The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-05-29
CHAPTER III.
BIRDS OF PREY.

The sun shone brightly, and the air was
redolent with all the crispness and fresh
ness Of balmy Spring, upon the morning
upon which our story opens, as Eugene
Faber, the secretary of the Australian
Gold Mining Company, with quick step
and flush upon his usually lmpassIve
features, assembled the marble steps Of the
elegant building in which its suites Of Of
fees We're located, and entered his phi
vate office.
Everything was in order on his desk,
yet he carelessly overlooked the mornings
mail, and with nervous anxiety depicted
IN his eye, took up the mornings paper
the Times. He did not hnger to scan the
daily news or the local columns, but
passed his eye rapidly down the financial
and commercial columns, until his eye
rested on marine"
He scanned the list Of the arrivals and
departures of steamers quickly, his gaze
finally resting upon paragraph which, it
was evident, was the one sought for
Eugene Faber's eyes grew brighter and
quick exclamation of satisfaction escaped
his lips, as his eyes rested upon the para
graph for which he evidently had been
locking The words seemed most welcome
to him, simple as they were, for they read:
SHOOTING STAR-Mail Steamer, from sgd
ney, Australia, to Liverpool Arrived at Liv-
erpOol
lit will lie some hours before the mail
she brings will reach London, the man
muttered as he laid down the paper and
panic when the news comes" he added in
a tone Of triumph. ''If this plan has not
failed Forest will be here before the morn
ing is gone. He must come before the
news is known, or the most important part
Of my project will fail.
As he spoke the door opened and Cecil
Esmond, the president Of the company,
entered. In a moment the secretary s
face resumed its accustomed gravity, and
with quiet nod Of the head he respond
ed to his cousins good morning" saluta-
ton.
You are down early, he said
'1es, responded Cecil, as he drew a
chair nearer the desk, and leaning his hand
on his head, said wearlly
''l have spent a night of anxiety and
sleeplessness our affairs are in a very bad
conuition, and, unless the Shooting Star
in the market"
Eugene Faber, with his eyes fixed stead
fastly upon the floor, did not reply.
The last shipment OF men and machin-
cry to the mines took all our available
means, he resumed. Percy must have
extracted some ore by this time, and if 50
the Star has probably brought me over a
consignment.
''rhe mines must develop something o.
prove utterly worthless, said Eugene Fa-
ber
"They cannot fail to. The assay made
reported large proportion of the precious
ore. You know the metal is common IL
| Austrrlia Only time is wanted to deAelol
such mineral wealth as will startle the
world. We have expended large fortune
in developing the mines. Failure would
plunge us INTO trouble and ruin. The out
look has been favorable so far, and think
news from the Shooting Star will be- favor
able to us and to our projects.
''I hope 50, said the secretary.
"You evince no enthusiasm in the affair,
said Cecil "1our interests as well as my
own are at stake. Positive as | feel thai
the mines Will soon yield to us rich re
turn for all the capital and labor invested
| am not SO sanguine that our financial ba
sis Is for the present as sound as it NIGH
be. 1t is this | have come to see yor
about. Eugene, something must be done
to raise little money. We are IN an un
lodked for emergency. All our stock 4
! afoat, our issue as large as the law vii
allow, every available dollar is invested II
the mines and there is a note at the bsnl
of five thousand pounds to meet by moor
to-day. That obligation we must meet
once our paper is protested and the fac
made public and our stock would sink IL
the market and in public estimation. W.
must sustain our credit. | am positive tn
mines will soon make a rich yield. Cal
you not devise some means to provide tn
desired sum to meet the note, for meet q
we must"
He looked snxiously and appealingly a
his cousin, for in the sincerity Of his natur
he made confdant Of this man, whom, o
all men in the world he should most hav
summed He had aided him, had lifte'
him, as it were, from poverty, and ha'
given him a lucrative positi IN as secretar,
of the company because of the RELATIONSHIP
that existed between them. He little kne'
and much less comprehended the envy an
almost positive hatred which his cou4n fel
towards him. AS he looked at him he di