Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-10-15


Derwent, that it is usually the seller
and not the buyer. who pays the inter
mediate agent his commission
"That might easily have been arrang-
ed. !" returned the other We need only
have asked you forty thousand dollars
for the mine. instead Of twenty thou
sand. and we should havemade ten thou
Eand apiece You cannot say that the
Buena Esperanza is not worth rs much
as that
1.-THE Buena Esperanza may be worth
it, but should not have given it. Der
went replied
lyon might. if you mad never heard
Of the lower price said Fernandez
calmly Il am not fattering you. Mr.
Derwent. when | say that yOn know how
to Judge mine. And you are aware
that this mine is worth ten times what
is aske, for it. When Morell received
your letter he said to me. Here is man
who wants mine for speculative pur-
poses. to take into the great markets OF
the world and sell for "a big price In
order 10 succeed IN this. he M ust have a
good mine We will sell him the Buena
Esperanza at its bottom price, and then
we will make our profit By sharing IN
his When we have put such property
In his hands he cannot refuse this
am sure Morell was right, Mr.. Derwent.
You cannot refuse to enter into such an
arrangement.
And if do refuse. said Derwent-
for object very much TO having part
ners in my buslness-what theny
Then we must ask you to pay forty
thousand dollars for the mine That il
our lowest price.
There was silence Had Derweut
followed his impulse he would have
risen to his feet said CURLY II decline
to buy your mine on any terms. and
mounting his mule have ridden away
But it required only moments refiec-
ton to show that such course would
be particularly i'll advised at present
Whether or not Fernandez meant to
fiatter him when he said that NJ knew
how tn Judge mine. the fact remained
that he did know and that he had never
seen mine that seemed to him so well
worth possessing as the Buena Esperanza
He had said To himself. as he examined
its lodes. that if all went well with him
he ought TO be able 10 make enough out
of this alone to accomplish the end he
had in view And now after he had. as
it were, seen with his own eyes the treas
ure that was to redeem fortune and
honor for him it was snatched away. and
he had to choose between resigning it
altogether-for TO pay the additional
price asked was iinpossible-or to share
with others the profit needed by himself
1t was a hard decision. and the manner
In which it was forced upon him-the
time and place-made him say TO him-
self that his original distrust Of Ferpan-
dez was well jusuhed i
AS he sat on the green bank. with the
shade arched entrance OF the mine be-
hind him. the foaming water at his feet
and his gaze taking in idly the two
mozos, with the tethered animals farther
down the stream. and Senior Amanda near
at hand smoking cigarettes, he asked
himself what he should do. with desire
for counsel and direction such as ne had
never known before And while he still
hesitated. uncertain how to deal with
the man who he now felt sure would
take any advantage Of him, a sound sud
denly smote on the ears Of all three.
which made them look at each other
with glance of surprised interrogation