The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-07-09
A FEATHERED NEST.

back in bamboo chairs each with cigar
1t looked as if they were resting In real
ity they were talking business, and that
very seriously.
Eyes. sir" said the elder man, with
something Of an American accent, II have
somehow taken fancy TO this place. The
situation is healthful."
well, don't know. I've had more than
one touch of fever here"
The climate is lovely"
Except in the rains"
The soil is fertile"
"Pve dropped FIVE thousand in It, and
they haven't come up yet"
They will. L have been around the es-
tate, and | see money IN It, Well, sir,
here's my offer: Five thousand down, hard
cash, as soon as the papers are signed"
Reginald sat up. He was on the point OF
accepting the proposal, when pony
stopped at the house. and the rider. na-
tive groom, jumped of and gave him n ots
He opened and read it. 1t was from his
nearest neighbor. two or three miles away.
Don't sell that man your estate. Geld
has been found. The whole country is full
Of gold. Hold on. He's an assayer. II
he offers to buy, be quite sure that he has
found gold on your land. +. G.
BE put the note into his pocket, gave
verbal message to the boy, and turned to
his guest without betraYing the least aston
ishment or emotion.
II beg your pardon. The note was from
Bethany, my. next neghbor. Well, you
were sayng?
Only that had taken a fsncy-perhaps
foolish fancy-t0 this place of yours, and
l will give you all that you have spent upon
it. If yen like"
We'll" he replied, refectively, but with
little twinkle In his eve, that seems hand
some. But the place isn't really worth half
OF what l have spent upon 1t. Anybody
wobld tell you that Come, let us be hon
est. whatever we are. III tell you better
way. We will put the matter into Bel
lzmy's hshds He knows what a coffee
plantation is worth. He shall name a
price, and if we can agree upon that we will
make a deal of il"
The other man changed color he wanted
10 settle the thing at once, as between gen.
tlemen. What need of a third party?
But Reginald stood firm. and he presently
rode away, quite sure that in day or two
this planter too would have heard the news.
a month later the young planter stood on
the deck OF steamer homeward bound. In
his pocketOook was plan OF his aurIferous
estate, In q bag hanging around his neck
was collection of yellow nuggets in his
boxes was chosen assortment of quartz.
d" Well, sir, said the hnaucier you have
brought this thing TO me. You want my
advice. Well, my advice is. don't fool away
the OuIy good thing that will ever happen
to you. Luck such as this doesn't come
more than once In lifetime"
Il have been offered $4,000 for my
estate"
was very libera-very liberal, indeed. Ten
thousand for gold reef"
" But / thought as an old friend of my
father you would, perhaps"
young man, don't fool it away. He's
waiting for you, / suppose, round the
corner with bottle Of fzZ ready to cIose?"
"He is"
well. 90 and drink his champagne.
Always get whatever you can. And then
tell him that you'll see him"
" certainly will, sir, if you advise It.
And then?"
And then-,eave it to me-. And, young
man, think l heard. a year or two ago,
something about you and my girl Rosie"
There was something; not enough to
trouble You about it,"
''ohe told me; Rosie tells me all her love
affairs"
rs she-ls she unmarried ?"
''Oh, yes, and for the moment I believe
she Is free. She has had one or two engage
menis, but somehow they have come to
nothing. There was the French Count, but
that was knocked on the head very early in
consequence OF thingS discovered. And
there was the boom in GuanO, but he fortu-
natey smashed, much to Rosie's joy, be-
cause she never liked him. The last WAS
Lord Evergreen. He was a nice old chan
when you could understand what he said.
and Rosie would have liked the title very
much, though bis grandchildren opposed
the thing. Well, sir. / suppose you couldn't
understand the trouble we took 10 keep that
old man alive for his own wedding Science
did all 1t could, but 1t was of no USE The
ways Of providence are inscrutabe He
died, sir, tue day before" And the fnancier
sighed.
That was very sad"
"a dashing Of the cup from the lip, sir
NY daughter would have been a Countess
Wei, young gentleman. about this estate Of
yours. L think see way-I think, | am
not yet sure, that do see a way Go now
See this liberal gentleman and drink his
champagne. Come here in a week Then.
II stu see my way, you shall understand
what it means to hold the position in the
city which is mine"
And may call upon Rosie?"
Not till this day week, not till I have
made my way plain"
And so it means this. Oh, Rosie. Won
look loYelier than ever. and l am as happy
as king! 1t means this; Yoar father is
the greatest genius in the world. He buys
my property for 10000. That's over e301O
year for me. and he makes company out
OF 1t, with $4,000 capital He says that,
takirg 10000 out of it, there will be a profit
of $50 900. All this he gives to you-e80, 600.
that's 43O00 year for you; and $4,000,
that's 429G0 more, my dearest Rose You
remember what you said, that when you
married you should step out of one room
ION, Reggie" she sank upon his bosom
you KNOW never could love anybody but
you. It's true L was engaged to Lord Ever
green, but that was only because be had
one 1oot you krow-and when the other
foot went In, too, just day too soon. / a.
tually laughed. 80 the pater is going to
make company of it, is he? Well. | none
ne wont put any Of his own money into it.
I'm sure because of late all the companies
have turned out 80 badly"
But, my child, the place Is full of gold I"
hen why did he turn 1t into a COMPANY.
my dear boy? And why didn't he make
you stick 10 it9 But you know nothing of
the city. Now, let US sit down and talk
about what we shall do-don't, you ridiculous
boy"
Another house just like the first. The
pride stepped out Of one palace into another
win their i've or six thousand year the
young couple could just manage to make
both ends meet. The husband was devoted
tne vile had everything that she could wish
VINO could be happier than this pair in a
nest 80 luxurious. their life so padded, their
days so full Of sunshine?
IL was year after marriage. The wife.
contrary to the usual custom was the first
at breakfast. A few letters were WAITING
for her. chiefly invitations
she opened and read them Among Them
lay one addressed to her husband Not
that as well: 'i
Dear Reginald I venture to addrAss
You as an old friend of your own and school
fellow OF your mothers. l am widow with
Tour children. MY husband was the vicar
OF your old parisn-you remember him and
me. 1 anu
y was left with little income of abont
zoo year. Twelve months ago I
was persuaded, In order to double NV in
coine-a thing that seemed certain from the
prospectus-to invest everything I'm new
and rich gold mine. Everything-apd the
NINE has never paid anything. The com
pany-it is called the Rynard Gold Reef
Company-is In liquidation because. though
there Is really the gold there, it costs too
much to get ii. wv
81 have no relaiivps anurhor "a Ill.