Nevada County picayune., 1891-06-18

'hS' poitN hIah hCaiiS ocNtht9 ycaFS old, with kindly blue eyes and a pleasant smile.
 "And this is my little godchild," '" he said, as he took both Hester s hands in his own. Dear dear :! You were in long clothes when I saw you last. And you have had heavy sorrow. 1 did not know until yes terday, or I should have found your mother before. I have just come from Europe, You saw my advcr- tisement!"
 "It was that that made me venture to call," Hester said, all her pride of bearing broken down by this genial reception. You-you say you know our troubles
 "Yes! yes! But this little affair of ours. It has nothing to do with your fathers business. He told you, certainly he must have told you of your investment with me- "No. 1 know nothing about it. ;"
 "So. We'll, well! Why, my dear, I have held some money of yours over twenty years. Did you never hear of your gold mine?''
 "Neverr'
 "How strange! Perhaps your father forgot it. It was just after the war was over. You were baby, and on the day you were christcned your father gave dinner party to some of his most intimate friends, all gentlemen. l was your godfather, and l mentioned to all the guests the occasion for the dinner. Gold was very scarce in those days, very scarce, and held at high premium. So we, the gentlemen who were in- vited to dinner, made our choice of a gift for you in gold. Dear, dear, how well l remember it all Your mother presided at the dinner, but left us, after the dessert, to our wine and cigars. But before we began to smoke, your father, at my request, sent for you. You were a beauty even then, queen of babies. While you sat, as erect as a soldier, in your fathers arms, we presented you with a silver cup, filled with gold coins, five hundred dollars in all. But af- ter you were taken away the cup still stood upon the table, and your father asked me to invest it for you, until you came of age. He made some testing allusion to my success in business, and exacted from me a promise to hold the money, turn and twist it, to use his own express sion, and return it to you on your twenty-first birthday. accepted the trust, taking the gold, and mak- ing a careful entry of the day upon which it was to be returned. And this is the day"
 Hester's voice trcmblcd as she sad: "rhis morning, MT. Helborne, I counted the money that stood be- tween us and starvation, and it was two dollars and forty cents. have tried Tn vain to obtain steady employ ment since my fathers death. The mantle of his fault" she said, with a rlng of the old bitterness, twas supposed to be wrapped about me. No one would trust than me. l pro- posed, far more in earnest than in jest, to invest the forty cents in charcoal and end the tragedy by a deeper one. And now you tell me have five hundred dollars all my own!'
 "Blcss the child!" cried the old gentleman, 'does she suppose l put the money in an old stocking and locked it up? Five hundred dollars :! No, no, my dear l turned and twisted it as your father wished and really, l took quite comical inter- est in watching it roll itself up and come out of every investment with flying colors. kept 1t quite by it. self, and l have detailed memoran- dun to show you, if you wish, pre- cisely how your christening present became thirty thousand dollars"
 "You are laughing at me"
 No. l am quite serious. The last twenty years havo offered great chances for speculation, and you have been fortunate. And remem- Der, it Is yours. l know all. l can speak to you frankly, aud l tell you this money is your own, a gift from vour friends. Your father never held it in his hands. From your sil-