The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-15
THR QUALITY OF MERCY
A. Story Of Contemporary
American Life.
sv WILLIAM DEAN HOWElLS.
copyright. 1891. BY ". D. uow.li.J
SECOND FART.
CuA pTTp TT

Uopyr8nt, Aopi' w W'D' "o"eh-c
SECOND FART.
CHAPTER II.
A, s,anstead q party OF three gentlemen
..r,o into tho car: and their talk presently
so~nd ia way through Northwiok's revery. at
e-st a. an interruption. an annoyance. and
.,t.rxartl as matter OF intensifying personal
,a,srest TO him. They were In very good splr-
~. and they made themselves at homo in the
49, there were only few other passengers.
Thsy were going to Montreal. as he easily
..,hered, and some friends were TO Join
shsno at the next junction. and 60 on with
hsm. They talked freely Of an enterprise
vhch they wished to promote In Montreal:
and they we're very confident Of It II they could
~ tho capital Ono Of them said. F" It was
sh,,s that would have boen done long ago. II
~. Yankees had been IN 1t" We'll we may
syte rich deiaulter in Montreal" another
IA and they all laughed Their laughter
.snosed Northwick: It seemed immoral: he
ssmsmbered that, though he might seem do
s.uitnr. he was mnn with . sacred trust and
hirh purpose. But he listened eagerly; II
.hsIr enterprise wero one TINT approved
w,alf TO his judgment, the chance OF their
S,.cuasinc It before him might be q
l..dine OF Providence which he would be
eulpsbie to refuse Providence Ind an
sveted his prayer in permitting him to
,sss the American frontier safely. and North
viek must not be derelict in fulfilling his part
a, tho agreement The Canadians borrowed
ths Trademarks lantern and began to study
msp which they spread out on their knees.
Ths one who seemed first among them put his
Anger on place in tho map and said that was
the SPOT. II was in the region Just back OF Chi
ooutimL Gold had always been found there.
ans Y c,ak n
nine Il than It was worth: but with the apple
cation Of his new process OF working up the
tailines, there WIS no doubt Of tho result It
Mas simply wealth beyond the dreams OF
aysrice.
.Nothwick had heard that song before: and
he fell back In his seat, with Q smile which was
perhaps too cynical for . partner Of Provi-
dence, but. was natural In q man OF his ex-
perfence He knew something about proc
esses to utilize the tailings OF gold mines
which would not otherwise pay for working:
he had paid enough for his knowledge: 80
much that II he still had the purchase money
no need not be goink into exile now. and be-
ginning life under false name. In strange
land
BY and BY he found himself listening again.
and he heard the Canadian saying: And
there's timber enough on the tract to pay twice
oyer what it will cost. oven II the mine wasn't
worth penny"
well. We might 60 down and see the tim
bcr. my Why" said one Of the party who had
not yet spoken much. And then we could
take q look at Markham's soap mine. too.
Unless" he added. you had to tunnel under
hundred feet Of snow to get at It A good deal
like dlggln' the north pole up BY the roots.
wouldn't 1t boz"
"Oh. no /! oh. no 7" said he who seemed to
10 Markham. with the optimism OF an enthu-
aisst =" There's'no trouble about It Wo've
got some ,shSnties that We put up about the
,noath Of tho hole in the ground We made In
the autumn. and you can see tho hole without
dissius:s tfall. Or. at least. you could In the
carly part Of January. when was down there.
"The hole hadn't run away"
,"No It was just whore he left t."
Well that's encouragin'. But say. Mark.
ham. how do you got down there in the winterf'
."Ohl very, easily. Simplest thing In the
world, Lots OF fellows In tho lumber trade do
70 sll.winter long. Do Il BY sleigh from st.
Annes, about twenty miles below Quebec
ffomQuebeo you have your choice OF train OF
slsigh. But prefer to make . clean thing OF
it and doit all By sleigh take 1t By easy
stages. and 90 take the long route; there Ia
a'short cut. but tho stops are far between
You make your twenty miles to st. Anne's
rom Quebec one day: eighteen to st.
Joachim. the next: thirty-nine to Bale
st. Paul, the next; twenty to Malbaie. tho
next; then forty to Tadousac: then eighteen
to Riviare Marguerite. You can do something
every day at that rate. even In the new snow:
but on the ice Of the Saguenay. to Ha! Hal Bay.
there's pull of sixty miles: you're at Chicou-
ttmi. eleven miles further. before you know it.
Good feed and good beds. all along. You wrap
up. snd you don't mind. OF COURSE" Mark
ham concluded, ut isn't the climate Of STAN
stead" as II the climate Of stanstead were
something like that Of st. Augustine.
WELL It sounds mere bagatelle." said the
more laxative Of tho other two. but It takes Q
week OF steady travel"
What is s.week on the way to Golconda. II
Golconda's yours when you get there ." said
Mark lam. why. Watkins. the young spruce
and poplar alone ON that tract are worth twice
the price ask for the whole. A pulp-mill.
which you could knock together for few
shillings on one OF those magnificent water
powers. would mako you all millionaires. IN q
single summer"
Aud what would Il do In tho winter when
ssar magnificent water.power was rosstn'3'
Work harder than ever. my dear boy. and
set an example OF industry to all the lazy hdb-
itsns In tho country. You could get your fue!
for the cost OF cutting. and you could feed
your spruce and poplar In under your furnace
and have It como out paper pulp at the other
end Of tho MILL"
Watkins and tho other listener laughed with
loud haw-haws at Markham's drolling. and
Watkins said. II say. Markham. weren't you
born on the other side OF the liner"
NO but my father was: aud wish he'd
stayed there till ! came Then I'd be going
around with all the capitalists OF Wall street
lighting for chance to nut their money into my
mine. instead OF wearing out the knoes OF my
trousers before you Csnucks. begging you not
TO slap your everlasting fortune In the foce."
They now all reared together again. and at
Sherbrooke they changed cars.
Nothwick had changed too. but he did notify
to set into tho sumo car with them. He want
ed to think. to elaborate in his own mind tho
suggestion for his immediate and remoter fu-
turc which he had got from their talk: and he
dreaded the confusion. and possibly he dread.
edthe misgivlng. that might como from hear
Ing more Of their talk. He thought he know.
now Just what he wanted to do. and no did not
Wlsh Ia ho