Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1891-11-21

''many good mines are to be had for
moderate prices in the obscure districts
of Mexico 1t is there will go"
He told no one of his intention. In the
first place. he could tell no one of the
reason for it-that was secret he was
determined not to share with any human
being-and. secondly. he was well aware
how visionary and wild such a scheme
would appear to either his own or his
fathers friends. who knew him only as
young man of fortune. totally without
business training and unsuspected of
scientific knowledge. Whatever he did
must be done without counsel and with
out help. And here the latent strength
of his character showed itself He de-
cided and acted promptly. He would go
to Mexico: he would look for investments
out of which money might Immediately
and rapidly be- made, and in this specu-
lation-which meant financial life or
death to him-he would risk twenty
thousand dollars. The amount was fixed
by the sum which he found he could at
once and without trouble obtain by the
sale of certain highly marketable securi-
ties II the money WAS lost. he could by
his own exertions hope to replace at least
us much as that. but if fortune favored
INN. he might make II the means of re-
trieviug the great loss already incurred
At all events. he would try what could
be done before letting the world know
that his father had proved faithless to
his trust
That II was not deliberate faithless-
ress-certaiuly not an intent to defraud
-woula not nend the matter either in
the eyes of the world or IN those Of the
persons immediately concerned The
fortune that had been used for specula-
tive purposes and so greatly impaired
WIS that of a young girl. dlstantly con
nected with his mother, whose large in
heritance had been placed i'll his father =
hands with absolute confidence by her
fathers will She was now nineteen: in
two years an account of this inheritance
must be given On his fathers death
Derwent had assumed the guardianship
and bound himself to make this account
before he discovered the grim fact that
was later 10 overwhelm him. He re
memhpred then some words uttered by
the diving man when he understood that
the end oi all :hlugS earthly WAS al hand
for him "Sibyl' ne had said, drawing
down his sons face to his own paling
lips" "SihyI!-you will tind-it was all a
mistake-but you can make it night
Remember" what grasp that was of
the dying hand!-'you can make it
right"
Derwent understood then what was
meant. and he understood it with fresh
force when hs discovered the truth. He
had long known that his father wished
him to marry the pretty orphan heiress
whom his mother already loved as a
daughter 1t was probably because the
marriage was so desirable that he, with
the contrarity inherent in human nature,
had never felt himself drawn toward the
idea. although he lnought 1t likely that
in the course of time propinquity and
the family wishes, not to speak of Miss
Lenox's own charms, would finally
bring such an end about But now. with
the revelation of his fathers meaning
marry the girl and she need never
know that have lost her fortune"-he
felt his whole nature rise upin passion
ate protest He said to himself that it
would be vile thing to do-to offer to
this girl who might be won to love him,
a mere semblance of affection, in order
that the knowledge that she had been
robbed might be concealed from her.
Yet there was his fathers honor to be
saved. and. hardly less in Importance to
him, his mothers comfort and happiness.
Stung by these thoughts, the young
man groaned aloud. and it was then that,
amid many wild plans, the recollection
of those old Mexican stories came to him
like an inspiration He resolved to make
one bold fight for fortune and honor and
liberty Yes. liberty too, for if he ever
went as suitor to Sibyl Lenox he wish
ed TO go with the freedom of an honest
man. and not with the feeling that he
would cover robbery by that worst
treachery which masks itself under the
name of love
| In view of this resolution. 1t seemed
to him a very fortunate thing that the
year before he had met AT the Mardl
Gras carnival in New Orleans a young
man whom IN his boyish days he had
known as the son of Texas planter, on
whose ranch Derwent with his cousins
from Louisiana had once spent week
or so. Mutual "reminiscences and in
ouiries had elicited the fact that young
Morpl was now soJourning in Mexico
II am specializing in mining properties,
he sand frankly "You see, speak Span
ish aud know the people pretty well, so
can find things that stranger could
not Have done good businessf Yes,
| SO far have been fairly successful; but