Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1896-08-28
CIIArrl,l. WI

Golden tidings. MIR. Crouch" said Sir
Richard, mildly. "would of themselves i'll
sure Il welcome anywhere. Well, Rufus.
let me hear Your good news In what
Australian gold mine. now langnishing
Tor lack of capital. ought to take shares.
WITH the certainty of three hundred per
cent annual profits? or what buried treas
lre. Ill some stony gully beneath the con-
stcllation of the Southern Cross. can be
had for the expenditure of few cool
hunlmds:"
II didn't come here To no made game
of, nor vet Knocked. know your banter
ing way of old. No; I'm no tout for ~
JOINT stock concern in a bad way. nor am
l one of the drivelers who maundcr about
horse loads of the yellow dust and flakes.
slowed away in far-off places of the bush,
as some do. To my thinking. the old
country is the richest. l never SAW Il
rush or Il placer to equal some of the snug,
quiet ways of money making of which
there are SO many in England.'
He seemed to pause for breath, and Sir
Richard blandly rcmarkcd: 81 quite
agree with YOU. Crouch. The home mar
ket is perhaps the safest. You learned n
good deal. / am sure. while YOU occupied
the honorable, if humble. position of con-
fidential clerk to the late Mr.. Bowman
Lawyer Bowman, as we generally called
him in Somersetshirc-befor your wor-
thy employer had the sad loss of memory
and physical strength which succeeded to
the paralytic stroke. and before you--''
"Cut away with his cash box" inter-
jected Rufus. glaring Mt his entertainer.
that's about what your civil chat comes
to, Sir II. Mortmain. Raronct. Yes. i
bolted. And not only did carry Will,
me the ready coin and notcs-,ittle
enough. promise you. and which melted
IKE snow III the sun-tlat the miscrlv
old hunks kept by him. but every valuable
paper that his big safe contained, some of
them dating from before the time that |
nrst was indenturcd to him as his artclcd
clerk. l made clean sweep, Settle.
mcnts. wills. mortgage dccds-all were
fish that came to my net just before NV
start for Topsy-turvy land. landed in
Australia with previous little money. but
with heavy heap of pnrchmcnts, 1 can
tell you. Sir r.
II am ut n loss to conjecture in what
manner their contents could possibly af-
feet me. Old Mr.. Bowman had ceased to
he my fathers country solicitor full two
years before your hasty journey to the
antipodes, and 1 am pretty sur1 that the
Mortmain deed boxes had been transfer.
red to lurking places in another office"
Now. Sir r." said the ex-gold digger,
grimly. 'you must take me for n new
ch,lm. indeed. as we say in Australia. if
You think l would have bur,lencd myself
with such rubbish as that. No. no: / had
other fish to fry. Far off in the brush.
when others slept. I've sat up many's the
night in my tent. poring. by the flicker
ing light of a stump of candle, over the
papers and parchments l had with me.
Most of them were useless-only fit to he
cut into tailors' meas,res-hur some were
better worth. and one in particular. You
amt married. Sir r." abruptly. and as il
a sudden thought had struck him. do.
mandet the man. and there WI something
of dismay in his tone.
IL thank You for the kind consideration
which. l am sure. prompts your inquiry"
rcjoined Sir Richard. gravely. "No. L
have not the happiness to be married."
THAT'S right" c1nphatically exclaimed
the returned advcnturer. "For in that
case. Sir r.. should have to 20 further
atcld in search of partner. and that
would have been pity, wouldn't it, since
YOU and l understand each other, don't
we: Well. Sir r., since you are single
| still. you're my man, if YOU please. And
you ought to he much obliged to me, too,
for it is one word for me and two for
yourself-what with the fine fortune, and
what with the charming young WIFE,"
1t was genuine look of surprise which
came into Sir Richard Mortmain's face,
and for moment he seemed in doubt as