-millionaire. In his prosperity he did not forget his old friends. He
-called on the sheriff and again offered himself as bondsman for Steve
-Gibbons. The bond was accepted, and a half hour later, Gibbons was
-released. Hank Casey surrendered himself, and was also immediately
-bailed out of custody.
-
-One evening the stage coach brought to Gold Bluff Homer Winthrop and
-his young bride, _nee_ Virgie Bonifield. It was a great surprise to the
-Bonifield household.
-
-{245}"And this accounts," said Vance to Homer, after he had
-congratulated him, "this accounts for Marcus Donald hastening away from
-Gold Bluff."
-
-"Yes," said Homer, "I could not think of having the ceremony take place
-without my old friend and associate, Marcus Donald, being present. We
-have traveled together so long, in adversity as well as in prosperity,
-that we are quite inseparable."
-
-"He is a great character," replied Vance, "his disinterested assistance
-and help I have recently seen demonstrated in a marked degree."
-
-"He is one of the 'salt of the earth,'" replied Winthrop,
-enthusiastically, "he is not only a sunny day friend, but one in the
-hour of need--indeed, he is a man among men. By the way," he continued,
-"I want to congratulate you with all my heart on the great Gray Rocks
-strike."
-
-"Thank you," replied Vance, "the prosperity could never have come at
-a more opportune time. My finances was reduced to the last dollar when
-Colonel Bonifield broke the news to me."
-
-"I received your letter, written some ten days ago," said Winthrop, "and
-have sold those twenty-five lots your New York friends purchased."
-
-"Thank God for that!" ejaculated Vance.
-
-"Yes, I sold them for $800 apiece, or $20,000. As they only paid $2,500
-for them, I hardly think they can complain at the profits. Oh, you have
-no idea what a city Waterville has become. The great waterpower has
-been effectually harnessed, the streets are paved; electric car lines,
-planing mills, and scores of other manufacturing concerns are in full
-operation. Our population is now {240}numbered by thousands, instead
-of hundreds, while busy activity and prosperity are apparent on every
-hand."
-
-"You quite astonish me, old fellow," replied Vance, "indeed you do; but
-I needed no greater proof of Waterville's prosperity than your report
-of the sale of lots belonging to my New York friends. Once, old fellow,
-I gave you my promise to wait five years before passing judgment on your
-enterprise. Hardly half that time has elapsed, yet it gives me pleasure
-to assure you that I am already better satisfied with Waterville than I
-ever dared hope for."
-
-"Thank you," said Homer, "your 'Two Honorable Exceptions' article in the
-New York _Banner_ was indeed prophetic."
-
-"Yes," said Vance, "while the prophecies of Col. Alexander, B. Webster
-Legal, Gen. Ira House, and other members of your Waterville Town
-Company, have been more than realized."
-
-"My associates," said Homer, "in the great work of building up
-Waterville, have at last met with a compensation which I cannot but feel
-is a just one. Taking it all and all, they are a grand lot of fellows,
-each one a study within himself; nevertheless, collectively a phalanx of
-strength."
-
-"By the way," he continued, "it was my noble little wife, Virgie, that
-started the boom last spring. She learned in some mysterious way that
-a private school fund had been created for her special benefit, and in
-order to return the money, purchased the first lots that we had sold for
-months and months, and from that day the boom started, until now--well,
-you'll have to see the place to realize the wonderful changes and
-improvements."
-
-{247}"Hers," said Vance, "is certainty a sweet and noble character."
-
-"Yes, indeed," replied Winthrop, laughingly, "I still think she is the
-most practical member of the Bonifield family."
-
-"Indeed," said Vance, "I remember the allusion, and I beg to assure you
-that my opinion remains unchanged in regard to Louise."
-
-"I notice," said Winthrop, "that our old acquaintance, J. Arthur Boast,
-has had quite a rise in the world--at the head of the Peacock mine, I
-understand."
-
-"Yes," replied Vance, while a sorrowful expression swept over his face,
-"I fear his rise preceeds a mighty fall. Gibbons and Casey have been
-arrested for the Grim murder, but have given bonds, and are waiting
-for their attorney, B. Webster Legal, and to use one of Steve Gibbons'
-expressions, 'Things are liable to be sizzlin' hot for Boast before
-long. '"
-
-"Why," interrupted Winthrop, "you cannot mean--"
-
-"Yes," continued Vance, "I do mean that J. Arthur Boast murdered Rufus
-Grim. I have the evidence. Hank Casey saw the act."
-
-"Why, you astonish me!"
-
-"Casey," continued Vance, "was at first afraid to report the matter, nor
-did he until he went to Waterville. You were away at the time, and he
-confided to Mr. Donald. His own and Steve Gibbons' long years of warfare
-with Grim over the Peacock, he was afraid, would cause people to suspect
-them of the crime. He divined rightly. There is a great prejudice
-against both of them."
-
-"I never was more surprised in my life!" said Winthrop, {248}"and while I
-never liked the fellow, yet I had no idea he would commit murder."
-
-The next day a warrant was issued for the arrest of J. Arthur Boast,
-charging him with the murder of Rufus Grim. A most diligent search was
-made, but the officer was unable to find him. His wife was in tears and
-prostrated with grief, declaring she had no idea of his whereabouts.
-
-It was the morning before Thanksgiving that Vance received a certain
-letter. It was from Arthur Boast, and read as follows:
-
-At Home.
-
-Dear Sir:
-
-Why I write to you above all others, is more than I can tell. An
-impulse, actuated by some wandering spirit from the regions of darkness
-and the damned, forces me to it. The things I want to do, I am unable
-to accomplish. The acts I loathe and abhor, I am made a cat's-paw of to
-perform by some unknown impelling force.
-
-It may be that some men can shape their own destiny--mine has been
-shaped for me.
-
-I have never seen the time I did not fear you, and cannot remember
-the time I did not hate and despise you. I sought your friendship for
-protection. When I needed your support, you turned against me.
-
-Rufus Grim was my evil genius in this life, and he is more unbearable
-dead than living. Every night since I murdered him--yes, it was I who
-did the deed--he has visited me in my dreams All night long he walks up
-and down my bed-room--back and forth--and curses me. Sometimes I pull
-the covers well over my head, and try to sleep, but he pulls them off
-and rubs his cold, clammy hands threateningly over my face. He has found
-out also that I robbed the stage coach and bribed the sheriff.
-
-I am tired of it all. I have not slept for ten nights. My brain {249}is
-on fire. You want vengeance, but I intend to cheat you--yes? I will
-cheat you--and in this way I find my only consolation.
-
-An hour ago my attorney came to my hiding-place, and told me the higher
-courts had reversed the decision. When this is known all Gold Bluff will
-turn against me. Even now I can hear them hissing the words. Scoundrel!
-scoundrel! murderer! murderer! in tantalizing scorn.
-
-My ambition has always been to be wealthy. Now I am so poor that if I
-continued to live and was not hunted down and sent to prison, I would
-not even have a crust of bread to eat.
-
-Yes, Gibbons and Casey are now the owners of the Peacock mine--the
-higher courts have so decided. With their money, they'll join you in
-persecuting me--but I'll cheat them as well as you. Your longing for
-revenge shall not be satisfied.
-
-At the old prospect shaft on the Peacock, where I struck the fatal blow
-that hurled Rufus Grim into eternity, you will find all that remains of
-the persecuted, despised and hated.
-
-J. Arthur Boast.
-
-To Vance Gilder.
-
-
-A search was at once made, and his lifeless body found near the old
-prospect shaft.
-
-[Illustration: 9257]
-
-A bullet wound in his temple, and the weapon still clutched in his hand,
-told of the maniac's suicide.
-
-The people of Gold Bluff were astonished at the rapidity with which
-history was being made. The sheriff was missing, and his absence gave
-color to Boast's statement about the sheriff being an accomplice in the
-stage robbery.
-
-The undisputed owners of the Peacock mine, Casey and Gibbons, the
-multi-millionaires, were entirely vindicated by Boast's letter, and not
-{250}a shadow of suspicion rested against them; indeed, the citizens of
-Gold Bluff suddenly remembered that Mr. Henry Casey and Stephen Gibbons,
-Esq., were most excellent gentlemen. It was astonishing to find how many
-"friends" flocked around them to tender their congratulations.
-
-It was Thanksgiving night, and Vance, with the members of the Bonifield
-household, was seated before the open grate, where a cheerful fire
-burned brightly. They had been talking it all over, and the Colonel, in
-a subdued but satisfied way, thanked God that he had been permitted to
-live long enough to see a fulfillment of his life's dream.
-
-[Illustration: 8258]
-
-Both Louise and Virgie were animated and happy, and Homer Winthrop had
-been dilating upon Waterville's wonderful prosperity.
-
-Presently the door opened, and Aunt Sally came in. "Good evenin', Mr.
-Gilder," said she, in her rich Southern accent, "I 'low this is the
-happiest day of our lives."
-
-"Yes, indeed," replied Vance, "we owe many apologies to your brother for
-our seeming lack of confidence in Gray Rocks."
-
-She looked at him quickly over her spectacles, and replied, "Lack of
-confidence, Mr. Gilder? I'd like to know who lacked confidence in my
-brother Benjamin's mine! Fo' myself, I have believed from the first
-that Benjamin would strike it if I could only keep him workin' away long
-enough."
-
-Vance was non-plussed, and was about to reply, when the Colonel
-interposed. "Yo' see, suh," said he, with a knowing twinkle in his eye,
-"I have often obse'ved to yo' that my sisteh is a most ext'ao'dina'y
-person; yes, suh, most ext'ao'dina'y indeed. She has been a powehful
-support to me, suh, in my effo'ts."
-
-This seemed to partially pacify Aunt Sally. Presently she said, "I
-'spect, Mr. Gilder, yo' are thinkin' 'bout a convehsation we had a few
-months ago in regard to sinkin' the shaft. Of cou'se yo' didn't know how
-much strategy I had to resort to that I might keep Benjamin from getting
-disheartened. Of cou'se I won't allow nobody to say anythin' against my
-brother, but I 'low he is the contrariest man livin', I do indeed, suh.
-Time and again I have been fo'ced to pretend that I was opposin' him,
-just to make him go on work in' and sinkin' that shaft, but at last it
-is all over with, and I've much to be thankful fo' that I was spared
-so that I could keep on naggin' at Benjamin and spurrin' him up, until
-finally his effo'ts were rewa'ded." Soon after, she embraced Louise and
-Virgie tenderly, and retired.
-
-When she was gone, the Colonel looked up from the crackling fire, into
-which he had been gazing long and earnestly, and said, "I presume, Mr.
-Gilder, my sisteh is without question one of the greatest characters
-that ever lived, I do indeed, suh. I'm discoverin', even to this day,
-new traits of superio'ity and strength in her. Indeed, suh, she is
-no o'dina'y woman. Though bawn in the South, and possessin' in a high
-degree the very great refinement peculiar to our Southern ladies, yet at
-the same time her diplomacy in accomplishin' great results equals
-the shrewdest Nawthe'n Yankee. Indeed, suh, she is a most rema'kable
-character; yes, suh, most rema'kable." {252}A little later Homer
-and Virgie retired, pleading weariness. "Do you know," said Colonel
-Bonifield, looking up from the fire again, "since our great discovery
-was made, I seem to want to do all my sleeping in the mawnin'?"
-
-"Papa," said Louise, "is too busy thinking over and over again his
-great good fortune to get sleepy; but my! how late he does sleep in the
-morning!"
-
-"He has justly earned," said Vance, "the rest he claims.'
-
-"Indeed he has," replied Louise, approaching her father and pushing
-gently back his long white locks, "you are my darling old papa," she
-continued in a caressing way, "and may sit up as late as you like, and
-sleep until noon every day if it is your wish."
-
-"I'll tell yo', Mr. Gilder," said the Colonel, rising and standing
-before the fire, "this little girl of mine is bound to spoil me; yes,
-suh; she always did humor me eveh since I can remembeh, and she is worse
-now than eveh befo' Well, well, you'll have to excuse me until I have
-another pipe of tobacco." His elegant suit of black of the latest
-pattern added to his dignified appearance, and made a strange contrast,
-Vance thought, with the miner's garb he had worn for so many years. He
-pushed through the portieres that opened into the library, and Louise
-and Vance were left alone, for the first time since the rich discovery
-had been announced.
-
-A doubt came into Vance's mind whether he was glad of it or not.
-Heretofore this noble girl whom he had loved so long and patiently had
-been in a measure dependent upon him--now she was an heiress. He fancied
-he detected a restraint in her conversation that was embarrassing.
-His own unworthiness rose up before him, and he was engulfed in the
-cowardice of a lover! What if she should refuse him? Cross-cutting
-into a pinched-out vein would be nothing in comparison with such a
-disappointment. Presently, at his request, she went to the piano, and
-sang for him.
-
-She sang with far more feeling than ever before. Her heart was filled
-with a maiden's dearest happiness--a deep, reciprocal, unspoken love of
-limitless depth. Yes, with the unerring divination of a woman, she knew
-that Vance's love was wholly hers. There was a love song before her, and
-under its cover, she would declare her own without restraint. She sang
-with the rapture of a mountain thrush, in notes so rich, so innocent, so
-plaintively low, so delightfully thrilling.
-
-Vance listened with bated breath. There are pleasures so keen as to be
-painful. "I am so inferior to her," he thought, with unselfish humility,
-"but to live without her is impossible." Finally she ceased playing and
-turned toward him with the music of her soul radiant upon her face. A
-momentary silence followed.
-
-"Louise," said Vance, and there was a tremulous rhythm in his voice,
-notwithstanding he tried to crush it into naturalness, "it may be news
-to you, but I can no more help loving you than I can help breathing."
-He walked back and forth before the open grate. "Please do not look
-away from me," he went on, "as if I were so unworthy--I know that well
-enough. I would rather love you without hope than have the unselfish
-devotion of all the other women of the earth at my feet."
-
-She had lifted her hands and covered her face. Her happiness was very
-great. She fears he would see it, vet he must know it, else she would be
-miserable.
-
-"What I have said," Vance went on, "may be nothing to you, but it is
-either life or death to me. To-morrow I shall leave Gold Bluff for ever
-unless you wish me to remain." Vance stood before the open grate still
-and motionless, and when she looked up, she saw his face was white as
-marble. She rose from the piano with tear-stained cheeks, flushing pink
-as La France roses with morning dew-drops upon them. She came forward a
-few steps, and then paused. Her golden wealth of hair {255}reflected the
-forelight, and made a halo about her girlish face and form. Her full red
-lips were parted with the tender smile of youth, purity and love. She
-was thinking, "I am certain of his love; I am sure of mine for him, and
-I will give myself entirely, yes, wholly into his keeping." With one
-hand over her beating heart, she held the other toward Vance. In a
-moment he was by her side, and raising her hand, pressed it passionately
-to his lips. In the deliciousness of love's dream, he led her to a divan
-and seated himself beside her. His arms stole about her, her head rested
-on her breast, and there a devout lover's affection was sealed with
-love's first kiss.
-
-A moment later the portieres parted, and in the doorway stood the
-Colonel. His long white hair fell back from his temples, and there was
-a look of gladness upon his countenance. He lifted up his face toward
-Heaven, and in tones that were scarcely audible, said: "Such tender and
-sacred things of earth are sanctified in Heaven."
-
-Yes, again the Shuttle of Fate wove into the web of Destiny the better
-attributes of a manly man and the ennobling love of a gentle woman.
-
-[Illustration: 0261]
-
-[Illustration: 0263]
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-End of Project Gutenberg's My "Pardner" and I, by Willis George Emerson
-
-*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MY "PARDNER" AND I ***
-
-***** This file should be named 52458.txt or 52458.zip *****
-This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
-        http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/4/5/52458/
-
-Produced by David Widger from page images generously
-provided by the Internet Archive
-
-
-Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will
-be renamed.
-
-Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
-law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
-so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
-States without permission and without paying copyright
-royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
-of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm
-concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
-and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive
-specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this
-eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook
-for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports,
-performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given
-away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks
-not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the
-trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.
-
-START: FULL LICENSE
-
-THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
-PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
-
-To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
-distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
-(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
-Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
-Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at
-www.gutenberg.org/license.
-
-Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic works
-
-1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
-and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
-(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
-the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
-destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your
-possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
-Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
-by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the
-person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph
-1.E.8.
-
-1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
-used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
-agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
-things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
-even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
-paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this
-agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
-
-1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the
-Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
-of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual
-works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
-States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
-United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
-claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
-displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
-all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
-that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting
-free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm
-works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
-Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily
-comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
-same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when
-you share it without charge with others.
-
-1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
-what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
-in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
-check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
-agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
-distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
-other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no
-representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
-country outside the United States.
-
-1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
-
-1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
-immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear
-prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work
-on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the
-phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed,
-performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
-
-  This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
-  most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
-  restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it
-  under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this
-  eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the
-  United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you
-  are located before using this ebook.
-
-1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is
-derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
-contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
-copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
-the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
-redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project
-Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
-either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
-obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm
-trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
-
-1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
-with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
-must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
-additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
-will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works
-posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
-beginning of this work.
-
-1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
-License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
-work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
-
-1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
-electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
-prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
-active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
-Gutenberg-tm License.
-
-1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
-compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
-any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
-to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format
-other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official
-version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site
-(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
-to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
-of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain
-Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the
-full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
-
-1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
-performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
-unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
-
-1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
-access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
-provided that
-
-* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
-  the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
-  you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
-  to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has
-  agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
-  Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
-  within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
-  legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
-  payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
-  Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
-  Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
-  Literary Archive Foundation."
-
-* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
-  you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
-  does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
-  License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
-  copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
-  all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm
-  works.
-
-* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
-  any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
-  electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
-  receipt of the work.
-
-* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
-  distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
-
-1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than
-are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
-from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The
-Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm
-trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
-
-1.F.
-
-1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
-effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
-works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
-Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
-contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
-or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
-intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
-other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
-cannot be read by your equipment.
-
-1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
-of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
-Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
-Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
-liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
-fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
-LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
-PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
-TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
-LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
-INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
-DAMAGE.
-
-1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
-defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
-receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
-written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
-received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
-with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
-with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
-lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
-or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
-opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
-the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
-without further opportunities to fix the problem.
-
-1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
-in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO
-OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
-LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
-
-1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
-warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
-damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
-violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
-agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
-limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
-unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
-remaining provisions.
-
-1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
-trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
-providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in
-accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
-production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
-including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
-the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
-or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or
-additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any
-Defect you cause.
-
-Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
-
-Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
-electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
-computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
-exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
-from people in all walks of life.
-
-Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
-assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
-goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
-remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
-Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
-and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future
-generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
-Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
-Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at
-www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg
-Literary Archive Foundation
-
-The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
-501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
-state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
-Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
-number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
-Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
-U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
-
-The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the
-mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its
-volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous
-locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt
-Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to
-date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and
-official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
-
-For additional contact information:
-
-    Dr. Gregory B. Newby
-    Chief Executive and Director
-    gbnewby@pglaf.org
-
-Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
-Literary Archive Foundation
-
-Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
-spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
-increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
-freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
-array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
-($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
-status with the IRS.
-
-The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
-charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
-States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
-considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
-with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
-where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
-DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular
-state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate
-
-While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
-have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
-against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
-approach us with offers to donate.
-
-International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
-any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
-outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
-
-Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
-methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
-ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
-donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate
-
-Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works.
-
-Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
-Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be
-freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
-distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of
-volunteer support.
-
-Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
-editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
-the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
-necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
-edition.
-
-Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search
-facility: www.gutenberg.org
-
-This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
-including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
-Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
-subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
-
diff --git a/old/52458.zip b/old/52458.zip
deleted file mode 100644
index c3d04fb..0000000
--- a/old/52458.zip
+++ /dev/null
author	nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org>	2025-02-06 01:18:17 -0800
committer	nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org>	2025-02-06 01:18:17 -0800
commit	fda21ccb242f18f461cdc87e9c7d4e0cb39c690d (patch)
tree	56a7976d0b1546581f3d382f407a2506933c439d
parent	907eab6fde7c2591549ebf849ebc80860886aff7 (diff)